Engel 45 on one Optima orange
- Thread starter cnskate
- Start date
LJRockstar
Adventurer
Never heard of an orange optima.
I can get 2 to 3 days out of one yellow top. When it is on freeze mode a little over 24hrs.
I can get 2 to 3 days out of one yellow top. When it is on freeze mode a little over 24hrs.
I meant yellow. I'd like to avoid the cost and weight of second battery system in my XJ if I could, but I would feel pretty stupid if the fridge left me stranded in the middle of nowhere.
LJRockstar
Adventurer
The amount of weight is minimal in comparison to the piece of mind when you are in the middle of nowhere and go to start your rig and hear... CLICKETY CLICKETY CLICK! all you need to do is flip a switch and you are on your way!
The biggest cost really is the battery itself. everything else you can make your self. Battery tray, Isolation solenoid, etc.
There are schematics available. I believe that Painless wiring posts a PDF of all of it's wiring schematics just copy what they have done with parts from your favorite autoparts store.
The biggest cost really is the battery itself. everything else you can make your self. Battery tray, Isolation solenoid, etc.
There are schematics available. I believe that Painless wiring posts a PDF of all of it's wiring schematics just copy what they have done with parts from your favorite autoparts store.
If you make an effort to keep the fridge out of the sun, then 2days or so. More than that it gets chancy.
The Engel can draw 2.5 amps or so when running. The average battery has 50 amp hours of charge. So if the Fridge runs continuously, the battery is flat dead in 20 hours and won't start your truck well before that.
So it all depends on how much it runs. In practical terms, 2 days will give you a generally reliable start, assuming your battery is in top notch shape to start with. Anything less and you have less power and less reserve to work with. Keep the fridge closed, out of the sun and as cool as possible to decrease it's run time.
The poor man's dual battery system is one of those jump starter packs from Costco or an auto parts place. They can jump your car from full dead. They work surprisingly well.
The Engel can draw 2.5 amps or so when running. The average battery has 50 amp hours of charge. So if the Fridge runs continuously, the battery is flat dead in 20 hours and won't start your truck well before that.
So it all depends on how much it runs. In practical terms, 2 days will give you a generally reliable start, assuming your battery is in top notch shape to start with. Anything less and you have less power and less reserve to work with. Keep the fridge closed, out of the sun and as cool as possible to decrease it's run time.
The poor man's dual battery system is one of those jump starter packs from Costco or an auto parts place. They can jump your car from full dead. They work surprisingly well.
FlyingWen
Explorer
We switched from an Optima battery a year ago. We had the same problem of our MT45 draining our battery even while on the lowest setting.
We switched to dual Odyssey Batteries. The Odyssey 1200 is as small as a motorcycle battery, so we were able to fit both batteries in the stock location.
We haven't had a single problem since and we run several different things at one time.
We switched to dual Odyssey Batteries. The Odyssey 1200 is as small as a motorcycle battery, so we were able to fit both batteries in the stock location.
We haven't had a single problem since and we run several different things at one time.
LJRockstar
Adventurer
cnskate said:
I didn't know I had quoted anyone! I must be smarter than I thought!:wings:
LJRockstar
Adventurer
HAHA! I got that from Yogi Berra! But either way it's an absolute truism!
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
In addition to keeping the fridge closed and out of the sun the other variable here is how the fridge is packed.
Try to keep the fridge full at all times. It's better to be cooling something than air. Cold air escapes from the fridge every time you open it.
If you take a beer or soda out of the fridge replace it with a new one.
Once the items you have in your fridge are cooled they act as a thermal mass and reduce the amount of time the compressor needs to run.
My experience has been that if you follow the guidelines of keeping the fridge full, out of direct sun light, and the lid closed as much as possible you can extend the amount of time the fridge can run off a battery by 1/3 rd.
Try to keep the fridge full at all times. It's better to be cooling something than air. Cold air escapes from the fridge every time you open it.
If you take a beer or soda out of the fridge replace it with a new one.
Once the items you have in your fridge are cooled they act as a thermal mass and reduce the amount of time the compressor needs to run.
My experience has been that if you follow the guidelines of keeping the fridge full, out of direct sun light, and the lid closed as much as possible you can extend the amount of time the fridge can run off a battery by 1/3 rd.
BajaXplorer
Adventurer
In addition to what Martyn has said, I would add that you can turn the fridge off when you go to bed and back on when you get up. I have been doing this for several years and the fridge only warms up from 32 to 40 or less on most occasions. And as previously stated, you can't go wrong carrying a portable jump battery pack. FYI, before having a dual batt setup, I often camped for a couple days at a time without the fridge pulling down my Optima blue top (55ah). When in doubt, run the engine for a while to recharge.
BX
BX
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