Query regarding fridge when towing

[LMH]

Sorry if I sound like a silly woman but here goes:

I have an Abbey Freestyle. Before we left the campsite, I switched the fridge to battery and put the switch on the panel to 'car'. However I don't think the fridge was running off the battery or car or whatever it's supposed to do as some things in the freezer compartment had started to melt when we got home (six hours later). I have got the manual for the van but it's not very user friendly.

1. Did I do the right thing before I left?

2. If so, is the fridge less efficient on battery?

Thanks.

Lisa

 

[WatsonJohnG]

The fridge works from the car electrics only on 12V via a relay in the car.

It does this because it draws a high current which would soon flatten the leisure battery or the car battery if it was not wired to work when the engine and alternator are running.

I would check that the 12S socket is corectly wired.

It used to be a matter of looking at the 12V warning light on the fridge but many fridges do not now have them.

It makes no difference to the fridge where the car/van switch is as it is wired direct as stated before.

You can download manuals for Dometic fridges from their website(Google Dometci etc)

Hope that helps

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

Hi Lisa, One little thing that is easy to check - there should be an in-line fuse in the wire coming from the battery, usualy quite close to the battery,

Have a check that the fuse has not blown.

Clive

 

[Matt_5130019]

Having been a service engineer for 4 years on caravans, i can say the car function on the fridge does not work as well as the mains or gas side, it is designed to help keep the fridge cool but not for long term.

The electric from the car or mains is used to heat a small coil of wire which in turn makes the gas move through small tubes to cool the fridge, the heating coils for the two functions are of dirrerent sizes so the car will not cool the fridge as well as the larger mains one, if it did you would end up with a flat car battery.

It is worth checking to make sure the car is switching the power on for the fridge as this only happens on engine startup, also sometimes the coil can become less efficent in the fridge and a replacement may help.

6 hours is not a bad time if the weather is of warm temperature i would guess that it is probably ok, next time pull over for half an hour through your journey and pop it on gas for a bit to help bring the temperature down.

 

[JohnI.Stephen]

Matt; I found your post extremely helpful. I have to admit that I thought that the fridge was equally efficient on 12V as on 240v; so I now know differently !

You suggest that, mid journey, we pull over and run on gas for a while. (Are we not discussing at least an hour?!) If like many, these tend to be large service stations on Motorways, then I think that this is illegal? But maybe I am wrong.

Thanks again for the advice. John

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I think that later fridges are better on 12V and some even work via the thermostat

I would check that heavy enough cable has been used to wire the fridge circuit.

While I do not dispute that running the fridge on gas is a good idea I have never needed to do that myself and food has stayed frozen on trips to Spain when towing all day..We have a freezer block in the fridge for when we go on the ferry and this stays frozen on long tows

I thought that the main problem with older fridges was that on the 12V it just never cut out and things got colder and colder as there was no thermostat in the 12V .

 

[LMH]

Hi

Thanks for the replies folks, all very useful.

Regards.

Lisa