I find that two pair of vise grips make it easy to lift the battery
straight out by the terminals.  A piece of plastic webbing underneath could
make it easier for next time also.  However I never remember.

I have an aux battery in mine and I carry jumper cables in case I leave my
lights on and run the main one down.  Since both batteries are
well-grounded, I just clamp one positive end to the aux battery positive
terminal, touch the other end to the main battery positive terminal and
reach forward and turn the key.

On mine it's hard to clamp the jumper cable to the positive terminal without
hitting the metal box it's in.

Tom Salicos
'87 Syncro Westy EG-33

> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Vanagon Mailing List
> >[mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of PB
> >Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2007 3:27 PM
> >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >Subject: Charging the battery
> >
> >I've had my 1990 Westy for 2 weeks and I already have a dead
> >battery.  This doesn't alarm me very much because I had the
> >stereo on with the van parked, thinking the stereo was on
> >the auxiliary battery.
> >
> >I read that it's an "ordeal" to remove the battery.  (I just
> >can't wait to
> >start!)  Is there any kind of a "pigtail or other type of
> >easy connect gadget just in case the battery goes dead?
> >Thanks.
> >Patti
> >
> >