Refrigerator longevity and Battery recharge

[Davo]

Is it beneficial to continue to run the refrigerator during short term storage while hooked to a shoreline?  I store my travel trailer at a remote location but during short stays in my driveway I do not know if running the refrigerator is beneficial.

As for battery recharging, it appears that the voltage at the battery during shoreline hook ups is not high enough to aid battery recharge.  What do most RVers do to keep their battery healthy?  I considered disconnecting it and hooking it up to a battery tender while the trailer is hooked up to the shoreline.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

There are no moving parts in an absorption refrigerator, so leaving it running does not wear it out. We often leave ours running when not in use.

If your RVs internal system is not producing enough voltage to charge the batteries, you need to replace it with one that works properly. It should be producing at least 13.1-13.4 DCV even when the battery have reached full charge. Higher when the battery is somewhat discharged, usually around 13.6 DCV. Have you measure the voltage at the batteries?

 

[John From Detroit]

The issue of "Plug it in during storage or not" is mostly an issue of "Do you have a good converter or not"

If you have a good converter leave it plugged in.. What's good.. Well, I am fond of both Xantrex, and Progressive Dynamics 9200 series or 9100 WITH the optional charge wizard.

What's bad? The kind that boil your batteries dry almost faster than you can water them.

As for the fridge.. If you are, for example, weekending (leave fri after noon, return Sun evening or Mon AM) I'd say let it run M-F, by the time it heats up you'd have to plug her back in anyway.

 

[rbell]

I leave the refer on for short periods like John says. If it's going to sit we clean it out good and block the doors with a peice if foam to hold them open a bit. That lets it air out & keep any odor away. I do turn it on ocasionally and check both gas & elect though.

For the battery I've got a Battery Tender. It charges a low battery at 13.6 vdc and drops to 13.1 when fully charged. A fully charged battery that has sit for a couple hours should measure about 12.6 vdc. Measure the voltage with the power unplugged, then plug it in and see how much it charges. If it doesn't drop down when it gets a full chrage like Gary says it'll damage the battery if it stays like that for really long periods of time.

BTW if you poke around on the Deltran web site they have some good info about batteries & charging.

 

[glen54737]

I used to leave mine on for weeks when at home, never had problems. I think it may be better to leave the refrigerator on it keeps the ammonia circulating instead of sitting in one place which may help keep it from corroding. 

 

[ArdraF]

In 35 years of RVing we've never stored our RVs with the refrigerator on.  It has simply never been practical.  I clean it out good and open the doors to keep it fresh smelling and forget about it.  One time the storage lasted one year because we were too busy to take it out and it worked just fine.  I don't think it makes any difference at all in the ammonia movement.  And we've never had any problems with any of our refrigerators.  IMHO I think people worry way too much about them.  Maybe we needed to worry more 35 years ago, but today's refrigerators are mostly maintenance free except for cleaning.

ArdraF

 

[Davo]

Thanks for all of the replies.  AS for my battery voltage, it was only about 2-3 tenths of a volt more than the battery with no load.  It may be simply that the battery was at full charge.  My instruction manual indicates that the battery is charged off of the tow vehicle.  There was no indication that the shoreline  had a charger circuit.  I will check the voltage after the battery has been depleted.  Thanks again for all the good advice.

 

[Karl]

Dave,

I will check the voltage after the battery has been depleted.

Don't let the battery get too far down. Deep discharges will SEVERELY shorten their life. You didn't mention what kind of trailer you have. If it has a battery, it should also have a converter/battery charger. If not, you need to get one. If it has one, you need to find out why it isn't charging the battery as it should. Post some details, and we may be able to help you troubleshoot it.

 

[Davo]

Karl,
My trailer is a Coachmen Blast 150mph.  It does have a Interstate 12 volt deep cycle marine battery.  There is a converter breaker in the panel.  I will try to get some more details regarding the converter.

 

[Karl]

A marine/deep cycle battery is not the same as a true deep cycle battery. At best, they're a mediocre compromise. Even so, you should have a converter that recharges/maintains the battery fairly well. Some converters/chargers are better than others, but right now let's try to figure out why yours isn't working correctly. In addition to the breaker, the converter will most likely have one or two fuses mounted directly on it. Check them. When plugged in to shore power, you should read about 13.4 volts at the battery terminals. Check that too and get back to us with the results. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

According to the manufacturer's brochure, the 2007-2008 Coachman Blast comes with a 55 amp power center. That means it can charge the battery at up to 55 amps or provide up to 55 amps to power 12v household appliances and lighting, or any combination of the two totaling 55 amps. No connection to a vehicle required - this is done from shore power (30A @ 120VAC).

The battery is also charged when connected to a properly wired tow vehicle. Charging in this case is limited to whatever the tow vehicle provides, typically 10-20 amps.