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Topic: Fridge / Battery charging from the car

bobajob59

27/5/2014 at 7:10pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Fleetwood Rhapsody Santa Fe

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I have anew tow car with a 13pin socket. I've bought an adapter so it will connect to our 2002 Fleetwood Rhapsody. This is the first time we have had the facility to run the fridge and charge the battery while towing.

Anyway I've connected the sockets and the indicators lights etc work but not the fridge. Also I don't think the battery is charging but can't be sure as it's fully charged.

I've checked the 13pin socket and have power to pins 9 and 10 (also checked with the adapter fitted) so I'm confident the car is wired correctly.

The caravan doesn't appear to have a CAR position for the 12v switch, it's only on or off. The CAR fuse is ok and if I pull it out while the car is connected I can hear the relay click so power is getting to the van. The relay doesn't click with the car disconnected.

I've also tried holding the car at 2000 rpm to see if the fridge light comes on (It's switched to 12v).

The fridge works fine on gas and electric so I'm now a bit stumped.

All I can assume is that there is that I'm missing something in the van.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Bob

LyraTours

27/5/2014 at 8:25pm
Location: Glasgow
Outfit: Sprite Major 6

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My van is a 2013, when I hook up to the car and select the battery indicator on the Thetford fridge the power light sometimes goes to red whereas on hook up its straight to green. I find that if I have been pre chilling the fridge via hook up and then go straight to the car the light goes to green much quicker than if the fridge had not been on. I have put it down to the battery will take longer to power the fridge. Just my findings incase they help.

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tango55

27/5/2014 at 8:48pm
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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The fridge's red 12 volt power switch doesn't illuminate on mine either but does actually function whilst connected up to the towcar. I have even replaced with a new rocker switch but didn't alter anything so perhaps the 12 volt circuit isn't designed to illumiate when swithed on. If you do a long enough run with the 12 volt power switched on then stop and open the fridge door and check the freezer compartment as that's the place to tell if it's getting cold or not. However, don't pre-cool the fridge first otherwise it won't be evident if the 12 volt power is functioning or not as it will already be cold. My caravan is a 1999 model.

bobajob59

27/5/2014 at 9:00pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Fleetwood Rhapsody Santa Fe

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Thanks for the comments folks.

Tango55 you have solved the problem! I've been expecting the light to go on. I'll stop wording about it and see if the fridge starts to get cold on our next trip out.

LobeyDosser

27/5/2014 at 9:48pm
Location: Argyll Scotland
Outfit: 1997 Bailey Ranger 470 4

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If your new car is a foreign one, then it is normal for these to only wire the road lights part of the 13 pin socket.
Best to check the car battery end to see if there are leads coming off that would indicate that the 13 pin has been wired for the caravan fridge and battery charger, or get a towbar fitter to check out the 13 pin socket.

My new Dacia 13 pin socket was only wired for the trailer lights.

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Lobey.

tango55

28/5/2014 at 9:52am
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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Quote: Originally posted by bobajob59 on 27/5/2014
Thanks for the comments folks.

Tango55 you have solved the problem! I've been expecting the light to go on. I'll stop wording about it and see if the fridge starts to get cold on our next trip out.

I know exactly what you mean about you have been expecting the switch to illuminate because it had me fooled as well merely because the red 12 volt fridge light actually illuminated in my previous 1992 model when connected up to the towing socket. Because it failed to do likewise with this caravan I didn't think the fridge was operative at all when in tow but my wife proved the point when we travelled over 100 miles to Wales 2 years ago and then tested the freezer box and confirmed that it WAS getting cold.

AL53HX

28/5/2014 at 3:29pm
Location: BLACK((gods)) COUNTRY
Outfit: Pi;ote Reference 740

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Variation on this theme,
I'm still confused about the fridge/leisure battery charging while towing.
Do you turn the leisure battery switch on or off (no car symbol) when towing,my fridge light(blue) blinks on and off continuously when connected to the car and with the battery function chosen,is this normal?

LobeyDosser

28/5/2014 at 4:53pm
Location: Argyll Scotland
Outfit: 1997 Bailey Ranger 470 4

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The Fridge/Battery charging does not have anything to do with the control set up inside the caravan. It is a completely separate system.

You turn the switch on the caravan fridge to 12v and the caravan battery is automatically charged from the car when the engine is running.

The caravan 12v switch has a light inside it and if you have someone in the car with the engine running at above say 1000 revs, then the light in the 12v switch will come on.

If it does not illuminate, then you should have your 13 pin socket checked to see if it is actually wired up.
As I said earlier, foreign cars are, more often than not, only wired for the trailer lights and not for the supplementary pins for caravan accessories.

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Lobey.

Delboya

28/5/2014 at 5:01pm
Location: Somerset
Outfit: Hobby 560 Prestige +VW Touareg

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Select the Battery function on the fridge. It makes no difference what the leisure battery switch on the 'van is set to, as the 12v cooling connection to the fridge ONLY comes from the car - unless the wiring has been stupidly modified. However, the van leisure battery switch should be off when you are travelling. On most (some???) modern fridges, there is a separate 12v connection to the fridge which operates the interior light (and, it would appear, sometimes operates the warning lights)- this comes from the leisure battery, so will not work when the 'van switch is off.

Can't comment on the flashing blue light - mine hasn't got one. Look it up in documentation for your model of fridge.

Del

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