Author |
Message |
purplepeopleeater Samba Member
Joined: July 23, 2005 Posts: 3117 Location: E. Washington
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
westyventures Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2004 Posts: 2306 Location: Oregon Outback
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Just noticed, I've been recommending the wrong word! You want a battery separator, not an isolator. Isolators suck away most of a volt, a separator transfers the whole amount. The Surepower 1314 and 1315 separators are what I use all the time. http://www.ase-supply.com/Sure_Power_Battery_Separator_s/154.htm |
|
Back to top |
|
|
purplepeopleeater Samba Member
Joined: July 23, 2005 Posts: 3117 Location: E. Washington
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
westyventures wrote: |
Just noticed, I've been recommending the wrong word! You want a battery separator, not an isolator. Isolators suck away most of a volt, a separator transfers the whole amount. The Surepower 1314 and 1315 separators are what I use all the time. http://www.ase-supply.com/Sure_Power_Battery_Separator_s/154.htm |
1315 looks like the better one, why would I buy the 1314 over the 1315? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
westyventures Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2004 Posts: 2306 Location: Oregon Outback
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
purplepeopleeater wrote: |
1315 looks like the better one, why would I buy the 1314 over the 1315? |
1314 combines one direction, the 1315 both directions. Otherwise identical. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
purplepeopleeater Samba Member
Joined: July 23, 2005 Posts: 3117 Location: E. Washington
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
westyventures wrote: |
purplepeopleeater wrote: |
1315 looks like the better one, why would I buy the 1314 over the 1315? |
1314 combines one direction, the 1315 both directions. Otherwise identical. |
Ahh, so I could use the 1315 for jump starting...IE put in a switch and jump start |
|
Back to top |
|
|
syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 12005 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I thought that they automatically link the batteries for starting if the main battery was low? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
westyventures Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2004 Posts: 2306 Location: Oregon Outback
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
By combines both ways I meant that when either battery sees a charge it will combine to the other. For instance, the alternator charges both in one direction - now, put an external battery charger on the aux. battery, and the 1315 will then charge both. The 1314 wouldn't do this.
They both do have a switchable combine terminal so that you can add a dash switch and start with the aux. battery if the other is dead. I've used mine a couple times! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
purplepeopleeater Samba Member
Joined: July 23, 2005 Posts: 3117 Location: E. Washington
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Karl, Have you put together any "how to's" again on the UB12220 battery setup? with a shopping list?
slurp slurp, I need more juice in my westy. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
westyventures Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2004 Posts: 2306 Location: Oregon Outback
|
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
purplepeopleeater wrote: |
Karl, Have you put together any "how to's" again on the UB12220 battery setup? with a shopping list?
slurp slurp, I need more juice in my westy. |
No, I haven't - but there are some threads here that have info. Basically, I line them up and put 1" wide double-side tape between them to make them all one unit. Then fabricate bus bars to connect all positives together, all negatives together. Some use cabling for this, I use aluminum angle. I also thread the holes in the UB brand batteries M6x1.0 so that there's no fiddling with nuts - the bolts screw directly into the battery posts. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
markz2004 Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2007 Posts: 944 Location: Portland, OR
|
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I went with the UB12220 4 battery set-up like discribed above.
Just as a word of note, one of them died and is being replaced by the distributor. I bought it about a year ago. Although disappointed with the battery death, the distributor has been good at the replacement aspect.
So if your battery bank is not holding a charge, separate them, charge them up (or try to), and do a voltage test over several days to flush out the bad one. _________________ 87 Westy, 250k GW 2.4 - 2.0 , 16" wheels |
|
Back to top |
|
|
insyncro Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 15086 Location: New York
|
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
westyventures wrote: |
.......so that there's no fiddling with nuts |
Geez Karl, take all the fun out of it. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bikesarebetter Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2009 Posts: 8 Location: minneapolis
|
Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 3:25 pm Post subject: Anyone use protection? |
|
|
I did the 4x UB12220 battery trick on my westy. I used a yandina battery combiner to charge from the alternator. It worked amazing for about a year. They would run my truck fridge for a day and a half. I had ICE! Unfortunately, I wasn't very careful and drained them down to zero. Maybe a dozen times. Then I left them to freeze through a MN winter. They are toast. Ive tried to find a bad cell, but they all seem to be about the same.
Does anyone have low battery voltage protection relay for the load? Its pretty much the same problem as charging. A battery isolator/combiner that switched at 10 volts would do the trick. Could use a relay, but they consume power...
Any thoughts on how to save my next set of batteries? Be more careful? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
tencentlife Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006 Posts: 10078 Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
|
Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 3:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
What you need is called a load controller, or a voltage-sensitive relay. I can't point you to a standalone one, shouldn't be too hard to find though. Another choice is to get a solar charge controller with a load-controller built-in, if you ever plan on adding a PV panel this would definitely be the way to go since it integrates these functions, only needs one battery connection, etc. Morningstar, Solar Controllers, many others make these and they are easy to find thru solar dealers, not very expensive generally. These usually have a 10A load capacity, if your fridge and other loads exceed that much total current you can just use the load controller to control a separate relay instead that can handle whatever current you need. _________________ Shop for unique Vanagon accessories at the Vanistan shop:
https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/
Please don't PM here, I will not reply.
Experience is kryptonite to doctrine. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
presslab Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2008 Posts: 1730 Location: Sonoma County
|
Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 7:43 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone use protection? |
|
|
bikesarebetter wrote: |
Does anyone have low battery voltage protection relay for the load? Its pretty much the same problem as charging. A battery isolator/combiner that switched at 10 volts would do the trick. Could use a relay, but they consume power... |
I use the load output on my solar charge controller to drive solid state relays. It kicks power off around 11V. The solid state relays have very low amp draw, so even during days with bad solar they don't deplete the batteries.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3412132#3412132 _________________ 1986 Vanagon Westfalia EJ25
1988 Subaru GL-10 EJ20G --- 2000 Honda XR650L
2010 Titus El Guapo --- 2011 On-One 456 Ti |
|
Back to top |
|
|
tencentlife Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006 Posts: 10078 Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
|
Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 7:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
Just to fill in the picture for planning purposes a normal DIN 30A relay's coil pulls about 130mA. If it is being triggered by a load controller then when loads are disconnected at low battery V the relay load goes away as well, so no draw at all. _________________ Shop for unique Vanagon accessories at the Vanistan shop:
https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/
Please don't PM here, I will not reply.
Experience is kryptonite to doctrine. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Rodknock Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 516 Location: Boulder CO
|
Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
My three UB's finally bit the dust after about 4 years. I am throwing in the towel on these AGM type batteries. They are expensive, need very specific charging especially after being run down, you have to trickle charge them all the time when your van is parked for more than a week, and in the end they don't last long. So after going through the Odyssey and the UB's I am going back to a flooded lead acid deep cycle marine battery group 24. I took out my rear heater and installed the battery under the rear bench. I was able to fit it lengthwise front to back right next to the propex heater, so I have as much room as before. Put it in a battery box too. This puts the weight more in the center of the van rather than on the kitchen side that is too heavy to begin with, and it is really easy to get at the battery as needed. The space behind/under the driver's seat is perfect for tools and parts, I never did like having the batteries crammed in there. For a little over $80 (and more hours than I really wanted to spend) I am back in camping mode. Sometimes the simple and less expensive way is best. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Viva.Sabata Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2013 Posts: 170 Location: Alaska
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
markz2004 wrote: |
I went with the UB12220 4 battery set-up like discribed above.
Just as a word of note, one of them died and is being replaced by the distributor. I bought it about a year ago. Although disappointed with the battery death, the distributor has been good at the replacement aspect.
So if your battery bank is not holding a charge, separate them, charge them up (or try to), and do a voltage test over several days to flush out the bad one. |
Same experience here. Except we got a whiff of sulfuric acid effervescence the other day and one battery was hot to the touch whilst driving down the road. We removed it and are running three UB12222s currently. All seems good except it is necessary to use the battery charger between trips. Will install a variable voltage regulator to better AGM charge. _________________ Sabata
1987 Westy Full Camper, Peloquin 5-Speed 2wd |
|
Back to top |
|
|
westyzimsgym Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2013 Posts: 9 Location: Iowa/minnesota
|
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 6:16 am Post subject: Re: Largest Capacity Auxiliary Battery in stock location |
|
|
does anyone know if you can use a solar panel with a controller to keep the 3-4 battery setup charged. i was reading earlier and people were worried about the wheelchair batteries and different charging or something along those lines. thanks for the help. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
purplepeopleeater Samba Member
Joined: July 23, 2005 Posts: 3117 Location: E. Washington
|
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 6:24 am Post subject: Re: Largest Capacity Auxiliary Battery in stock location |
|
|
I have 100 watt panel with controller correctly setup for agm battery also have a smart charger that I will plug in from time to time.
going on 4 years old now, working great.
I have truck fridge and propex |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|