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Offline qval

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2018, 01:42:28 pm »
A picture is worth a thousand words, alas, I cannot post anything with attachments. log into the ev update yahoo group.

All I did was move the spade wire connectors from the socket to the battery, red to red, brown wire to ground.

The old battery positive terminal connector needs to be isolated with tape or something.

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Offline SWSL

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Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2018, 06:04:34 pm »
Finally getting around to posting some photos from last summer's install.
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Offline SWSL

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2018, 06:11:02 pm »
My choice for a "drop-in" LiFEPO4  battery.   $850 delivered is cheaper than Lead Acid per cycle and should outlast several sets of 100 amp lead-acid in one light battery. 
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Offline SWSL

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2018, 06:13:12 pm »
Ran 4ga from front battery as suggested.  Prepped with padding, custom Simpson tie and duffle strap battery hold-down.
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Offline SWSL

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2018, 06:20:56 pm »
Managed to get everything into that one compartment and mostly serviceable from front access panel.  Very pleased with Victron components.  Solar charge controller (MPPT 75/15)  and Battery/system monitor (BMV702) both have bluetooth so I can monitor by app on my phone.   
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Offline jah

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #20 on: June 27, 2018, 10:22:17 pm »
Hi all.  I just picked up a weekender (after a few years with an EVC) and am reading up on ideas related to all these topics.  I'm curious if anyone has successfully installed a Yeti in place of the under seat cooler? This seems to me to be a very good place for it and would simplify connecting it up to the house battery (plan to eventually run solar).

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Offline SWSL

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #21 on: August 05, 2018, 11:55:52 am »

?? I thought that Yeti is basically just an upscale five day igloo cooler?  Don't know how you'd power that, but there are chest style fridges some of which cost about the same as a yeti but actually have 12v compressors.  I have one where the weekender seat fridge used to be.  We got the shortest one to use it as a bench for the table.

Look at the  Engels, Snomaster (low profile), Dometic. for a good fit.
Or off brands Edgestar /Winter  on amazon to get a real  fridge for virtuslly the same cost as one of those hyped up yeti coolers.

 
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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2019, 09:39:20 am »
Great thread on all the mods, I'll get there someday. :)

For now, I want to check the factory setup of my new EV -- what's the best way to test to be sure it's all working as it should?

Starting from the basics:  When the ignition key is off or removed, can I assume the aux battery is working when the back internal lights work?  Beyond that, what's next?
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Offline SWSL

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #23 on: June 21, 2019, 11:22:35 pm »
Yep, if your house lights and lighter outlets in back are working when the engine of off, then it's all wired up and probably the battery is charging while running.   Y ou can drop the little panel in the base of the driver's seat to see a few things, mostly fuses.  Possibly you can check the house batter voltage by finding it's side of the relay.

I would pull the driver's seat to look at the house battery and check it's voltage and then run it down to whatever is 50% (not terribly familiar with lead acid)  and see how many hours of use you are getting out of it.

The house battery can be upgraded in so many ways, it comes with the bare minimum.  Also the wiring to that battery is thin.
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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2019, 07:25:06 am »
Thank you, SWSL. Just the sanity check of the lights gets me a long way. I've looked under the seat, just to visually inspect and make sure it's not a 25 year old mess of corrosion, battery acid and tootsie roll wrappers. It was surprisingly clean and the battery appeared relatively new...just had no idea how to know if the basics were working or not.

Once I get my dash put back in place after rebuilding the blender box, I'll test the battery further and start lining out the upgrades. There's always something!  :o
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Offline SWSL

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Re: Westfalia Weekender aux battery, upgrades, solar, etc thread.
« Reply #25 on: June 24, 2019, 10:14:06 am »
Quote
Once I get my dash put back in place after rebuilding the blender box,

I did mine a few months ago using the cut window approach from underneath.  I figured that my well cared-for van would not need a heater core for some more years.   Two months later, it went out.  Now after all that contortion to avoid heavy disassembly I've got to take it all apart anyway. 

So, do your heater core now! You won't regret it.  Rockauto has best price I found.

For people that camp in the boonies a lot, have a "real" fridge and use solar,  I highly recommend Battleborn batteries (or other quality LIFEPO4) for a house battery upgrade.  Not just the increased capacity/weight-size ratio, but the quick charging profile, etc, etc., tremendously increased life in storage as well as life cycles in use. A good lithium battery should last ten years.  Of course the value of a high performance house battery depends on your usage as well as budget for initial outlay.  But worth considering before spending another $ on the old finicky lead acid tech.   The Eurovan is a perfect candidate with the under seat location.  Lithiums should be inside the vehicle, not outside it.

cheers
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