John,
If you use the Optima battery it is sealed and does not need to be
ventilated to the outside air. Or any other sealed battery... but be
careful... some sales men will sell you a 'maintenance free' battery telling
you it is sealed... If it has caps that will come off the top to allow
adding water it is not sealed! You can mount the Optima on its side if you
like.. it is completely sealed.
Bill
90 Westy Syncro
-----Original Message-----
From: John Rossi <rossi@INTERNETCDS.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Thursday, November 04, 1999 9:42 AM
Subject: aux. battery ventiliation

>With all this relay talk, I've been contemplating finishing up the aux.
>battery install in my '81 Calif. Westy.  I'm using a relay from a newer
>vanagon and haven't quite decided on battery type and location yet.  So,
>here are my q's:
>
>(a) do all lead-acid batteries (i.e., sealed, deep cycle, etc.) require
>ventilation?  The '81 (and others, I'm sure) doesn't have ventilation holes
>under the drivers seat.
>
>(b) do more recent Vanagons have ventilation here?
>
>(c) what are people doing to remedy the lack of ventilation in early
vanagons?
>
>(d) has anyone installed their aux. battery under the rear bench seat?  How
>about ventilation options here?
>
>(e) what are the consequences of not ventilating the battery?
>
>thanks for the help!
>
>-john
>