Edgestar Fridge Modifications Thread

surly

surly adventurer
My fridge seems to suck a lot of power on occasion and drain my ArkPak.
I'd love to see where you connected wires inside the fridge!
 

whitenoise

Adventurer
My fridge seems to suck a lot of power on occasion and drain my ArkPak.
I'd love to see where you connected wires inside the fridge!

There are two wires coming off the power supply inside that go into the panel mount 12V connector on the side of the fridge. I removed that connector, cut off the wires, and spliced into them (solder+heat-shrink).



That's the one!
 

whitenoise

Adventurer
Thanks guys. I got a buddy to do the welding, he's a pro-certified welder. On the slideout base, I should've done a better job of de-greasing prior to welding, but I designed it in a way that does not really stress the welds - they're there more to hold the bits together in one piece.
 

mcskibadee1

Adventurer
Haha, I just installed mine yesterday. I have mine hooked up off a fuse panel that I have attached to an auxiliary battery in the rear. I am using the crappy wiring that is about 7' long and I am getting at most 4.30 amp draw. I made the power cable longer so I could have it outside of `my car when camping. I need to see how to read the average amp hours and what ever other read outs it gives me. I might get the shorter SJO cable for around town and put the long cable on when we get to the site.

Anyway, thanks for the awesome write up!

22667036176_bfb7aaff32_z.jpg
 

4RunAmok

Explorer

Maybe it's just me, but the power and ground wires to your fuse block look a bit small to be providing power to things like the fridge and air compressor simultaneously. Depending on the type (LED or incandescent) the lights may also be an issue as well as whatever amp loads are plugged into the cig lighters.

Think of those wires that provide power and ground to the fuse block like a water pipe. If the water source is small, when demand becomes high, not very much water will flow to the demand.

If the compressor is a 20 amp load, and the fridge is a 5 amp load, and your feed wires can only deliver 20 amps efficiently, both devices will suffer, your feed wire will be come overloaded and possibly fail. A good reason to make sure there is a fuse or breaker on the positive wire that feeds the fuse block at the battery that matches the rating of the fuse block. Blue Sea rates the max amp load of that fuse block at 75 amps, but you have to make sure your wiring to the fuse block can handle the load and not become a fuse themselves.

Not a critique, per se, just a tip from someone who would hate to read about your rig fire.
 

mcskibadee1

Adventurer
Yea, it is. The system has grown and I haven't kept up with the wiring. I sort of plan on redoing it all as I am making my solar panel removable so I need to get a longer solar cable. I work at a lighting house where we have all sorts of cable from 4/0 and down. I was thinking #2 cable for the battery and something smaller for everything else. I really want to clean it up. Thanks for the tips, I need a kick in the ***!
 

toyotech

Expedition Leader
Suggestions as to higher quality stuff? I agree but anything you find at Autozone or Home Depot is the same cheap crap.

Woops. Those are just the connector caps that have come away from what it was shielding.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

barukinzs

Observer
I figured i would take up GPWPAT's idea and start a thread about the mods we have done to and for our el-cheapo fridges that so many of us have gotten.

My first mod was done when I got it, I got rid of the cigarette lighter plug and hard wired the fridge to the supply line I had run from my house battery to the back of my truck. I used a $3 GM alternator plug set from Pep Boys to give it a quick disconnect that wont come undone unless you make it so.

Edgestarconnector.jpg


I am also kicking around ideas on how to make an insulation bag for it, I will post up here in the thread when I do.

Here is a link to the very nice slider made by KENALLWINE

How's your plug connection holding up? I'm thinking of doing the same (alternator plug) set-up.
Thank you_Jeff
 

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