RV Wiring

[patkvm]

Good day all,

I have a quick question that I think I know the answer too. I need to put a refer cooling fan behind my refer, I have no 12 volt source behind the unit so I need to know if it would be safe to run the wires directly to the battery with an in-line fuse to the fan. I just want to make sure that I will not be putting a strain on the charger.

The fan pulls less then 1 amp, it is more in the range of .50 amps.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Gene_Ginny]

patkvm wrote:
... The refer is installed like a slide out kitchen would be with a bottom vent and a top vent on the side of the trailer. ...

In that case Dometic requires a fan be installed, I don't know for certain about Norcold.

[Gene_Ginny]

I am still wayne_tw wrote:
.... That Refrigerator requires 12 volts to run the circuit board, so there is 12 volts to the refrigerator.

Look at the manual for the Norcold N300, it does not use 12 volts.

[I_am_still_wayn]

patkvm wrote:
I would have thought that there be 12 volts behind the unit but in Jayco's infinite wisdom they only put a 2 way refer in the trailer. So instead of pulling out the refer I thought that I would just run the lead about 3 feet to the battery.

You have a 2013 Jayco with a 2 way gas and electric refrigerator, the industry standard. That Refrigerator requires 12 volts to run the circuit board, so there is 12 volts to the refrigerator.

[patkvm]

beemerphile1 wrote:
The most common problem is poor installation. If there is too much space behind the refrigerator or if there is a dead air space above the refrigerator. Often cooling issues can be cured by adding baffles to force the air to flow through the coils rather than around them.

Jayco and Norcold both claim that the refer is install to factory specs. The refer is installed like a slide out kitchen would be with a bottom vent and a top vent on the side of the trailer. I just find it funny that all of a sudden Jayco want to install something they claimed it never needed.

[beemerphile1]

The most common problem is poor installation. If there is too much space behind the refrigerator or if there is a dead air space above the refrigerator. Often cooling issues can be cured by adding baffles to force the air to flow through the coils rather than around them.

[patkvm]

I thought i would give an update to this little project as some interesting developments have happened. To give a brief history on this problem, I purchased a new 2013 Jayco Swift 185 RB from a local dealer that we have bought trailers from in the past. We took this trailer in to the dealer 3 times for the refer not cooling when the outside temp get over 75 degrees, after being told by Jayco that it is a Norcold problem and vice versa, the dealer telling me that the only thing that will fix this is a Valterra Vent Fan but Jayco nor Norcold will pay for it to be installed. So I took matters in my own hands and installed 3 fans behind the upper vent. When I went outside to take pictures to post here I started to think about the problem. I called Jayco and told them that this was not my first Jayco but sadly this will be my last.

This past Monday 8/26/13 morning I get a call from my dealer telling me that I needed to bring my trailer into him today. Jayco sent him a refer vent exhaust fan kit to be installed in my trailer. He also went on to say that Jayco wanted the fan installed asap so he can take readings from inside the refer when the outside temp will be right around 90 -95 degrees here this week in the upper midwest.

When I dropped the trailer off at the dealer on Monday night the owner of the dealer was waiting for me, he proceeded to tell me that this is the first time he every got Jayco to pay for a fan to be installed. He claims that what normally happens is that he charges people to but them in and they go back to Jayco to try to get their money back.

Sorry for being so long winded but I find it very interesting that after several phone calls and telling Jayco that they lost a customer over a 50 dollar part would ever work in my favor.

Thank you everyone for all your help with the wiring advice.

[REDF350]

Remember to put the fuse on the hot line and not the ground line.

[Gene_Ginny]

patkvm wrote:
... I will try to post pictures of the setup.....

We would like to see them.

[patkvm]

Thank you all for your help. I ran positive and a ground back to the battery and all looks and works good. I can now get the refer down to 36 degrees and life is looking good.

I totally over engineered the fan setup by using 3 80mm computer fans mounted to the inside of the upper vent, might be an over kill but I just got tired of the refer section getting up over 60 degrees when it got above 75 degrees outside. DW and dog are happy so I guess that makes me happy. I will try to post pictures of the setup.

Once again thank you all for your help.

[Gene_Ginny]

patkvm wrote:
... the refer is a Norcold N300 that is 120v and LP. ...

That unit doesn't have 12 volts, it uses Piezo gas ignition for the LP.

[Rubber_Ducky1]

patkvm, I looked on the internet at the same trailer you have. I see that your refer is under the counter top. I think you'll be OK running a wire directly from the refer to the battery. Like was said before make sure you have an inline fuse in the wire.

[patkvm]

elivi8 wrote:
Why don't you use the Camco solar powered fan vent? Then all the wires are local.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/solar-powered-rv-fridge-vent-system/47888

Ryan

This setup will not work on the 185RB as the refer has no top vent, which is the whole problem.

[elivi8]

Why don't you use the Camco solar powered fan vent? Then all the wires are local.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/solar-powered-rv-fridge-vent-system/47888

Ryan

[tvman44]

Dometics have 12 volts behind the fridge for the controls & I would suspect Norcold would too. If you run a line from battery just remember to put the fuse near the battery. 🙂