What’s the best car (starting) battery for the Vanagon?

[jimf909]

[kamzcab86]

[Sodo]

[do.dah]

Or, ya could've kept, or asked for the factory lifting strap that the 41's usta come with, cut out the middle of the strap and slip them down the sides of the batt so ya can close the lid when ya ain't lifting or lowering the batt?

I don't find removing replacing/replacing my 41 all that difficult,,
but, yah, I'm thinking my next batt is gonna be one of the t5's, just cuz....
HATE HATE HATE PAYING $$$'S FOR A PLASTIC BOX CONTAINING SOME LEAD AND ACID!!!! HATE!!

[jimf909]

[Sodo]

The NAPA group41 drops right in if you cut that unnecessary plastic off.
Here's using a "multitool" oscillating cutter. It was fast.
But a hacksaw cuts plastic real easy too.

Its faster to cut it off than fight with it.

Find a strap to wrap around the battery before you drop it into the box.
Then you can lift it out easily.
Sometimes that day comes sooner than you envision.
But in any case you will be happy to have added it.
This flat strap is just tied in a knot.

=====================

[vanagonjr]

[E1]

It is INDEED a PITA (not the bread).

Dang, wish we’d talked about this a week ago… I never considered another size.

New one goes in just as soon as I feel like rising from our current motel bed.

And more thinking, or not, about all this… our current, sometimes no-crank battery has been showing 650 to 670 CCA when warmish outside.

But since it should show 650 at 0, and 800 at 32, what should it have at the simple math of 64…?

950…? Or is this a tapered graph sort of gig?
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
The caveman’s first question to the headhunter: “Hey, you got any coffee?”

[kamzcab86]

[jlrftype7]

Stock Group 41 battery has gotten us started all the way down to Zero Fahrenheit, and a few degrees lower- BUT, have not YET had the really cold winter starts of Chicago -20 or -30 F in the time we've had the Vanagon.
Ran through those cold temps with cars in the past that sounded like parts of them wanted to grenade while just having gotten the engine started a few minutes earlier...
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[E1]

ZTF, I used a power source at our carport… not sure I’d run our house system to power it, it gets damned hot but not sure how much power it takes.


To better answer the thread question…

John, ours is a NAPA Group 41, NAPA #7541, CCA of 650 @ 0F, 800 @ 32F.

I put our load tester on it at NAPA, and it showed well over 1,000 CCA at 50F.

If having a rotating passenger seat, you can install it once sliding the seat all the way forward, and rotating it 90 degrees.
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
The caveman’s first question to the headhunter: “Hey, you got any coffee?”

[zerotofifty]

[vanagonjr]

[E1]

[zerotofifty]

[kamzcab86]

[Ahwahnee]

[zerotofifty]

When you buy a battery, check out the date on the battery, buy a fresh one. I have found batteries at store a year old, and as such found that these batteries have been damaged by long term self discharge. A battery will self discharge, and a battery not stored at full charge will become damaged beyond repair, giving a short service life

I have found the Vanagon sized battery is not very common, and with few Vanagons around, some stores or warehouses have old stocks of Vanagon batteries. avoid these old batteries, sure they might make it past the warrentee, but they certainly will not give a long service life.

I look for batteries with a date no more than a couple months past. Once I had to buy a year old battery, last minute purchase before a long trip, only one available locally, I returned it for failing within a couple months, the store had another battery for me, but it too was a year old, so they told me to come back later after they got a fresh one in stock. They told me the old stock ones were sent to recycle.

A good fresh battery may last near a decade, where as one that was sitting discharged for many many months may only last a few years, 1/3 rd the life. at say $200 each, that not fresh battery can end up costing you $400 more dollars over a decade if you need to buy three of them in the time you could have only needed to buy one of them

That leads me to something else, if your car is stored a lot, driven not often, driven short runs, your battery maybe in a frequent state of low charge, this harms the battery life, in that case a trickle charger can really extend your battery life, and thus save a good amount of money for you. Keep your battery at full charge at all times!

A car battery purchase is like buying fish at the market, you want fresh for best results.
Batteries are like fish
_________________
Sorry About That Chief.

Give Peace a Chance.

Words to live by.

[Crooked Designer]

[Sodo]