Community Forums

Doug427 · 10-18-2020, 10:29 PM

We're about to take our first extended out of the area trip since we first bought the rig in March. During the heat of the summer I usually drove with the generator on so that I can run the A/C in the back to keep the coach cool in the Texas summer. Driving like this of course allows me to keep the residential fridge running while driving.

Now, for the first time I'm leaving the general area of where we live for the first time for extended drive times. Also, I won't be needing to run the generator while driving since it's not brutally hot outside now. I've got the Magnum 2000 watt inverter as factory equipped, and the house battery bank is 4 wet cell 6v batteries. With all that, can I keep the fridge on while driving? Will the engine alternator be able to keep the house batteries charged, or will I be draining the house batteries while driving because the refrigerator is running? I believe that my rig is set up so that the engine alternator charges the house batteries as needed. Assuming this is correct as I believe it is, I don't know if the alternator will keep up with the draw of the refrigerator.

I'm not quite sure how to ask this with regard to terminology. Hopefully you guys get what I'm asking. Thanks!

**TonyDi** · 10-18-2020, 11:13 PM

Your refrigerator doesn't draw a lot. You should be able to use your inverter to keep it running with no effect on the house batteries.

sgwyble · 10-19-2020, 07:29 AM

Agreed, our CS had a similar setup and it could run for 8 hours off the batteries when parked. When driving it has the alternator helping out so it will not be a problem.

astrnmrtom · 10-19-2020, 08:59 AM

You'll be fine on the inverter, that's what I do. Although they are all a little different, my residential until draws about 10 amps DC from the batteries when running, and my rig has a 200 amp alternator, so plenty of spare juice.

AZDave · 10-19-2020, 09:37 AM

I run the refrigerator off the inverter and batteries while traveling. In fact the alternator will charge low batteries to float state if the are not to low and the drive long enough.

I see you have a 2005 coach so do not know if the residential refer was a factory install, probably not. So you need to check that the refer is wired to the inverter. My 2003 DSDP had a plug behind the refer but it was not on the inverter and I had to move the breaker to the inverter panel. Not all 120v plugs are on the inverter though most are so wired.

mchero · 10-19-2020, 09:42 AM

Might want to disconnect from shore power, start the rig and test the house battery voltage to make sure hour getting charging voltage to the house batteries. Those isolator solenoids do fail.