[Neil kell]

Just don't leave your solenoid switch on, that will run the battery down, switch taht off every morning cause if thats left on for a week end or whatever your van will not start Monday morning, Never had an issue with the pump though. Your Primastar, Vauxhall Vivaro or whatever is a good rig.

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

he could try an inverter whitch will plug into ciggy socket

[scud]

it would also depend on where you work, if you dont travel very far the van battery wont get a full charge.

so every day you will drain the battery without recharging it properly, especialy with winter coming using the lights, heater more load on the battery.
so for saving £60 on a battery you may get stuck at the side of the road with a dead van

  The battery doesn't run the lights and heater. The battery is there purely for starting the vehicle, all ancillary electrics are powered by the alternator.

  Once started it is possible to disconect the vehicles battery and drive using any powered item as normal.

[[GQC] Tim]

So far so good, haven't had any problems yet. Quite pleased.

Ofcourse I removed the leisure battery and wired it all up properly, now the pump isn't working anymore. Must have done something wrong. Perhaps the ground from the varistream isn't good.....

Just don't leave your solenoid switch on, that will run the battery down, switch taht off every morning cause if thats left on for a week end or whatever your van will not start Monday morning, Never had an issue with the pump though. Your Primastar, Vauxhall Vivaro or whatever is a good rig.

Yea thats' what I did once, leisure battery completely drained. Have got a toggle switch on it.

it would also depend on where you work, if you dont travel very far the van battery wont get a full charge.

so every day you will drain the battery without recharging it properly, especialy with winter coming using the lights, heater more load on the battery.
so for saving £60 on a battery you may get stuck at the side of the road with a dead van

  The battery doesn't run the lights and heater. The battery is there purely for starting the vehicle, all ancillary electrics are powered by the alternator.

  Once started it is possible to disconect the vehicles battery and drive using any powered item as normal.

The battery runs all of them, and starts the vehicle (heater is ofcourse from engine coolant). It's just that the alternator keeps the battery charged. Otherwise if the engine would go off, blower, lights etc etc wouldn't work anymore.

[[GQC] Tim]

Still running solid, chuffed to bits, no more messing about with a leisure battery (even though I had it on splitcharger)

Thanks Dave!

[Spruce]

Does the negative actually have to go back to the van battery or is ground to chassis enough?

Oh why do I bother  : no bugger reads my posts anyway 

A good ground to the chassis is fine. Most electrical stuff on your car/van is negative to earth (chassis).