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Subject Topic: Tow Bar electrics blowing a fuse Post Reply Post New Topic
Personslicedbread
07/6/2017 at 12:13am
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I'm not sure if this one is due to the way the towbar electrics are wired in or a an actual fault.

Having bought an van (not a new one an old Abi Sprite) and got a towbar fitted (with the twin sockets) to the car. I kept blowing a fuse in the car when I was hitched up, which is a problem as the towing lights on the van would stop working. I'd put it down to a short in the light cluster on the van but eventually realised it only happens when I switch the 12v on the fridge on if I keep the fridge switched off it all works fine.

The circuit blowing the fuse is the power socket / cigarette lighter in the luggage space in the car which has a 10Amp fuse.

I'm wondering is this a fault on the fridge or is a 10Amp circuit just to small for having all the van electrics wired in to it?

There is still a few weeks before the 12 month electric warranty on the tow bar left but if I call them out and there is van fault I get charged.

Any thoughts?


PersonOpensauce
07/6/2017 at 7:37am
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If the towbar has been wired from one 10amp source then that will be insufficient to power lights & fridge at same time. Fridge draws around 10amp I think. It should be wired via relay so power to it is cut engine off.


Personwelikeourmike
07/6/2017 at 1:56pm
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Sounds like the car electrics are too small for the caravan - it takes well above the fuse rating to actually blow a fuse - e.g. 20A for a 10A fuse. Presumably, the 12V socket is still available in the boot of the car, so you could pull even more current from that!

Possibly the caravan is pulling more than 10A on either the leisure battery or fridge supply - you would really need an ammeter to see.

Ideally the car should be capable of supplying 10A to charge the leisure battery, ANOTHER 10A for the fridge and ANOTHER few A for the lighting. These should all be separately fused. The fridge supply should come from the car's IGNITION supply, not battery, so it doesn't discharge the battery if left on, although sometimes a voltage sensitive relay is used to prevent this instead.

Definitely do NOT accept just fitting a bigger fuse. The 10A fuse is there for a reason to prevent the cables and connectors in the car overheating and starting a fire!


PersonGeoff48
07/6/2017 at 4:50pm
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If your fridge is like mine it uses 125w on a 12v supply it follows that you are pulling just over 10amp on your fridge alone. Your van battery charger will probably be pulling 5amps plus. Is it correct to think when your 12n is connected without the 12s you have no problems? This does point to problems on the 12n supply. I would call the fitters back.


PersonGeoff48
07/6/2017 at 5:47pm
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Correction. Points to problems of the 12s supply ...sorry.


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Personslicedbread
07/6/2017 at 8:07pm
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The fridge is 100w on 12v so I reckon that would be 8.3amp
If I have the fridge switched off at the fridge then I can have the 12N and the 12S plugged in I presume the leisure battery is charging then.

It's just if I have the fridge on that the fuse blows and I loose the road lights.

It just worries me that maybe it's a fridge fault overloading the circuit but then if both the 12S and 12N are dependent on the same 10amp fuse it would seem a lot to put on one fuse


Persontango55
07/6/2017 at 8:20pm
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You're original post isn't crystal clear regarding the fridge. Are you referring to the fridge in the caravan or a portable fridge that you plug into the 12 volt power socket in the rear compartment of the car?
The reason I ask is because you state the fridge is just 100 watts.


Personslicedbread
07/6/2017 at 8:31pm
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It's the fridge in the van an Electrolux RM4200 the spec sheet says it's 100 watt at 12v. It's only a little fridge compared to the modern ones. the van is quite old - made in 2000.
I don't have anything plugged into power socket in the car


Personnavver
07/6/2017 at 8:46pm
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100watts is about right for a fridge that age. Its usually less than the 240volt element. Our 1999 ranger fridge was 100watt.

It sounds as if the 12S socket has been wired to the cars lights supply which is wrong. It should have a 20A supply via a voltage sensitive relay in the car to ensure the fridge/battery charging does not work when the engine is stopped.


Personbirdman101
08/6/2017 at 8:32am
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The fridge should be wired direct to the battery via a voltage sensing relay to ensure it only operates when engine running. Taking the feed off the cigar lighter circuit is inadequate.


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PersonGeoff48
08/6/2017 at 9:08am
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Suggest you also check the 12s plug on the caravan if you haven't already done this, make sure all connections are good, screwed in, no loose strands, no burn out on the 7 pin. I think this needs to be looked at as one problem with different stages in fault finding, the first stage for me would be to recall the towbar fitter. If the wiring is ok move on the second stage. A new replacement fridge is not cheap, the present fridge as you will have guessed is obsolete the equivalent a DOMETIC RM5310 (they took over Electrolux) is advertised by O'Briens at £830 inc vat but excluding fitting, £595 inc vat excluding fitting at Jackson leisure. From what's been said I think you would be unlucky if it was the fridge. You might consider disconnecting and isolating the 6 and 7 pin cables on the 12s if the fridge works on gas and/or EHU but I'd still be concerned re the cars wiring.


Personfreeatlast
08/6/2017 at 6:16pm
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From the OP its nothing to do with the fridge, it sounds like someone has done the most gruesome bodge job on the towbar wiring.

What they have done is pretty obvious. They have wired the caravan lighting circuit, AND the live feed(s) for the fridge to the 10amp power socket in the back of the car. It really doesn't get any worse than that!

Take the car back and insist they rewire the towbar electrics with 3 cables to the twin sockets directly from the battery. These 3 extra cables running through the car should each fused at the battery. One 10 amp cable for the trailer lights, and two 25 amp cables, one permanent live and one switched live which only comes on when the engine is running.

Anything less than that and its a complaint to Trading Standards.



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