Adding 12 Volt receptacle in back storage area

[ianmac23]

I have a Passport that has 4 bunks in the back. One of the bunks rotates up for a nice storage area. I would like to add a 12 volt receptacle back there for my 65qt refrigerator. It is 30ft behind my battery. I was thinking about running a cable down the frame and through the floor. Is there a better way and if I do can I run a shorter cable to the frame to ground it?

[aamyotte]

It is the converter that I was talking about.

I added some lights to my pantry since I couldn't see what was in the back of it. I used a spare circuit to feed those lights. Luckily for me, I only had to go a couple of feet to get the power.

[ianmac23]

aamyotte wrote:
The power center usually has some spare spaces available to add circuits. If you use one of the spare spaces you can add a dedicated circuit and fuse size as needed, this would be a shorter run then going to the battery. You wouldn't be trying to add a fuse block and trying to make the connection at the battery. The power center is usually near the floor so that you could run under the trailer to the back.

When you say power center do you mean where the converter is and the circuit breakers?

[aamyotte]

The power center usually has some spare spaces available to add circuits. If you use one of the spare spaces you can add a dedicated circuit and fuse size as needed, this would be a shorter run then going to the battery. You wouldn't be trying to add a fuse block and trying to make the connection at the battery. The power center is usually near the floor so that you could run under the trailer to the back.

[westend]

ianmac23 wrote:

westend wrote:
How many watts does the fridge draw?

4.5amps on 12v and I think the run will be like 32ft

#12 AWG copper will limit your voltage drop to less than 5%. Should you wish to lessen voltage drop, increase wire size. If using the frame for ground connection, there will be little to negligible resistance for that phase.

[ianmac23]

westend wrote:
How many watts does the fridge draw?

4.5amps on 12v and I think the run will be like 32ft

[westend]

How many watts does the fridge draw?

[TUCQUALA]

Instead of going under the trailer, I would find an wall in the storage area that may adjoin a cabinet and could gain easy access to your electrical center. Of course that depends on your floor plan. Or, if there is a 12V source in that area, tie into it with a separate fused line. If you can get to the electrical center, the ground would be right there also. You wouldn't be penetrating the floor that way and probably wouldn't need as much wiring. A lot of cabinets have openings between sections that could be used to route the wiring to a 12V source.

[jimw606]

You can run the ground from the receptacle, anywhere to a ground.Run a single wire from battery to a fuse somewhere, and back to the back. Be sure and use a wire size big enough for the distance.