I've thought of using it, but haven't gotten any further. Although mines a
'82 diesel, and there is no fiberboard airintake there. Actually, what I'm
semi-planning on doing is to move the starting battery in there, and putting my
big deepcycle on the battery shelf next to it. I'll have to saw off the posts
and cover it with a large piece of thick rubber to insulate it tho.

On Tue, Aug 20, 2002 at 11:08:36PM -0400, Joseph Angrisani wrote:
> I've been reading through the archives about installing a house battery.
> Electrically, I know what I want to do.  My question involves the physical
> location of the battery.
>
> Has anyone installed the battery in the dead space behind the passenger's
> tail-light?
>
> It seems a good location.  It is very near the alternator for the main lead
> as well as the field/trigger lead...wiring would be simplified and short
> power leads are good!  It is on the right side of the Westy, which is
> certainly the light side.  It is outside (from a chemical point-of-view).  It
> takes up no interior storage space.  Even the "weight way out back" is less
> of a lever arm than that of a spare tire and rack (or two bikes on a rack)
> hanging out rearward of the bumper.
>
> The "box" back there measures 8" top-bottom x 8" front-back x 11.5" side-side
> inside of the fiberboard cover of the intake tract.  The area is enough to
> gobble up a 9.94"x 6.88" x 7.81" Optima easily.  A hold down is simple
> too...100% access to the bottom of that box.  For those inclined, some work
> involving a new brace, some 3M 5200, and a different air intake duct even
> opens up the possibility of a ~100Ah (Group 29) Absorbed Glass Mat battery.
> P-p-power!
>
> What am I missing?  This location seems superb.  Why isn't it being used?
>
> Inquiring Minds Want To Know......
> Joe in CO
> 84 Westy
> 77 Targa
>
> ps...Please respond with your comments and thoughts to
> "vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com" too (with the same Subject line) so this thread
> will be archived.

--
Harmon Seaver
CyberShamanix
http://www.cybershamanix.com