A little birdy has informed me that I may be getting a new car fridge for my upcoming B/Day. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

I don't know the brand (Engel), nor do I know the capacity (40 Litre) and I wouldn't have a clue what ampage it draws (Max 2.5 Amps)!

Needless to say, this new fridge will require a new dual battery system <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />
Based on the above lack of info, what second battery would anybody recommend, and why?
I'll do the prep work re mounting etc, but I will leave the wiring to an autolec.

Thanks in advance.
Neil

I have a 68 litre Evakool fridge that I use in my Pajero. I put a second battery in myself and wired it via a heavy duty solenoid so it is parralleled to the main when the engine is running. I just used a Holden sized deep cycle (ED3) because I would at most leave the fridge running for one night only on the battery. If I am staying in one place for a great length of time I have a generator or solar cells.
I used a battery cradle that I got from Opposite Lock to mount the second battery behind the first on the passengers side.
The fridge will run all night on setting 2 (of 7) and still keep everything totally cold without draining the battery (I use it as a beer fridge at home and it will freeze beer if I crank it up above about 2.5!). I ran 8mm sq cable from the 2nd battery to the lighter socket down the back (10 amp fuse in line at the battery end) and I use this to plug the fridge into.

Hope this info helps.

Craig.

How many days do you sit in one place? Remember the Engles is designed for low draw. With one Optima Red Top in the hot sun you can go for 48hrs with no problem starting. With a Yellow top I have never drained the battery. You can further extend life to maybe a week or so if you turn the fridge off at night, temperatures outside allowing. 2 batteries are not needed.

Hi Neil,

Another alternative is to run it off the normal battery during the day and off one of those battery packs overnight. The battery pack can be used to jump start the vehicle if you have to and you just charge it back up while travelling off the 12 volt sockets. I bought a reasonable one from Super Cheap for $149. Not as strong as the ones from a couple of the 4wd shops but a lot cheaper.

I have one of the three way fridges so I rigged some heavy duty cable to the back with a 16 amp fuse up near the battery and put a relay in a box with an accesory plug on top. I then put a cigarette lighter plug on the relay side so when I plug into the socket in the back and turn the ignition on the accessory socket comes live. Sincethe three way fridges are very inefficient on 12 volt I plan to take it out of the back and run it on gas when we stop. But with the relay in there I can't run the battery flat unless I leave the ignition on.

You could probably do something similar but run on the jump start pack at night.

I did price the dual battery systems from Piranha and Rotronics to use with my boat battery but they were going to cost a packet and I still couldn't run the three way fridge for more than a few hours off that.

Not exactly what you were asking but hope it helps.

Tim.

There are battery isolator systems available that let you charge both batteries off the vehicle alternator, but isolate the vehicle battery from all but normal vehicle draw, so it's always available for cranking. I'd use a deep cycle on the second battery position for better longevity.

Trail fix:
Camping with old friends and got whacko and played the cd all night, then crashed about 4am, and left the interior light on. I was the last one to leave, and it was dead as stone. Had an 18v Dewalt tool battery with about half a charge on the recip saw we'd used to cut up branches for the fire. Took the voltmeter and figured out + and - on the battery, and used about 12" of Romex scrap to hook it to the truck battery. Cranked first try...

Then reason I used a deep cycle battery as the fridge battery is because a car battery is designed to do a job..that is give a large amount of energy in a short period of time, they are not designed to have a device sitting drawing a small amount of current over a long period. The deep cycle is designed to do this and if you are camping and have solar cells connected this is the correct type of battery to use.

I had extensive experience with different battery types when I was maintaining solar powered telephone systems in remote areas and Telstra did trials to work out what would be best for low current, long term use.

I also use the second battery for my CB radio and mobile phone power. If my cranking battery goes I still have power available to call someone on the phone or on the CB.

From my experience cranking batteries in the tropics have a shorter life than in temperate zones so I want to have the ability to call someone if the car won't turn over and cold beer to drink while I am waiting.

The second battery can also be jumpered to the main to help crank it over of course.

Go for a second battery, it is a long walk from Chambers Pillar to a battery shop.

Craig..

FE: Dude, you kill me! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />

Thanks all!
Lloyd, you're right I don't NEED a second battery, but a lot of our trips are 5-7 days, and with the "gadgetery" we take with us nowadays, video cam, GPS, dig cam, CD player,blah blah blah, the fridge has tipped the scales.
(Remember when camping was Beer, Rod, Axe, Tent?)
The other thing is, this is the first AUTO 4WD I've had, and it has allways concerned me that I can't pushstart the bugger.
I've had fasteddys' experiences a couple of times <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> , and luckily, had a jumpstart available.
So, I'm going with Craig and Fasteddys advice, and installing a deep cycle second battery, for the accessories only.

Tim, thanks for your input, but I was allready sold on the second battery, just wanted advice on "how to".

Neil

OT: Craig, so......... your Missus comes from Vic, and your batteries don't last so long, hmmmm, I would think about this for a minute...Just a thought <img border="0" alt="[Hillbilly]" title="" src="graemlins/notooth.gif" />

I think I'm gonna pay for that <img border="0" alt="[Ignore]" title="" src="graemlins/ignore.gif" />

Neil,
What makes you think you will pay for that.. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> . Well not from me anyhow, my missus may think differently <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> . She might send her sister down from Cohuna to put a curse on you (her sister is into new age stuff and whatever) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> .

School holidays soon..2 weeks off..yay, yay. We're hoping for flat seas and clear weather.

Required Mitsu content...ummm I like my Pajero..I think it's beaut..