Inverter for refrigerator

[alicemerrill]

Our inverter didn't work either. Sounds simple but the batteries were not connected correctly. We got that taken care of correctly and we now also manually shut off the inverter while we are on shore power. And when we hook up to move once we disconnect the shore power we manually turn the inverter on and never had a problem since. Hope that is all it is.

[jaygeo1]

Interesting to read about the various battery/inverter hookups. Well, here is my set up and what I do to operate the system. My battery compartment contains three 12 volt Exide Deep Cycle Batteries. Two of the batteries are hooked in parallel (+to+) (-to-) and these two are totally isolated and dedicated to to the refrigerator inverter. Nothing is hooked to them but the inverter. The inverter I'm using has an orange on/off button and a digital readout. When we are ready to travel and unplug the shore power, I turn on the inverter, which allows the refrigerator to keep running. When plugged in to shore power, these two batteries are NOT charged. I currently carry a portable 10A battery charger that I hook up when we park and hookup to shore power. I have future plans to install an onboard single bank 15A automatic charger that hooks into a 110v. power supply and then when shore power is connected, the charger will automatically charge up and maintain the two batteries.

We've travelled up to 6 hours so far and the inverter does a fine job of supplying 110v. to the refrigerator and the temps in the fridge are 35 F and -4 below in the freezer. The 3rd battery in the compartment is the usual coach battery charged by shore power and operates the 12v. accessories.

[ttanous]

Jaygeo you know that you can hook up all three batteries and have it charged by the internal converter. Also the three can be used with the inverter. I have 4 - 6 volt batteries hooked up and they get charged by the converter and is used by the inverter while traveling. By the way just got back from a trip. Traveled for seven hours on inverter with no issues. Was still working at over 12 volt input at the end of seven hours.

[Herk7769]

Has anyone looked at using a blocking diode between the battery that does charge off the converter and the fridge batteries that do not?

Seems like an easy mod.

http://www.amazon.com/Amp-Volt-Stud-.../dp/B004FGPUE6

I doubt the charging current would exceed 75 amps.

[jaygeo1]

Thanks TTANOUS,
Appreciate the alternate wiring method......but I'm thinking that I"ll keep the systems isolated. I'm not sure what the factory converter DC output is to the batteries. The onboard charger that I want to install has 15 Amp output and can be left ON without overcharging. Having all the batteries hooked together and then having an unwanted "drain" develop or a converter problem in the coach would take all the 12V. supply down. If my "coach" battery were to become discharged for some reason, I would be able to jumper over to the adjacent two inverter batteries temporarily to operate my 12V. systems including the hydraulic landing gear and leveling system.

I've noticed when I charge with the portable charger (10A) it takes a good 6-8 hours to get the two batteries approaching a full charge after a six+ hours of travel on the inverter. Well, just another way to hook things up.

http://www.techbatterysolutions.com/...er-p/dpps1.htm

[spock123]

I want to put in a separate 3000 watt inverter that I can hook up the camper too. I'm going to install at least four Trojans to run the refrigerator while I'm on the road with the inverter that came with the camper. When I hook up to shore power I want to then hook up my 40amp charger and then disconnect the camper converter. That way when I dry camp I can have AC power when hooked up to the 3000 watt inverter .


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[ScottBrownstein]

Reset the GFI on the inverter. Bet that is it as long as the rest of the 12V is OK. The inverter remote switch will glow nice and green, but the GFI will prevent it from powering the reefer. When you plug in the automatic switch will connect the reefer to the 110V and it will run fine. Find the inverter and there is a duplex outlet on the inverter and confirm that the GFI doesn't need resetting.

How many batteries and how they are installed is secondary. If the rest of the 12V stuff works...look to the inverter.