Re: [VAL] Inverter running the frig??

[Mitch Hill <fmhill@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>My frig works great on electric but not gas. On other Airstreams
>I'd run down the road with the frig on gas and have a cold beer
>waiting for me when I got there. But on this one, I can not do
>it. So here's the question:
>
>Can I plug in a 300watt inverter inside my trailer using the normal
>12v cig. plug or directly to the battery, then use a doulbe ended male 110v
>cord from the
>output of the inverter into a 110v outlet in the trailer. This would
>back feed AC current into the breaker box, thus giving me the AC
>current to my frig. The heating element on the frig is about 230watt.

Technically this would work however there are a number of flaws in this 
concept. first is a safety issue, using a double ended male jumper is 
dangerous to say the least and would never pass any type of electrical 
safety codes. The way to do this would be to plug the fridge directly into 
the inverter to be sure you were not powering anything else in the trailer. 
Secondly to convert 12 vdc to 110 VAC to generate 230 watts
would mean the inverter is drawing about 25 amps at 12 VDC at a guess 
depending on the efficiency of the inverter. You will be working your 
battery and 12 VDC system extremely hard if you do this for any distance or 
very often.


>The car should keep the battery charged in the trailer.
>Well, good/bad/fair????

I doubt it will keep a 25 amp drain compensated for due to the distance the 
wires have to run and the IR losses involved. You will have to make sure a 
heavy enough cable and connectors run between the automotive charging 
system and the trailer battery for this to work at the amount of current 
and voltage drop that will exist. I really question that this is the 
solution to your problem for the expense of doing it and the problems it 
will create with keeping it working properly.

>The new frigs that are 12v/110v/gas systems do they "really"
>have a different heating elements for each, or do they just use
>a small inverter for the electric 110v element?

They have a separate 110 VAC heating element or at least mine does.

--
Mitch Hill - K1FH
WBCCI 21960
'64 AS Ambassador International