Quick 2nd Battery Question

RevKevin · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:34 pm Post subject: Quick 2nd Battery Question

Long story short we're losing the parent sleep room at the hospital and the lady is going to be sleeping on the fold out couch in our daugter's room where only one parent is allowed to sleep, I'm going to be sleeping in the Vanagon. I want to rig a 2nd battery so I can run an electric heater off my power inverter without killing my battery.

If I buy the following kit from busdepot:
http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=1738

Will my current 65amp alternator work or do I need to swap it out for a 90amp like in a Westy?

Perales · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:43 pm Post subject:

I hope your daughter is OK, sounds like a long story here. I wish you the best.

An 110 electric heater draws way too much power to run on a battery. It will kill the aux battery in no time. If you run the fridge off propane you will get the heat off the back of the fridge which might give you enough to cut the chill. Maybe the hospital will let you plug in if you ask. In Canada they are all set up for plugging in block heaters in the winter.
Good luck man.
_________________
-- 1987 Westfalia automatic (Captain Vino)

bucko · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:47 pm Post subject:

What about an electric blanket? Or get a small 2 cycle gas generator (less noisy).

Wish I could help you out more.
_________________
Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia

Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181

msinabottle · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:49 pm Post subject: Go This Route...

So sorry about your daughter, I wish her a swift recovery and I hope that you all hold up well during this very difficult time.

You want a propane heater in your van, we've talked about those a LOT, here's a very long thread on the subject:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143243

Making heat by electricity is asking far too much from any system you could install in these circumstances.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

RevKevin · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject:

I have just a 7 seater, the rear bench seat is just enough to sleep on but I still wake up with kinks in my knees. We've basicly been living at Children's Hospital in Seattle for the last 4 months so having a fridge this whole time would have been awesome but I just have a basic 7 seater Vanagon, no propane or hook ups or anything. The nice thing about the power inverter I have is that it has an automatic shut off when it detects that the battery voltage has reached a certain point so it won't kill the battery, I'd just rather have it on a 2nd battery just to be sure.
Thanks for the good wishes, we're still looking at a couple months to go.

mightyart · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject:

Perales is right, electric heaters suck to much power to run off one battery for very long, and a 12 volt heater is a joke.
You need a buddy.
http://www.mrheater.com/productdetails_extended.asp?catid=41&id=24

Perales · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:02 pm Post subject:

Ask the hospital if they will let you run an extension cord to plug in an electric heater or blanket. If you are there for the winter this would be your best bet. forget the battery idea, you will have to spend the whole day driving just to recharge it for the night. Way too impractical. The buddy would be your next best bet, especially if you can run it off a 20lb tank.
_________________
-- 1987 Westfalia automatic (Captain Vino)

RevKevin · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the input guys, there are a few outlets in the parking garage so I could probably run an extension cord if I wanted to, I could hook up a TV and a DVD Player or X-Box that way too which would be cool, wonder what security would say about that... of course by now we're on a first name basis with most of the security staff so I don't know if they'd care or not. Hopefully this is just a temporary thing and we'll be back into a sleep room soon.

I might go with a Mr. Heater Buddy anyways though just because odds are I'll end up getting stuck at work this winter and have to sleep in the van. I picked up a nice set of chains this week but if I back up too far and end up on the grass in my driveway which has a slight incline I spin out and get stuck, I hate to think of what would happen in snow.

tencentlife · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Best of health to all. But where do you have to camp? If it's in a civilised area would having a extension cord be that much trouble? It's a lot cheaper and more direct to just have an electric heater you could get anywhere, and more convenient to run.

Anyway you'll work out the best solution, but it's true that even with an LVD cutoff, you're not going to get many hours of heat off anything but a pretty huge battery bank, several car batteries at least. It's not just the wattage, although that has to be fairly high already to produce sensible heat, but it's the time factor that adds up to too many amp-hours. And you have to replace them all daily, so that alternator upgrade would also be needed. If you have to use hours on a charger to stay even, well then you would have an electrical extension, perhaps. And might as well use that for heat.

Depends on how cold it gets.
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70coupyel · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject:

I hope ALL of your family heals from all of this as soon as possible. The extension cord sounds like the easiest. Mr. Heater is nice I have one and I would it off a 20lb tank. You said it was a long term stay. How about a good sleeping bag? 3 inch thick foam too. It might be chilly in the morning when you wake up but you will be warm while sleeping. Battery power is just not enough energy to get this done.
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VWGeorge · Samba Member Joined: July 10, 2004 Posts: 342

I've seen 12v Blankets at Truck Stops. I can't attest to their quality or current draw.

reiney · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:00 pm Post subject:

Backwoods Solar Electric sells 12V bed warmer pads
that go on top of the mattress. According to their catalog,
average current draw is 2-3 amps which should get you through
a night without totally killing the Aux battery. They range in price
from $56 - $104.

www.backwoodssolar.com
208-263-4290

I got this info from p.157 of their Spring 2007 catalog ...

Hope this helps

R.

reiney · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject:

Backwoods Solar Electric sells 12V bed warmer pads
that go on top of the mattress. According to their catalog,
average current draw is 2-3 amps which should get you through
a night without totally killing the Aux battery. They range in price
from $56 - $104.

www.backwoodssolar.com
208-263-4290

I got this info from p.157 of their Spring 2007 catalog ...

Hope this helps

R.

WVVWFERG · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:25 am Post subject:

while not related to the "heat" question, you said that "I have just a 7 seater, the rear bench seat is just enough to sleep on but I still wake up with kinks in my knees." If, as it sounds, you may be in this situation for some time now, you might consider looking into installing a GL's rear seat that folds into a large comfortable bed; it shouldn't be difficult to locate and install one.With a bed and a good sleeping bag, you may be able to forgo heat for the night, and sleep in relative comfort. Good luck with everything; hope all is well with your daughter.Please keep us informed on both what you decide to do and on your daughter's progress. Kim

RevKevin · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:19 am Post subject:

RevKevin · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:33 am Post subject:

In a kind of funny side story, for a while here at the hospital there was a very nice Westy with a South African grill and a vanity plate that pointed to it being a Subaru conversion. After we ended up parking next to eachother a few times I left a note on the guy's windshield asking if he was on The Samba, which you see a rig like that and it's like a 95% chance...
A few days later I get a note on my windshield saying "The Samba Rocks!" with his username, turns out his kid was here sick too. Just goes to show how this site brings people together, especially in times of need.

bucko · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:57 am Post subject:

Anybody know of a Z-bed for sale close to Seattle? I'd gladly donate some bucks to get one off to RevKevin so he can sleep comfortably.

I'll bet there are others willing to help? Let's get a Z-bed off to this guy.
_________________
Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia

Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181

Perales · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:35 am Post subject:

hiram6 · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:04 am Post subject:

WVVWFERG · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:40 am Post subject:

another option would be to remove the center seat (easy to do,RevKevin) and then use the foam on the floor. You should be able to stretch out that way (might have to sleep diagonally, but it beats what you're doing now). I'm certain that the hospital could store the middle seat somewhere while you are there. Kim


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