8 replies to this topic

[BillTheHiker]

Last summer I could not find block ice a lot of places, especially my annual trip to Maine, so will bite the bullet and get a refer.

 

If I install a compressor type refer in the crew cab, what are good options to power it?

I have a FWC Fleet shell on a 2008 Tacoma that I customized with no good place in the camper for the refer, and I actually prefer to have it in the truck cab anyway. I do not want screw holes in the roof for mounting solar panels, but am open to getting a portable solar system wired to the built-in solar plug in the back of the camper if I find that necessary.

I plan to first install the refer and monitor the battery and amp usage. The camper came with one 75 AH AGM and has the battery isolator provided by FWC. Since the house battery is now almost 2 years old, I am open to getting two new ones and size would be based on my power consumption tests. The only thing I have now that uses the house battery is the overhead LED lights and porch light and I do not use them much.

I have read reports where the refer is in the back seat of the truck and wired to the DC outlet on the dashboard to run it off the engine battery. But when the engine is not running I need it wired  to the house battery(ies), so should I just use that all the time since the house batteries are charged by the engine when it is running.  

I have read most, if not all, the threads on WTW related to running a refer and the reports on amp usage vary widely, from 15 to almost 50 AH per day. At 15, I might not need solar at all if I get two 100 AH batteries as I typically do a lot of driving at least every 2-3 days.

Edited by BillTheHiker, 28 March 2018 - 06:44 PM.

[ntsqd]

With the fridge in the cab I would suggest that you look into Low Voltage Disconnects if you're going to power it off of the starting battery(ies). BT, DT, in spite of monitoring the battery voltage we still needed a jump start. BEP Marine and Blue Sea Systems offer them.

 

If you're going to run it off of the camper battery then use the fuse amp rating to do a 3% Voltage Drop calc to determine wire size. Don't forget to include the ground path in the length measurement.

http://www.ancorprod...nt-voltage-drop

[BillTheHiker]

Thinking about this a bit more it seems  I need to wire it to the camper battery for two reasons: to power it when engine is not running and because the portable solar panel will be wired to the camper battery. So where I am stuck is whether there is an advantage to run it from the engine battery via the DC outlet on the dashboard when the engine is running? Or is that unnecessary since the camper battery is charged by the alternator when the engine is running.

[Vic Harder]

Thinking about this a bit more it seems  I need to wire it to the camper battery for two reasons: to power it when engine is not running and because the portable solar panel will be wired to the camper battery. So where I am stuck is whether there is an advantage to run it from the engine battery via the DC outlet on the dashboard when the engine is running? Or is that unnecessary since the camper battery is charged by the alternator when the engine is running.

Unneccesary.  Run it off the camper's batteries.

[BillTheHiker]

Thanks Vic. I think I am going to order a Truckfridge. Many on WTW seem to like it and better price than others I researched.

[nikonron]

Bill,

I had mine in the cab before I got my FWC Eagle, I too have a Tacoma. I found room to move mine to the camper, it's much more handy there for me. You have the Fleet so have a little more space than me. Ron

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[BillTheHiker]

Ron,

 

WHat fridge do you have and howwas it powered when it was in the cab?

[nikonron]

Bill,

It's an ARB 50. I ran a dedicated circuit to the back of the console and used a 12 volt twist lock socket. It was powered from the battery in the camper. Ron

Edited by nikonron, 30 March 2018 - 08:06 PM.

[nikonron]

 

You can see the outlet here. I'd run nothing less than 10 gage wire, the ARB fridges are sensitive to voltage drops and won't operate properly or maybe at all.  Ron

Edited by nikonron, 30 March 2018 - 08:13 PM.