Dear List,

As I have posted before, RV shops and PhotoVoltaic Suppliers sell heavy-duty "battery switches" for $18. These can take over 100amps and can be wired up directly to the trigger wires in either the Westy or Weekender. Naturally, you will want to replace the "main" charging wire with an 8 gauge or 4 gauge wire -- DO NOT USE THE STOCK 18 GAUGE CHARGING WIRE!!!

I bought mine from Alternative Energy Engineering:

800-777-6609

http://www.alt-energy.com

They call it a "Dual Battery Relay" part# 52-440

Cheers,

MJS

At 08:39 AM 1/29/99 -0500, Mike Wagner wrote:

><<<<Some vanagons did come equipped from the factory with a

> dual battery system. Some of these are also called campers

> in the Bentley, but appear to be weekenders. (no 3 way fridge)

> VW does list a relay called:

> Relay for 2 batteries.

> Part Nr. 411 915 511 B    Price a hefty 60.39

> ( maybe someone with a weekender camper with a factory

>   dual batt. setup can verify this part number.)

> If the vanagon was factory equipped with a dual batt system, the

> second battery is shown in the Bentley diagram for that vehicle.

> The second battery is always conected via a

> 6.0 mm2 cross section wire, to prevent overheating and insure

> efficient charging.

> Reference, Bentley 80-91 page 97.34a, 97.222, 97.225>>

>

>

>This is accurate, part number and all, to what I have factory installed in

>my van.

>

<bold>

Michael J. Sullivan

</bold><italic>Director of Catalog Design

Open Market, Inc.

</italic>

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