Install auxiliary battery in 2011 LC

WOODY2

Adventurer
Shop smart for the small fridge, some models are power hogs to cool and maintain temps. It would be advisable to get a model that has a low voltage cutoff feature so she doesn't get stranded.
 

Rezarf <><

Explorer
I have a dual battery system so I get the idea. That said for a good fridge (read efficient) a little bigger battery like a group 31 will cover you no problem. I'd bet you'd get nearly 3 full days with no start up of the vehicle in relatively warm temps. Add a transit cover and keep the fridge topped off with bottles of water and it'll run cool no problem.

Another option is adding a solar panel to the mix and be done with it. I'm not sure I'd do another dual battery system with the options available now.
 

sn_85

Observer
If all she wants to do is add a fridge I'd recommend a portable battery setup. Look into the Dometic PLB40 or some of the other lithium units. Just make sure it runs a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. I would recommend AGAINST a Goal Zero unit. While they are nicely packaged and marketed very well their lithium units are typically 18650 lithium batteries daisy chained. Their units are also unregulated so it won't be able to keep up with enough power through the 12VDC to run a fridge. I have their 400W lithium unit and can't run a 35L Dometic off 12VDC and those with 1000W units have the same issue, so that issue seems to plague the entire line. It's a design and engineering flaw. You can buy their 12V Regulator adapter to overcome this but seems silly given how much their units are.

So my vote would be a portable lithium battery. Seems a little overkill to have a dual battery if its only purpose is a fridge. If you were powering off-road lights and other electronics then I'd say dual battery but this doesn't seem to be the case.
 

Eric Edwards

Adventurer
Does your wife plan on running the fridge 24/7 ? A little more info would be more useful . There could be an easier solution.

She runs the fridge outside, in the cold, year round to contribute to global warming. And please don't call my LC200 fat, she is just large boned.
 

ronnunan

New member
Does your wife plan on running the fridge 24/7 ? A little more info would be more useful . There could be an easier solution.

I would like to run the fridge 24/7 and my wife drives the LC daily so there’s no worry of running for multiple days without some charging. No solar on this one because its for a small dometic 18cf.. keeping drinks cool and that’s about it.


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ronnunan

New member
If all she wants to do is add a fridge I'd recommend a portable battery setup. Look into the Dometic PLB40 or some of the other lithium units. Just make sure it runs a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. I would recommend AGAINST a Goal Zero unit. While they are nicely packaged and marketed very well their lithium units are typically 18650 lithium batteries daisy chained. Their units are also unregulated so it won't be able to keep up with enough power through the 12VDC to run a fridge. I have their 400W lithium unit and can't run a 35L Dometic off 12VDC and those with 1000W units have the same issue, so that issue seems to plague the entire line. It's a design and engineering flaw. You can buy their 12V Regulator adapter to overcome this but seems silly given how much their units are.

So my vote would be a portable lithium battery. Seems a little overkill to have a dual battery if its only purpose is a fridge. If you were powering off-road lights and other electronics then I'd say dual battery but this doesn't seem to be the case.

Only problem with a portable power unit is recharging... we need this running 24/7 and pulling that portable out isn’t an option. Same goes for solar..


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WOODY2

Adventurer
At the risk of being a nay sayer you want answers without really providing enough background and when given possible solutions you nix them? I say figure it out your self then? Apologies in advance if I'm off base.
 

ronnunan

New member
At the risk of being a nay sayer you want answers without really providing enough background and when given possible solutions you nix them? I say figure it out your self then? Apologies in advance if I'm off base.

Have you read my responses? I nix’d the yeti idea. I determined my best option based on some of the suggestions so I’m not really sure why you posted that response.
So yeah... you’re off base.


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mep1811

Gentleman Adventurer
I would like to run the fridge 24/7 and my wife drives the LC daily so there’s no worry of running for multiple days without some charging. No solar on this one because its for a small dometic 18cf.. keeping drinks cool and that’s about it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well, then, a traditional dual battery system is what you need. Slee trays and a National Luna system. If you really want to have a high capacity battery then do the battery switch.

That will make the smaller 60 AH Gp35 battery your primary battery and the larger 100AH GP31 battery your aux battery. Very easy to do.
 

mep1811

Gentleman Adventurer
This a thread on MUD I wrote about my dual battery install.


 

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