12v fridge temporary connection whilst towing

[SilverSurfer]

My car does not have a S type socket and I am going on holiday on Friday of this week. the question is .... how can I connect my fridge to work on 12volt for the outward journey? can I somehow make a temporory connection just to get me to my destination and I will have a S type socket fitted asap after the holiday. Thanks

 

[Cockovan]

Hi Tony,

Unless you wire your 'temporary' connection in using the same route as it would take for the 12s socket you run several risks.

The fridge circuit should be activated by the ignition switch, which opens a relay to feed the 12s from a fused line off the battery. That wire then runs the length of the car to the 12s socket. It also requires its own earth. If you are going to do this then stick a 12s socket on the end and wire the other lines in on your return.

Any short cuts could lead to your line not being fused (risk of overload and fire), and if not ignition activated could flatten the car battery very quickly if left hooked up.

Alan

 

[Avril_374306697]

Hi Tony,

Unless you wire your 'temporary' connection in using the same route as it would take for the 12s socket you run several risks.

The fridge circuit should be activated by the ignition switch, which opens a relay to feed the 12s from a fused line off the battery. That wire then runs the length of the car to the 12s socket. It also requires its own earth. If you are going to do this then stick a 12s socket on the end and wire the other lines in on your return.

Any short cuts could lead to your line not being fused (risk of overload and fire), and if not ignition activated could flatten the car battery very quickly if left hooked up.

Alan

We are on to our third towcar with our third van and we have had the same problem with each one in that the fridge comes on when the ignition is off and doesn't come on with the ignition on. So, we have never been able to have cold food while travelling. Has the relay been wired up wrong? Are we doing something wrong. Any ideas?!! Much appreciated

 

[Avril_374306697]

We are on to our third towcar with our third van and we have had the same problem with each one in that the fridge comes on when the ignition is off and doesn't come on with the ignition on. So, we have never been able to have cold food while travelling. Has the relay been wired up wrong? Are we doing something wrong. Any ideas?!! Much appreciated

 

[ValA.]

Freeze a couple of litre blocks of orange juice before you set off, pop them in the fridge when you set off, and don't open the fridge again until you're hooked up at the other end. It will stay cold - in fact probably colder than it would if running on 12v.

Sounds like you also need to go back to your Tow Bar fitter and find out what the problem is - there obviously is one somewhere in the wiring, either in the car, or in the van.

 

[Avril_374306697]

We are not the only ones with this problem, my in-laws (35 years of caravanning) just bought a brand new Freelander with towbar and wiring done by Land Rover and they have the same issue as us. We have just had a long discussion with the auto electrician and he has checked out the car wiring and coupled it to the caravan and he is totally puzzled, it seems there is a relay in the caravan wiring that clicks as soon as the car is running which cuts the power. Our caravan dealer tells us the car is wired up wrong and our electrician tells us the caravan is wrong. Looks like we'll be going with your suggestion no fridge or battery charged for the 6th year running 3rd car and 3rd caravan down the line. Surely someone must have a solution, I'm all ears!!

 

[Cockovan]

The wiring of the 12s socket was changed a few years ago, can't remember exactly when, and all vans since that time will be wired accordingly but car dealer seem to be taking a long time, in some case, to catch up with the change. A good caravan dealer should be able to check the car as well as the caravan on a circuit tester to determine which is at fault, if there is a fault in the 12s connections.

As to the van having a relay in it none of mine have, including the present which is less than 2 years old.

Hope this helps.

 

[Avril_374306697]

Alan,

Thanks for your comments we have been searching the web and it now seems that caravans post 1996 have a relay that automatically switches the 12 volt circuit off inside the van and only charges the battery and runs the fridge when it detects power from the car. Does your caravan fridge come on when car is running coupled to the caravan? The relay is a small black box with pins located in your caravan wiring under the front locker

 

[Avril_374306697]

This is the comment on Ryder towing website

* On caravans post 1996 this feed is automatically switched during towing by a relay in the caravan to charge the caravan battery. When this happens, other interior circuits are off (except fridge).

 

[Cockovan]

This is the comment on Ryder towing website

* On caravans post 1996 this feed is automatically switched during towing by a relay in the caravan to charge the caravan battery. When this happens, other interior circuits are off (except fridge).

Hi Avril,

Having looked it up I think it was 1998 so applied to 1999 vans onwards.

Since then the 12s should be as follows:

A feed to operate the caravan's reversing lights (if fitted) via Pin 1

A 12-volt supply from the car battery via Pin 4 all the time your car is hitched up.

A feed via Pin 6 to operate a fridge while the engine is running.

A feed to charge the caravan's battery, which is only activated when the engine is running. This was previously via Pin 2 but charging will now operate via Pin 4.

An earth connection. This was previously via Pin 3 alone but is now to be accompanied by another earth wire via Pin 7, exclusively for the fridge.

So the relay you refer to is in a different curcuit to teh fridge, the Fridge has its own direct feed, switched by a relay in the car so it cannot drain the car battery when the engine is not running.

Hope this helps.

Alan

 

[Cockovan]

Hi Avril,

Having looked it up I think it was 1998 so applied to 1999 vans onwards.

Since then the 12s should be as follows:

A feed to operate the caravan's reversing lights (if fitted) via Pin 1

A 12-volt supply from the car battery via Pin 4 all the time your car is hitched up.

A feed via Pin 6 to operate a fridge while the engine is running.

A feed to charge the caravan's battery, which is only activated when the engine is running. This was previously via Pin 2 but charging will now operate via Pin 4.

An earth connection. This was previously via Pin 3 alone but is now to be accompanied by another earth wire via Pin 7, exclusively for the fridge.

So the relay you refer to is in a different curcuit to teh fridge, the Fridge has its own direct feed, switched by a relay in the car so it cannot drain the car battery when the engine is not running.

Hope this helps.

Alan

 

[Avril_374306697]

Thanks Alan, the wiring is correct, think we've solved the problem - can you tell me if your fridge light comes on when towing our's doesn't and I read on another forum that the light doesn't come on and the only way to indicate the fridge is working is to check for heat on the vent outside?

 

[Cockovan]

Hi Avril,

By light do you mean interior light or the little red light on the control panel? We have never checked the light inside the van but the red light on the fridge control panelcoems on to show it is running.

We'll get there.

Alan

 

[Avril_374306697]

Alan,

I mean the interior light as we do not have any light on the control panel but I know what you mean. This is why we are not sure if it is working as we have no way of knowing and thought the interior light would stay on but maybe it's part of the 12 volt circuit that cuts off when towing. Thanks for the perseverance we will get to the bottom of this once and for all.

Avril