I've been fussing a lot with my '94 Club Wagon (E150). I'm driving up to Alaska and have read all of the "be prepared" articles. New tires and shocks (Michelin LTX M&S, KYB Monomax shocks).

My dome lights stay on some times, and I have 100% drained the, 5 year old, Interstate battery twice this month. The battery still checks out okay, but I'm nervous because of it's age.

I was thinking of (1) Just taking off with what I have. (2) Getting a new wet battery (interstate) (3) getting something like an Optima Yellow Top battery or (4) adding an Auxilliary battery.

Where have people put the 2nd battery in their Ford Vans? I want mine outside, not in the passenger compartment. It doesn't look like there is room in the engine compartment. What kind of luck have people had with Optima batteries. People either seem to hate 'em or love 'em.

Thanks,

 

Factory puts the 2nd battery under the body on the passenger side of newer vans. They mount a box to the frame just behing the front passenger door. I thought about retro fitting my van but it looks like too much work unless I find a wreck to pull parts from. I don't know about what the factory setup for 94 is.

 

on my 2004 6.0 E 350 both batteries are on the passenger side frame rail right under the 60/40 doors

has a nice covered remote terminal for hooking up jumper cables too


Frank

 

cadjak,

I use a two-battery setup in my 2003 E350, one red-top Optima for starting, one yellow-top Optima for "stuff" (two ham radios, laptop PC, GPS, etc, etc...). The yellow is under the van where Ford would've put it, but I fabricated my own mount. I went with a very good (but expensive) option for "linking" the two; a model BIC-95150B "Battery Isolator/Combiner from Hellroaring Technologies, Inc. It's solid-state and greatly (did I say greatly?) simplified the installation and utilization of the different battery types. Google for the company, even if you don't go with their products, the website is filled with good advice for running multiple batteries.

I like the Optimas, in my application (lots of starting for the red, and lots of draw-down on the yellow) they give me longer life and less worry.

DadVan

 

DadVan has the right setup, don't go cheapo or you will end up with battery failure at the worst time.

http://www.hellroaring.com/

Your local RV dealer has the equipment to do the proper setup also.

 

i carry a portable jumper. they're cheap and they work. mine has a light and and a air pump. helped alot of folks with it.

you might want to add a small switch to your dome light to shut it off. that is if you cant troubleshoot the problem.

i also carry a couple of gallon jugs of water and tape and tools.

i just got back from a 2500 mile trip with no major problems. good luck on your trip and if you add that battery.

the jumper is good idea no matter how many batteries you have.

 

The '94 diesels have both batteries under the hood. The stock one are different sizes, driver side uses standard and pass side uses a tall thin one.
I replaced both of mine with Red Tops. Still a tight fit on pass side though. Never had any problems starting the diesel even during Alaskan winters.

When are you planning on driving to Alaska? Moving here or Vacation?

 

I will be spending as much time as I can in AK. At least until the snow flies. I should get there by mid August. It has been a dream of mine to get to a place that still has space for a couple thousand more WalMarts. Obviously, that was said tongue in cheek. I want to love it. I hope I find some part of Alaska that I can fit into. Living in Alaska intimidates me. I keep thinking I should have moved there 20 years ago, but now I feel like an old coot. I suppose I'll see. I'm impressed that you drive a van in the snow. That is not one of my favorite environments for "vanning". I'm coming part for business and part for pleasure. What part of the state are you in?
-cadjak

 

I'm in Eagle River, about 15 minutes north of Anchorage. No matter what your lifestyle is, there is a town here that you would fit into. Don't let AK intimidate you, it's a great place to live, especially if you like the outdoors.

My van is a 4x4, so winter driving is a blast. Had a 2wd van before and they get around in the snow better than a 2wd pick-up, more weight back there. Studded tire help too.

 

I have one in a box in the rear corner of my van, tied to the positive side of the stock location battery, separated by a relay that separates them when the key is off, so if accessories drow it down, the stock battery is still able to start the van. This has been working perfectly in my van for the pasy 4 years, I'm happy with it and would do no different except maybe use optima batteries, I have a hole with drain tube in the bottom of the box to vent it. I don't have the cash for the expensive dry cell or gell batteries, conventional ones are fine, don't use deep cycle unless you plan to charge separately using a plug in slow charger, hooking to your vehicles charging system eventually damages the deep cycle battery because it needs slow charging.

 

All,

maples01 makes a good point about the possibility that a "vehicles charging system eventually damages the deep cycle battery because it needs slow charging", BUT the system I use limits the current to the "secondary" battery through the use of wire size/length. Hellroaring's great instructions explain the wire selection process to ensure you accomplish exactly what your specific system needs.

Remember, I really don't work for them, I just really like their stuff!

DadVan

 

I use two Group 27 Deep Cycle batteries located under the back seat (Crew Van) connected to the trailer charge relay. This isolates them from the starting battery.
I run my Igloo cooler off of these.

 

Yep, you can limit the amp charge, I've seen a setup for that at a boat site for charging trolling batteries while the engine is running. Now, most times it requires overnight charging of deep cycle batteries, just how long do you plan to run your engine for charging. I started with deep cycle, shop that put my handicap conversion in use those, I quickly tired of having to drag out the charger because the van wasn't run enough to pick it up. I make short trips around town, but on occasion go out of town to visit family, and if a 3 hour drive can't charge it up, why bother? So, if you're going for occasional use like camping accessories that you intend to use for a long time engine off, go deep cycle and add a small trickle charger to plug up when home. If it's not and just an extra battery intended to charge with the engine and not run fully down, go conventional.
I went 3 years trying to make a deep cycle work as a spare, and not have to plug in at home, but charge from the alternator, I got quickly tired of it. I'm not sure how the Optima deep cycle batteries charge, but the old plate and water ones is not worth the aggravation if you don't intent to plug it up on occasion.

 

If you are skilled enough I'd say put a under body box with a door on the side for easier access to the under battery. I've replaced too many off them things under there, I don't like doing them.

Here is a photo of the under battery for those who havn't seen this set up.

 

My 1995 E350 Jayco RV uses the Ford factory dual battery set up with the aux battery under the hood. The problem I have is, that its not deep cycle (it can't keep up with RV use) and the space it's in won't allow a deep cycle to fit. I might get out the air chisel to make room. But underneath would be ok if I used the sealed Optima deep cycle battery. What year did Ford change to under mounting? I could get one off a junker.

Wolfmangh,
Thanks, for the Great pix on this. I'll post mine for viewing as well. btw, I'm guess you fix Fords for a living? A door or a slideout would be a great "better idea" Even though if a sealed battery is used you get away without it.