2 replies to this topic

[solarcodex]

We have a portable National Luna "50" fridge in our 2017 fleet FWC Hawk. It is currently wired directly to battery #1 (we have the two battery setup)  with a 15 amp automotive fuse positioned near the battery on the positive lead (only two leads, +/-). This was always intended as a temporary setup. I just ran the wires on the floor and covered them with a couple car mats.

 

Now I'd like to run the wires properly. We have the FWC base model so we have a bench seat on the left with a long narrow compartment accessible by a fold up cover. I'd like to run the fridge wires through that compartment to where I intend to install the socket for the fridges 12v plug just where the bench seat meets the rear of the camper (there is a 2" space there, perfect fit for the socket).

 

I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how to run the wires from the battery compartment to the bench seat compartment, then realized that perhaps I can simply connect somewhere to the electrical components that are Inside that compartment: a couple bus bars (I think that's what they are called) and the Blue Sea Battery Link unit (see attached image). Unfortunately I don't know exactly what each of those components do. So, my question to the forum is: Can I connect the fridge positive lead to one of the bus bar(?) posts to the right of the Blue Sea unit and connect the negative fridge lead to the top post of the bus bar(?) on the left of the Blue Sea unit. Will that get me constant, uninterrupted power to the fridge?

 

I'm open to other suggestions as well. It would be nice to have it set up so that if Battery #1 runs down, power is drawn automatically from Battery #2.

 

Thank you!

Mike

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[traveller]

Did you ever figure out how to add another socket to plug your fridge into.  I would like to do the same thing, but don't know how to add the additional 12 volt socket by the bench to run the fridge.  If you figured it out, can you reply and explain how you did it?

[solarcodex]

I believe out National Luna came with a 12v socket that matches their "Hella" male adapter. My original set up was to run the positive and negative leads (red and black wires, respectively) from the 12v socket directly to the studs on Battery 1 of our two battery setup. I then ran the wires right out the battery door compartment (I just left the door ajar) and taped the 12v socket to the side of the campers bench. Then I simply plugged in the National Luna "Hella" male plug into the socket and, at the other end, plugged the power cord into the fridge. That worked but was ugly and we were constantly stepping on the wires.

 

So, to answer your question... A couple weeks ago I tried removing the positive lead directly on battery 1 and attached it to that silver do-dad on the right in my photo. That's the "Pollock" auto-cycling fuse switch; it has two studs: the stud on the right is copper-color and the stud on the left is silver-color. I attached my fridge positive lead to the copper-colored stud. Then, I similarly removed the negative lead directly on battery 1 and attached that to the bus bar (I think that's what it's called) you see on the left in the photo with ring terminal attachment points running vertically. I attached the fridge negative lead to the topmost stud (attachment point). 

 

It seems to work. The fridge works as it did before. However, I noticed on our last camping trip that Battery 1 ran waaaay down to like 10v (we had stuff on the camper roof that obscured the solar panel, so it wasn't charging the batteries. And the smoke from our California fires didn't help either.) I was hoping that as battery 1 drew down past, say 11.8v or so that the system would switch over to battery 2. That didn't happen. What I think is needed for that to happen is to wire up some kind of switch-over device (Blue Sea probably has something like this) directly to the two batteries and then wire the fridge to the switch-over. Not sure though...

 

I wish could find more information about how the FWC is wired up and if/where there are access points to add accessories such as a fridge, or how to wire things in a way that works the way we want (Fridge is powered by one battery until that is drawn down to a certain point before the fridge auto shutoff occurs, and then switches over to be powered by the second battery).

 

Anyway, I think I'm going to keep the current setup (as described in paragraph 2), keeping the fridge leads attached to the (positive) switch fuse and (negative) to the bus bar (or distribution block is the correct term?) and then run the wires inside the bench compartment along side the exiting wiring runs to the point where the bench meets the rear wall. There, I'll drill a hole just small enough to fit the 12v socket and install the socket there. Then I'll run the wires that are plugged into the fridge and that terminate into the male "Hella" plug behind the fridge to the socket.

 

I hope this was helpful. Please let me know if you find any other info that might help us! If I find some I'll post it here for you.

 

Cheers,

Mike