Bigger battery or new 12v fridge?

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Sharktale
Sharktale Club Member Posts: 57
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in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

Hi, I'm currently on site trying out my new solar panels. I have 200w renogy panels. I have a lithium battery 100ah. My 3 way fridge running on 12v says 72w, so if my working out is correct it's pulling 6amps. Battery was full yesterday, running fridge then running a 12v TV for around 4 hours. This morning battery was flat. Do I need a bigger battery or do I need a more efficient fridge? Any recommendations appreciated.

Thanks

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  • eribaMotters
    eribaMotters Club Member Posts: 1,370
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    #2

    I think the easiest route forwards is to run the fridge on gas. I'm sure somebody can do the number crunching, but I'd expect a 6kg bottle to give you 4 or 5 days minimum at this time of year. Your battery and solar set-up should then be able to keep you going off grid with TV, lights, toilet flush etc without any worry.

    Colin

    Colin

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 23,801
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    #3

    Definitely run the fridge on gas.

  • Vulcan
    Vulcan Club Member Posts: 674
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    #4
    https://clubtogether.caravanclub.co.uk/discussion/409725/bigger-battery-or-new-12v-fridge

    Your Fridge should normally never be wired to draw power from your leisure battery, it should only work on 12v when your vehicle engine is running and should run on mains or gas when on site.

  • Sharktale
    Sharktale Club Member Posts: 57
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    #5

    https://clubtogether.caravanclub.co.uk/discussion/comment/878713#Comment_878713

    I'm using a separate mobicool 3 way fridge not the one built in the caravan. Does this make any difference?

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 23,801
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    #6

    It’ll still flatten a 12v battery in no time at all.

  • Sharktale
    Sharktale Club Member Posts: 57
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    #7
    1000010323.png

    Like this one

  • Sharktale
    Sharktale Club Member Posts: 57
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    #8

    Have seen a 40litre 42w 12v, says it pulls 3.5amp. would that be ok?

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,854
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    edited June 14 #9

    Unless there is a problem with your caravan fridge, it would be much easier just to run it on gas. Those portable Dometic fridges are quite pricey too!

    We had to do that once, when the electric element failed while we were abroad, we have a largish Thetford fridge freezer, we found a 6kg gas bottle lasted about 14 days. On mains electricity the FF uses 4kWh per 24 hours.

    Running a portable one on battery, a fully charged 100AH battery will probably only give you 60-70 AH, so 10 hours on 6amps when you include everything else.

    A bigger solar panel would help, but why not use the equipment already fitted?

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 7,038
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    edited June 14 #10

    We once had a cheap movable 3 way fridge. It sat in the back of an estate car which was wired up to run it on 12 volt power while we were travelling, and then it was plugged into campsite mains electricity when we got somewhere. I don’t recall that we ever bothered to run it on gas, and buying solar panels, lithium batteries and Mobicools were extravagances beyond my pay grade. But cold drinks out of the back door of an estate car on a hot day somewhere south of Lyon were a godsend.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 23,801
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    #11

    The important words there are "to run it on 12 volt power while we were travelling". In other words, while the battery was being charged which is how 3 way fridges in caravans/MHs work on 12v, not off a battery without constant charge.

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