Another rookie question

[beachbum107]

Newbie here! Looking to plug into the house to try to cool the fridge overnight before a trip. When I do this, what position should the battery disconnect switch be in? On or off?
Thanks again to everyone who has been answering my previous questions.

[biznsa]

On

[dpowli]

Turn the battery disconnect to "ON" any time you hook up the power cable. This will charge your battery plus it's not good for the inverter to run "no load" (battery disconnected) The battery disconnect switch is there to disconnect the battery so it won't discharge while the unit is in storage / not being used. So, OFF when in storage, ON when in use!

[RvBill3]

You can also run the refrigerator on propane to pre-cool it before a trip. The battery disconnect would still have to be on, as the refrigerator requires 12 volt power for the control circuits whether on shore power or propane.


2012 Forest River Sunseeker 2300 Chevy

[trdutch]

I also learned on the forum that if you put one of the little battery powered fans in the fridge on start up it will help the unit cool quicker ie. 6 hours instead of overnight
Not sure if it's necessary after that but I might try it

[ATVer]

I found it best to only place precooled stuff in the fridge when filling for a trip. The fan will help especially to maintain things cold when full.

Not sure which fridge you have but I have two RVs one with a Dometic and another with a Norcold. The Norcold seems to cool down much faster and is the better one IMO. The Norcold even though it is the same size holds much more because it has one more shelf. Dometic used to have the same number of shelves but a couple of years ago they removed one. I called Dometic because I thought they forgot it but turns out it is no longer supplied as standard. You could buy it from them but I recall it being quite expensive. I made a new shelf that looks original and the fridge still holds adequate temps.

[offroad]

Agree that while in storage and not hooked to shore power, the battery disconnect should be turned off to prevent the propane/co detector from flattening the battery.

I do not like however, to leave the battery disconnect on for long periods of time while connected to shore power though. Most converters will continue to charge and boil your battery dry over time.

[ATVer]

I only plug in to shore power when camping. All other times I leave the power switch off and two battery tenders on, one for the coach batteries and one for the chassis battery.

[offroad]

Originally Posted by ATVer

I only plug in to shore power when camping. All other times I leave the power switch off and two battery tenders on, one for the coach batteries and one for the chassis battery.

We've been camping every weekend to take advantage of the fall weather and our new TT.

If we are heading out the next weekend, when we get home I just plug into shore power to run the fridge and turn the battery disconnect off.
Did this with our 5th wheel for about 7 years with no ill effects.

While towing I turn it on and also top off occasionally with an auto charger.
Plan to get a battery tender for winter storage so I don't have to remember to charge it occasionally though.

[bgilly]

Originally Posted by ATVer

I only plug in to shore power when camping. All other times I leave the power switch off and two battery tenders on, one for the coach batteries and one for the chassis battery.

Kinda getting off the OP topic but I figured I would share my battery charging setup.
I upgraded my converter/charger from the WFCO to the Progressive Dynamics INTELI-POWER with Charge Wizard. This provides a better charge control to the batteries. I also installed the BatteryMINDer desulphator: BatteryMINDer Model OBD-12: 12Volt (12V) Onboard Desulfator - VDC Electronics
The BatteryMINDer will work up to 8 batteries in parallel meaning all batteries connected (including the chassis battery when the battery isolation manager determines it needs charging as well). It desulphates either using a BatteryMINDer charger or any charge detected (including an alternator). I've used this for a couple years now moving it as I upgraded RV's. I found it has extended the life of my batteries.

Bobby

[Mikegjax]

I keep mine on shore pwr 24/7 with the battery switch on. I have been doing this for the past year and have yet to add water. I would think the converter would not boil your battery dry unless you were running the battery down frequently. Any other thoughts on this?

[Garrette]

Mine is always plugged in. Batteries are sealed so no way to check water.


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