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Topic ClosedCan my truck power the fridge while towing?
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Can my truck power the fridge while towing?
    Posted: 04 Sep 2019 at 9:04am
Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

Plus 1 to furpods response.

I started out using the battery feature when traveling and realized how much/many times I was dis-connecting as we stopped and explored along the way. We'll spend 8-12hrs traveling to a 3-4hr destination with all the stops. I loved the fact we have this option, yet for me, it just wasn't working out as I hoped. I'm a propane 'all' the time guy now. I find myself on the rare serviced site (overnight) and I leave it on propane. 

LOL, My bacon or beer never gets warm!
Our TV disconnects the 12V when the engine is off, so we don't really have to worry about that. As usual, YMMV.
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2019 at 7:26am
Plus 1 to furpods response.

I started out using the battery feature when traveling and realized how much/many times I was dis-connecting as we stopped and explored along the way. We'll spend 8-12hrs traveling to a 3-4hr destination with all the stops. I loved the fact we have this option, yet for me, it just wasn't working out as I hoped. I'm a propane 'all' the time guy now. I find myself on the rare serviced site (overnight) and I leave it on propane. 

LOL, My bacon or beer never gets warm! 
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2019 at 1:23am
Originally posted by poohbill

Yup, which is the heart of my question.

Since you said earlier that you found the problem and it was a blown fuse, I don't think you have an alternator problem. 

Did you replace the 20A fuse that had blown? That fuse is there to protect the wire to the trailer connector. The fuse will blow before the wire will melt, you don't need to worry about that. If you haven't replaced the fuse, do so. See if it blows again. 

While most of us have a 30A fuse and 10 gauge wire to the trailer, you apparently have 20A and probably 12 gauge wire. That is marginal capacity but the fridge itself takes "only" about 10-11 amps so 20A might handle it ok as long as you don't have a bunch of other stuff turned on in the trailer while towing. 

The most likely time for the fuse to blow is after a couple of days camping and you've drawn down the trailer battery, then you plug in the connector with the TV running and its battery fully charged. The current running through the charging circuit will be high until the two batteries start to equalize in voltage. Under those conditions let the TV charge the trailer battery for a little before turning the fridge to 12V. 

If you continue to have problems blowing the 20A fuse then you can bypass that 20A feed and run a new 10 gauge circuit directly from the TV battery through a 30A circuit breaker and then back to the trailer connector. Kits for that are available through etrailer and other suppliers. Or, forget the 12V on  the fridge and just run it on propane, and see if that keeps you from blowing the fuse. 
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Posts: 87 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2019 at 10:30pm
Yup, which is the heart of my question.
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 7:47pm
Which is worse, a fire in the fridge set by propane that engulfs the propane tank and explodes it or a fire that is set by over heated 12 v. wires to the fridge that engulfs the propane tank and explodes it?

If you want to run your fridge on 12 while you drive, you need to have an alternator that will supply adequate power and, from the engine compartment to the fridge, wires of sufficient size to conduct the current without heating up too much and blowing a fuse or starting a fire.
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Posts: 3227 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 7:41pm
Oh no, not spoiling bacon!!!  That would be a travesty!!! That should be enough info for anyone to just put the refer on propane and "SAVE the BACON."  My folks used propane in the 50's thru the 70's.  We have continued that safe tradition since we purchased our 177 in January 2011.
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 6:59pm
Originally posted by poohbill

I like the idea of running down the road on propane, but my wife has a mental image of a flaming conflagration behind us. Now if I could just equip the hitch with exploding bolts.... 


The "propane while traveling"... discussion ... will never end.

The facts are 95% of RV's don't have a 12v option.
You therefore have to either accept that nearly the whole RV community is going down the road with warm beer and spoiling bacon..

Or, that the roadside isn't littered with burned out hulks from propane fires.

If it was an actual issue of any type, you can rest assured the .gov would have required some kind of movement interlock so you couldn't drive with it on.
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Posts: 87 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 6:51pm
I like the idea of running down the road on propane, but my wife has a mental image of a flaming conflagration behind us. Now if I could just equip the hitch with exploding bolts.... 
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Posts: 87 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 6:26pm
With everyone here and on the Ridgeline forum pitching ideas and advice, I was able to 1) determine the 12v lead to the trailer was dead, and 2) there was a 20A fuse that had blown some time in the past.

Thank you, All!

Bill
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 5:58pm
I run the fridge on 12V with 2 different tow vehicles. I do set the temp lower, it's a traveling temp, to me. No issues to date. I don't use propane when traveling, not sure why I need an ice cold fridge while driving down the road. In my TVs that circuit is protected by a 30A fuse.
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