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Old 23-04-2017
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humdingerslammer  humdingerslammer is offline
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Here is my 2c worth.

1. Charging the camper trailer batteries with the solar panels is OK... it has clearly been working. I would switch to a 15 or 20 amp controller as 10amps may blow in a really strong sun day (it has happened to me)... the ones that come with the panels r usually not very good quality. The Anderson plug connection is fine. It is what I use.

2. the fridge in the car doesn't run much over 12 hours before it wont start its cycle. Is it a Waeco? Sounds like it. I assume this occurs only when u r not connected to the camper trailer.

This means that u r using up the stored car battery power in the 12 hour period, which I assume only charges when the car is running. This is suggested by the story and the fact that the batteries re-charge enough when u turn on the car: the fridge then runs for a while then starts its "playing up" which is how it is intended to work (if it is a Waeco). Waeco fridges won't run unless there is a minimum power charge in the battery... this is to prevent you flattening the (starter) battery and being stranded. You could connect a solar panel to the batteries of the car and this would keep them charged throughout your camp time.. I do this with my set up.

How old r your batteries. R they on the way out? Why have parallel batteries. Also starter batteries r not deep cycle batteries.

3. Better still, connect a 2nd battery setup in your car (Jeep?) via a DC-DC charger and a solar panel. The battery will charge when your car is running and via the solar panel. This will allow u to run the fridge off the 2nd battery without drawing down on your starter batteries and potentially flattening them, leaving you stranded. But, given the solar panel setup u have on your camper, u may not need this. My set up is with a separate camper solar panel and deep cycle battery in the trailer plus a separate DC-DC charger and solar panel charging a 2nd deep cycle battery in the back of the Wrangler.

4. R all your connections etc getting full power through to them from the car batteries to the fridge. Check that the voltage at the battery is also being received at the connections.

If u r running a Waeco, it is running correctly. U need to revise your power system set up. Also, make sure u r using thick gauge wire throughout your system.

Hope this helps. I have had all the "problems" u describe with my Waeco and it is always something else that is the problem. Oh, and check that your Waeco plug is ok. These burn out from time to time and r a constant source of problems.


Cheers