HI Dave,
maybe Die Hard Batteries are ok.
maybe it's the hype about them that bothers me.
maybe it's that I think Sears stuff is cheap.
and I've seen a lot of tired worn out ones.

most likely, a new one will work and last as well as most batteries.
I don't think they are anything really 'special' though.

that's a great sounding battery deal..
especially the 3 years outright replacement.
10 years...they are just counting on that people won't keep cars that long
..
and being prorated, at 9.5 years you probably get 8 dollars off the new one.

but the 3 years outright ..that's a great deal.
also..
I had an Interstate batter I knew was weak..
but when I took it to a dealer they checked it and it held 10.5 volts or
whatever and they said it was good, but I knew it really wasn't.
so I kinda take all of that with a grain of salt.

everybody is good at something, and knows a lot about whatever their 'thing'
is ..
or at least vanagon people do.
As a group,. as a demographic....pretty decent I must say.

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <mcneely4@cox.net>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>; "Scott Daniel - Turbovans"
<scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 12:27 PM
Subject: Re: Re: battery compartment

> Thanks Scott, that's the clamp I have, and I think I visualize now how it
> works with the PROPER battery.  Just got back from visiting my mechanic,
> whom I respect a great deal.  He stated that the Rube Goldberg way I
> shimmed the too small battery in and used the PROPER clamp, but over the
> top of this battery (no way it is holding this one by running down the
> side, won't work) is fine.  The whole setup appears to me to be very
> solid, the clamp fits tightly against the batter and the battery seems
> really not at all capable of moving.  My mechanic said it is tighter and
> less likely to move than the majority of them.  So, I now have the
> positive post covered in a way that I don't believe it could contact the
> lid at all, albeit with rubber (three thicknesses).
>
> I'm going to use it as is and get some more good out of this battery, but
> will replace it with a proper sized one when it needs replacing.
>
> What is your complaint about Diehard batteries?  Used to (years ago) be
> all I used.  In recent years, believing most of them to be all the same,
> I've more price shopped.  I believe I have a Pep Boys battery in my Honda.
> Of course, my Prius has the original battery from Toyota.
>
> BTW, you said you get a good, long life battery, probably 60 months.  All
> the FLAPs around here claim their batteries are good for ten years, three
> years full free replacement, after that prorated.  But, what do I know?
> Not much, as all these posts have shown.
>
> Thanks for all your help.
>
> Leaving for Spokane tomorrow, lots still to do.
>
> David
>
> ---- Scott Daniel  - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>> Whoops !
>> I take that all back about the L shapped battery hold-down bracket if
>> it's a
>> WESTY with screw-down metal battery cover. !
>>
>> In any case the thread used is ....
>> M 8 X 1.25.
>>
>> For a screw-down battery cover , the bracket fits within and under the
>> battery cover.
>> ( the L shapped one is for a hinged non-westy battery cover )
>>
>> the kind for  a Westy screw-down batt. cover is flatter, not L shaped in
>> side view at all.
>> more flat with a wiggle.
>> about 1/4 inch thick, about 4 inches long, fits down alongside the
>> battery ,
>> and pushes against the lower lip of the battery, and is held by  bolt at
>> the
>> top.
>> it's all a pretty tight fit too.
>> kinda fiddly.
>>
>> Sorry of the misinformation !
>>
>> Scott
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 7:01 AM
>> Subject: Re: battery compartment
>>
>>
>> > ---- "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>> >> Does anyone have the "screw size" of the "Stock Hold downs"?
>> >
>> > 3/8 x 18, one inch long, fit the bolt hole of my battery box.  However,
>> > it
>> > seems from correspondence I had this morning from Scott Daniel of
>> > Turbovans that my box may be different from some others.  At least the
>> > clamp he pictured for me is not the same as the clamp I have, and would
>> > not fit on the bolt hole of my box to engage the battery in any way.
>> > I'm
>> > really perplexed.  I'm wondering if late models vanagons have a
>> > different
>> > battery retention setup from older ones, but I have seen so few
>> > vanagons,
>> > and seen the battery box on exactly one (and that one seemingly not set
>> > up
>> > properly, having the wrong battery size in it), that I really don't
>> > trust
>> > anything about the battery box on it to be right, now.  David
>> >
>> >>
>> >> I've lost my original screws, and have some not so good ones in place.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks!
>> >>
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> >> Behalf
>> >> Of
>> >> Edward Maglott
>> >> Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 9:10 PM
>> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> >> Subject: Re: battery compartment
>> >>
>> >> Of my two vans I have 1 or two covers and neither are in use in my
>> >> working van.  One of the covers has a huge arc mark where it touched
>> >> positive.  Both of my batteries are secured with the stock hold downs
>> >> thought!  I hope not having the covers in place will not kill me as I
>> >> sleep in my van.
>> >>
>> >> Edward
>> >>
>> >> At 12:42 PM 7/8/2010, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>> >> >As we all know, the battery compartment of the vanagon is under the
>> >> >passenger seat.  It is covered with a metal lid.  What do you folks
>> >> >do to insure that this lid never contacts the battery
>> >> >terminals?  The thing has screws to fasten it in place, but seems
>> >> >capable of coming loose and becoming a conductor.  I considered a
>> >> >pad made of an old inner tube, or something similar.
>> >> >
>> >> >Thanks,  David McNeely
>> >> No virus found in this incoming message.
>> >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> >> Version: 9.0.830 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2990 - Release Date:
>> >> 07/08/10
>> >> 14:36:00
>> >
>> > --
>> > David McNeely
>>
>
> --
> David McNeely