Great tip!
I'd also recommend using a battery mat. It is a cut to fit mat that fits
under the battery and is treated to neutralize any acid that spills into
the battery tray.
Cheap insurance to prevent a rusted-out battery tray.

Todd
'88 Westy

Kim Brennan wrote:

> Well as coincidence has it... I had to put a new battery in my camper
> yesterday. The reference guide the Interstate dealers use recommends
> using the Group 91 battery in Vanagons (as opposed to the group 41
> battery).
>
> I chose to use the Group 91. It's identical in size to the group 41,
> which, as you noted a higher CCA rating. In my case they didn't have a
> 72 month group 41, so I also got a longer lifed battery to replaced the
> previous Interstate (which had lasted 7 years.)
>
> Of course, this also led to that issue of "skinning the knuckles" to
> get the old battery out. Except I found a good way to replace the
> battery that didn't require me to stick my delicate finders down into
> the battery compartment. I have some packing straps (1/2 wide band of
> reinforced plastic straps typically used to bind larger items). I
> inserted this down the sides of the battery to the loops that were
> there on the older Interstate I was replacing. I used a long then
> screwdriver to bring the ends back up, and then, Voila!, I had a
> carrying handle for the old battery.
>
> The new battery has the carrying handle built in.
>
>
> On Wednesday, January 1, 2003, at 08:26  AM, Todd Last wrote:
>
>> Most standard replacement batteries have a 650 CCA rating.
>> And I did find one, an Interstate MTP-91 rated at 700 CCA
>
>