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Leisure battery - under drivers seat

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Fuzzmeister View Drop Down
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    Posted: 10 Jul 10 at 15:48
Hi

Has anybody put their leisure battery under the drivers seat?? If so how did you get on with it? any problems? What amp/hour battery did you manage to squeeze in?

I have a double seat at the moment but may change it to a single with swivel however I really like the storage space the double ofers plus the extra seat space - so the drivers seat is a good option for me to fit the battery.

I have trawled the threads and have gained some great advice and knowledge from them - just need a bit more info. r
Cheers!!

Fuzz
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CrazyCano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 10 at 09:56
I've got mine under the drivers seat, I think its a 110Amp... very tight fit, but is an used space and very handy. Its tightest on height, you need to raise the seat before pulling the seat forward to access the batteries terminals. I have a picture here;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazycano/4776518407/in/set-72157624456244256/

I've just fastened mine in place with a couple of roof rack straps.

Hope thats some help.
Alex
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fuzzmeister Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 10 at 21:09
Hi Alex

Thanks for that - nice to see it actually goes under the seat transversely - makes it easier to get at the terminals!!

Thanks again.

Fuzz
Living the dream!!                   2005 T5 2.5 TDi swb 130 AXD.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GymRatZ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jul 10 at 22:16
Mine is under the drivers seat too.
It was done from new. Purchased with Leisure battery from factory but when the passengers swivel seat was added by approved tweaking shop before being handed over to me the VW battery was too tall.
MAD-Workshop who were doing the "extras" wouldn't (rightly) fit it under drivers seat without battery tray and seat bases couldn't be swapped so  I suggested they could drill out spot welds holding tray to passenger base and re-spot weld it under drivers seat. Extra work required was covered by stealer as I wouldn't have spec'd swivel seat if battery couldn't be located under seat base. 
Anyway that's what happened, proper job done well but it  really is a close squeeze. I also suggested making the earth side (supply) of the leisure battery fused just in case seat/framework etc shorted with +ve battery terminal (not fused) it was regarded as a foolish idea. Either I missed something in my electronics years or the wisdom of isolating chassis earth from leisure battery circuit was too alien to be considered. Confused It's not like12v is going to kill you whereas a direct short from +ve to earth would cause a serious fire / cable melt-down at  best.

 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SicosDave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jul 10 at 22:52

Rather remove the positive from the circuit (fuse) than removing the earth - electronics etc don't like it - nowhere for the power to go etc. 

Put a piece of wood on top of the pos terminal and wedge it under seat - so no chance of positive shorting to seat.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GymRatZ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jul 10 at 23:17
Originally posted by SicosDave SicosDave wrote:


Rather remove the positive from the circuit (fuse) than removing the earth - electronics etc don't like it - nowhere for the power to go etc. 


But if you fuse out the earth you are isolating the the chasis, seat, frame and everything else metal in the van that would be the circuit. Without a fused earth you are doing nothing better than directly shorting both terminals and waiting for the bit of metal that's least capable of dumping 400 amps. If everything is as it "should" be then there technically shouldn't be a weak link and you'll have a big bang and lots of sparks with metal bits fuse together or half the +ve terminal self destructing.

Fused +ve or fused -ve is irrelevant WRT the actual circuit your creating on a chassis short, you're just changing the point of failure to bring it as close as possible to the battery to completely break the circuit.

Remember the fear is a chassis (seat/frame) short to the +ve TERMINAL which will always be before any +ve supply fuse anyway. so the scenario is NO fuse  in a "normal" set-up compared to BEING FUSED by adding a high amp fuse to the earth strap/bonding.

And it's a leisure battery so an 80 or 100 amp fuse would be more than adequate.
Just to save confusion, this would be in addition to the normal equipment protection fuse and purely to protect against a direct terminal short.
If that makes sense?

Pete


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SicosDave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 10 at 00:15

A client brought in an inverter that had blown all of its fets due to negative being removed.

I understand what you are saying, my suggestion is still to remove the possibility of positive being shorted, maybe by turning battery around, or by putting wood/plastic on top of battery.

My battery terminal connector sits higher than the battery post, and is quite close to earthing on seat or seat frame - so I have just put in a plastic spacer - no chance of a short.

Pity that when they designed the van they did not think of all the space that could have been designed in, the van is so big but so small due to a basic design. No real space for anything.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ronnie12342003 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 10 at 22:16
get a battery with side terminals  no shorts then
it was good while it lasted
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote blackvanman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 10 at 09:03
my vw batt under pass. seat has a nice rubber jacket that protects terminals from connecting to the seat base, purrrfect
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GymRatZ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 10 at 09:26

So does mine, and I'm not actually bothered/worried about  it  but the chap that did it was quite concerned and said they would for a gel battery with a lower profile than the standard lead/acid battery supplied  by VW which would eliminate any concerns.
Smile
 
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