Fridges & micros

[Wingnut]

This is a 3 part question for those of you who do NOT have an APU on your truck: Do you use a refrigerator and/or a microwave .....How often do you use either of them, AND how do you run them when the truck is NOT running?

 

[chefdennis]

Dorm room size frig and freezer, standard size microwave... no apu, i drive a van..frig runs 24/7 and the microwave is used 3-4 times a day...power is from 2 6 volt golf cart batteries and a 3000 watt inverter. Also have a battery isolator to make sure the starting battery is never drawn down while i wact TV and or a dvd...also run 2 small fans and a altec lansing sub woofer and speakers for my laptop and the laptop...all off the 2 batteries and inverter...oh and also a clock radio alarm clock....

 

[DannyD]

Dennis,

How long would the power last if ya had to sit for a few days? And how long to charge it up? Also, is your fridge where the passenger seat was?

 

[chefdennis]

If the frig is the only thing running the longest i have left the batteries go is 3 days, that took them down to 10.8 volts. If i am parked I will run the truck a few times each day to charge them off the Van alternator. I have never run them dead and that is NOT a good thing to do, you will kill them and they will not hold a charge once you drain them past a certain voltage.

The reason i went with the golf cart batteries was because of the way I use them, i have more electric stuff them most and i use alot of it at the same time, which drains them faster and i recharhe them more often. That cycle is not the best in any batteries but the design of the golf cart battery lets it work better. I am sure turtle can tell you way, i have no idea, all i know is that they work better then the 2 12 volt deep cycle marine batteries by deka i had that i killed by letting them go dead......after that they would not hold a full charge long enough to watch a 2 hour dvd .....