Hi, I'm Edwin from SA and I need some help with info for my van because I can't find anything through Jayco. If I don't have a Jayhub? for fuses, which I don't, and I can't find a fuse box in the front boot, where will I find a fuse that affects the 3 way fridge so it doesn't work on 12v, please? I've asked on a couple of forums for an owners manual but haven't been able to obtain one. TIA.
16' Series Is a 2001 Westport 16.5ft pop top considered an expanda?
- Thread starter Teddy48
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G’day @Teddy48 and welcome to the forum. We welcome all vans now as most members who started out with Expandas have since upgraded or moved to other vans so we all like to know what is out there and how people like or modify their vans.
Three way fridges will not run on 12v. They are not hooked up to the van battery (usually, unless someone has done it after sale) and if you try to do it from your car battery, you will flatten it within a couple of hours. The only time 12v is used is when you are driving and the car generator can keep up with the load but this will still not bring the fridge temp down much, only keeping it at about the same temp. If not on 240v then use the gas.
I’m sure others will jump in with more info for you.
Three way fridges will not run on 12v. They are not hooked up to the van battery (usually, unless someone has done it after sale) and if you try to do it from your car battery, you will flatten it within a couple of hours. The only time 12v is used is when you are driving and the car generator can keep up with the load but this will still not bring the fridge temp down much, only keeping it at about the same temp. If not on 240v then use the gas.
I’m sure others will jump in with more info for you.
If you tell us the make and model of 3 way fridge, perhaps we can then direct you to the proper operating instructions for that particular fridge. As @chartrock has posted, 3 way fridges are not normally connected to the 12 volt van fridge and only are meant to operate that way when connected to tug battery/generating system and engine running to maintain temperatures - not good or recommended for initial cooling or increasing the refrigeration operation.
Operational Priorities are: 1. use 240 volt power when available. 2. use gas when off grid (very efficient). 3. use 12 volt power only when travelling and/or when connected to tug and ENGINE RUNNING. Also, as 3 way fridges draw too much power on 12 volts, not suitable for solar operation even with battery storage as fridge demand for power is always higher than generation by solar and soon runs down battery storage.
Normally the input power line from tug is not only fused, but there are arrangements necessary to disconnect tug from battery power when engine not running - Manual switching, relay switching or voltage sensitive relay. More info if you request same. Cheers.
Inside the door of your fridge will be a tag with brand and model number, if you Google that it should come up with an manual for it as for your fuses you more than likely have a Setek ST management system which will be a black panel with a switch near it, fuses are behind the panel but as stated by the others fridge will run on 240 or gas, 12v only for when driving and draws from the tug with no connection to van battery at all.............. The fridge needs to be running for quite a few hours before you will notice any sort of cooling, first indication its working will be warm air from the top vent outside and the small flu vent, then after about 4 hours or so the freezer section will be feeling cold, we always run the fridge for 24 hrs before packing it.
Thanks, Drover, I didn't give a clear enough explanation of my problem. Because of a different issue, I now have sorted, we took our van into Albany Caravan repairs in WA when travelling and the young tech there told us he found some "hot" wires under the sink so he removed the fuse. My problem is that when I checked for a "Jayhub" fuse box I couldn't find one and there's no fuses in the front boot, the other place I was told to look. I have pulled out stuff inside the cupboards around the sink and can't find fuses anywhere; a wiring diagram suggests I should have a bank of 6 fuses somewhere but I'll be buggered if I can find them, that is why I am saying, "HELP"!
Thanks for your input, mate, I do have the booklet for my Dometic (Electolux) fridge but my issue is trying to find a fuse box that a young tech said he removed a fuse from because of hot wiring under our sink. I was told where to check for it, but being on holiday, I didn't then and now I find I don't have the "Jayhub" they told me to look for. The major search is to find where them fuses is at!! I have a different electrical issue with light but that is self inflicted, I know what it is and will, eventually, do the hard work to fix that but I think I will need to know where the fuses are first. A wiring diagram says I should have a bank of six fuses somewhere. Thanks again, Teddy48.