Powering Engel from rear 12v socket

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Hi all, I tried to find posts on this topic but couldn't find any. I was wondering if someone can tell me whether the rear 12v socket is sufficient to power a 40L Engel fridge. It'll mainly be while travelling long distance as we don't have a 3 way fridge in the caravan.

Also out of interest, how long would it take to drain a standard battery if the car wasn't running with the fridge on?

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

Hi Midge

I've just come back from the Gold Coast running a Waeco 110 L fridge / freezer from the standard rear power socket ... with no dramas.

It does run off the accessories switch so when you turn the car off you turn your fridge off.

As a temporary setup I rigged up a jumper lead from the anderson plug on the tow hitch to the Waeco (which draws from the second battery) - to keep the fridge running when the car was off. It sat for 3 days at the Toyota dealer in Port Augusta and was still running strong when I picked it up.

Cheers
Chippy

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Thanks Chippy, I'll have to go buy one now!

[xvprado Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xvprado]

Having pulled the original wiring ot, I wouldnt use it, it is well under spec from my perspective
It is advised by Tojo at 10amp, I dont believe them, it is very light and I have concerns that it is not a suitable plug for constant use

[DR Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close DR]

I was advised that with the 40L Engel there is too much current draw for the standard wiring, I can't remember the exact figures but its worth asking an Auto Electrican. From memory the current is stamped on the rear plug cover and you should be able to get the current draw from the Engel Manual or Website.

With my missus Prado (120 Series V6) I had it rewired from the front to the back and replaced the original plug with an Engel Fitting when I had the Dual Battery System fitted. It looks great as it utilises the same position and plug cover so you would never know. The advantage of the Engel Fitting is that you can be reasonably confident that your fridge won't become unplugged (Hot Beer :cry: ) or have a dodgy connection as it is secured pretty well with a threaded lock ring.

I suppose it depends on how long or often you want to put the fridge in but I think its worth the effort for the peace of mind. I had a quote for this recently, admittedly in conjunction with fitting a Dual Battery Setup, at $90 plus the cost of the Engel Fitting for the new Prado I have on order.

Hope this helps

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

Yeah, I hear ya ..

I remember reading somewhere that it was a bit lightweight ... still it worked fine to get the fridge home.

It even stayed in the back of the car during our little Blue Mountains run (see National Pradopoint Meetup) and never missed a beat.

Still, I like stuff to be over engineered - not under, so the next job will be to run another socket from the dual battery into the back with some decent rated cable .. bypassing the accessories switch. That way I can run it from a heavier duty set of wiring, with the car on or off.

Cheers
Chippy

[Prado04 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado04]

The 40 ltr Engel uses from 0.5 - 2.5 amps and the rear plug is rated to 12amps so it should be fine. But I don't know how the fridge will like the power going on off when you turn your car on and off. I'm sure in the manual it has some thing about doing that.

[MTpockets Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MTpockets]

Yep, no fridge likes to have power on and off, the manual is pretty clear about that.
With the standard Prado wiring, the fridge will run ok while the engine is running usually, however when you let the fridge run over a period of time at a fairly high setting, thats when wires start to get hot and melt as the current drops.
Always best to over compensate with power as was spoken about before.
Les

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

Hey Les

The missus always said I was over compensating ....

... I never knew what she meant. :shock:

Cheers
Chippy

[MTpockets Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MTpockets]

... I never knew what she meant. :shock:

Prolly best to believe her, as the last time I questioned my handbrakes reasoning I scratched out another clump of hair..... not good for you chipster :shock: :P

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

You can see I've questioned her reasoning too much - there's bugger all left up there. ops:

Cheers
Chippy

[Guest Close Guest]

I have run a Waeco 50 from there for over 3 weeks at one point when I had to suddenly swap vehicles and take the Prado due to a failure in the other 4wd.

Not one issue including wiring running hot. At night I simply plugged the Waeco into a jumpstart porta-pack to keep it happy, and recharged this as I drove the next day.

It is rated as 120 watt, which is 10 amp @ 12vdc.
For a permanant connection running wiring is the best issue, but it certainly works ok as a standard.

[Big Dog Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Big Dog]

I asked Toyota re my 60 lt Engel, someone said it would be ok from that back point. A 4WD store subsequently said no way and for a reasonable amt of money, put through wiring from the dual battery.

I went with their interesting idea of having the back end of the wiring rolled up with about a metre length. It is rolled up with the jack, just open the door to get access. This gives me plenty of room if I want to move the fridge out of the car. Food for thought anyway.

[GeoffM Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GeoffM]

The issue is not whether the wiriing is up to scratch or not (it is), it's the on/off with the accessories switch that's the problem. If you can remember to leave the ignition switch in the "Accessories" position, then I'd reckon you'll be OK. The accessories switch in the rear is only going to see a maxium of 2.5 amps and that's less than 25% of its rated capacity.

The issues you face are the turning of if off and on (not good for the fridge compressor) and the possibility/probability of the the connection coming detached on rough roads.

Our 40L Engel will continue to hold 3C for approx 3 days @ 35C on a 105 A/H battery.

In summary, if I were going to do this long term, I'd invest in a dual battery system with dedicated 6mm/sq wiring to a Merit plug.

Geoff

[Guest Close Guest]

The accessories switch in the rear is only going to see a maxium of 2.5 amps and that's less than 25% of its rated capacity.

:? Where did you get this figure from?

The issues you face are the turning of if off and on (not good for the fridge compressor) and the possibility/probability of the the connection coming detached on rough roads.

The Compressors are made to turn on/off as needed (set temp above/below set threshold). So I dont think this will be an issue.

I have personally done tens of thousands of KM's with the standard fitting (Waeco) and never had one issue with it falling out. (Mind you I have trouble getting it out unless I hold the panel around the socket anyway!)

In summary, if I were going to do this long term, I'd invest in a dual battery system with dedicated 6mm/sq wiring to a Merit plug.

In the long run this is the best idea, just make sure the battery system has a backup or low voltage cutouts. (Some Waeco have LV cutout built in, not sure on Engel?).