Vehicle & Technical > Range Rover

Battery gadget to stop it running flat

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Jonny Boaterboy:
Hey there, My lovely wife has brought me a fridge that runs off the cigy socket. It does not have a built in cut out so if the battery runs low it just keeps on going until it is flat. I want to put in a 3 socket cigy lighter point to supply a constant live from the battery. Does any one know of a electrical device that can be wired in that will turn the sockets off or cut the power if the battery starts to get too low?

Thanks

Jonny

crazymac:
A battery monitoring thing from a split charge system should do. Try TMax or Maplins

Mud_Medic:
Hi Jonny

Fridges eat power. Which type do you have? If it is a Peltier effect type, they usually pull about 4 amps, if it is an absorbion type (which can be powered by mains/gas/12v) then they usually pull about 8amps. They will quickly flatten any starter battery.  (But I guess you worked that out, because you are asking the question!)

The only safe way to do this is to have a second battery (ideally deep discharge type) and power the fridge from this. You then use a split charge system (Relay - simple and reliable but needs a connection to the alternator or Voltage sensitive relay which does not). That way, what ever happens, you don't discharge the main starter battery, and can always start the vehicle.

If you really want a cut off device, how about something like this http://eco-energy.ca/product/page1/page1.html

The problem with these devices is, there is not much power left in the battery to start a vehicle. If it starts first time, you will usually get away with it, but.......


Ed

crazymac:
X Eng do this split charge system http://www.x-eng.co.uk/X-Charge.asp but if you want the batteries they sell (Numax) then go to http://www.tayna.co.uk/Numax-CXV-X-1000-Amp-P7632.html as they are cheaper!

Also Vehicle wireing products do a split charge system http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/accessories/towing.php#scr

Jonny Boaterboy:
Thanks Ed and crazymac, Just what I needed, just to run a few more points by you, First off, 2 batterys and a split charging system would be the ideal way to go..... but funds don't permit! so I have one blue top Optima battary (marrine grade deep cycle battery) fitted which will have to do all the work!

The fridge is a Waeco, as to what type I'm not sure, It has a fan to draw air over a metal fin type element which cools the inside down, which it does very well, tried it the other day and it got the tempiture down to -5. Here's the spec:

Power input: 3A/36W
Cooling capacity: Max 25 deegre C  below Ambient temp.
Cooling Unit: thermoelectric elements, cooling only

I go away camping in the middle of nowhere for up to 4 days at a time, so here's the plan: Take a feed direct from the battery and run the cable to a 3 socket cigy lighter point in the boot (do you know what type of cable to use for this?) on the positive wire fit a device that will cut the power when it starts to get low (the eco-energy switch looks like it will do the job?) so I will still be able to start the Range Rover. The eco-energy swich says you can select diffrent voltages that it will switch the power off.... how low can you go before the battery will start to struggle to start the engine?

Thanks for all your help... mudclub is great!

Jonny

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