Installing a Hella plug in my vehicle.

[DouwtA]

Good day gents.

I bought a Natunal Luna fridge/freezer and need a Hella plug, running from my vehicle's battery, fitted in my bakkie's cab. Does anyone know of a reputable fitter in the Pretoria region (preferably Centurion) that can do this for me while not charging (no pun intended) me an arm and a leg?

Thank you in advance.

[Psychosis]

What is the amp rating on the fridge?

You get hella plugs with cigarette lighter\auxillary power outlet adapters as well. Very common at motorcycle accessory shops as well (as a biker, I would know that bikers use them a lot).

If you want to go this route, and happy that you won't be popping fuses in your car (cigarette lighter\auxillary power fuses), try World Of Accessories at centurin Lifestyle center for the Hella\cigarette lighter\auxillary power adapter.

If not, why pay someone to do it?

[DouwtA]

The manual suggest that a 15A automotive fuse should be used for the DC input. I have a cigarette lighter/Hella adapter, the problem is that my vehicle does not supply power to my cigarette socket if the ignition is not switched on. It also seems as if more than 1 Volt is lost somewhere between my battery and the cigarette lighter socket.

[Andrew Leigh]

Do you have dual battery system fitted Douw, that National Luna fridge will drain your cranking battery rapidly. You may want to consider your options as to how the Hella plug is fitted, direct to the battery or only once the ignition is turned on.

I used a 70l National Luna fridge in December with a dual battery and the 105 Ah secondary battery would flatten over about 18 hours if not charged. Your cranking battery requires many more amps to crank the motor so you cannot run it down as far as you would the deep cycle secondary battery, you could probably run the fridge (guessing) for about 8 - 10 hours and you car will not start.

Consider the option of a dual battery.

[DouwtA]

Thank you for the replies.

@Psychosis: My knowledge about electricity is extremely limited, dwindling close to zero in fact. I do not want to set fire to my bakkie somewhere out in the sticks due to my suspect wiring capabilites.

@Andrew Leigh: I do not have a dual battery system. Most of the places where I camp, for now at least, does have 220V electricity. But I would like the option of supplying 12V power to my fridge for the odd night that I do not have access to 220V. My vehicle's battery can then be charged the following day by driving around a bit.
Or should all my food stay frozen over a period of one night and then I can just switch the fridge on while driving again the following day?

[Adri]

Speak to Herman, owner of LA Sport in Centurion his email address is centurion@lasport.co.za

Cost pending, I would suggest the dual battery system, I went direct cables first but did not like the risk of sitting with a flat starting battery and an Automatic D4D, I did the dual battery thing also, if you can afford do a Hella plug in the front and the tail sides of the vehicle, this will save you endless frustration in plugging lights, fridges etc , in and out without the need of opening bonnet and tail gate all the time.

I even ran a "skaapkraal" portable electric fence around our camp site from my dual battery system in Nxai Pans, Baines' Baobabs Botswana


Regards

[Psychosis]

@Psychosis: My knowledge about electricity is extremely limited, dwindling close to zero in fact. I do not want to set fire to my bakkie somewhere out in the sticks due to my suspect wiring capabilites.

Understood

Rather be safe.

That dual battery thing sounds like a plan... although have no idea where I would fit one on my offroad vehicle (bike)

[Killabeez]

Dual battery is the way to go...

[burger]

It also seems as if more than 1 Volt is lost somewhere between my battery and the cigarette lighter socket.

If you run DC from your vehicle battery to the canopy, the volt drop becomes considerable. You need both a positive and a negative wire as thick as your finger; the vehicle body should/can not be used as your negative return. You also need a solenoid to disconnect the two batteries as soon as the engine stops.

If you decide to go the dual battery route, which is the way to go in the long run, you can consider taking AC from front to rear. Install an inverter inside the cab under the dash as close as possible to the vehicle battery. Run a normal extension cord from PnP to the rear and connect a CTEK charger to your deep cycle battery.

[Wanderin' Zero]

@Andrew Leigh: I do not have a dual battery system. Most of the places where I camp, for now at least, does have 220V electricity. But I would like the option of supplying 12V power to my fridge for the odd night that I do not have access to 220V. My vehicle's battery can then be charged the following day by driving around a bit.
Or should all my food stay frozen over a period of one night and then I can just switch the fridge on while driving again the following day?

Douw, if the stuff is properly cold and you stay out the fridge it will still be fine the next morning. I don't know the NL specifically but for the most part the insulation on these fridges is excellent.

A fridge can destroy a conventional car battery. Remember that conventional batteries can be badly damaged by deep discharge. For that reason a second battery and/ or a battery discharge controller is advisable.

If you do run wiring to your fridge, but sure to put a separate fuse in that circuit. Also, the heavier the wiring, the better. Also make sure that wiring cannot chafe through anywhere. Vehicle fires are no joke at all. Carry a fire extinguisher anyway and always.