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Sat Sep 20, 2003 8:18 am

My 79 Westy did not come with the second battery option. I really want to add a second one for running all my camping gear. The catch is I want the battery to be able to be charged off the alt. Is this possible. Has anyone installed a second battery in there westy. I essentially would like to be able to use all the stuff inside the camper (stereo, cigarette lighter, lights) without it drawing off the primary battery.

Sat Sep 20, 2003 11:38 am

BusDepot sells a wiring kit that will enable you to use a second battey and charge it without use from the primary. It runs around $20.

Mon Sep 22, 2003 8:58 am

Those kits contain a battery isolator. It is essentially a large diode that lets current travel only one way between the batteries. After you install the kit and battery all you need to do is wire the components you want for camping to the new battery. :idea:

Tue Sep 23, 2003 9:52 am

There are two kits. The other, the Hella battery relay is just that, a relay that disconnects both batteries when the aternator is off so the second battery can wear down but not drain the primary so you can still start the bus.

Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:18 pm

Here is a side question to the thread,

My 79 Westy has the second battery, but I am wondering if installing the 70 Amp alternator and voltage regualtor would be a good idea for when my engine is going to be out. I have seen them in the Bus Depot catalogue. I have never had a charging problem, but I am getting ready to do a long trip and would rather do an alternator in my driveway than in some less comfortable place.

Thoughts?

Tue Sep 23, 2003 3:20 pm

Sounds good to me Randy. That's what I was planning to do also. I also am planning to replace the stock batteries with Optima Yellow top (Deep Cycle) and red top (cranking) batteries. That way, I never have to worry about a dead battery, since the red top alone will almost tripple the cranking amps of the stock battery.

Tue Sep 23, 2003 7:58 pm

I installed a secondary battery system in my 69 riviera camper. I am more than willing to share my knowledge on the matter, but the entire install process is a little too much to type here.

The basic things you'll need are...

deep cycle battery
battery isolator
aux battery wiring kit(make sure it comes with a circuit breaker!)
multimeter
knowldege about your charging system
aux fuse box(great ones from "Painless Performance")

I love having a dual battery system! We can play DVD's and playstation all night without draining the whole battery, and even if we do drain it all, who cares, just ride the bus down the highway and it charges right back up!

Feel free to e-mail me if you need some specific info: jubeck534@hotmail.com