Ironman 65L dual compartment Fridge / Freezer

[rafa]

Just looking at these, look really good value, just wondered if anyone using one?

Cheers

Marty

[nissannewby]

Hey mate
I run an ARB 80l which works really well. Most fridge/freezers available these days all run the same compressors so the only thing to really worry about is the built quality of the fridge itself. I have a few things from ironman and I can't fault them.

[rafa]

Hey mate
I run an ARB 80l which works really well. Most fridge/freezers available these days all run the same compressors so the only thing to really worry about is the built quality of the fridge itself. I have a few things from ironman and I can't fault them.

I like the dual zone feature of this one. And for the money can't be overlooked I think.

[89gqpatrol4x4]

mate it looks and measures exactly the same as the primus. I can get the primus for $1250 with a insulation bag. On sale at the moment, so I will be looking at this for sure!

[rafa]

mate it looks and measures exactly the same as the primus. I can get the primus for $1250 with a insulation bag. On sale at the moment, so I will be looking at this for sure!

They said $999 inc insulated bag?

[89gqpatrol4x4]

I rang them straight after I saw this thread and it's an awesome price, will more than likely be getting one

[rafa]

I rang them straight after I saw this thread and it's an awesome price, will more than likely be getting one

That's why we have this forum

[Coastalpatrol]

Got a mate that has one, he thinks its great, I run a waeco myself not much difference between the two really both keep the beers nice and cold!

[rafa]

Got a mate that has one, he thinks its great, I run a waeco myself not much difference between the two really both keep the beers nice and cold!

Ok I'm in. I'll let you know what I think in due course! Thanks.

[Yabb]

Check these out - if you're a Rays Outdoors member they're only $799, looks like pretty good value to me.

http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-store/products/Companion-Fridge-Freezer-100L.aspx?pid=288864&menuFrom=1021966#Cross

[rafa]

Check these out - if you're a Rays Outdoors member they're only $799, looks like pretty good value to me.

http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-store/products/Companion-Fridge-Freezer-100L.aspx?pid=288864&menuFrom=1021966#Cross

Cheers Yab

Same fridge, different stickers?

[Yabb]

Hi Rafa,

I don't think they're the same the Companion is 100L dual zone.

[rafa]

Hi Rafa,

I don't think they're the same the Companion is 100L dual zone.

Even better. How do you be a member?

[Yabb]

It's not an exclusive club.
Just go to the counter, give them some details, email address, etc and they'll give you a card.

Can do it online too http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/raysrewards/

[rafa]

It's not an exclusive club.
Just go to the counter, give them some details, email address, etc and they'll give you a card.

Can do it online too http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/raysrewards/

I'm in Darwin. Wonder if they post. Although I like the warranty on the ironman one. Hmm

[Yabb]

Yeah, I haven't looked into the specifics and can't vouch for what brand is better.
But it looks like a lot of fridge for the cash, could even be too big depends on what you need.

[rafa]

Yeah, I haven't looked into the specifics and can't vouch for what brand is better.
But it looks like a lot of fridge for the cash, could even be too big depends on what you need.

Well. Fridge for cool stuff. Freezer to take a week of home cooked meals. I'm always out bush and the food IF available is always s**t and along the lines if windings. Running 145w solar into back pod (ex Telstra) and the idea of running one unit, instead of 40 l engel fridge. And 40 l engel on freeze makes more sense.

It's all work related. Every week I'm out in top end remote communities.

Will come in handy camping too when I get time.

Couple frozen pies. Couple of home cooked meals etc. then into the DSE type camp stove at smoko and hot lunch when you want it. Well that's the plan. ;)

[MudRunnerTD]

Well. Fridge for cool stuff. Freezer to take a week of home cooked meals. I'm always out bush and the food IF available is always s**t and along the lines if windings. Running 145w solar into back pod (ex Telstra) and the idea of running one unit, instead of 40 l engel fridge. And 40 l engel on freeze makes more sense.

It's all work related. Every week I'm out in top end remote communities.

Will come in handy camping too when I get time.

Couple frozen pies. Couple of home cooked meals etc. then into the DSE type camp stove at smoko and hot lunch when you want it. Well that's the plan. ;)


Given this post mate if you are claiming it on your tax then id be running with the 2 separate fridges. one set to freeze and the other for fridge. Much more efficient use of space and power and if one shyts itself on day 2 then you have the backup until you can get somewhere. i did the Madigan line with a couple last year that do a heap of outback travel and run 2 fridges just like that. we had Icecream on night 7 in the desert! it was great.

Combined with ta Travel Buddy oven and you are on a winner for sure. i would not even look at a DSE type oven for your use. Travel Buddy all the way mate. nothing comes close.

Also when doing day trip you can then just take a single 40lt out with you instead of an empty 80lt.

[Yabb]

Well there's plenty out there to choose from, I'm sure some of the fellas on the forum would have some opinions on what brands are the best.
I was just impressed by the size and price.

Sounds like whatever you get it definitely needs to be hardcore & reliable.

[rafa]

Given this post mate if you are claiming it on your tax then id be running with the 2 separate fridges. one set to freeze and the other for fridge. Much more efficient use of space and power and if one shyts itself on day 2 then you have the backup until you can get somewhere. i did the Madigan line with a couple last year that do a heap of outback travel and run 2 fridges just like that. we had Icecream on night 7 in the desert! it was great.

Combined with ta Travel Buddy oven and you are on a winner for sure. i would not even look at a DSE type oven for your use. Travel Buddy all the way mate. nothing comes close.

Received.

Hear ya mate. It's all business so doesn't matter. Just gotta work. Week in week out so to speak.

[rafa]

Well there's plenty out there to choose from, I'm sure some of the fellas on the forum would have some opinions on what brands are the best.
I was just impressed by the size and price.

Sounds like whatever you get it definitely needs to be hardcore & reliable.

Still not discounted the ironman. Kinda liking one unit drawing on battery instead if two.

[Cuppa]

I'll second the separate fridge & freezer idea. Far more flexible.

Issue may become having sufficient power to run them (as it would be if you went with a significantly larger single unit).

Possibly you can scrape by (power wise) with a 65 litre single unit, depending upon the temp you have it set at.

It is most unlikely that your single 145w panel would keep up with a fridge & a freezer, or a big fridge/freezer (80litre+) for a week+ at a time. (A few days yes, but if going longer the batteries would be losing some capacity each day & by the end of a week although the fridges might still be running you would be in battery 'premature death' territory. Buying a new battery every year may be an acceptable trade off against extra weight &/or cost of alternatives however. If it were me I'd prefer the system to be 'balanced' & not need to worry about flat batteries. A second panel would help enormously if you had enough roof 'real estate'.

Of course you may be able to plug into 240v when stopped in the communities too, in which case a 'smart' (multi stage) mains charger would be a worthwhile investment & might suffice without need for a second panel. If you could only plug in every second or third night just increasing battery capacity may be the go.

I can't recall if you are also charging your aux battery from the alternator? If so, then providing you drive for long enough each day you should be ok as is. If no dc to dc charger (i.e. just via a voltage sensitive relay) the solar will help to top up the battery beyond what the alternator can put in provided you reach your destination with sufficient hours of sunlight left in the day. A bit of a balancing act between driving for long enough to get the battery as full as the alternator will take it (around 70% full) & leaving long enough in the day for the solar to top it up enough for overnight use. A second panel would be beneficial, & could be a portable type.

Alterntively a small generator & 240v smart charger. Then you have to carry fuel for the gennie, & I expect that might mean needing a diesel one in some communities?

Cuppa

[oncedisturbed]

We are more than likely going to get say a 35/40L to use as a dedicated freezer as the power draw will be fairly small compared to the fridge as we won't be back and forth going into it all the time as opposed to the fridge

[Bob]

I have always had a three way Fridge which I have found to work very well however some people seem to have trouble with them.
I ran on 240V at home when Packing and then on 12V whilst travelling
On Gas at Campsite
Must be kept level to run efficiently


An Extract from an Article on BCF Site

3 Way Fridge / Freezers are often described as the ‘ultimate freedom’ when it comes to portable refrigeration as they can be powered by LPG (the same gas commonly used with camp stoves and BBQs). This allows you to arrive at our campsite, take the fridge / freezer out of the vehicle, hook it up to a 9kg gas bottle and you have about 3 weeks of run time. No concern about charging or flattening batteries, no need for a powered campsite and still capable of freezing.

This makes 3-Way fridge / freezers the perfect option for long duration stays in the one location, such as the annual two week camping holiday, just ‘set and forget’.

There are a couple of characteristics of 3-Way fridge / freezers that make them less ideal for travelling and stopping with the fridge running in the vehicle and more suited to long duration stays in the one location. Firstly 3-Way fridge / freezers need to be level to operate effectively, whereas a 2-Way fridge will operate at full efficiency on up to a 30° angle. Secondly a 2-Way fridge is extremely low draw, drawing somewhere between 2.5 and 4.5 amps per hour when running and like your fridge at home, once it reaches the desired temperature the compressor cuts out until it needs to work again. So with a 2-Way fridge / freezer the compressor is not running all the time drawing power, whereas a 3-Way fridge / freezer uses a absorption cooling system that runs continually and when on 12V it will draw a constant 10 amps an hour.

So what does this mean?

A 3-Way fridge will continually draw 10 amps an hour from your battery and needs to be level, so it is not ideal for those travelling and doing short stops, especially if they want to operate the fridge inside the vehicle without running the vehicle to keep the battery charged. However once stopped for any length of time it is a dream as you remove the fridge from the vehicle, level it, change over to gas and ‘set and forget’ for 3 weeks without thinking about a charging source.

2-Way fridges on the other hand are perfect for travelling and stopping for short periods because they can be left in a vehicle, even on an angle and will operate at full efficiency with minimal draw. Even better if you have a dual battery kit fitted, then the second (auxiliary) battery can be isolated, the fridge run from this second battery and even if it goes flat you are still able to start the vehicle from the main battery. When using 2-Way fridge / freezers for longer duration stays though, is that it runs on 12V and this means you need to run your vehicle to charge your batteries or connect a charging source such as solar panel or generator.

[Cuppa]

We are more than likely going to get say a 35/40L to use as a dedicated freezer as the power draw will be fairly small compared to the fridge as we won't be back and forth going into it all the time as opposed to the fridge

I have a 60 litre ARB I use as a fridge & a 35 litre ARB I use as a freezer. Both have the same compressor unit. My experience, in hot weather, has been that the freezer set at minus 12 uses more power than the fridge set at 1 degree.

Cuppa

[Cuppa]

I have always had a three way Fridge which I have found to work very well however some people seem to have trouble with them.
I ran on 240V at home when Packing and then on 12V whilst travelling
On Gas at Campsite
Must be kept level to run efficiently


An Extract from an Article on BCF Site

3 Way Fridge / Freezers are often described as the ‘ultimate freedom’ when it comes to portable refrigeration as they can be powered by LPG (the same gas commonly used with camp stoves and BBQs). This allows you to arrive at our campsite, take the fridge / freezer out of the vehicle, hook it up to a 9kg gas bottle and you have about 3 weeks of run time. No concern about charging or flattening batteries, no need for a powered campsite and still capable of freezing.

This makes 3-Way fridge / freezers the perfect option for long duration stays in the one location, such as the annual two week camping holiday, just ‘set and forget’.

There are a couple of characteristics of 3-Way fridge / freezers that make them less ideal for travelling and stopping with the fridge running in the vehicle and more suited to long duration stays in the one location. Firstly 3-Way fridge / freezers need to be level to operate effectively, whereas a 2-Way fridge will operate at full efficiency on up to a 30° angle. Secondly a 2-Way fridge is extremely low draw, drawing somewhere between 2.5 and 4.5 amps per hour when running and like your fridge at home, once it reaches the desired temperature the compressor cuts out until it needs to work again. So with a 2-Way fridge / freezer the compressor is not running all the time drawing power, whereas a 3-Way fridge / freezer uses a absorption cooling system that runs continually and when on 12V it will draw a constant 10 amps an hour.

So what does this mean?

A 3-Way fridge will continually draw 10 amps an hour from your battery and needs to be level, so it is not ideal for those travelling and doing short stops, especially if they want to operate the fridge inside the vehicle without running the vehicle to keep the battery charged. However once stopped for any length of time it is a dream as you remove the fridge from the vehicle, level it, change over to gas and ‘set and forget’ for 3 weeks without thinking about a charging source.

2-Way fridges on the other hand are perfect for travelling and stopping for short periods because they can be left in a vehicle, even on an angle and will operate at full efficiency with minimal draw. Even better if you have a dual battery kit fitted, then the second (auxiliary) battery can be isolated, the fridge run from this second battery and even if it goes flat you are still able to start the vehicle from the main battery. When using 2-Way fridge / freezers for longer duration stays though, is that it runs on 12V and this means you need to run your vehicle to charge your batteries or connect a charging source such as solar panel or generator.

Without wishing to start a 'Which type is best war' (common on some RV forums) .........

I assume the article when referring to 2 way fridges means 12v/240v compressor fridges. This is different to what I've always understood to be meant by 'Two way' - i.e. 240v/gas - an absorbtion type (I have one of those on our verandah, removed from our bus 'cos we were sick of it defrosting & leaking if we didn't get the vehicle dead level overnight & it struggling when travelling long distances over rough or hilly roads).
The problem with 3 way fridges if used up north is getting hold of one which will keep food at safe temperatures. To do this it must be 'T' rated (Tropical) & whilst such beasts do exist, they are not at all easy to find despite what some advertising would lead you to believe. This is because most are made for the European market & imported. Generally most are only rated to around 32 degrees ambient. (We did have ours stay cold for 10 days of 38 degrees+ up on the Murray once, with the aid of additional cooling fans, but MrsTea spat the dummy when we parked up overnight at a friends place in Melbourne on the way home, on a slight hill, & returned to the vehicle in the morning to find the freezer defrosted, & leaking all over the floor - I recall her words "I want a fridge that just works").

Certainly gas is a lot simpler, & cheaper to set up, & works well when used within the limitations, but there is no way known I'd wish to swap back. Hourses for courses ...... of course.

Cuppa

[Bob]

Without wishing to start a 'Which type is best war' (common on some RV forums) .........

I assume the article when referring to 2 way fridges means 12v/240v compressor fridges. This is different to what I've always understood to be meant by 'Two way' - i.e. 240v/gas - an absorbtion type (I have one of those on our verandah, removed from our bus 'cos we were sick of it defrosting & leaking if we didn't get the vehicle dead level overnight & it struggling when travelling long distances over rough or hilly roads).
The problem with 3 way fridges if used up north is getting hold of one which will keep food at safe temperatures. To do this it must be 'T' rated (Tropical) & whilst such beasts do exist, they are not at all easy to find despite what some advertising would lead you to believe. This is because most are made for the European market & imported. Generally most are only rated to around 32 degrees ambient. (We did have ours stay cold for 10 days of 38 degrees+ up on the Murray once, with the aid of additional cooling fans, but MrsTea spat the dummy when we parked up overnight at a friends place in Melbourne on the way home, on a slight hill, & returned to the vehicle in the morning to find the freezer defrosted, & leaking all over the floor - I recall her words "I want a fridge that just works").

Certainly gas is a lot simpler, & cheaper to set up, & works well when used within the limitations, but there is no way known I'd wish to swap back. Hourses for courses ...... of course.

Cuppa

Agree with your comments Cuppa and also your comment "Horses for Courses"
Good to explore all options though

[rafa]

Ok. Update. Today bought the 65L fridge freezer. Pretty impressed as I loaded it tonight.

In the freezer I got. 6 frozen meals ready for dick smith stove. 12 toasted sandwiches. 9 pies. Got to be happy with that and that's just the freezer.

Fridge has 2x 6 pack alc free stubbies. 10 diet coke. Butter apples etc. still room for more.

Will report in after a bit more use as to how the battery (120a/hr) and 145 solar go feeding it.

Marty

35121

[rafa]

Hmmm. Battery never got over 11.6v today and panel produced 42ahr.


:(

[rafa]

Mind you I did use the stove for an hour ?

[Warwick89]

Really don't think you will have a problem with the battery, I've got an ark pak with 105amh battery myself running the same size fridge and in the tropics I could run it for a week without an issue.


Waz

[rafa]

Really don't think you will have a problem with the battery, I've got an ark pak with 105amh battery myself running the same size fridge and in the tropics I could run it for a week without an issue.


Waz

Do you have one side on freezer?

Cheers

Marty

[Warwick89]

Yeah mate
Freezer usually set to around -14 to -16 fridge stays around 2 or 3

Waz

[rafa]

Yeah mate
Freezer usually set to around -14 to -16 fridge stays around 2 or 3

Waz

Cheers was gunna ask.

Mine on -18 and 2. Maybe I could lift it to -14??

Marty

[Warwick89]

I'm no health expert but I haven't got sick from freezing it at -14 Hahaha

[rafa]

I'm no health expert but I haven't got sick from freezing it at -14 Hahaha

Have you ever had the E3 error code come up on yours? I changed to mains power and got that code. Changed back to 12v and goes. Also. Temp is sticking at around -8 was -17 earlier? :(

[Warwick89]

Have you ever had the E3 error code come up on yours? I changed to mains power and got that code. Changed back to 12v and goes. Also. Temp is sticking at around -8 was -17 earlier? :(


The answer is on the link below, motor blockage or cooling system error

http://www.ironman4x4.com/pdfs/accessories_fitting_instructions/fridges/icecube_im.pdf

[Warwick89]

Never happened to me

[rafa]

Never happened to me

Maybe cause I added warm stuff to fridge side. (Temp I mean)

Thanks for the link.

[Cuppa]

Hmmm. Battery never got over 11.6v today and panel produced 42ahr.


:(

11.6v is well flat. See attached State of Charge (SoC) chart. (Below about 12.3v to 12.4v & you are into significant battery life shortening territory). These are 'rested voltages'. i.e. taken with all loads removed & having let the battery sat for half an hour or so. The readings you have are not very meaningful if taken with the fridge running or any other loads connected....... but your figures are still sufficient to indicate that you are using more than your single panel can replenish.

[rafa]

11.6v is well flat. See attached State of Charge (SoC) chart. (Below about 12.3v to 12.4v & you are into significant battery life shortening territory). These are 'rested voltages'. i.e. taken with all loads removed & having let the battery sat for half an hour or so. The readings you have are not very meaningful if taken with the fridge running or any other loads connected....... but your figures are still sufficient to indicate that you are using more than your single panel can replenish.

Thanks cuppa. Ran it on mains last night so will see what happens today no charger with me for ark pack so hope today tops her up. No dick smith stove on today.

Thinking I might have to somehow add power from car to rear battery. Auto elec said my dual battery solenoid is rooted and not switching so may look at something that will do all three if such a beast exists. At least the solar is a top up.

Thanks

Marty

[Ironman 4x4]

Hey Rafa,

Good talking to you this morning on the phone. I'll keep an eye on the tread and if you have any further issues feel free to post on here and I'll do my best to provide any help.

For everyones information, E3 codes are usually triggered from insufficient power supply. If it was triggering on 240v, I'd suggest having a look at how it's connected up. It may be that you have a dodgy extension cable that is causing an issue.

Cheers,

Matt
Ironman 4x4

[rafa]

Hey Rafa,

Good talking to you this morning on the phone. I'll keep an eye on the tread and if you have any further issues feel free to post on here and I'll do my best to provide any help.

For everyones information, E3 codes are usually triggered from insufficient power supply. If it was triggering on 240v, I'd suggest having a look at how it's connected up. It may be that you have a dodgy extension cable that is causing an issue.

Cheers,

Matt
Ironman 4x4

Thanks Matt for the chat and advice.

Will keep you posted.

Marty

[rafa]

Battery up to 12.2 at 1 PM, 43.5c at the min so sure getting a work out. Compressor on high setting and holding -14 in freezer side :)

[threedogs]

You may want to fill any cavities with wine bags of water, Will help the fridge cycle less to get to temp. even fill Coke bottles. try to keep the whole cavity full of cold stuff
Interested to see how it handles the high humidity as well
to perform at its best all things need to be cold so fill the rest with wine bladders and coke,
as water is one thing you need all the time up there

[rafa]

You may want to fill any cavities with wine bags of water, Will help the fridge cycle less to get to temp. even fill Coke bottles. try to keep the whole cavity full of cold stuff
Interested to see how it handles the high humidity as well

Battery back at 11.9v must be the battery. Solar cranking out the amps prob plus 50a today. So battery dropping even with panel at 7.9 a/hrs

[threedogs]

next time in town get them to test the battery under load

[rafa]

52.6 a put in from solar panel. Battery got up to 12.2v at 5.30 it's at 11.7. Got hold of a ac charger so will put fridge on mains and give the battery a good charge and see what tomorrow brings. :)

[rafa]

Are there any issues charging 120a deep cycle with this charger? All I can find out where I am?

On the back it says lead acid only? Does it really matter?

Cheers

Marty

35193

[Warwick89]

Sorry mate don't know just yet but I'll try to find out for you now.

[Warwick89]

Just found the manual and having a look

[Warwick89]

Ok so the manaul warns that it's only for lead-acid batteries between 10-60amp hours and not to try any other types.

Sorry only info I could find

[rafa]

Ok so the manaul warns that it's only for lead-acid batteries between 10-60amp hours and not to try any other types.

Sorry only info I could find

Cheers mate.

Better not then. :(

[Cuppa]

AGM's are lead acid, they just have the electrolyte suspended in glass mat (Absorbed Glass Mat) instead of in liquid form. That charger would charge the AGM ok, but because it is not a smart charger it would be possible to overcharge the battery, consequently you would ideally need to know the battery's SoC & the output of the charger to know how long to leave them hooked up together. In reality the battery will reduce the amount of charge it will accept as it gets 'fuller' so overcharging is probably only a possibility if left hooked up for long periods. Leaving it on charge for a few hours should be fine. Best to leave it on for two or three hours, disconnect & let the battery sit for half an hour. Connect a small load to the battery (e.g., a 5 watt globe or similar) for 5 minutes, disconnect it & let the battery sit for another 15 minutes or so, & then check the voltage across it's terminals. This should then give you an idea of it's state of charge & you can decide whether to repeat the charging process. If after checking like this you get a reading of 12.7v+ you can consider the battery well charged.

Cuppa

EDIT. If the charger is intended for batteries of 10 to 60 amp hours capacity, it will still charge a 120 amp hour battery but will take longer. In the unlikely event that the charger were a smart charger, it would still be wise to disconnect & check as I have suggested as it is possible for an undersized smart charger to overcharge a battery bigger than it is intended to be used for.

[rafa]

AGM's are lead acid, they just have the electrolyte suspended in glass mat (Absorbed Glass Mat) instead of in liquid form. That charger would charge the AGM ok, but because it is not a smart charger it would be possible to overcharge the battery, consequently you would ideally need to know the battery's SoC & the output of the charger to know how long to leave them hooked up together. In reality the battery will reduce the amount of charge it will accept as it gets 'fuller' so overcharging is probably only a possibility if left hooked up for long periods. Leaving it on charge for a few hours should be fine. Best to leave it on for two or three hours, disconnect & let the battery sit for half an hour. Connect a small load to the battery (e.g., a 5 watt globe or similar) for 5 minutes, disconnect it & let the battery sit for another 15 minutes or so, & then check the voltage across it's terminals. This should then give you an idea of it's state of charge & you can decide whether to repeat the charging process. If after checking like this you get a reading of 12.7v+ you can consider the battery well charged.

Cuppa

I did end up trying it for a couple hours and it did nothing. Just kept clicking in and out of charge mode every min or so.

I'm staying in the same place for 3 days so will let the solar run into the battery with no draw. I have the fridge on mains at the moment and am parked up while working.

Battery up to 12.4v now so well see what happens through the day.

ArkPak sell a dc to dc smart charger so may look at one of those down the track or something similar.

Was hoping to keep this battery isolated from the two under the bonnet. I think also my dual battery solenoid is stuffed so may be a good time to sort it all out.

Thanks mate.

Marty

[rafa]

Solar panel has it at 12.6v by 1:00pm with no draw. Getting there! :)

[Cuppa]

A bit more looking revealed that that particular Arlec charger, whilst not being a smart charger, also only has a max output of 2.5amps. If it were working properly it could take anything up to 48 hours continuous to charge your battery! The fact that it kept cutting in & out is most likely because the charger itself is faulty or it's simply struggling in a really hot place. It has a built in thermal overload causing it to switch off if it gets too hot. I don't think it likely that your battery is at fault.

[rafa]

A bit more looking revealed that that particular Arlec charger, whilst not being a smart charger, also only has a max output of 2.5amps. If it were working properly it could take anything up to 48 hours continuous to charge your battery! The fact that it kept cutting in & out is most likely because the charger itself is faulty or it's simply struggling in a really hot place. It has a built in thermal overload causing it to switch off if it gets too hot. I don't think it likely that your battery is at fault.

Will get it checked when I get back to Darwin.

What do you recommend to replace the old dual solenoid? Is there some thing that could do all three batteries even if the deep cycle is in the back pod?

Cheers

Marty

[Cuppa]

To an extent it depends on what you wish to use your 2nd under bonnet battery for. If it were me I'd use a voltage sensitive relay (solenoid) between crank bat & 2nd under bonnet bat, & a Redarc BCDC1240 between crank bat & pod bat. The BCDC will provide up to 40 amps to the pod battery whilst driving, although much of the time the battery in a reasonable state of charge will not accept all of this. (Some folk also wire in a bypass to allow the full amperage from the alternator to fast charge batteries in emergency situations but this is largely pointless with a single 120ah battery). Importantly what the BCDC will so is fully charge the pod battery, something a solenoid (ie. alternator)will never do. (It could, but might involve the need to drive around Australia without stopping!). This will give a significant increased effective capacity. The BCDC also boosts voltage supplied to it if required to ensure optimal charging, Thus it can compensate for any voltage drop between crank battery & pod battery provided the BCDC is mounted in the pod as close to the battery as possible. The BCDC also functions as a crank battery 'protector' as a solenoid does, and is an MPPT solar regulator. All in one small box. The alternative is the CTek Dual, but I have no experience with it. Be careful about buying any other dc to dc chargers. Many have too small output to be useful, & as ,oils ain't oils' not all dc to dc units are the same. I learned of one just a couple of days ago being marketed by Jaycar. It sounds like a great deal & will likely appeal to many folk, who will subsequently be disappointed as although it has high specs (120amps I output I think it was) it is a dc to dc charge controller not a charger. It does not, like Redarc & the Ctek, boost voltage, so in the case of thin wires or low alternator voltage, it would be effectively useless.
Others may comment on what dc to dc chargers they have which suit them.

[rafa]

To an extent it depends on what you wish to use your 2nd under bonnet battery for. If it were me I'd use a voltage sensitive relay (solenoid) between crank bat & 2nd under bonnet bat, & a Redarc BCDC1240 between crank bat & pod bat. The BCDC will provide up to 40 amps to the pod battery whilst driving, although much of the time the battery in a reasonable state of charge will not accept all of this. (Some folk also wire in a bypass to allow the full amperage from the alternator to fast charge batteries in emergency situations but this is largely pointless with a single 120ah battery). Importantly what the BCDC will so is fully charge the pod battery, something a solenoid (ie. alternator)will never do. (It could, but might involve the need to drive around Australia without stopping!). This will give a significant increased effective capacity. The BCDC also boosts voltage supplied to it if required to ensure optimal charging, Thus it can compensate for any voltage drop between crank battery & pod battery provided the BCDC is mounted in the pod as close to the battery as possible. The BCDC also functions as a crank battery 'protector' as a solenoid does, and is an MPPT solar regulator. All in one small box. The alternative is the CTek Dual, but I have no experience with it. Be careful about buying any other dc to dc chargers. Many have too small output to be useful, & as ,oils ain't oils' not all dc to dc units are the same. I learned of one just a couple of days ago being marketed by Jaycar. It sounds like a great deal & will likely appeal to many folk, who will subsequently be disappointed as although it has high specs (120amps I output I think it was) it is a dc to dc charge controller not a charger. It does not, like Redarc & the Ctek, boost voltage, so in the case of thin wires or low alternator voltage, it would be effectively useless.
Others may comment on what dc to dc chargers they have which suit them.

I'm sold. What great info. Cheers mate. So in a nut shell. Instal the redarc next to arcpak. Then run decent wires back to main under bonnet battery and then when driving it will charge pod battery. When not the solar will top up the arkpak and not draw from crank battery?

Cheers heaps mate.

Marty

[rafa]

Does $429 with free shipping sound ok?

Cheers

[Cuppa]

Does $429 with free shipping sound ok?

Cheers

If it is from this ebay seller (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/REDARC-BCDC1240-DUAL-BATTERY-ISOLATOR-SYSTEM-DC-DC-MPPT-SOLAR-4X4-4WD-AGM-/400394187906?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d395a7482) then yes. They are authorised redarc resellers (unlike most on ebay) which means you get a proper return to Redarc warranty.

Cuppa

[Cuppa]

So in a nut shell. Instal the redarc next to arcpak. Then run decent wires back to main under bonnet battery and then when driving it will charge pod battery. When not the solar will top up the arkpak and not draw from crank battery?



Correct, but just to be clear..... you would connect the BCDC directly to the battery, NOT via the arkpak's charger (which become superfluous).

[rafa]

Correct, but just to be clear..... you would connect the BCDC directly to the battery, NOT via the arkpak's charger (which become superfluous).

Got it. It has terminals so that's easy. It was from that seller. Will order tonight. Thanks again.

Marty

[rafa]

Here's a weird thing. Well my battery got to 12.7v today by solar and nothing drawing on it. Fridge on mains and dc plug removed from fridge)

Just checked it then and battery is back at 12.4v.

The only thing connected to it is a solar panel?

Maybe my problem lays here some how?

Marty.

[rafa]

Still at 12.4v in morning.

[Cuppa]

12.4v 'rested' is only 50% capacity. (If your reading of 12.4v was taken with the panel picking up any light the situation is worse). Regardless of the beliefs that continue to be held strongly by some, deep cycle batteries are NOT intended to be used until 'flat' & then recharged. If they are to last then 12.3v to 12.4v (rested) is about as low as you would want to go. I'm guessing that your battery was so flat that even with a day's worth of solar input it has only brought it up to half full. Hopefully you will see a higher rested voltage tonight. Was the 12.7v with the sun shining? If so that also indicates just how depleted the battery was. When the battery is reasonably full you should expect to see a charging voltage of around 14.4v & when it's full a float voltage of 13.2 to 13.8v (depending upon the make of regulator). The figures you see with the sun shining however are pretty meaningless in terms of knowing the battery's State of Charge (SoC). . To get a sense of how full the battery is, it needs to be disconnected from all loads, & with no solar input (night time or blanket over the panel) & taken after sitting for at least half an hour without either charge or load. Expect to see anything up to 13.1v - this will be a 'surface charge' (as I suspect your 12.7v was). Place a small load on the battery & that voltage should drop quickly back to between 12.7v to 12.9v.
It is possible significant damage has already been done to the battery, but fingers crossed that that is not the case. They can be more 'forgiving' when new. There is no doubt however that if you continue to discharge your battery into the 11's that you will kill it quite quickly. It's capacity will gradually reduce until you reach a point where it will appear to not be holding it's charge, whereas in fact it's more likely that it will no longer be taking a full charge to hold.

Cuppa

[rafa]

Well back in Darwin and went to battery world. They swapped the battery no questions asked. Going to test the old one this week and let me know. New one has say 13.9 all day and panel on float charge. Let's see what happens overnight and see if it charges up again tomorrow. Be interesting to see what this one drops to overnight.

Marty.