Fridge 12v
can anyone help please, last year I bought a swift conquerer 480, and the fridge had to be replaced with a new thetford, now at the time towed with a dacia with a single socket, as we had no plans to but a van at the time. so used to run fridge on electric before towing and on site, we have since changed cars to a ford kuga with a 13 pin socket, and we found out on a long trip that the fridge didn't cool down on 12v. so I purchased a wildside module wired in so we got 12v coming in and out to the fridge, however still no joy, I have been onto the thetford website and got the wiring diagram for the fridge I was getting 13v at the wire into the fridge.
I removed the original 12v wires to the socket and wired the earth s and lives nothing working at all with fridge wouldn't switch on, replaced wires and piggy backed into live and earth and bingo it worked for a minute then I heard relays clicking and all 12v cut out, turned fridge back on same again. so I have removed all the wires that I added and put it back to the start. removing the wildside, so fridge works on 240v and gas, am I destined not to have fridge on whilst towing any one got any ideas.
Comments
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Firstly, a fridge won't cool down on 12v but it will maintain a temperature. With your 13pin socket, the caravan should be wired so that the fridge, when switched too 12v, will only run when the tow car engine is running otherwise you would flatten the battery in pretty short order. It is possible that the replacement fridge was wrongly wired but I would get it checked by your supplier as the first port of call.
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This may be a daft question but, when you checked the 12v to the fridge, did you have the car engine running? Sorry if I’m teaching granny to suck eggs here but the fridge cooling element will only work off the car battery when connected to the tow car with the engine running. There is, though, a permanent live feed from the van's leisure battery to the fridge control panel.
The car's 12v supply is usually not enough to cool down the fridge but will maintain an already cold one.
Edit: Posted at the same time as CY. He’s right, I’d get the new fridge wiring checked.
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yes I know the fridge will ony work on 12v when the car engine is running and I know it only keeps it cool while towing but the fridge is not working on the 12v circuit I have 12v when engine running at the socket. as I live in rural wales its too far to take back but the local dealers only intrested if you buy off them. is pin numbers 9/10/11 on the left as looking at the back of the car. as not sure if the diagram is showing the rear of the socket
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Obviously we didn’t know what you did or didn't know and had to start somewhere.
I suspect the new fridge wiring should be your first check. Can you get a mobile engineer to check it?
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As Tinwheeler says there must be TWO 12volt feeds into the fridge. The first to the control panel must be there or it would not work at all. So Find That Second Feed into the fridge -- if its there then its probably a poorly 12 volt cooling unit.
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jvb66 yes tried that to get power into van lights had to be on dipped, and engine running. ( the sterling power wildside unit ) wild stabilse power once it drops, hence I thought I would try that route,
I pulled the fridge out of the cabinet work so I could get to the wiring, the wiring plug 12v side needs 3 lives and two earths I disconnected the wiring which the dealer had done and replaced it with the live and earth that came from the wildside and linked the lives together and the earths with the earth wire but nothing happened the fridge wouldn't even switch the control on. I have disconnected the wilside on reinstated the original wiring and fridge works on 240v gas but not 12v from the car.
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I have managed to download a wiring diagram, for my caravan and I am trying to workout the wiring
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Seems like the Wildside unit should deliver fridge power even if the alternator voltage has dropped due to the car battery being fully charged so if the Wildside is delivering 12 volts output and at the risk of stating the obvious then the problem must either be with the wiring to the fridge of with the 12 volt element in the Thetford.
With a unit capable of delivering 25 amps “battery to battery” I am curious to know how the current is limited to what the car wiring is capable of taking which will be much less than 25 amps and also how the alternator load is managed.
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Hi Kalamitty I have a 2015 Bailly Valencia with exactly the same problem which after much soul searching and dealer returns, car tow socket checks i've decided to give up on it and just pack a little ice in the fridge when im towing between sites . Not much cheer I know. but it stops spoilt food and keep a few cans or lager cold!!!
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My Kuga is the same. It only delivers a charging/fridge current on a long journey when the car is slowing down. I don't think having the headlights on makes much difference. Have you looked at the caravan chronicles website? You may get some advice on wiring the Wild side unit. see https://caravanchronicles.com/2018/01/29/getting-all-charged-up-update-2/#more-6403
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There is no reason why most fridges won't cool on 12 volts.
Back in the day when the element ratings for 12v and 240v were different, then yes this could be true.
My present Dometic fridge has 170watt elements for both, which are fitted side by side.
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Agree, we always put our fridge on battery setting before we start a journey and it will have started to chill when we arrive on site.
It's been the same in both caravans we have had in the last 4 years, both had different makes of fridge.
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My problem atm is the fridge is freezing everything, even if it isn't in the freezer compartment.
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have you fitted winter covers on the outside vents? That should cure it.
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It is a Dometic. I'll try Corner's suggestion on our next trip and see what happens. It's due a service at the beginning of May so if it persists.....
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Our Dometic fridge (tall)in our Pegasus was getting to cold,from new the dealer could not find a problem? when on sites I asked everyone with an LV that had the tall fridge if they had the overcooling problem and 90% agreed but most were going to mention it on next service,
Seeing as we use our c/van a lot I contacted Dometic who advised to contact one of their mobile engineers (a list is on the Dometic website)
When contacted i one in Cabridgeshire while on FM they knew of the problem, and came out to site and did three C/vans that day,as I had spoken to others on site Inc the warden,evidendently it was/is down to a batch of faulty gas valves even though no gas is in use
We have not had the problem since and have not been useing winter vents
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The engineer wasn't referring to the propane/butane gas, but the refrigerant gas (usually ammonia) inside .... your 240v fridge at home has a gas inside it too.
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A suggestion for Kallamity to narow down what is/is not happening.
Disconnect the 12v supply to the fridge that runs the heating element from the caravan supply. Retain the 12v control supply feed. Connect the heating element to a seperate 12v supply, such as an independent 12v battery and find out if the fridge cools. Unless it is a huge battery, it will need some form of charging as the fridge draws a big current.
Please fit fuses in the wires used for the test set up.
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