For those of you running a fridge, medium to large, are you running it off a second battery in your 200?
Fridge power? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter OldCarSmell
- Start date
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Depends on you LC and how long you want to run it. My 200 hast two batteries build in from factory so a day is no problem. Have also a third battery that I normaly use on trips for my Engel MT45 so I don’t have to worry if I empty the battery.
Take a look of the power consumption of your fridge and think about how long you want to run without starting the car and calculate. Then you can decide if you need another or extra battery and in wich configuration
Take a look of the power consumption of your fridge and think about how long you want to run without starting the car and calculate. Then you can decide if you need another or extra battery and in wich configuration
If you are driving every day (and charging the battery) it's not a problem to run it off just the starter battery. I would say it's probably fine to run it for two days without charging up the battery as long as the fridge isn't in the sun and the contents are already cold (i.e. the compressor is not running all the time).
Any more than that and you should have supplemental power, either an aux battery, solar, etc.
If you do run it off the starter battery it's always a good idea to carry a jump pack.
Any more than that and you should have supplemental power, either an aux battery, solar, etc.
If you do run it off the starter battery it's always a good idea to carry a jump pack.
- Thread starter
- #4
I hadn’t considered solar as a power source, that’s a helpful idea. I would want to plan for 4-5 days of use in a hot, sunny environment. I expect I would be using it for extended family camping trips, in Oregon/western state summers, with family members going in and out of the fridge throughout the day. I wouldn’t be against running the truck every couple days to recharge the battery (my assumption here is that an aux battery with supplemental solar would be optimal considering my expected use). We have a small IceCo fridge in our utility trailer that runs off a battery in the trailer, but it’s tiny and so we only use it as backup space for an XL Canyon cooler we keep in the truck. I’d like to replace them both with a large [insert reliable brand] fridge on a slider, but if it’s going to cost an arm and a leg to build a power system for 25-30 days of camping a year it probably isn’t worth it since we do fine enough with what we’ve got already.
I run a cheap Costco special fridge with a built-in removable battery and direct solar connector (Anker seems to have improved on the design). When car camping I have two solar panels and an Ecoflow Delta to run it for as long as I need. For long weekend trips I just use ice and my Orca.
The small battery back is a nice feature, keeps it running for a few hours without needing to run off your car, and keeps the compressor running unlike those that stop when you unplug them. Run it 24/7 as my drink fridge and can be used as a backup fridge if the power goes out.
The small battery back is a nice feature, keeps it running for a few hours without needing to run off your car, and keeps the compressor running unlike those that stop when you unplug them. Run it 24/7 as my drink fridge and can be used as a backup fridge if the power goes out.
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
I have 3 batteries: starter (obviously!), a 2nd AGM battery under the hood, and a portable Lithium battery which is used to support camping on and off grid. If I were just interested in supporting just a refrigerator I would have done less. This setup doesn't have to be done all at once. You can pick and choose what level of implementation suits you, of course. One of my main requirements was not to drain the starter battery to where it would not start the car and to stay away from tapping into Toyota's wiring other than at the battery terminals.
Some thoughts:
Again, all this is to support camping in general.
It's modular so carve out what suits you.
Use case 1:
Use case 2:
Use case 3:
Some thoughts:
- Budget 50Wh/h power usage for a larger fridge under everyday use (hot car, opening/closing the lid) and 25Wh/h under ideal circumstances (75F, no open/closes of lid).
- You will have to go through the firewall with wiring if you don't want to tap into Toyota's wiring in the passenger compartment; this isn't hard to do.
- The connection to the starter battery is to mainly charge the Goal Zero 1550Wh Lithium Battery when driving.
- I use a Victron DC-DC 24V charger (set up in power supply mode) to cut off as soon the engine stops. This is accomplished by choosing voltages to stop/start power output such as 12.5/13.0V.
- If you have dual battery then drainage is less of a concern and the DC-DC charger, if it's a REDARC, then you can also support solar.
- You can run the refrigerator directly off the 2nd battery
- Or, if you want regulated constant power from your 2nd battery to your refrigerator add a DC-DC charger. I use the same Victron charger to run the refrigerator and charge the Goal Zero.
- We have run the refrigerator on the 2nd battery and taken the Goal Zero lithium battery into a hotel room to charge it overnight.
Again, all this is to support camping in general.
It's modular so carve out what suits you.
Use case 1:
Use case 2:
Use case 3:
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Simplest solution if your vehicle isn't a dedicated adventure rig, or you don't want to modify your vehicle much is use something like a EcoFlow Delta 2 or similar. Have it fully charged before the trip and supplement with vehicle (cig lighter plug) or solar charging during the trip.
- Thread starter
- #8
Talk about laying it all out! Thanks man, tons of helpful info you shared. I’m thinking what’s best is a second battery that a large fridge can charge off (that charges from the starter battery) and solar (to fridge or battery is the question I think I should be asking?) is the way to go.
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
You're quite welcome. Just trying to help - not pushing any particular brand just ideas and how to think modular so you can build over time if you choose.
Regarding your question: Solar panels produce voltage and therefore current that is all over the place depending on the sun's intensity and must feed into a regulator to handle this. They can come with a built-in regulator or without. Even if your solar panel came with a built-in regulator, solar panels are fickle with the sun; what do you do at night time? So you would ALWAYS use solar panels to charge a battery as a buffer for your refrigerator IMHO. Both solar inputs in my schematic go to the REDARC or the Goal Zero. Both have built in MPPT controllers and are fed by unregulated solar panels.
I hope that helps.
prharper
GOLD Star
@FrazzledHunter and I have a very similar setup with dual batteries, Victron and the Goal Zero Yeti 1500x. You don't need all that but it provides a lot of flexibility for various use cases.
Had a unique trip this summer. Didn't pack all my usual camping and off road gear. No Goal Zero or Victron
I did a ~10 day trip in June which was a combination of work and pleasure. Only used aux battery and solar panel for fridge and accessories.
Leg #1 - Left Virginia with my National Luna fridge/freezer 60L loaded. (i.e. freezer had big frozen square ice cubes for adult beverages, fridge side with food and fresh beers from local brewery). Stayed overnight in WV. Then continued to KY. Stayed at Marriott in Lexington, KY for a weekend music festival. Very rare a hotel room fridge will keep ice cubes and other goods frozen in the freezer section. Truck sat in parking garage for 2.5 days, fridge running off aux battery and all good.
Leg #2 - Drove to Nashville for work event. Parked truck outside at Opryland Resort for 4 days. Connected flexible 100w solar panel to roof to charge aux battery (via Redarc BCDC) while truck sat in parking lot. Delivered the cold fresh beers as a thank you gift to some co-workers. Solar panel would top off the aux battery each day, plenty of sun. Truck interior was very hot sitting in sun every day and not driven.
Leg #3 - Loaded fridge with more cold beverages and food. Drove to Good Evening Ranch in WV to join some LC club members for camping and wheeling. Camped two nights, wheeled 2 days. No solar used.
Leg #4 - Back home to VA. Unloaded truck and emptied fridge. There were a few large cubes (still perfect) remaining after the round trip.
Not much off the grid and mostly hotel stays and highway miles. Fridge ran nonstop, no issues. Never had problem starting truck as fridge never ran off the main starting battery. Could have run fridge off starter battery if needed by cable swap in back with Anderson connector.
Had a unique trip this summer. Didn't pack all my usual camping and off road gear. No Goal Zero or Victron
I did a ~10 day trip in June which was a combination of work and pleasure. Only used aux battery and solar panel for fridge and accessories.
Leg #1 - Left Virginia with my National Luna fridge/freezer 60L loaded. (i.e. freezer had big frozen square ice cubes for adult beverages, fridge side with food and fresh beers from local brewery). Stayed overnight in WV. Then continued to KY. Stayed at Marriott in Lexington, KY for a weekend music festival. Very rare a hotel room fridge will keep ice cubes and other goods frozen in the freezer section. Truck sat in parking garage for 2.5 days, fridge running off aux battery and all good.
Leg #2 - Drove to Nashville for work event. Parked truck outside at Opryland Resort for 4 days. Connected flexible 100w solar panel to roof to charge aux battery (via Redarc BCDC) while truck sat in parking lot. Delivered the cold fresh beers as a thank you gift to some co-workers. Solar panel would top off the aux battery each day, plenty of sun. Truck interior was very hot sitting in sun every day and not driven.
Leg #3 - Loaded fridge with more cold beverages and food. Drove to Good Evening Ranch in WV to join some LC club members for camping and wheeling. Camped two nights, wheeled 2 days. No solar used.
Leg #4 - Back home to VA. Unloaded truck and emptied fridge. There were a few large cubes (still perfect) remaining after the round trip.
Not much off the grid and mostly hotel stays and highway miles. Fridge ran nonstop, no issues. Never had problem starting truck as fridge never ran off the main starting battery. Could have run fridge off starter battery if needed by cable swap in back with Anderson connector.
yes, but my system is built in to the rear of the truck. Like others have said,
depends on what you want to do.
I tend to leave the fridge on all the time when it is in my truck.
No solar usually Hooked up, 100ah lithium battery, I work from home so driving is pretty minimal during the week..
depends on what you want to do.
I tend to leave the fridge on all the time when it is in my truck.
No solar usually Hooked up, 100ah lithium battery, I work from home so driving is pretty minimal during the week..
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
@prharper I loved Leg #2 where you set the solar panels on the roof but I would be constantly worried they'd be stolen. We've used our solar panels extensively in campgrounds but I have them secured with a heavy bicycle cable to the tow hooks on the LC when we venture out on a hike or leave the campsite. Also having the 1500X and the 2nd battery has saved us a few times where we had to charge the Goal Zero 1500X via 120VAC. [edit] in a cabin or a hotel room.
In the cases where we had to temporarily run on the 2nd battery we kept the 2nd battery charged just by running around sightseeing.
Over prepared is prepared and always have a backup plan!
In the cases where we had to temporarily run on the 2nd battery we kept the 2nd battery charged just by running around sightseeing.
Over prepared is prepared and always have a backup plan!
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prharper
GOLD Star
Agreed, if you you drive it occasionally and with that size lithium battery, it’s really all you need.
In my case, running AGM battery has different limitations combined with summer weather/heat and not being driven for 3-4 days. Fridge got a workout. That was not a typical use case for me and a good experiment with different factors involved.
If I were doing a new dual battery setup, I’d most likely go with lithium too.
I didn’t worry too much about someone taking the solar panel in a well lit and open resort parking lot w security. If they wanted to climb up there and undo the fasteners and cut power cable, they probably need it more than me.@prharper I loved Leg #2 where you set the solar panels on the roof but I would be constantly worried they'd be stolen. We've used our solar panels extensively in campgrounds but I have them secured with a heavy bicycle cable to the tow hooks on the LC when we venture out on a hike or leave the campsite. Also having the 1500X and the 2nd battery has saved us a few times where we had to charge the Goal Zero 1500X via 120VAC. [edit] in a cabin or a hotel room.
In the cases where we had to temporarily run on the 2nd battery we kept the 2nd battery charged just by running around sightseeing.
Over prepared is prepared and always have a backup plan!
In hindsight and looking back, a Goal Zero 1500x or similar sized portable battery / power station could meet my needs without requiring an aux battery. I keep a Noco GP150 jump start battery in truck as backup or for others who may need a jump. The Goal Zero 1500x wasn’t on the market yet when I added aux AGM battery. Prior to purchase of the GZ, I was planning on adding an inverter to truck. Then the GZ 1500x was released and figured it could meet some additional needs. Nice built in inverter to run things like a Nespresso machine, small microwave, CPAP, charge laptop (150w) etc. It’s portable, can bring into tent, switch between vehicles, run your home fridge in power outage too.
Thanks for those past posts on Victron DC charger which I added. Looks like Goal Zero may have recently resolved the issues others previously experienced with the Yeti Power Link car charger kit in newer V2 release.
Yep, you can add an extra AGM or lithium battery for sure to power a large fridge for days. AGM battery may need to be manually topped off on a regular basis to maximize lifespan. Depends on your configuration. You will need additional hardware like a Redarc BCDC or equivalent. Plenty of threads on both battery chemistries and pros and cons can be found on Mud.
Dual batteries require more effort in installation and can result in complications if not done correctly. More cabling, complexity and weight too. Lots of posts and debates on it. Lol.
On the flip side, a portable battery like the one mentioned above has advantages over dual battery. Several to choose from in various sizes (e.g. Dometic, Jackery, Goal Zero). I would still carry a jump start battery pack as most of the portable batteries/power stations are not designed for jump starting.
Not trying to dissuade you from a dual battery setup either. I did it 3+ years ago in my 200 series. Made some minor upgrades since then and it’s pretty dialed in to meet my use cases. No issues or complaints. As @FrazzledHunter nicely illustrated, lots of supported configurations. May be overkill for most but offers flexibility.
Hopefully all the research we did and great feedback from other forum members here will make your decision easier.
FWIW - recent post which shows my setup. Would have been much easier to clean with a portable battery as opposed to dual setup. Lol.
Post in thread 'What have you done to your 200 Series this week?'
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-200-series-this-week.818471/post-15064849
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
I was all over that post and studied it for areas where I could improve. The cleaning was awesome too! OUTSTANDING IMHO!
I started all this with the overall schematic in my head and just built it over time like a jigsaw puzzle. Along the way I was taught by a pro how to crimp connectors on DC cables. Geez I love this electrical stuff.
So some points:
- A portable battery (e.g. a Goal Zero) probably can't jump start your vehicle, a 2nd battery can.
- A 2nd battery is always with your vehicle.
- A 2nd battery can't supply 120VAC (without an inverter) but a portable battery can.
- A portable battery can supply regulated DC output & USB power but a 2nd battery can't (without a DC-DC charger and other stuff).
- A 2nd battery can't accompany you into your tent to a campsite or cabin where you can't park nearby to run a cord, a portable battery can.
- Be careful of your various appliances and their voltages - employ system engineering!!!
- The Goal Zero only charges via its solar input ports, every single charger (even the 120VAC 120/230/600W adapters) uses that port and thus require 14+ volts.
- The Dometic CFX3 refrigerators can run on 12/24 VDC. That means I can get away with the SAME Victron Orion DC-DC charger for charging the Goal Zero and running the fridge with regulated power from the 2nd battery.
- Goal Zero (as you and I have mentioned) has come out with a high wattage car charger and I might not have gotten the Victron unit had it been available at the time I got my 1500X.
- Now here's sort of a plug for Goal Zero. Goal Zero has the highest DC charging rate, AFAIK, at 600W. It doesn't know or care what's feeding it. It can charge up to 600W be it from AC or a DC source. So you'll be able to potentially charge that thing from your car faster than anything else on the market AFAIK.
- My Victron Orion 12-24/15 can charge it at 360+/- watts which has been sufficient, except when it hasn't LOL. It will take about 6 hrs on the road to charge my 1500X from 20% to 100%.
- Bear in mind that if you do get Goal Zero's 600W car charger you'll be pulling approx. 50A from your alternator.
- My Victron Orion 12-24/15 can charge it at 360+/- watts which has been sufficient, except when it hasn't LOL.
a friend of mine uses a NL portable battery case/system with a 100ah lithium in it.. its a nice setup for 12v only. depends on what you need, but the all in one battery deals can be really useful as well. I did not go with them b/c of the whole charging via the alternator deal, and if I was doing a DC/DC I might as well just build my own system for what I need.
