In a message dated 25/02/2004 1:41:41 PM Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

The best  way to connect a second battery is connect the 2 batteries
together with  heavy gauge battery wire of as short a run as feasible.
Put a heavy duty  switch or relay in between the batteries. You can mount
the relay under the  driver's seat along with the second battery and use
the Westy fridge relay  to control the battery relay.

Mark, this is intriguing.  I have the Optima  yellow top as second battery
using the fridge relay and 12 gauge wire between  the main battery and the relay
to the Optima.  The battery never does seem  to get charged properly and
looses voltage quickly while sitting for a few days  with only the radio's back
lights and LCD clock running.  I've been  wondering about this situation for a
while now and your suggestion seems like  the most plauible reason and way to
solve this problem.  What route have  you found to be the best to pass the 02
or 03 battery cable from the main  battery to the aux battery ?  Under the van
or in the van under the carpet  ?  Are you using a starter solonoid for the
main relay ?  Do you not  find that when the aux battery is completely drained
that the main battery will  dump half its load to the aux battery immediately
upon starting the vehicle, or  will the alternator charge rate be able to keep
this from being a problem  ?  This is the main reason I chose to use the 12
gauge wire fom the main  battery to the aux battery relay.
Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 10 ~ 13, 2004
'87 Westy & Lionel  Trains
Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  & _CCVWC_
(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or  http://frankcondelli.com