Following this thread, as I have a 87 tintop Syncro I would like to add a second batter and storable decent size solar panel(s). It would be great if there was a living document on the site with different options folks are suggesting. I have a 12v fridge and would like to power that while camping as well as have aux power for starting the engine. 

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> On Jul 3, 2017, at 1:07 PM, PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Dennis,
> Thanks for taking the time to answer my post.  You have given me some very
> specific useful information, which is exactly what I asked for, and I do
> appreciate that.
> 
> On Sun, Jul 2, 2017 at 7:43 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> At 12 years that battery has been out of service for a very long time.
>> Luckily it didn't fail in a way that caused a fire or explosion. Yes it
>> happens. A battery boiling over and off gassing under the driver's seat is
>> not a good thing. What can be a bad situation is that you have a vehicle
>> that has many modifications along with some growing wants and desires
>> without the technical know-how to maintain these systems or what to do when
>> something wrong happens. I'm sorry if I come across harsh but you need to
>> get some education and a local knowledgeable technician to guide you with
>> sound engineering for your upgrades.
>> 
>> As for staying with an auxiliary battery under the driver's seat the most
>> bang for the buck is staying with a conventional group 41.  Wheel chair or
>> GoWesty battery solutions are based on Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) technology.
>> Due to a combination of bad physics, chemistry, and quality these batteries
>> have inconsistent life spans. They also have a higher cost per amp hour
>> than a conventional battery. As this is a camper (dwelling) try to find a
>> battery that has a connection for a hose for venting-and electrolyte
>> overflow. This is common feature as many Audis required this due to the
>> batteries being under the rear seat. The NAPA battery has this feature.
>> 
>> The next design decision is charge controlling and isolation of chassis
>> and house loads. If you are looking to use solar or charging while
>> connected to main power an voltage controlled automatic charge relay is the
>> best approach. There are a number of choices. A favorite for  me now is the
>> Blue Sea 7601. For the charge line from the alternator you need to consider
>> charging current and all connected loads while driving/charging. Usually an
>> 8 gage feed directly from the alternator will do the job. Connect the
>> starter interlock to prevent the house battery from trying to assist engine
>> starting if only using an 8 gauge wire or use a self-resetting circuit
>> breaker.
>> 
>> Dennis
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
>> Of PB
>> Sent: Sunday, July 2, 2017 7:06 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Wheelchair Batteries vs GW Aux Battery
>> 
>> Now that I have finally succeeded in removing my dead 12-year-old aux
>> battery, I'm looking to replace it.  Here's what I had <
>> http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/edtech2000/Westy%
>> 20Batteries/2017-06-27%2015.49.49.jpg.html>,
>> and, of course it never fit properly.  Worse, yet - whoever installed it
>> simply added a 12 volt socket onto it <http://i74.photobucket.com/
>> albums/i263/edtech2000/Westy%20Batteries/2017-06-26%2008.31.33.jpg.html>,
>> and it never really functioned as an aux battery. This became clear to me
>> when after removing the aux battery, I was able to turn on my stereo
>> without the key.
>> 
>> I would definitely like an aux battery that fits properly inside the
>> battery box.  It seems that the GW 50 AH battery would be the easiest
>> solution, but I also like Ken Wilford's idea of connecting 3 wheelchair
>> batteries <https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Power-Group-85952-
>> Battery/dp/B001G8FY38?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_
>> aui_detailpage_o01_s00>,
>> which also fit in the aux battery box.  3 wheelchair batteries have 16 AH
>> more than the GW 50 AH battery <http://www.gowesty.com/
>> product-details.php?v=Vanagon&id=4295>, so that's a consideration.  If
>> possible I would like to see a picture of how the wheelchair batteries  are
>> connected and held down.
>> 
>> Ken mentions that wheelchair batteries should be charged regularly, but I
>> don't have a way to connect to electricity on a regular basis. (Would the
>> GW aux battery have to be recharged regularly?)
>> 
>> If I decide on wheelchair batteries, I would like to choose a 12 volt
>> solar charger I could set on the dashboard; one that is small enough to put
>> away in the closet or inside the rear seat when not in use.
>> 
>> My goal is to use solar energy to power my stereo, house electrical and a
>> 12 volt fridge, which I don't have, yet.  I would like the fridge to run
>> 24/7.
>> 
>> I'm not very skilled in battery technology, but hope to learn as I go.
>> For now, I would just like to decide on an aux battery solution, but will
>> have more questions after that!
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> Patti
>> 90 Westy Automatic
>> Los Angeles
>> 
>> *♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪*
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
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