12V charging through 7-way connector

[ppine]

The wrie guage in the 7 way plug is too puny. What is it 12 gauge? I have a 50 amp Renogy DC/DC charger and will be installing 4 gauge welding cable to run it.

 

[2003F350]

My TT fridge is propane or 110. It will not work on 12v.
its a no no to drive and power the fridge through propane. Dangerous. We always get the fridge as cold as possible via propane or 110 before we hit the road.

I have heard several people try to tell me this, and while it may have been true in the 60s/70s...Since I have been alive we have been RVing and ALWAYS leave the fridge on propane to travel. Never once has it been an issue. It's not a liquid by the time it hits the fridge, it is a gas, and if the pilot goes out the thermocouple shuts off the gas flow, meaning it can't build up. Long story short it is NOT an issue to leave the fridge on gas or auto while traveling.

 

[Tulecreeper]

My TT fridge is propane or 110. It will not work on 12v.
its a no no to drive and power the fridge through propane. Dangerous. We always get the fridge as cold as possible via propane or 110 before we hit the road.

I've been towing my trailer with the propane running and powering the fridge for 50 years. These days, if for some odd reason your propane pilot goes out because of wind (or whatever), the system will just re-light it. If it can't for some reason, it will just lock it out until you stop and reset it again.

 

[jvbuttex]

I have a bit different situation. I installed LiFePo4 batteries in my trailer. They run a higher voltage than lead acid, so the normal 7-way charging doesn't do much. So I installed a dc-dc charger in the trailer. It may also help with charging lead acid batteries in the trailer as there is a voltage drop in the charge wire. I went with a Renogy 20 amp dc-dc charger that has a 10 amp setting too. You can also get higher current dc-dc chargers, but for that you need to run a new higher gauge wire, some people even add another connector on the bumper, usually an Andersen connector.

This is also helpful, the LiFePo batteries will suck all your ALT can put out. killing your alternator. Good to have in the circuit to prevent killing the Trucks Alternator.

 

[jvbuttex]

My TT fridge is propane or 110. It will not work on 12v.
its a no no to drive and power the fridge through propane. Dangerous. We always get the fridge as cold as possible via propane or 110 before we hit the road.

Yup, mine is that way... Battery wont matter at all. Oh by the way, turn off the Propane when you are done for the weekend and empty the fridge. Forgot last trip and have 1 empty bottle to fill up...

 

[2003F350]

Yup, mine is that way... Battery wont matter at all. Oh by the way, turn off the Propane when you are done for the weekend and empty the fridge. Forgot last trip and have 1 empty bottle to fill up...

Now THIS...this is a real struggle.

Don't forget to also pull fuses or disconnect all the alarms and clocks/radios in the rig (propane/carbon monoxide, etc, the ones that are hard wired) or they will drain the battery as well. Or just disconnect the battery, either works, but if you don't you'll have a dead battery in a few weeks at most.

 

[18CrewDually]

Now THIS...this is a real struggle.

Don't forget to also pull fuses or disconnect all the alarms and clocks/radios in the rig (propane/carbon monoxide, etc, the ones that are hard wired) or they will drain the battery as well. Or just disconnect the battery, either works, but if you don't you'll have a dead battery in a few weeks at most.

12v Disconnect Switch between ground and battery ground terminal fixes that for storage.

 

[2003F350]

12v Disconnect Switch between ground and battery ground terminal fixes that for storage.

Yeah I need to add one to our camper. I just haven't gotten around to it. I even have the switch, I just need a bit of heavy-gage wire and the end connectors. Which also wouldn't be a problem...the problem is time.

 

[chopperdog45]

check battery voltage before you plug in the trailer plug. Check again after it's plugged in you should have truck battery voltage minus a volt or two for wire loss. If you have battery voltage it's going to be charging it. Did you turn on the propane for the fridge? I learned this year the propane fridge needs more time to cool net year we will be starting it the day before as our camper is parked away from our house.

I have a 12V fridge in my RV, and I have a solar panel that helps keep the battery charged. It works well enough for me to fire up the fridge the evening before I am leaving for my camping trip and it is cool in the morning for me to load up our food. The battery isn't drained, either. Then I just leave it running while traveling.

 

[Hardracer]

Are there any laws or standards stating you can or can't use the propane while traveling?

 

[Tulecreeper]

Are there any laws or standards stating you can or can't use the propane while traveling?

I've been doing this for a long time and I have never heard of any such laws. But times, they are a'changin, so that may have also. I'm not sure where I would go to find that information.

 

[2003F350]

Are there any laws or standards stating you can or can't use the propane while traveling?

If there are it would be on a state-by-state basis. But I don't think there is such a rule.

 

[Hardracer]

I saw that,you said like 50 years..thats awsome!
I would definitely be listening to what you have to say about towing stuff.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I saw that,you said like 50 years..thats awsome!
I would definitely be listening to what you have to say about towing stuff.

I'm not saying it is the safest way to do it, but people have been doing it for decades with only the odd accident.

These days, most mid-level and higher RV's com with compressor-type refrigerators anyway and don't use propane like an absorption-type does.

 

[18CrewDually]

Are there any laws or standards stating you can or can't use the propane while traveling?

Most, if not all Tunnels, and Ferry lines require propane to be turned OFF. Some tunnels will even post No Propane at all.
So for a motorhome or trailer, the tanks would have to be empty.
The ferry checks everytime. Tunnels I've never been stopped or asked.

With that said, we have always traveled with propane on & fridge running. There are so many safety precautions with valves & switches it's a slim chance to none for them all to fail. Even the tank has a built in flow valve so that if a hose breaks it will shut itself off. Some may have witnessed this action by opening your propane tank valve too fast. To reset, you have to close the valve and reopen slowly.

 

[RamDiver]

12v Disconnect Switch between ground and battery ground terminal fixes that for storage.

I'm just curious why one would choose to switch the ground versus the hot side, could you explain?

This isn't a troll post, I haven't towed anything but an open trailer.

.

 

[BossHogg]

I'm just curious why one would choose to switch the ground versus the hot side, could you explain?

This isn't a troll post, I haven't towed anything but an open trailer.

.

Probably for the same reason it is advised to pull the negative battery post first, no spark, also prevents a battery from short to the ground by wrench when working with the positive battery cable. The negative terminal is attached to the vehicle's chassis so no spark. Despite popular belief, current, in a DC circuit, flows from negative to positive.

 

[2003F350]

I'm just curious why one would choose to switch the ground versus the hot side, could you explain?

This isn't a troll post, I haven't towed anything but an open trailer.

.

BossHogg has it right - when you disconnect from GROUND first then you won't short TO ground if you accidentally touch something while unhooking the hot side first. The ONLY time you should disconnect the 'hot' or positive lead first is if you simply don't have a choice but to get it out of the way to reach the 'ground' or negative side. But if that's the case, I would ALSO be looking into how to make that negative side accessible.

 

[18CrewDually]

I'm just curious why one would choose to switch the ground versus the hot side, could you explain?

This isn't a troll post, I haven't towed anything but an open trailer.

.

Besides the other reasons posted, also its simply easier because many times from the battery there is one ground lead. It is easiest to remove the one and go to the switch then from the switch to the battery ground. The hotside alot of times has a few wires attached to the terminal so you would have a bunch of wires to contend with.

 

[jvbuttex]

I have a 12V fridge in my RV, and I have a solar panel that helps keep the battery charged. It works well enough for me to fire up the fridge the evening before I am leaving for my camping trip and it is cool in the morning for me to load up our food. The battery isn't drained, either. Then I just leave it running while traveling.

what model of fridge do you use?
Also what type and how big are your batteries?
looking to upgrade.
thx