12 volt power outlet for wagon

[rjt]

I want to install a 12 volt power outlet in the back of my vy wagon to run a camp fridge. Any advice on placement of unit and access to wiring loom?

 

[Boonz]

you will need to run a separate 20 amp wire to the back if you want to install a fridge.

 

[kopper69]

I would probably be running a seperate wire for the fridge. Can you find out how much power it draws? Either an AMP or WATTS rating. That will give you an idea of the wire that you will need to run, and the connection that you can use. You might be able to get away with a female cigarette connection at the back of the car, just connected to wires (ie not fixed to the car). That way you can move the connection around the back, and can also plug in anything that requires a cigarette plug.

Let me know the power that it uses and I will give you some more advice.

If you try and tap off another circuit, and the fridge is drawing lots of power, which it probably will want to, it will just keep blowing fuses.

 

[rjt]

Thanks for the quick reply. The fridge is rated at 75 watts so I'm guessing that the female cigarette connector should be OK. Thought that I might tuck it away behind the cover for the 7 pin trailer plug. Any thoughts about where I should take the power from?

 

[SweetWagon]

take from direct from your battery, I included a diagram of how i'd suggest to wire it using a relay and a switch to isolate it when you want to turn it off. If you know how to wire relays you should be fine, just make sure the wire is the correct guage etc.

 

[Boonz]

Thanks for the quick reply. The fridge is rated at 75 watts so I'm guessing that the female cigarette connector should be OK. Thought that I might tuck it away behind the cover for the 7 pin trailer plug. Any thoughts about where I should take the power from?

well 75 watts divided by 12 volts is roughly 6 amps, so you should be able to get away with using 10 amp wire and a 10 amp fuse cos it shouldnt draw anymore than 10 amps at startup.

 

[Tasmaniak]

take from direct from your battery, I included a diagram of how i'd suggest to wire it using a relay and a switch to isolate it when you want to turn it off. If you know how to wire relays you should be fine, just make sure the wire is the correct guage etc.

No offense, but that diagram was a recipe for a fire in a couple of years. Here is the same diagram but modified. A fuse has been added shortly after leaving the battery. Don't run another wire from the battery to pin 86. Just "tee" it off the connector for pin 30.

 

[SweetWagon]

No offense, but that diagram was a recipe for a fire in a couple of years. Here is the same diagram but modified. A fuse has been added shortly after leaving the battery. Don't run another wire from the battery to pin 86. Just "tee" it off the connector for pin 30.

hey 12volt, whats with the new name?? yeh it was only a quick diagram, to give the general idea of it, the fridge itself probably has its own fuse but another definately cant hurt, as for the tee for pin 86 i thought of that after i drew it but got lazy.

 

[Tasmaniak]

change is as good as a holiday.

On forums like this man where advice is often taken as gospel then if you can't be bothered doing it properly then don't do it at all. Of course another fuse can't hurt. It NEEDS another fuse inline with the powwer wire located within 18" of the battery to prevent against a fire if the wire is rubbing against the body of the car over a period of time.

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

I wouldn't use a cig socket. There is a proper fridge plug to use as the cig sockets tend to melt. I used to sell Engel fridges and the amount of people that used to come back complaining that the fridge melted their socket was amazing. I don't know why they melted but putting in the proper plug fixed it.