Two 6v golf cart batteries in a Chev RT200?

[themexicandoctor]

Well stated.

Is your DC Fridge an upright?

Or is it one if the Portable Chest Units?

What make & model?

The reason I ask is because unless its portable (and even then), is wiring it in, into your existing 12 volt wiring (even with a quick connect fitting), more efficient than the cigarette lighter fitting or have they improved & are they now, more efficient & longer lasting?

[rvsprinterguy]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

Well stated.

Is your DC Fridge an upright?

Or is it one if the Portable Chest Units?

What make & model?

The reason I ask is because unless its portable (and even then), is wiring it in, into your existing 12 volt wiring (even with a quick connect fitting), more efficient than the cigarette lighter fitting or have they improved & are they now, more efficient & longer lasting?

Not totally sure you're asking me... but anyway, it's an ICECO JP40 chest model.

I drilled a hole in the sheet metal that's the backside of the passenger seat pedestal and installed a cigarette lighter socket with maybe an 18" run between the battery's positive post and the socket.

I think the losses will be fairly low, although I've heard the cigarette lighter socket can cause up to a 1-volt loss all by itself.

I'm inclined to stick with it though, because a Goal Zero power bank I'm leaning toward has that kind of socket. The idea there is that the refrigerator and power supply can be put outside when camping, and the Goal Zero can be charged with solar panels.

All things considered, I'd rather go with Anderson PowerPole connectors. I may get foolhardy, I mean brave, and open up the Goal Zero to install an Anderson connector in it.

[themexicandoctor]

Great explanation Mate!

Yes the Anderson connectors.

Didn't realise it was such a small difference.

Very interested in what sort of power draw figures you get from the Iceco. While I was waiting 6 weeks for my Novakool fridge to be delivered, I got buyers remorse & went deep into the possibility of a Chest Fridge Freezer combo unit but a National Luna was too big & the Engel sold out. Had a couple of conversations with the Iceco Distributor for the USA & he let slip "The figures are not true & you can expect at least double the dtaw if not more from the Combination unit because its balancing two different zones if used as such. By the way, since you are in Los Angeles if your fridge fails, just come by & get another one off the shelf as we don't repair them ..."

WHAT!!!!!

At least he was honest.

I am very handy with most things.

And still learning about the more detailed technical aspects of hooking this to that.

But whenever the terms "foolhardy, brave & open up appear in my motivational prep", I have learnt to pay a Professional for the privilege.

And when I am really fortunate & err on the side of caution I sometimes get those magical words from the pro [B]"I do this type of work all the time & I can take your money but I would NOT attempt this to get the small advantage you are looking for..." [/B

That's when I realise Age & Laziness = Wisdom.

[themexicandoctor]

I just checked it out, the JP60.

When about to buy one I was looking at the VL Range/Dual.Zone.

I see yours (almost all of them come standard with a 12 foot cord), do you need all the length?

Is there any advantage to cutting & shortening the cord if you only need say 2 feet?

[rvsprinterguy]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

Had a couple of conversations with the Iceco Distributor for the USA & he let slip "The figures are not true & you can expect at least double the draw if not more from the Combination unit because its balancing two different zones if used as such.

It's incredible that a vendor rep would so thoroughly trash his product.

I measured my unit's current draw. Using a line separator and a current clamp with my multimeter, I measured 4.3A. This works out to about 52W DC, under the 55W value stated in the factory specs. For the record, the fridge was at ambient temperature (hadn't been running for days) and the set temperature was 17ºF. The three-way switch governing battery draw was set to "Max". This, I believe, would be the most current the fridge would draw.

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

I just checked it out, the JP60.

When about to buy one I was looking at the VL Range/Dual.Zone.

I see yours (almost all of them come standard with a 12 foot cord), do you need all the length?

Is there any advantage to cutting & shortening the cord if you only need say 2 feet?

I'm not familiar with the JP60. I went with the JP40 because it's big enough to store what I need reliably refrigerated for a few days.

The DC cable furnished with my unit is just over 8 feet long. They also included a 12-foot DC extension, which would be handy if your only socket was in the front of the vehicle and you wanted the fridge in the back... not my use case.

If I go the Anderson route, I'll probably buy a new DC cable for the refrigerator, and cut it to the minimum length to connect to the wall socket, leaving the cigarette lighter plug for use elsewhere.

[themexicandoctor]

32 years "fixing human problems overseas" helps you get inside when engaged.

He wasn't trashing his product he was simply being honest with a possible buyer that was local as opposed to an anonymous Amazon type customer.

A very affable Chinese guy.

If you have the VL Series & run both a fridge & freezer, the compressor simply runs more often keeping both at the right temperature.

And when I asked about repair he was direct "We don't fix them, bring it back, we will replace it..."

With the JP40 its a single zone so no issue.

Do you also have an Upright in the Sprinter & use this as a extra unit?

[rvsprinterguy]

This is a totally separate refrigerator. I have a perfectly functional Norcold 3-way, which I'd like to supplement for the most part and substitute when appropriate. I'm interested in the idea of a completely sun-powered refrigeration setup, be it for camping or emergency use.

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by rvsprinterguy

This is a totally separate refrigerator. I have a perfectly functional Norcold 3-way, which I'd like to supplement for the most part and substitute when appropriate. I'm interested in the idea of a completely sun-powered refrigeration setup, be it for camping or emergency use.

There is a company that sells a really sophisticated but easy to use Solar System - I have found them on Base in Mali, C.A.R & other places where life is cheap & ice is not.

Please give me a few minutes.

[themexicandoctor]

Here it is;

https://sundanzer.com/

The things that I have seen in there ...

[engnrsrule]

Although I have a Sprinter, not a Chevy I upgraded the standard 12v 90 ah for two 6v 235 ah lead acid golf cart batteries that exactly filled the available compartment. Their performance has been great. Have boondocked 7 days and my monitor still said there were 2-5 days of power left.

If you don't already have one, consider adding a Victron battery monitor. It is valuable in knowing how much power you are using and how long it will last.

Do a load analysis to properly size what you need. In boondock mode my fridge is on propane. But it you need to run it on 12v that is a lot more power.

Another piece of advice, know what your most limiting capacity is without hookups. For example, we can get 3-4 days on our 10 gal black tank, maybe 7-8 if we have another facility available. So being able to power ourselves longer than that would be a waste of money.

[themexicandoctor]

Apart from the Lifeline AGMs & the Magnum MMS1012, the MTTP & BMV712 is Victron - would have purchased a Victron Inverter Charger if they made them small enough then

[Theputnams515]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

Thank you Avanti!

I, put my AGM Batteries under the bed.

AGMs you can do this with no risk.

Closer to the electrical box.

Out of the elements.

I can see a problem immediately.

And I reduced my connections by 85%.

NOW, might be the time for you to do so.

Those Lifelines are a 7 year Battery, about $360 each.

How are they vented? No concerns of hydrogen offgassing?

[Theputnams515]

[QUOTE=engnrsrule;117672]Although I have a Sprinter, not a Chevy I upgraded the standard 12v 90 ah for two 6v 235 ah lead acid golf cart batteries that exactly filled the available compartment. Their performance has been great. Have boondocked 7 days and my monitor still said there were 2-5 days of power left.

If you don't already have one, consider adding a Victron battery monitor. It is valuable in knowing how much power you are using and how long it will last.

Do a load analysis to properly size what you need. In boondock mode my fridge is on propane. But it you need to run it on 12v that is a lot more power.

Another piece of advice, know what your most limiting capacity is without hookups. For example, we can get 3-4 days on our 10 gal black tank, maybe 7-8 if we have another facility available. So being able to power ourselves longer than that would be a waste of moneoff gassing?
Love this info.

We will keep propane for fridge and cooking. As well as outside grill.

How big is the space you put them in?

We would love to go 3-4 days max in boonies. Now our gunny is struggling as well, bummer.

[themexicandoctor]

If your generator is struggling & you are near LA, call the #1 Generator Facility here;

Oliphant
RV Larry Generator Specialist
(81 759-7081 meant to read (81 - no matter how many times I type it in the prefix is supposed to be 818
13213 Saticoy St #10
North Hollywood , CA 91605

BUT HE IS PROBABLY SNOWED UNDER - YOU COULD ALWAYS DRIVE THERE & HOPE FOR THE BEST

[themexicandoctor]

Or an even better contact, is Ivon who has a huge business repairing lawn mowers, chainsaws, etc.

But for 10 years he was fixing Generators full time, not much difference to a Lawn Mower engine.

Bottom line; last time I had an issue, one of my RV Guys who just retired diagnosed it as a regulator malfunction & we went to his yard & took a regulator off a defunct machine for $50 instead of the $300 plus retail new.

He also said that for him to do the repair it would be $800 but thst I should call Larry in the first post or Ivon above. Larry was too busy.

I went to Ivon & the repair not including the $50 part was $231 plus a $30 tip & it only took 2 hours.

If you are nowhere near Los Angeles I bet you are within 25 miles or so from a Lawnmower Repair Facility, take it there & save a bundle.

Here is Ivon's info;

Ivon - Fast Lawn Mower Shop
(213) 531-9179
3410 West Washington
Los Angeles , CA 90018

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by Theputnams515

How are they vented? No concerns of hydrogen offgassing?

No, not all because these are AGM.

Even more so, they are LIFELINE AGM.

[rtbill]

Originally Posted by Theputnams515

hi all, anyone running two 6v cart batteries for the house battery bank in their rt200?

I know the dodge has room for two batteries but has anyone configured their 200 this way?

Willing to share?

Fairly early in our ownership of our '01 200 I replaced the pathetic original battery with two 6v 200 AH Lifeline AGMs. I also replaced the original battery-destroying charger.

I installed the new batteries in the driver side rear storage compartment, in the front inside corner. The batteries are on their side with the terminals facing the outside. As a former sailboat owner I made sure the batteries were well secured with two straps. One strap goes around the sides of the batteries, secured from the front wall of the storage compartment to the inside wall. The other goes over the top of the batteries, from the front wall to a push-down frame I built onto the ceiling. I found it too difficult to drill into the fiberglass floor of the compartment, so I built the frame instead.

The new charger did not fit the space where the original charger is. I abandoned the original charger in place. I installed the new charger on the ceiling of the storage compartment, as close to the batteries as possible to minimize the length of cables.

The van also got a 1000 W inverter and a battery monitor.

We boondock a lot so having a 200 AH battery has been very nice. The inverter can run the microwave,* so when heating breakfast we don't subject ourselves and others to generator noise in the morning. We can safely leave the fridge on DC for an hour or two when parked.** This is handy on ferries where propane has to be turned off.

*Our microwave runs at half power on the inverter's absurdly-named modified sinewave output.

**Computer fans blowing air over the coils on the outside of the refrigerator greatly improve the fridge's performance and reduce its energy usage. I've described this in previous posts.

[engnrsrule]

Originally Posted by Theputnams515

So being able to power ourselves longer than that would be a waste of moneoff gassing?
Love this info.

We will keep propane for fridge and cooking. As well as outside grill.

How big is the space you put them in?

We would love to go 3-4 days max in boonies. Now our gunny is struggling as well, bummer.

The GC batteries We got are 7.125w x 10.875h x 10.25L. Duracell model SLIGC 125. They are mounted lengthwise and there is less than an inch of space laterally and maybe 2" height space. The sprinter battery compt is well ventilated.

I think the only way to get past my 3-4 day black water limit is to go to a composting toilet. Not ready for that yet.

[Sehc]

I had 6 GC2 batteries from East Penn sold as Duracell by Battery plus Bulb. I can highly recommend GC2 batteries. Be sure to use good quality cables to interconnect them into 12 volts. Wet cell are more forgiving of operator error than AGM, but require more maintenance as the water must be kept topped.