Trackvw

Anyone have a photo of how the factory 2nd battery mounts on the Express vans with a diesel engine ?

not many diesel vans were sold in California.

dberladyn

Should be exactly as my lower battery in the photos within this thread. I might sell these mounts down the road and have one made so I can hold three batteries.

mountainmanjoe

I read it of course because I own the thing. The only logic is that makes sure the aux battery voltage is close to your starting battery, which is a good thing. Otherwise you might drain your main battery leaving you stranded. It might even be to protect itself from surges that will burn out the relay. The engineers who built the thing aren't stupid.

mountainmanjoe

https://chevroletforum.com/forum/exp...97/#post362014

Trackvw

Thanks , great truck build ,
I wonder if the battery gets much road damage sitting so low ?

dberladyn

Thanks.

It looks low, but it is no lower than anything else on the under carriage. As long I do not go extreme off-roading, smoking a large protruding rock while bottoming out in a well, it should fine. I don't know how high your guys vans are, but mine seems to sit high. There's lots of clearance.

dberladyn

Funny, I seem to run down the starter battery, yet the amps with all the draw are on the auxiliary batteries. I just had to jump start it again. When I am parked with the ignition off, key in accessory, the only things draining power are the USB charger, the radio head unit itself and the RAP Relay keeping the windows alive.

I guess the OnStar Module and the XM Module bleed too. I forgot, the extra head ti is installed too. It's probably On, I have no way to fix that iluntil I pull the dash apart. I was suppose to do that today, I did other things.

dberladyn

I only had the auxiliary batteries connected finger tight and it worked loose. That must be explain why it's pulling power from the front battery and not the rear. I couldn't get in there without a plan to prevent arching with the ratchet. Simple I know, I just wanted to find the best thing to wrap the ratchet in. Turns out the best thing was in the truck already. Thin yet tough vinyl gloves. I just put over the ratchet, only leaving the socket exposed and I could tighten it down all day without an arc. There's just no room in there above the batteries with left hand doors. That's why I wanted side posts, but they do not make side post deep cycle batteries. At least that what the guy pushing as a sale (mis?)informed me about.

That's one more thing out of the way. I just have to pick up some tools, check the air in the tires, load up the truck and I am ready to go. First real road trip. First one in a VERY LONG time. I wish I had money to burn, DEWALT has a really cool cooler for sale. Probably best I don't anyways, but holding ice for five days is pretty cool. I am going to take my coffee machine so I can pull over and enjoy a coffee somewhere.

Trackvw

Just an idea , but can you use the battery trays or something like them to mount storage boxes for things like tow chains , jumper cables , snow chains , tow lights etc

Stuff you "might" need sometime but do not want it inside ?

Or are there metal storage boxes already made that do the same thing ?

Beau Oszman

Maybe repurpose ammo boxes mounted under the rear?