AUX Battery power to a fridge in RRC

[Rangier Rover]

I'm having dramas with voltage loss in the loom that runs my fridge from the AUX battery. :(

I currently have a 65AH deep cycle battery on the left side that is controlled by a Projecta 150 amp isolator. This part seems to work fine as holds 13.4 volts. For neatness I have got the loom running across the top of the radiator, and following the factory wiring harness in side then runs along the floor to the rear. Comes to 6.5 meters of cable:eek:

I'm going to rip it all out and start again. I have purchased some 6mm cable,good quality connectors and a volt meter to go in the back near the fridge out let. It has been suggested to run a earth all the way back to the battery. That will mean 13 meters of cable loss wise:eek:

Just wondering what some of you have done and how the cable was run to make it a lot shorter.

Thanks Tony

[Crackerjack]

I personally would run a live and an earth from the battery running under the car tucked up inside the chassis rail and enter the car through the floor in the rear via a nice tight grommet, I think you need to run an earth, once you start running wires in the car you seem to need loads, running under the car is a nice straight run, you could use much heavier wire than 6mm too.

[RedRangeRove]

I'm having dramas with voltage loss in the loom that runs my fridge from the AUX battery. :(

I currently have a 65AH deep cycle battery on the left side that is controlled by a Projecta 150 amp isolator. This part seems to work fine as holds 13.4 volts. For neatness I have got the loom running across the top of the radiator, and following the factory wiring harness in side then runs along the floor to the rear. Comes to 6.5 meters of cable:eek:

I'm going to rip it all out and start again. I have purchased some 6mm cable,good quality connectors and a volt meter to go in the back near the fridge out let. It has been suggested to run a earth all the way back to the battery. That will mean 13 meters of cable loss wise:eek:

Just wondering what some of you have done and how the cable was run to make it a lot shorter.

Thanks Tony

The shortest route I have found is to mount the fridge socket on the rear part of the front passenger seat base. It is a pretty straight run from there under the front carpet to the bulkhead and through to the battery - no more than 2.5m. Sounds daft - but most fridges have a great long wire themselves - just run it down under the back seat and under the rear carpet to the spot under the passenger seat - saves cable plus you can easily unplug inside the car if you want to turn it off.

If you do mount a voltmeter in the back, make sure and put a switch on it - no point in having any more voltage loss, although it is tiny, for the sake of a switch might as well isolate it.

[PhilipA]

I have a 4 gauge and 8 gauge wire running separately along the LH Guard, through the firewall, along the console, under the carpet/boot mat and along the RH guard to a junction box mounted on the RH inner panel just behind the wheel well. There to a flush Hella /Merit socket. I also have a flush Merit socket mounted on the RH bumper bar end to feed lights etc to my camper when disconnected from the car.

Reason for 4/8 guage is that I had 8 originally but noticed a large voltage drop on compressor on. 2 gauge I thought was also too inflexible to easily bend through the firewall etc. Both are fused.

I have now done 30KK over some of the worst roads in OZ with no probs.
The insulation on the Jaycar type wires is very thick and the rubber boot mat stops any damage.
The only problem I had was when I kicked the cord of a light in the rear bumper and broke the merit off which shorted the socket and the fuse did its job. I have a habit of tripping over wires.
Regards Philip A

[richard4u2]

i remember reading in an engel book that the wires from the battrie to the socket that the engel lead plugs into should be twisted , dont know why or if they still recommend it

[Rangier Rover]

i remember reading in an engel book that the wires from the battrie to the socket that the engel lead plugs into should be twisted , dont know why or if they still recommend it

:confused::confused::confused:

[Rangier Rover]

Thanks for the constructive input.. I will rewire it as some of you have via the passenger side and along the under the console to the rear. Bugger the neatness;) Probably safer having the big loom away from the rest of it anyway. Just tossing thoughts if to run twin core with earth or risk earthing it via the body.

Tony

[richard4u2]

here is the bit about twisting the wire from engel

[rovercare]

I run along the alloy sill plates, very painful to fit them right, but I have 12Vsupply, Amp supply and RCA's:eek:

My 12V outlets are on the rear seat catch thingy's pointing up

[Rangier Rover]

here is the bit about twisting the wire from engel

Ah... I see why now.:) Acts like a RF filter:cool:

[Rangier Rover]

I run along the alloy sill plates, very painful to fit them right, but I have 12Vsupply, Amp supply and RCA's:eek:

My 12V outlets are on the rear seat catch thingy's pointing up

Never tried to hook an AMP that way in case the AUX power feed back to the head unit via the switching signal wire. Obviously it doesn't:D
I need to move mine off the floor anyway as hates water:eek:.

[rovercare]

Never tried to hook an AMP that way in case the AUX power feed back to the head unit via the switching signal wire. Obviously it doesn't:D
I need to move mine off the floor anyway as hates water:eek:.

Huh? I got an amp supply AND a 12V direct from the auxillary batt, along with RCA's and signal wire for the Amplifier...hooked up as you would in any other car:D

[richard4u2]

Ah... I see why now.:) Acts like a RF filter:cool:
clever buggers at engel :)

[whitakerb]

My aux battery is in the back and connected to the main through a 150 Amp redarc, and 50 amp wire. Nice and simple and within 5 mins can have the Aux battery and fridge out of the car and in the tent. Using a second hand 750CCA battery in a supercrap battery box, I can run the fridge for 3 days without charging, and when it finally discharges, it only takes 5 mins to secure it back in the car and charge it back up. Made on a budget and works perfectly.

Cheers

[Rangier Rover]

My aux battery is in the back and connected to the main through a 150 Amp redarc, and 50 amp wire. Nice and simple and within 5 mins can have the Aux battery and fridge out of the car and in the tent. Using a second hand 750CCA battery in a supercrap battery box, I can run the fridge for 3 days without charging, and when it finally discharges, it only takes 5 mins to secure it back in the car and charge it back up. Made on a budget and works perfectly.

Cheers
I actually nearly went this way at first... I even purchased the battery box. Not much room in the back of a rangie so the AUX battery ended up in the front for this reason only. Would be very practical otherwise.

[whitakerb]

I actually nearly went this way at first... I even purchased the battery box. Not much room in the back of a rangie so the AUX battery ended up in the front for this reason only. Would be very practical otherwise.

I have permanently removed the back seats in my rangie, and have a square tube bulkhead across where the front of the back seat would be. But if i had to put the back seats back in then i would have to put a smaller battery into the engine bay. (750CCA fouls on the rdiator bracket)

Cheers

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

I personally would run a live and an earth from the battery running under the car tucked up inside the chassis rail and enter the car through the floor in the rear via a nice tight grommet, I think you need to run an earth, once you start running wires in the car you seem to need loads, running under the car is a nice straight run, you could use much heavier wire than 6mm too.

Why? Your battery -ve always goes straight to the body and chassis..... why would you need to bring all the -ve leads back to the battery??
Your earth point should be as close to the item as possible. You earth it straight to the body or chassis (or both). Running the -ve cable all the way back to the battery is pointless and a waste of $$ on cable.

As for cable size, every good fridge manufacturer will have minimum recommendations on cable sizing and install requirements. Just do what they suggest and add a bit more if you want.

Cheers

Andrew

[rovercare]

Why? Your battery -ve always goes straight to the body and chassis..... why would you need to bring all the -ve leads back to the battery??
Your earth point should be as close to the item as possible. You earth it straight to the body or chassis (or both). Running the -ve cable all the way back to the battery is pointless and a waste of $$ on cable.

As for cable size, every good fridge manufacturer will have minimum recommendations on cable sizing and install requirements. Just do what they suggest and add a bit more if you want.

Cheers

Andrew

No its a good idea, prevents any hassle from resistive body/chassis earths;)

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

No its a good idea, prevents any hassle from resistive body/chassis earths;)
So clean the contacts first and seal them properly.
And its actually not better. The vehicle chassis and body are an earth plane with far more ability to conduct power than down and back on a pair of cables. Same reason when you jump start a car, you don't put both jumper leads to both terminals. Your earth always goes to engine or chassis as it will create an electrical path over the whole vehicle power system rather than concentrating it on the battery.
Ask any electrician.

Cheers

Andrew.

[rovercare]

So clean the contacts first and seal them properly.
And its actually not better. The vehicle chassis and body are an earth plane with far more ability to conduct power than down and back on a pair of cables. Same reason when you jump start a car, you don't put both jumper leads to both terminals. Your earth always goes to engine or chassis as it will create an electrical path over the whole vehicle power system rather than concentrating it on the battery.
Ask any electrician.

Cheers

Andrew.

What about the rest of the earth points, you gonna clean and seal them properly to, they use the vehicle body as an earth as it saves costs

You place the Neg lead on the engine becuase in theory it prevents ECU harming surges

The terms you use show some negligence towars electrickery, an electrical path over the whole vehicle? Current will always take the path of least resistance, nor do you conduct power....but anyway

Look either/or will usually be ample, one you know it will work, the other just hope your body/chassis earthing is good.......not that rovers ever have earthing problems:angel:

Oh yea, I asked myself, being an Lektrishan and all;)

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

Negligent??? Thats a big call. But anyway.....