Auxiliary Battery Setup - Recommendations

[MikeCorbitt]

I want to install an auxiliary battery in my ’90 Westfalia. For those of you who have installed an/or are using an auxiliary battery system, do you have recommendations regarding GoWesty’s setup or other available setups I should consider. Thanks for any feedback.
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90 Westy; 2.1 waterboxer; 4 spd; 122K miles, cold a/c

[PDXWesty]

Man - hot topic - if 20 people answer you're going to get 20 different answers. There are so many posts on aux battery setups it will make your head spin. Many things to consider:
1. What are your power needs?
2. Where do you want to locate the battery?
3. How do you want to charge it?
4. Are you adding solar?
5. Are you adding additional circuits?
6. What will the system power?

Shall I go on?

First determine how much power you need and what location is best suited to how you use your van.

I have two aux batteries, one behind the drivers seat and one under the sink. many people choose to locate it under the bench seat but I like to store my stuff in there.

Sometimes the best way to start is with a vendor kit, then evaluate from there after you live with it for a while.

Good luck!
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[MikeCorbitt]

Thanks for the quick response. Good questions.
1. power needs are basic. Mainly lights, radio (music), sink water pump and fridge. It might be nice to power the inside outlet for some small misc need.
2. Plan to locate it behind the driver's seat
3. Would like to charge it via the alternator, but am willing to entertain other options.
4. We do not plan to go solar
5. Don't plan to add additional circuits. I need to think about what my need might be here.
6. I think I answered this in #1 but I may be missing something.

The more questions the better. They are great food for thought.

Bottom line, we just don't want to be stuck someplace having run down the battery. I'm 70, and don't need to be stuck someplace.

Many thanks for your input. Much appreciated.
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90 Westy; 2.1 waterboxer; 4 spd; 122K miles, cold a/c

[PDXWesty]

I think your thoughts are correct. If you just want to power the stock camper equipment while parked, a battery in the compartment behind the drivers seat with a vendor relay kit is the way to go. That's what I had for many years and it worked great. You will need to do some re-wiring to make that work.

Keep in mind the stock fridge was only meant to run on 12v while driving. It is too old and draws too much power to run on battery only. There is a relay under the drivers seat that takes care of this for you.

The interior plug is only active when connected to shore power. You will need to add an inverter if you need to use 120v power.

I would swing by No Name Garage in Eugene and talk to them. They could do a complete install for you. I also know someone in Portland that could do it too.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[MikeCorbitt]

Thanks for the additional feedback. That makes sense about the fridge only be powered during driving. That let's the alternator keep things charged.

Thanks for clarifying the power source of the interior outlet. I'm still learning. I can do without powering the outlet.

I'm a bit of a do-it-yourselfer, and would prefer to install this myself if possible. Is the GoWesty kit a viable option for this? Are kits available through other vendors that are worth considering. Or is a project like this best left to the experts who have a lot of experience with this. I want the job done right, and if there is a sizeable risk that I can't do it right myself, I will leave it to the experts.

Just realized you're north of me. Thanks for helping a neighbor.
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90 Westy; 2.1 waterboxer; 4 spd; 122K miles, cold a/c

[PDXWesty]

You can download the instructions from GW and see if you are comfortable with the install.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0555/8170/4357/files/AUX-700.pdf?v=1649194072

Van Cafe also has a kit that you can download instructions too.
https://vancafe.com/auxiliary-battery-intelligent-isolator-wiring-kit/
https://vancafe.com/content/instructions/iso%20kit.pdf

I think either would suit your needs.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[MikeCorbitt]

Many thanks. This is most appreciated. I previously watched GW's video, but had not downloaded the written doc.

Happy travels to you.
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90 Westy; 2.1 waterboxer; 4 spd; 122K miles, cold a/c

[Cdub!]

[DuncanS]

One thing not mentioned is how automatic you want the management of the new battery to be. If manual, installation is pretty straight forward. However be forewarned that you will need a LiPo4 battery (if you want it under the driver's seat) which is expensive and they require a serious BMS (Battery Management System). Wiring them and having the alternator know which battery to charge is not simple. The Li battery BMS also has the capability of a "fuel gauge"--how much is left in the battery before it need recharging. The simple system would use standard deep cycle batteries which are at least three times the size and would have to go under the rear seat.

Allow a kilobuck for all this, even without solar and shore power charging, which is advisable.

Duncan

[crazyvwvanman]

If the OP still has the stock fridge then it can't be run on just battery power but still needs a little battery juice when running on propane.

So considering the above and what the OP said he wants the battery to do a very simple auxiliary battery installation could do the job of preventing the camping loads from ever draining the main battery.

A handy DIY person could easily do this for under $150 including a small battery.
Since he has a 90 full Westy most of the wires needed are already there and only need to be connected in the right way.
No factory wires need to be cut.

It is a shame but I'm not aware of any complete kit that does just what he needs simply and without cutting any factory wires.


Mark

[PDXWesty]

[Pchill2]

This is my setup:
Battery: 100ah Battleborn battery
Charger: Redarc Manager 30
Inverter: Progressive Dynamics 1000W inverter w/ built in transfer switch

The Manager 30 does alternator, shore, and solar, all in one unit and will also maintain your starting batter once the aux battery is fully topped up. I don’t think there is an equivalent on the market that does all 3. I have my Manager 30 plugged into the under sink receptacle so I can utilize the Westfalia hookup box for shore power.

The Gowesty lithium battery is cheap but their “basic kit” will not properly charge a lithium battery. You’ll need a DC-DC converter with a lithium charge profile for proper alternator charging such as their “deluxe kit”.
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87 Syncro Westy
Honda K24 swap

[fxr]

"Redarc Manager 30" $1,379? EEK!
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Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300

[Pchill2]

[dabaron]

i do not use the OG fridge, i replaced with a compressor type which can run on shore power or 24/12VDC. i have a 150aH LiFePo under the driver's seat, which also contains a Renogy DCCS50. it will charge from the alt or solar. i have never needed to connect solar, the battery can power the fridge, internal LEDs, stereo, and fresh water pump for 4 days at 80F, 3 days at 90F stationary.

the Renogy DCCS50 is over a grand cheaper than the Redarc mentioned above. been in place for 2 years and the beer stays cold, the tunes keep bumpin, and the lights, well, it's a rave.

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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic

[veloandy]

Raves and ice cream at camp are awesome, but if that's not your style and you're not powering a lot, you can get by with a much cheaper/simpler aux battery setup. I'm running:

* This 35AH deep cycle battery under my driver's seat ($109)
* It's wired with a marine battery isolator like this one from Amazon ($20)
* I switch the relay using the ignition key switch's buzzer wire (so the starting battery is connected to the aux battery only when the key is in the ignition).

Plenty of juice to run the radio, incandescent dome lights, and sink pump all night. I ditched my fridge for a Yeti ice chest cooler, but if you still have the stock fridge, you can run it on propane while at camp so you shouldn't need to buy battery capacity for it.

My battery also has enough juice to run my Chinese diesel heater or my brother's CPAP machine for one whole night.

I've run this setup for about 8 years. I've only had to replace the battery once.

I added solar when I got the diesel heater, which was easy to do later. I have a flexible 100W panel and it charges up the battery until my galley indicator shows solid green after just a couple of hours of morning sun.

[Snitty]

[Ahwahnee]

[veloandy]

[Snitty]

Thanks, VeloAndy, for the quick and helpful information!
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84 Westy; 1.9L; 4 spd; no power steering "this is how I get my upper torso workout"; 107K with recently discovered sporadically working odometer "hmm, wonder if that was the case when I bought her 2 years ago?!"

82 MB 300TD Turbo; 5sp Auto (thank god), but currently in the shop with a cracked cylinder head

Doomed to only drive vehicles without working AC