Keeping the starter battery topped up...

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Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Ron and check your 3 way fridge’s specs.


They can draw up to 23 amps for a big fridge freezer type and that sort of a current draw on any battery is a No-No.


You also have an additional potential problem as the fridge will be running off your cranking battery is the STOP/START function is on. ( STOP/START should not be working with a trailer connected, BUT )


An alternative to the “Fridge Switch” ( which is a good idea but will still have your fridge running off the cranking battery when the motor is off ), is to use the FRIDGE circuit in the trailer plug, to switch something like a 40 horn relay.

You then power the fridge from the cranking battery via the relay.


If you set up this way, your fridge will only be connected to your cranking battery while the motor is running.

This circuit is only powered while the motor is running and if the ignition is “ON” but the motor is not running ( see STOP/START ) the FRIDGE circuit is turned off.

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I haven't found the actual current draw but given the fuse is 20A I would think you are absolutely right and it should not run off the battery without engine running.
Thanks for the 40A horn relay suggestion, it sounds like the way to go. In the mean time the fridge/freeze is set to manual power source selection versus automatic so I shouldn't have the issue again.

Ron

I took the van for a blue slip yesterday and found that stop/start is not disabled with the van in tow.

Ron

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Originally Posted by IndusD4

I took the van for a blue slip yesterday and found that stop/start is not disabled with the van in tow.

Ron

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Hi Ron and this is something that seems to be hit and miss with different Land Rovers, based on info from different countries.

I would love to have access to one that the STOP/START is automatically disabled when a caravan or trailer is connected.

I would like to see if I could come up with a dummy trailer plug, to use when when no trailer or caravan is in tow.

The info I have from overseas is that when a caravan or trailer is connected, the STOP/START is deactivated, the rear parking sensors are also deactivated and in some cases, and this is the function over-ride I am interested in, that the SMART alternator is deactivated.

Has anybody here come across this type of operation, particularly with a D5?

IndusD4

Does the car recognise the trailer - i.e. do you get the green trailer icon on the dash flashing when you use the indicators and/or do you get a screen message saying that the rear sensors are disabled?

I am trying to think if my Stop/Start worked when I had the camper connected... I use the Ford dongle and the car does see the trailer, but if I don't use it I get the message only.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

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Originally Posted by Numb Thumbs

IndusD4

Does the car recognise the trailer - i.e. do you get the green trailer icon on the dash flashing when you use the indicators and/or do you get a screen message saying that the rear sensors are disabled?

I am trying to think if my Stop/Start worked when I had the camper connected... I use the Ford dongle and the car does see the trailer, but if I don't use it I get the message only.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

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The car does recognise my caravan (and my trailer). Indeed I get the green trailer light flashing when I use the indicators, reversing sensors are off, shift pattern changes and automatic access height is disabled most of the time.

Ron

The "most of the time" is interesting... I suspect my Stop/Start is similar.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

Just an update on my power drain from the caravan fridge.

I've checked on the car and pin 9 of the 12 pin flat plug is a switched live, pin 8 is a permanent live. I just received the electrical diagram of the caravan which shows that it expects pin 9 to be a permanent live and pin 8 to be switched live - this circuit is connected to the fridge.
Looks like these wires need to be switched, then it would work correctly.

Ron

Old thread I know, final update on the power draw when the van was connected and car locked.

I have a European Adria caravan. According to the caravan electrical diagram, it still needs 30amps to run the fridge and or charge the battery. It does this by drawing power from the permanent live in conjunction with power from the switched live from the car. I don't have the D5 any more but the fuses on these circuits in the D4 are 15amp each - probably the same in the D5.
The caravan does not draw power from the permanent live until the switched live is providing power activating a relay to start using power from the permanent live.

With permanent and switched live on my D5 being switched, the relay in the caravan to start drawing power from the car was open as if the engine was always running - resulting in continuous power draw even when switching the engine off. Hence the "low battery - start engine" warning after a while with the caravan attached and engine off.

Ron