Date:  11/04/1999  09:22 am  (Thursday)  From:  John Hurley
To:  "MIME :ron@NETCARRIER.COM".TFS.ACX_HQ;       "vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM".TFS.ACX_HQ
Subject:  Re: Aux battery kit from Bus Depot (fwd)

It would be smart to figure out the current rating on these relays. Depending on how low your aux. battery has discharged, the currents flowing through the relays could possibly be extremely large. I haven't had a problem using 40 Amp relays in a harness i made myself, but it's probably best to check the rating and install a fuse

>>> "ron@NETCARRIER.COM" 11/03/99 09:09PM >>>
> Ron:
>         A recent post from an owner who installed your (new) Hella aux
> battery kit has prompted a big discussion on merits of various
> set-ups.  Can your briefly tell us what your kit is designed to
> do: e.g. charge both while driving, open switch to starter battery while
> camping, etc?  I would like to buy the kit and I am not alone.

It's a basic relay with a built-in blade fuse for protection, and includes
wiring and instructions.  It connects both batteries in parallel when the
ignition switch is turned on, and isolates them when the ignition switch is
off.  Very simple yet effective. As several people have noted, a relay is
probably the best way to run a dual battery system on a Vanagon, and these
Hella units are designed specifically for European camper vans (e.g.
Vanagon/Bus). Besides, they're very inexpensive.

Bad news is, they are now sold out for about 8-10 weeks. I underestimated
how popular these would be - sold close to 100 of them to list members!  I
get them directly from Europe so it takes a while.  They will almost
certainly remain under $20 when I get them back in.  I will notify the list
when they are available again.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  http://www.busdepot.com