Battery dying when traveling

[ripp1202]

I would like to know if this happen to everyone when they use the frig. ? My 2004 Dodge truck has the 7pin hook-up and I have the larger alternator for towing. We will be going to Myrtle Beach, SC in 16 days and would like to know if I should turn the frig. on when traveling ? Thank You The RIP

[YWORRYDOG]

We do. That is what it is designed for. You do need the fan on also. We have found that the TM batery is always 3/4 charged no matter how long we travel. We also leave it on and connected to the TV if we stop for lunch, never more then an hour. No problems, and eveything stays cold like it should. If we wind up with no elect at the next camp ground. we just plug in to the Yahama 1000 for a couple of hours. Presto the batery is fully charged for the night.

[ripp1202]

Thank You, That what i was thinking the tow vehicle should charged the trailer battery when the vehicle is moving!

[kempert]

I recently got back from a 5 week trip to FL (from VA). BTW - I installed a new battery in the TM before I left. On several occassions I noticed that the battery had been drained by the frig after a day on the road. I even tried it without the fan more than once with the same results. I figured that it wasn't warm enough for the frig to create enough heat to cause any damage. The battery recharged each time when I put it on AC.

I found that the frig kept cool without being on for at least 8 hours. I do keep the freezer section as full as possible (filling open space with containers of "blue ice"). BTW - I forgot and left milk in the frig when I got back home. I had bought it in FL with an expiration date of Feb. 16. When I found it this past Saturday, it still hadn't spoiled after being in the TM frig (unplugged) for the past 2 weeks.

I've got to find out what's going on before I head west in late Spring.

[B_and_D]

Before we leave on a camping trip, we always pre-cool our frig on 110v for at least a day, two days is better. I also make sure that our batteries are fully charged before we leave. When we get to our destination, they are still fully charged. I bought one (actually two, the first one didn't work) of these voltage meter thingeys http://www.cetsolar.com/voltmeter.htm that I use to check the state of the batteries. I actually broke the TV booster plug pulling it in and out though, now have a 12v splitter inserted in there so that I won't do it again.

[RockyMtnRay]

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, but I always travel with the TM refrigerator running on DC while enroute and I always arrive with a fully or nearly fully charged TM house battery. Even if the TM battery is partially depleted at the beginning of that trip leg, it will recharge enroute with the refrigerator on DC. Furthermore, my refer stays cold enough that the cartons of ice cream I always take with me also always stay fully frozen...even in 95 degree ambient temperatures on a 5 hour trip.

I installed an old-fashioned +/- 30 amp analog ammeter in the wire that directly hooks up to my TM's battery. I have observed that even with with a half drained battery...and the refer running on DC...I was getting about a 5 amp charging current when I hooked my TM up to my Tow vehicle. This was before I installed solar panels; with the panels the current into battery is switched between panels or tow vehicle based on which source is at that point making more voltage at the battery.

The bottom line is a properly configured tow vehicle charge line will provide more than enough voltage and current to recharge the TM battery even with the TM refer running on DC. It will take some testing of current and voltage at the battery to confirm this....and if the tow vehicle is not providing enough voltage/current, then perhaps bypassing the factory system with a do-it-yourself directly wired 10 gauge conductor directly from the tow vehicle alternator to the bargmann plug is needed. But in any case, there's no need whatsoever to arrive with a depleted house battery and/or not use the TM refrigerator on DC as it was intended to be used while enroute.

[ripp1202]

Thanks Ray that what I was hopeing to here The RIP