Need help completing my solar setup for 12v fridge

[matimeo]

Hello All,
First post here, enjoying this forum and looking forward to participating.
I just purchased an ICECO vl75pro fridge and a Dokio 160W folding solar panel. I already have a couple of group 27 AGM batteries from Cabela's that I plan to connect to the solar panel via the supplied alligator clips that came with the Dokio controller. I had previously build a 12v cigarette lighter style outlet that attaches to the terminals on the battery, which I could connect to the fridge via the supplied 12 volt plug. The downside to this is that it isn't connected to the controller, so I can't monitor the output from the battery to the fridge.
The controller has XT60 connectors in it, so if I wanted to connect it to the fridge, I would need a cord that went XT60 to the connector at the fridge that looks like this:

I've searched all over the web and can't find anything like this, and I'm a little leery of splicing an XT60 connector onto the existing cord (because if it doesn't work, I don't have a 12v cord to run the fridge anymore).

Any suggestions on how to do this, or where I can find a cord like that. I'm sure lots of people have done this before, so I appreciate giving a newby some advice.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

Welcome to the forum!

Are you talking about connecting the solar panels directly to the fridge? If so, you really don't want to do that. You want to connect the solar panels to a battery (or batteries) and then connect the fridge to the battery. The battery will give a consistent output, which the fridge will like. The panels will be inconsistent, which the fridge will not like.

 

[matimeo]

Welcome to the forum!

Are you talking about connecting the solar panels directly to the fridge? If so, you really don't want to do that. You want to connect the solar panels to a battery (or batteries) and then connect the fridge to the battery. The battery will give a consistent output, which the fridge will like. The panels will be inconsistent, which the fridge will not like.

Thank you! The solar panels connects to the Dokio controller, which connects to the battery. There is a slot on the controller to connect it to whatever you're trying to power. The controller uses the XT60 connectors, so I'm looking for one of those that ends in the DC plug on the fridge.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

Yeah, even though the controller has a "slot to connect" I would not recommend connecting the controller directly to the fridge (or anything else really, other than a battery). It will be best to run any devices directly from the battery. Just let the solar panel deal with charging the battery and let the battery run everything else. The power coming directly from the controller is not stable, since it will vary based on the intensity of the sun. That's no good for your devices.

Since you already have a battery, you may want to look into something like THIS. There are many of this type of setup available and there are even several threads here on ExPo about building your own. This would give you a) a convenient way to store\move your battery, b) a convenient place to connect your solar panel and c) outlets to plug into.

Cheers.

 

[NatersXJ6]

You sound alike you are going to spend $$ just to be able to see how much power the fridge is using. You could also do this by starting with full batteries and assuming that all power through the controller went to the fridge. Or, ask yourself what benefit having that information will serve? I would be personally concerned about the alligator clips that you mentioned long before I worried about measuring fridge consumption. However, you could always buy a spare fridge cord and cut that one up to get the cord you really want.

 

[sonarman]

Where are you located?

 

[matimeo]

Where are you located?

Portland, OR

 

[67cj5]

Hello All,
First post here, enjoying this forum and looking forward to participating.
I just purchased an ICECO vl75pro fridge and a Dokio 160W folding solar panel. I already have a couple of group 27 AGM batteries from Cabela's that I plan to connect to the solar panel via the supplied alligator clips that came with the Dokio controller. I had previously build a 12v cigarette lighter style outlet that attaches to the terminals on the battery, which I could connect to the fridge via the supplied 12 volt plug. The downside to this is that it isn't connected to the controller, so I can't monitor the output from the battery to the fridge.
The controller has XT60 connectors in it, so if I wanted to connect it to the fridge, I would need a cord that went XT60 to the connector at the fridge that looks like this:
View attachment 668925
I've searched all over the web and can't find anything like this, and I'm a little leery of splicing an XT60 connector onto the existing cord (because if it doesn't work, I don't have a 12v cord to run the fridge anymore).

Any suggestions on how to do this, or where I can find a cord like that. I'm sure lots of people have done this before, so I appreciate giving a newby some advice.

That Plug is the Standard ARB Classic plug/Lead and it will cost you around 15 to 20 bucks and it has a really great Cigar to 2-Pin conversion on the other end,

Hope that helps

 

[matimeo]

That Plug is the Standard ARB Classic plug/Lead and it will cost you around 15 to 20 bucks and it has a really great Cigar to 2-Pin conversion on the other end,

Hope that helps

That's the cable I already have that came with the fridge. I was looking for an xt60 connector that ended with that plug.

 

[67cj5]

That's the cable I already have that came with the fridge. I was looking for an xt60 connector that ended with that plug.

whats an xt60 look like ??

 

[matimeo]

 

[67cj5]

I bought a spare lead and put a large 50A Anderson on it, they seem to be the Standard at home in Oz so I use them over here too.

 

[matimeo]

I bought a spare lead and put a large 50A Anderson on it, they seem to be the Standard at home in Oz so I use them over here too.

Do you think there would be any issue with soldering one of these connectors on to a spare lead for my fridge? I just don't to have an unregulated current or something.

 

[67cj5]

Do you think there would be any issue with soldering one of these connectors on to a spare lead for my fridge? I just don't to have an unregulated current or something.

Sure you can but I would add a 10A fuse in one of the leads / Or both just to protect the fridge before you add the new plug.

 

[OllieChristopher]

You might want to just purchase a few XT60 connectors with wires already attached. Amazon has them for pretty cheap.


This way you can make a few pigtails with whatever connector you need at the end.