> I just installed a Hella relay on sunday after fretting
> over which route to take for months.

Thank you for the positive report!  I remain convinced that for the
average user, the simple Hella relay setup is the best way to add a
second battery. As it happens, it's also the cheapest (under $20,
including wiring and a fused relay).

The only major scenario where the Hella relay setup is not optimal is if
you frequently run very high-drain devices until your battery is dead,
and then need to recharge it very quickly after only minimal driving. It
is not optimal for this use because it 'trickle charges' the aux battery
rather than slamming it with a big charge all at once, so if you run it
totally dead it may take a few hours of driving (recharging) to bring it
back up to full charge.

But few people do this on a regular basis. For the other 99%, this setup
does all you'll need.  It's simple, inexpensive, effective, reliable,
and safe - a rare combination. It's an elegantly simple solution, in
sharp contrast to other more complicated "overkill" methods that are
available. Perhaps this is why it's the design that Westfalia used on
models that came equipped with dual batteries.

Yes, I know some will disagree. (As I've said before, if you put 3
Vanagon List members together in a room, you'll get at least 7 opinions
on any given subject. :-) But as someone who tried the more complex
options first on my own Westy, assuming that they "must be better" since
they cost more, only to get stranded with a dead starting battery more
than once due to failed isolator diodes, I've learned the hard way that
sometimes simpler is best.

Link to product:

http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=1738

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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Toll-Free for Orders by PART # :  1-866-BUS-DEPOT