Fridge Nerds - help me answer a few basic questions :)

[Carolinapanic]

I'm starting to build out my LC200 and just ordered an ICECO and an Ecoflow Delta battery pack. I don't know a ton about electrical and was surprised to find I can't actually use the 120V/100W outlet in the back to keep the ecoflow topped off while it's passing through power to the ICECO fridge.

I had assumed I could go in the app and lower the charging speed/draw to the 100W labeled on the outlet, but the minimum allowed in the app is 200. Because of this, the battery pack just clicks and never starts charging.

While I know I could use the 12V cig outlet in the second row, I don't wanna run a wire across the vehicle and I couldn't if I wanted too because it a proprietary cable and it's not long enough.

Im assuming my options are:

Option a:
Buy some sort of DC converter to plug into the AC outlet in the back. This setup would be AC outlet > converter > battery pack > fridge

Option b:
See if there's another battery pack (Anker?) that can pull power from the outlet. Maybe this works and I'm assuming someone on Mud has already figured this out?

Option A is kinda janky, as it just creates more cables than should be necessary

Would love to see what solutions you guys use.

Thanks!

 

[WreckDiver1321]

It wouldn't be difficult to add an outlet for the fridge/battery bank, honestly, depending on which side you're putting the fridge. You can get a two-wire 10AWG wire, some ring terminals to connect to the battery, and a surface mount cig outlet/Anderson plug/ARB fridge plug wherever you want it. Pulling the trim to hide the wire is really simple.

 

[Sandroad]

Can you use the outlet to run the fridge directly? I can with my Dometic fridge. Also, with my Ecoflow, the DC input cord is not proprietary, it’s just a short version of a type otherwise available longer. You still won’t get much power from a DC outlet to both charge an Ecoflow and run a fridge. And that includes your idea of running a converter off the rear outlet. Best to get a dedicated power outlet back there with the watts you need. See @WreckDiver1321 post.

 

[Carolinapanic]

Can you use the outlet to run the fridge directly? I can with my Dometic fridge. Also, with my Ecoflow, the DC input cord is not proprietary, it’s just a short version of a type otherwise available longer. You still won’t get much power from a DC outlet to both charge an Ecoflow and run a fridge. And that includes your idea of running a converter off the rear outlet. Best to get a dedicated power outlet back there with the watts you need. See @WreckDiver1321 post.

Fridge can run directly off the outlet no problem. But then you'd be unplugging from the outlet and plugging into the battery every time you pull into camp and shut the vehicle off. Was assuming with the right configuration/ cables, when the car shuts off, the battery takes over, and I never have to manually manage where power is coming from.

 

[bloc]

I’d suggest doing some research on the underlying science of voltage and current, and their relationship to wattage.

Technically a 12v plug to the center row will charge the EcoFlow but it will do so very slowly.. basically it’ll be useless.

You need a scenario where the battery has enough time to charge at a given wattage to replenish itself for whatever time the fridge spends plugged in to it drawing it down. Some people spend a lot of time at camp with the vehicle not running, so solar is a good option. Others (like me) tend to spend a lot of their day driving so charging off the vehicle is enough to keep the battery full enough.

And keep in mind a 15A fused circuit can’t be run constantly at 15A.. that’s why the EcoFlow will only draw 9A off those cigarette lighter plugs.

All of this is why most people trying to properly set this stuff up run a comparatively expensive DC/DC charger on dedicated wiring or get the EcoFlow alternator charger. Wanting to keep accessories outside the vehicle compartment due to how I pack things for travel, the latter is what I opted for.

As for why the 100w AC outlet in back was useless… if you saw how small the (12v!) wiring going to it was, you’d understand. That thing is intended for charging cell phones, not 30# battery banks.

 

[kcjaz]

I run an EcoFlow Delta 2 and an EcoFlow Glacier fridge. I use the alt charger to charge the Delta 2 and find that 250w input to the Delta 2 works great to keep the fridge running and its battery topped off as well as recharging the Delta as long as I drive a couple hours each day. The other reason I run the charger at 250w is that it’s about 20 amps and that shouldn’t burden the alternator too much. (The alt charger is capable of 800w but that’s too much (IMO) to ask of the stock alternator for extended periods.

I also know that I can camp pretty much indefinitely with my 200w solar panel. I never get 200w of course but sometimes may be 150w. The fridge draws about 100w max when the compressor is running but that’s only a fraction of the time depending on ambient temp.

My point in all of this you need about 100w to run a fridge (at least my fridge) and keep the Delta 2 charged enough to run it over night.

I also run an EcoFlow River to power Starlink and I charge the River with the cigarette lighter charger. The max input I get is about 80w. That’s ok for the Starlink but would be pretty marginal for the fridge.

IMO, a dc/dc charger is really the only good way to go.

 

[Julian73]

You are best to run a dedicated 10 AWG positive ware back to the lkoaction of your fridge and run a a 10AWG ground to a chassis point near.

While the fridge will run on 120VAC it is very very inefficient as first you must convert 12VDC to 120VAC with about an 85% efficiency rate, then the fridge take the 120 and converts it back to 12 VDC again with an efficiency loss of x . even if the efficiency =is 90% you are now looking at a 76% rate overall so 8,9 amps required is drawing 11.6 from your battery.

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[Carolinapanic]

You are best to run a dedicated 10 AWG positive ware back to the lkoaction of your fridge and run a a 10AWG ground to a chassis point near.

While the fridge will run on 120VAC it is very very inefficient as first you must convert 12VDC to 120VAC with about an 85% efficiency rate, then the fridge take the 120 and converts it back to 12 VDC again with an efficiency loss of x . even if the efficiency =is 90% you are now looking at a 76% rate overall so 8,9 amps required is drawing 11.6 from your battery.

Fascinating - thanks for the schooling