Where do you keep yours?

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by MadFrankie, Aug 19, 2019.

  1. Hi all,

    Back on the site after a long break where life > VW I'm afraid...

    However, getting back onto everything VW now and I have a question about your electrickery. I'm planning on re-jigging my bus a little to accomodate a few new bits and I'm toying with the idea of moving my leisure battery from the engine bay to under my R&R seat.

    My thoughts are that it means fewer cables running back and forth from van to LB and ease of access should I need to do anything in the future...

    So, to convince me it's the right / wrong thing to do...

    Can you tell me where you keep yours and how / where you feed your wires from cab to engine bay etc...

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. You only need one cable from an engine bay leisure battery to a fusebox under the seat.
     
    Pudelwagen, Day, 77 Westy and 2 others like this.
  3. Moons

    Moons Supporter

    Do they need some form of ventilation?
     
  4. I have a cable from the fridge going back to the leisure battery and I also use a ctek 5 to keep the battery rolling along when I'm not using the van so while it is only a minor annoyance to have to access the battery I do need access...although perhaps I should set up some more permanent cables for the ctek to make my life easier.

    At the moment I run my wires behind my units and then down through a hole in the spare wheel slot but its a bit tight...is there a better way to run the wires from cab to engine bay?

    That's one of my worries, I don't want it under the bed if the battery needs vantilation, that would make my mind up to leave it in the engine bay pretty easy!
     
  5. You will find that hydrogen does give you a good nights sleep :thumbsup:
     
  6. They put the battery under the back seat in the Beetle so I can't see it being a problem, but for me I value the space under the seat, so much prefer it in the left hand side of the engine bay. I've got the fuses in the interior of the bus though.

    Don't some batteries have an exhaust pipe to vent away the hydrogen or did I Imagine that?
     
  7. Most have provision for a vent.
     
  8. Well, my wife is always complaining that she can't sleep when she is in the van so win-win.

    Me too, but it only really stores things like tools and random camping bits I only use during set up, ie pegs and mallet etc.

    Ok, so if I keep the LB in the engine bay...where do people run their wiring?
     
  9. I was thinking of doing the opposite - from under the seat to the engine bay - Is there a problem with it in the engine bay? I will just have to put a longer wire to the fuse box.
     
  10. No, that's where I have it now...it's just a bit of a pain with access for me and the best way to run wires but I admit it is a first world problem really.

    I suppose you could argue that the engine bay has limited space so you are then limited to the LB you can buy. I have to get a low height one to fit under the wheel well and it is a bugger to get a screwdriver / spanner in to the terminals to mess about...
     
    cunny44 likes this.
  11. You can connect the Ctek to a fuse in the new fusebox. Electricary goes both ways down a cable.
    There is a grommet in the engine bay in the left bottom of the firewall to run cables trough.
     
    matty, andyv and snotty like this.
  12. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    Use quick release clamps on the leisure battery to avoid spanner work.

    The other thing that a fizzing battery produces is acid mist. That which rots your battery tray can also rot whatever goes in beside the battery. Some batteries have a provision for a vent pipe so you could drill a hole in the floor and hang a pipe down to vent the battery if you want to put it under the seat.
    That space under the back seat on my bus has tool kit, overalls, spares, sub woofer amp and speakers, mains distribution wiring and folding chairs in it. No room for a battery.
     
  13. Perfect, why I've never seen the grommet in the engine bay I'll never know!
     
  14. matty

    matty Supporter

    This is how mine is
     
  15. Loom Grommet.jpg

    Dscn0797 640.jpg
     
  16. Awesome, thanks - and where does it come out on the inside?

    I just checked my engine bay and the only grommet I could see was being used for the FI wiring...I’ll go check again now.
     
  17. That's why it is free on a carb engine.
     
  18. Thought you might say that...just got back in and yes, all grommets are used on my van, Hence why I never noticed a free one.

    I might make my own new one but I’m a little scared of going through into the fuel tank / something important.

    Might just stick to feeding it up through the wheel well for the time being...decisions decisions.
     
  19. Just a thought, I could make a small bit of cable with a ring at one end to permanently fix onto the battery terminals and then a spade end on the other side...that way I'm not reaching in to fit new wires I just use the spade end to connect any new wires to that...

    Other than the potential of the spade connectors wiggling lose, does anyone know if there is another reason not to do this...voltage drop / another point of failure / sparks if not connected?
     
  20. Mine will be too once I get around it actually wiring a charger up.
     

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