16' Series Outback expands replacement fridge
- Thread starter Chrisand Susan
- Start date
i did install one of the movement switches that cuts 12v power when parked so it wont flatten the tugs battery
Hi @chartrock , did a quick check of connections and voltages while getting ready to go off grid again. With no 240 volt AC connected to van and internal battery switch ON, turned selector switch on fridge to BATTERY... No current to fridge from van battery. Connected up van to 240v AC to operate fridge, but before selecting AC, turned fridge selector to BATTERY. Still no power to fridge...as expected! I will check connections again when I hitch up, connecting tug to van by 12 pin plug firstly, and then separately by only Anderson plug line from tug to fridge, with engine OFF and also with engine running. My VSR should prevent ANY power going to fridge ( or anything else too) by Anderson plug (or any other means to other equipment) ) when ignition ON and engine NOT running. If it only supplies power to fridge (and other parts) when engine running, it will confirm my thoughts. I will also check for battery voltage increase as there is a line from tug battery/alternator through 12 pin plug to van loom and then through power diode to van battery. There should be some increase in van battery voltage if connections are as they should be. All other stop, turning and running lights are always checked before we hit the road. Will report findings after we get back on Saturday.
It really depends on how your fridge has been wired up, my old 14.44 as wired by Jayco would not show any 12v draw for fridge from house battery and fridge would only operate if on 12v if plugged into tug. and that 12v feed fed both fridge and Setek, I know that from physical inspection and not just on mine............ the secret is in the Birds Nest........................ I suppose if you look at the back of your fridge and the 12v junction has black and white wires then it is from the birds nest, if it has red/black wires then it has been modded...well thats the way I get an indication and I have played with a few........... personally I prefer to run a dedicated feed from tug and give the OE wiring a miss....................... Of course the best way is to make sure Santa has a multi meter in his sack for you if you don't own one...............
" Why is it so ?" a great bloke once asked every Sunday on our B/W TV, well because someone thought Jayco will stuff this up for sure, lets put a diode in the 12v feed so nothing goes out where it should come in..................... ( techo stuff omitted so I could understand what I was typing)
Geez, you lost me with all that, Boots. When I picked up the expanda, I had no isolators between my tug battery and van fridge. I just thought that turning the selector to ”off” would stop the fridge from drawing current from the tug but it appeared to still allow it to do so. Fitting an ignition controlled relay in the fridge line solved the problem. Simple.
Hi,Geez, you lost me with all that, Boots. When I picked up the expanda, I had no isolators between my tug battery and van fridge. I just thought that turning the selector to ”off” would stop the fridge from drawing current from the tug but it appeared to still allow it to do so. Fitting an ignition controlled relay in the fridge line solved the problem. Simple.
Normally, 12V will only be connected to the 12V heating element when the selector switch is set to 12V. Do you happen to remember the brand and model of the fridge? I assume you had a three-way fridge.
On our Dometic 90l RM2350, the position of the selector switch can be a little misleading. A couple of times I convinced myself that I had turned the knob to 12V only to find out later that I was one notch out and had instead set the fridge to Off.
It is certainly the case with this model fridge that 12V is supplied to the heater element only when the selector is set to 12V.
If you have a Dometic three-way manual fridge, it may have a similar selector switch. Is it possible that the selector switch was inadvertently set to 12V instead of Off?
take care
Mike
You may be right @mikerezny, I was new to these sorts of thing back in 2010. It was a Dometic 90L but I don’t recall any other specs but yes, the selector was notched with positions very close spaced.
@chartrock , I think Mike @mikerezny may have "hit the nail on the head" so to speak on how your tug battery would be completely discharged if fridge selector was inadvertently moved to 12 volt position instead of OFF position. If still connected to tug (even if tug switched off for the night) and connection still maintained between tug and van, fridge would continue to be able to draw current from tug battery (if no isolation made whether auto or manually.) A good point brought up so others learn. It did not take you long to sort out that problem.
My Telford 93L fridge has a slightly different sequence of settings which makes that same mistake very hard to occur. The OFF position is at the 5 o'clock position and moving anti-clockwise, GAS is 2 o'clock, 240v AC is at 12 o'clock and the 12 volt Battery position is last at 10 o'clock and that is where selector stops. Of course, with the later (and larger fridges), this is all elementary with automatic energy selection, but still has the potential to flatten tug battery if still connected to van and no isolation mechanism in place.
It will be interesting to confirm the wiring for my setup.
@Drover , you seem to have it cleared up in your own mind and have come to grips with the "techo" stuff and power diode function. Maybe, (and I am only guessing!) the wire to fridge and Setec was common to both in earlier days, and the single common wire did indeed split in the "bird nest". However, it appears that more recent connections utilize two different wires from the 7 or 12 pin plug and run separately to fridge and Setec. ?????
Like you, I like the way my fridge is connected by separate dedicated heavy cable and Anderson plugs. In my opinion, running high current for fridge through connecting pins rated at only 15A, leads to loosening connections with travel vibrations, then burnt pins/melted plastic through arcing, and eventual failure. This is highly unlikely to happen with Anderson plug connections.
No need to worry about multi-meters. I have several volt meters strategically placed around van to monitor battery voltages at several points and even at the 12 volt connection point for fridge (behind vent), courtesy of advice from @mikerezny. Thanks Mike.
The Big Mal ice chest has a connection to the van battery so its brain functions, which could in time drain the house battery but it would take awhile, has a pushy thing marked ON/OFF which turns the lights off and stops the cold machine working, one can also select 12/240/lpg manually or by pushing another button it will do it for you ..................... and if the D+ wire, a dinky thing about the size of 3 strands of hair needs to connected to the tug power supply or 12v will not work................... no voltage cut out or relays fitted they are safe on the shelf in shed, I know, I know can't rush these things you know... I just pull the plug when I do my mandatory "walk round tyre kick" each stop.