16' Series Batteries Draining overnight.....

ianm67

Member
May 17, 2021
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Rouse Hill
Hello,

I have 2x NEW 135 AGM batteries in my Expanda and I have noticed that if I run the fridge on 12V over night it completely drain the batteries. I would of thought
they should of lasted at least 2 days or so.
Is that correct??? 270AH (halved 135AH).
 

chartrock

Forum Patriarch
Staff member
Sep 26, 2010
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Gold Coast Hinterland
G’day @ianm67, your fridge must be a three way (12v, 240v and gas). The 12v operation of the fridge is only used when hooked to your tug with the engine running. This will just maintain temperature in the fridge while driving but when you stop, you must connect to 240v at a caravan park or at home or turn on the gas and run the fridge that way. Absorption fridges will draw excessive amounts of power and flatten a battery in a couple of hours.
 
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Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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As @chartrock said about 3 way fridges, exactly what sort of fridge do you have ????
A 3 way shouldn't be connected to any battery that doesn't have a power station plugged into it, even says that in their booklets ........

My fridge eats 175w on 12v so thats 14.5 amps, going by my calculator, so mine would eat half the storage capacity in under 9.5 hrs if my maths is correct...... but a continual drain of 14.5ah means the battery wont' last as long as you think.

3 ways work on Gas or 240v, 12v is not viable unless driving down the road........

If you have a compressor fridge though then I would suggest the wiring is stuffed up or it wasn't charging off solar or vehicle as you drove down the road.
 
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ianm67

Member
May 17, 2021
69
25
18
Rouse Hill
Hello,

I have 2x NEW 135 AGM batteries in my Expanda and I have noticed that if I run the fridge on 12V over night it completely drain the batteries. I would of thought
they should of lasted at least 2 days or so.
Is that correct??? 270AH (halved 135AH).
Thank you so much, that is definitely what has happened. I do hook at up during towing and forgot to turn it off when I unhitched it van. Now that I understand
this I won't do it again.
 
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Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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Thank you so much, that is definitely what has happened. I do hook at up during towing and forgot to turn it off when I unhitched it van. Now that I understand
this I won't do it again.

Are we talking about the fridge in van or a portable type which you can plug in to any 12v source ??? .............
 

Drover

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2013
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3 way fridge in my van. Not a fridge hooked up to say an Anderson plug

Then the fridge shouldn't be connected to the van batteries at all ..... when you unplug from tug it should be run on gas or mains .... if it has been modded to draw off van batteries, then thats certainly why your batteries got sucked dry, happen too often and they will die full time...