Battery For Fridge

[Wal]

After a lot of thought and consideration I've finally come up with what I believe to be a solution for my dual battery problem - don't get one! I was going to pay nearly $700 for a 60 ah Thumper plus have to wire it up myself when I would only use my fridge about 4 times per year. (See Thumper thread).

After a lot of research I have decided to replace my current (no pun intended) car battery with a 100ah AGM battery with a CCA reating of at least 850. (the Paj only requires 622CCA).

If what I've discovered is correct, this will easily run my fridge overnight and still start my Paj in the morning. From what I've read, there are a number of guys who do this (run their fridge overnight on one battery), and some of them said that the N70 wet cell I've already got would do the job easily but the AGM idea gives me a little more insurance.

So the question here is ..... what battery do I get. I'm not looking to go cheap but am more interested in reliable.

All ideas happily accepted.

[jol]

Not sure what type of fridge you have, but make sure you have a low-voltage cut out device if you're only going to have one battery. Usually they cut-out at 11.5v (load connected) which may (or may not?) leave enough power to start the car.

My only other suggestion is have you considered using a SLA battery or off the self battery pack in the back (of the car). The only complication there is charging it - making sure you have enough voltage down the back to charge it, and ideally you really need someway of limiting the current delivered to the battery (when charging) if it gets significantly discharged.

Edit: Yes you have, guess I should have read the Thumper thread first ! Still I'm surprised a 32Ah battery pack won't run the Waeco overnight. From memory my 56Ah ran my Engel for over 30 hours (mind you that was when I was testing it at home). But yes charging in the car is a problem.

[bernardpotatoe]

I concur with your solution with the following assumptions, 1 you travel with more than one car, 2 your trips are in the relativily populated areas (ie not Simpson desert etc), 3 WAECO or similiar fridge that turns off at low battery or appropriate accessory cutoff.

I had an 3.5 NL that I used for years running the fridge (Engel 40ltr then WAECO 50litre) and music radio etc for trips in the high country, general camping. Batttery was an Exide N70zz Endurance with a heavy battery line ran to rear. But after buying the NP auto diesel, I've had the car battery decide it was on the way out. the NP when you want the music radio going, has to be in the accessory position which turns on who knows what (couldn't be bothered checking, but fancy console display was on) plus all the door mounted lights are on, as doors are open to listen to music. Battery goes just that little too flat to start in the morning, and diesel needs a good kick to start! I have now put a bypass switch in to run the radio without the key in, also taken lights out of the doors to lower load. But for the midyear Simpson trip, an ancillery cranking battery will go in the engine bay, as I have personally encounted sudden battery failure at least twice in my years of general car driving, and trips to get replacement batteries whilst very remote are too inconvenient and expensive, and the winch could do with the extra capacity those times I do stupid things and need it (or someone else).

enjoy the decision
bernard

[spakman]

I got one of these http://sidewinder.com.au/page133.html put a 100AH AGM in it and haven't looked back.

[Wal]

I concur with your solution with the following assumptions, 1 you travel with more than one car, 2 your trips are in the relativily populated areas (ie not Simpson desert etc), 3 WAECO or similiar fridge that turns off at low battery or appropriate accessory cutoff.

I had an 3.5 NL that I used for years running the fridge (Engel 40ltr then WAECO 50litre) and music radio etc for trips in the high country, general camping. Batttery was an Exide N70zz Endurance with a heavy battery line ran to rear. But after buying the NP auto diesel, I've had the car battery decide it was on the way out. the NP when you want the music radio going, has to be in the accessory position which turns on who knows what (couldn't be bothered checking, but fancy console display was on) plus all the door mounted lights are on, as doors are open to listen to music. Battery goes just that little too flat to start in the morning, and diesel needs a good kick to start! I have now put a bypass switch in to run the radio without the key in, also taken lights out of the doors to lower load. But for the midyear Simpson trip, an ancillery cranking battery will go in the engine bay, as I have personally encounted sudden battery failure at least twice in my years of general car driving, and trips to get replacement batteries whilst very remote are too inconvenient and expensive, and the winch could do with the extra capacity those times I do stupid things and need it (or someone else).

enjoy the decision
bernard

So, to run my fridge off the Paj battery overnight I will need to leave my key in the car and turn it to ACC? This does create a security problem if this is so. How can I get around this?

[trouble]

Wal,
I have the same system as Spakman in my Challenger what can I say [email protected]# hot my 4o Lt Engel stays in my car and is always on have never had a problem and had the system for three months.
.
It is very easy to install just connect it to the main battery as all the bits are in the top of the box all prewired.
Have fun with the decision making
.
I was in you possy 3-4 montha ago.
Cheers Brad

[Wal]

I may have come across another solution. After checking out the local battery places today and being quoted $450 to install a Pulse N70 AGM (including a couple of parts to lead from this battery) I dropped into my local TJM. They had a Waeco Monsoon (yes, I know, discontinued) portable for $320. Original price was $800. It's 48ah (should run the fridge for at least two days) is portable and will start my Di-D in a pinch.

It looks like a bargain, I can't find any bad press on the Internet and it suits my needs exactly. I put down a $10 deposit to hold it until I find out more. It has the Waeco badge and I hope they'd cover it warranty wise.

If you have heard anything to the contrary I don't see why I shouldn't get it. To get a similar Engel (52ah) would cost me $600 and the 36+36 setup for the latest Waeco is even more than that.