Electrical questions

[retiredhappy]

Okay, I bought a small refrigerator/freezer that you would use in a dormitory. When I'm parked I just plug it in and have extra freezer space for my ice/frozen foods.

While driving can I plug it into one of those adapters that plugs into cig lighter and has a regular plug for the frig???? If I'm driving aren't my batteries being recharged so that plugging the frig in won't run my batteries down.

I know one of our electrical experts will have my answer.

[avalen]

you need a converter, it converts the battery power to direct current for the little freezer. The converter plugs into the cigarette lighter thingy and has a little transformer thingy that you then plug the freezer into. But we do have experts here that can probably explain it better, there is Dee and of course Melissa as well. They are both very good at explaining things.
But I would think as long as your driving its charging your battery so the converter should perform ok. Lets see what the experts say

[Gentleladybear]

If you run your generator while moving, you can just leave it plugged in. But otherwise think you need an inverter and a specific plug for the inverter to be connected to. I don't think just the cigarette lighter will run the fridge.

[cnq50b]

I have a power strip that plugs into the cigarette lighter - but I don't know if it will be powerful enough for a small fridge. I think it has 3 standard outlets plus a usb port. We'll need the experts to let you know if this would work for your fridge.

[MelissaD]

The mini or dorm fridge probably draws about 1.5 amps @ 120 vac so it's a small load compared to an AC unit (12 amps on low and 20 amps on high). If a RV has an inverter to power your 120 vac from the batteries you can just let it run for a couple of hours off the RV's batteries. If you have a generator you can allow it to run and supply 120 vac power to the RV. You last choice is to use a portable inverter that plugs into a cigarette lighter. You can get inverters in different sizes but you don't want to exceed 10 amps through a cigarette lighter and know it takes more DC amps to make AC amps. Basically the higher the voltage the lower the current which is why high tension power lines are 128,000 volts and higher.

[MandysMom]

We have seen proof of "know it takes more DC amps to make AC amps. " with my Cpap. If I use the regular 110 cord to plug in it really draws down the battery bank where if i use the 12 v cord I got for it, we see almost no drop in batteries. Hubby knew and told me it would but when I saw the difference I knew that 12 v cord I paid $25 for was going to pay for itself on trips.
Velda

[mtngal]

Hey Karen, please follow up on your experience here. Not related to your question , but from my experience when running off battery power while traveling, my frig uses more power than is supplied to keep the house batteries topped off. I don't know if that's normal. So I only run it in that mode in very hot weather. (Vaguely related, I've been kicking around getting a 12v cooler for camping in my Rav4).

BTW, where do you carry extra frig in your rig?

[retiredhappy]

Drove to Cranes Mill COE park today. Plugged in "adapter" to 12 volt plug and plugged frig into the adapter. Kept frig cold and batteries not down at all when I arrived. Since it sits just below the cabinet for the TV, there is a 12v plug for a 12 v TV (if I had one). When I get to my destination I plug it into the regular plug. I do love my ice. The little frig can be used as a refrigerator or as a freezer (for my ice).

Diane, when I have the RT made up with a twin bed there is room above the drawer, below the TV cabinet right next to my regular frig. When I'm driving my regular frig runs on propane.

[bluepinecones]

Karen, if you got manuals with your RT, check them to see if you have an inverter.
Liz had one in her RT and didn't know it until we had a minor emergency and needed it overnight. When she checked her paperwork, discovered she had it and which plugs it powered.