Hi - Has anyone out there in grey nomad caravan land fitted one of those motion sensor cut- out switches for their 12 volt fridge to stop battery drain when stationary.
I am wondering if they are any good and trouble free or any bad experiences with them . We are getting fed up with putting fridge items in a esky for travel and thought it might be something i could do myself - auto electrical work is not cheap these days they almost earn as much as a politician but don't sit down on the job .
I fitted a fridge switch to my caravan. I was (am still) worried about it not working and me not knowing about it, but it seems to work quite well for me thusfar (about a year installed now). I am gunna (you know those gunna jubs) fit a small LED to the fridge 12 V power supply line (after the fridge switch) and mount it so I can see it in the rear vision mirror. That way I will know when the fridge is getting 12V.
I merely run my fridge off the auxiliary batteries in both my Cruiser and the van, all of which are coupled together when we are under way. 300AH in total (200AH in the van) so even if I leave it running all day with stops there is not much chance of running the batteries flat. I used to use a Fridge Switch but was concerned about malfunctions so much that I now manage the power usage myself. Having said all that guff I believe PeterD's management diagram is spot on.
-- Edited by Spook on Sunday 4th of September 2016 03:57:00 AM
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
My girls are Misha, Maddy, Morgan and Muffin. RIP Jen, my princess.
RIP Molly, our dear girl who crossed the Rainbow Bridge 24/10/2016. A loyal and faithful companion.
Voltage keeps it open.
When voltage drops below set point. the relay? whatever,
trips out the current flow.
Otherwise a Waeco type fr, with Panel on roof and second battery.
I have 80ltr Waeco with 85w panel on ute roof and 2 spare NZ70ZZ
Batt,s in tray.
Running car every coupla days. it goes forever.
Also have a H/D Cic lighter plug link to side of caravan,
So I can draw current from Van solar when parked.
I had a small 5th Wheeler which had a "Fridge Switch" fitted to it and it worked perfectly. I have since traded for a Caravan so arranged to have one fitted to that and also have had no problems. My Nissan is one of the models which needs a Redarc System fitted or the batteries won't charge when I am moving. The Redarc system also stops feeding from the tug when the motor is turned off. So I actually have 2 systems in place to prevent battery drain.
But I had to pay an auto electrician to fit them and it wasn't cheap! But the Fridge Switch on it's own would be fine in my opinion.
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Cheers
Col
(Picture of my beloved Molly (2003 - 2016) who loved the travels as much as I do. RIP old girl. Gone but never forgotten).
I have two voltage sensing relays fitted in the front of my Hilux. One for the aux battery and the other for the caravan fridge.
When I am driving, the relay powers the fridge. When I stop, the fridge runs for a short time until the voltage drops a little then turns off. There is sufficient insulation in the fridge to keep things cool for some hours. Once I start driving and the volts rise, the relay operates again and powers the fridge. No manual control to forget and no flat battery.
as an addition to macka17's post please find attached photos of the setup I use for operating the fridge from the start battery. This allows me to leave it operating when parked For long periods of time. It works by cutting out when the battery reaches 12.8v thus protecting the start battery in the vehicle.
ive run from this relay to the caravan fridge 6B&S cable so there is less voltage drop. The van has a 3way fridge.
I have used this system for several years and it's never let me down.
If you are unsure about playing around the with the cars wiring , then the 12v motion switch is the way to go. Just get to the 12v wires behind the fridge in my case via the vent and install the switch. I have no problems with it in a few years.
I've had the SAME "Fridge Switch" fitted to 3 caravans now and it's never given me any problems. I have a small led light poking out between the blades of the lower outside fridge vent so I can see if the fridge switch goes on and off like it's supposed to.
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Cheers, Gerry Lexus LX470 2012 Traveller Sensation Pinnacle 21' Member VKS737 - mobile 3535
I fitted a "Fridge Switch" about five years ago or maybe even six. Never a problem with it.
An amber sidelight ( small ) wired in on the side beween the fridge vents is a power on/off indicator. Can be seen in the wing mirror.
But also the new vehicles I have had, have a Redarc switch fitted in the system that shuts the power off the Anderson plug when the ignition goes off. But I have left the other one in place anyway.
Thanks my dog died some years ago- mrs said no more really miss her ( the Dog ) hope to get plenty of therapy pats while on the road (dogs that is ) Cheers Paulo
