12V Fridge Female Connector Name

RagnarD

Adventurer
Can anyone help me find the name of the female two blade style connector for most 12V fridges? I know I can just cut the end off or buy a spare but I would like to make my own cables.

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Thank you.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
AFAIK these are not general purpose IEC type plugs that you can find off the shelf.

It's been suggested that the type may be the IEC 60320 C11/C12 but this specific plug was withdrawn from the standard at least 25 years ago and perhaps more.

https://shop.worldcordsets.com/shop/reference-materials/iec-60320-reference-chart

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/598857/what-type-of-plug-is-this

https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/engel-power-cord-12v-dc-wiring-help.213726/

So no one makes the C11/C12 anymore to try.

But there's potentially a few discrepancies, such as the dimensions of the polarizing tab, which may be that by making it compatible would risk someone plugging an old cable into a mains outlet (e.g. 120V in North America). So if you happen to find a very old cable it may not work in a fridge.

The short answer is you'll spend a lot less time just buying a cable from Amazon and splicing it than trying to source a plug. Someone must make them since most every fridge uses them (except Engel mainly and theirs seems proprietary and perhaps patented). Thus it's never been submitted to a standards board so that a 3rd party supplier can make them as an accessory not molded into an assembly already.
 
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DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
A number of us want fridge cables with PowerPoles and that's not a commonly offered product. But I've just cut down pre-made cables to make mine never having found a plug for either common type that was designed to be assembled in the field.

I've worked with a company that outsourced PCB assembly to a Hongyu Circuit. Wonder if that's the same concern.
 

RagnarD

Adventurer
Thank you for the fast replies with links and terminology. Yes, I want to make my own length cords with powerpoles on one end. Ideally without splices. I agree it looks like the C11/C12 is probably what I was looking for. I will just buy a spare off Amazon and cut it up. Does seem odd that it is so hard to find. I may send an email to powerwerx to see if they can source one. Seems like a common part people would use.

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Onto the next steps in adding a 100 Ah battery and DCDC charger in the bed of the truck.
 

RagnarD

Adventurer
I ended up cutting the OEM power cable and adding the power poles. Learned something from youtube. In general, the wire with the writing is positive and the wire with the rib along the length is negative. Center pin of the cigarette lighter is +. Added power poles to the cut off male cigarette plug to keep as an adapter. Max current draw is about 4 amps and average standby power consumption is around 1 Ah with a pre chilled cooler and contents with no opening. Still working on the aux battery set up.


Current set up is a hard wired from start battery with 10ga power cord and a powerwerx ITS-12 disconnect timer set at 2 mins. Works well and no issues with starter battery. Cooler stays cool enough to make it overnight without power. Just using it for road trips currently so truck is running most of the day.

I assumed the center pin of cigarette lighter was positive then tested for continuity on the cooler side plug to identify the positive on the cooler. I confirmed center pin of cigarette plug as positive by testing the cut off section for positive voltage. For this model of igloo, the positive is on the bottom. Oddly, looks opposite of the polarity shown in the first post (positive would be on the right of OP picture). Either the stock photo is wrong/deceiving (wires cross inside the molded plug section) or I have my polarity backwards... or it doesn’t matter. Either way, its working....

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I monitor power use inside the cab with a powerwerx inline meter


This is the cooler/fridge.

 
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