Morning all!
From time to time our 2023 530 will be left unsupervised for a few days to max two weeks. Ideally the fridge would stay cool during those periods but I'm not keen to leave the CEE cable plugged in nor the gas switched on while we're not around.

We have 160W of solar on the roof so I'm wondering if we could run the fridge off the leisure battery for during those periods.
Two questions:
1. Does anyone know what the fridge typically draws when it's just maintaining temperature at an ambient temperature of maybe 20 degrees? Thetford says "2,6kW/24h" but that's not very specific (and a bit more than the solar system can generate per 24h)
2. Has anyone done this? My thinking would be to install a switch between D+ and LC+ to allow switching between 'normal' operation (ignition on only) and permanent 12V.

Thanks!

Edwin

I see I wasn't clear - it's being left unsupervised on a campground, and I'm not convinced my cable won't wander off ;) Also, I could see some benefit of running off 12V in off-grid mode for shorter trips (I live in Sweden, so my need for lighting during the summer is minimal ;))

You'd be better off with a compressor fridges as they have a much lower current draw than absorbtion types. The reason that 12volts is only used when the car alternator can provide that power is because consumption is so high that a 12v battery wouldn't cope.

If it's a recent fridge, i.e. one with digital display it will runs it's controls on a separate 12v circuit, fed by the van battery and/or charger and that would have to be kept in operation too. No 12 volt = No fridge.

I'm wondering why you'd need to keep the fridge running when you're not around as most foodstuffs won't last long even when chilled and the small amount of stuff could be easily transported to and from home?

Thanks Andy - it's a 2023, so yes, new model. I'm aware the compressor models are loads more efficient (if also noisier, and my head is right next to it - I'm a light sleeper).

As to the why - I think that's a silly question - who wouldn't want to have cold beer waiting when you return from a few days away from the vehicle (or a pre-chilled fridge when you take the thing out of storage)

That said - it looks like it's going to be far too big a project, so perhaps we write it off for now ;)

Hi Edwin,
Small compressor fridge/freezers are pretty cheap these days, and fit in the car whilst moving.
The 12v fridge boxes are even cheaper and ideal for drinks! Our current one was bought from Aldi 10 years ago and cost £35.

🍺

It would probably be cheaper, less fiddly and less complicated to buy a chiller to put in the car boot so you have cool stuff on arrival. lots of cars have 12 volt sockets in the boot to run such things and putting chilled stuff in the caravan fridge when you arrive will speed it chilling down when you turn it on. In addition the chiller provides extra cooling capacity in the awning etc.

We have had a portable 3-way Dometic camping fridge for 10 years - it replaced a previous one that had done many years of service. It sits in the boot of my Volvo estate and runs off the built-in 12v supply. It then comes out and plugs into the external mains supply in the caravan awning as our drinks fridge when we're on site. We use it at home plugged into the mains as a drinks fridge too. If you have the room, it's a great solution. And it can run off gas too if you want o be off grid. We haven't bothered with our newer one, but the old one used to be used like that in the pre-hook up on sites days...They're not cheap, however it has certainly paid for itself many times over.

Do we sound a bit obsessed with drinks...?

I like the above two suggestions.

Our Karoq has a plug in the boot and I'd never thought of using our old tenting fridge in the boot of the car and then using it in the awning to keep our drinks cold in. We never have enough room in our Troll fridge to keep all our drinks cold.

Slow or what...........................

MikeT

I thought that the fridge in the Eriba was only able to run off 12v DC when plugged into the tow vehicle and not off the caravan's leisure battery.

So, even if the solar panel did supply sufficient power, as this is routed via the leisure battery it would not provide power to the fridge?

Alan

The OP intends to adapt the wiring. Personally I think it's a lot of messing about for something that may not provide what's required.