12v Fridge fuse blowing

[kingsboy48]

I have a Furrion 12v compressor fridge in my Coachmen Apex Nno Off-Grid but it is frequently blowing the 15A fuse. The trailer was connected to shore power(15A, 110V) and the fridge was working OK but then it wasn't - fuse had blown. Replaced fuse and worked OK, unplugged shore power, plugged in tow vehicle power and went off-grid camping (assumed fridge was still working but didn't check) when we arrived at campground 2 hours later fuse had blown again. The fridge had been in the ON position and I assumed it would draw from our fully charged trailer battery which was also drawing from the tow vehicle. On leaving the campground I connected the tow vehicle electrics and the fridge was running OK. Left the campground but when I arrived home two hours later the fuse was....., you guessed it, ..... blown! No wonder the person at the dealership told us to always carry some spare fuses, there must be something they did not tell me.
Any ideas or experience with fuses blowing on the fridge and how to stop it occurring? Thanks.

 

[John&Andrea]

Just a thought, are you turning the fridge off before changing power source? If not, you may try that next time. Just a guess, I’ve never had a 12v fridge. Good luck.

 

[kingsboy48]

I have a Furrion 12v compressor fridge in my Coachmen Apex Nano Off-Grid but it is frequently blowing the (1) 5A fuse. The trailer was connected to shore power(15A, 110V) and the fridge was working OK but then it wasn't - fuse had blown. Replaced fuse and worked OK, unplugged shore power, plugged in tow vehicle power and went off-grid camping (assumed fridge was still working but didn't check) when we arrived at campground 2 hours later fuse had blown again. The fridge had been in the ON position and I assumed it would draw from our fully charged trailer battery which was also drawing from the tow vehicle. On leaving the campground I connected the tow vehicle electrics and the fridge was running OK. Left the campground but when I arrived home two hours later the fuse was....., you guessed it, ..... blown! No wonder the person at the dealership told us to always carry some spare fuses, there must be something they did not tell me.
Any ideas or experience with fuses blowing on the fridge and how to stop it occurring? Thanks.

Just a thought, are you turning the fridge off before changing power source? If not, you may try that next time. Just a guess, I’ve never had a 12v fridge. Good luck.
Thanks we plan on doing that next time although on the trip home the fridge was running from the battery with tow vehicle connected and running.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Just a thought, are you turning the fridge off before changing power source? If not, you may try that next time. Just a guess, I’ve never had a 12v fridge. Good luck.

This is a good thought! If the system doesn't equalize before trying to restart it could easily blow a fuse.

 

[T’sOVR&Explore]

We have a seven year old 120 vac / 12 vdc compressor type chest fridge in the 2019 Intech Flyer and a secondary-use compressor type chest fridge of the same basic design next to the slide out griddle in the 2026 OVR Navigate. Main OVR fridge is a 120vac /12vdc Norcold compressor type big fridge. All of those have been experiencing auto changeover back and forth between the 120 vac line cord and 12 volt dc supply connections over and over. Shore power, then on house battery 12v power, back to shore, trailers connected to tow vehicle, power droupouts and returns in our Florida T-storm weather, all of it. Never have blown any fuse.

Thinking about design objectives for such a mobile / camping-usage device, if the user had to manually shut off and restore the On state of the fridge at every one of the transfers, the product reputation earned by that annoying requirement would soon end all sales.

What does concern me from past experience is momentary shorts from possible conductor jacket chafing during road travel vibration, due to the typically careless and poorly secured routing of 12 volt supply conductors going to some RV fridges. Both of the mentioned chest fridges we run are on slide drawers. Tidying up and adding split wire loom and tye-wraps in some spots was essential to preclude possible pinching or long term chafing for the slide mounted installations. For the big Norcold fridge in the Navigate, the Intech practice of placing plastic sleeves where the factory routed conductors go thru the aluminum sidewall framing is what is supposed to preclude travel vibration-related shorts to ground there.

There is also the (less likely) possibility of vibration related shorts happening on the control board(s) or internal wiring in the fridge itself. A potted or conformal coated internal control board is less prone to do that, of course. My expectation is that the fridge itself is having momentary overcurrent events and will need to be replaced, but a thorough examination of any accessible 12 volt feed conductors would be my tech’s first step if that problem came into our shop for investigation.

Happy travels!

 

[kingsboy48]

We have a seven year old 120 vac / 12 vdc compressor type chest fridge in the 2019 Intech Flyer and a secondary-use compressor type chest fridge of the same basic design next to the slide out griddle in the 2026 OVR Navigate. Main OVR fridge is a 120vac /12vdc Norcold compressor type big fridge. All of those have been experiencing auto changeover back and forth between the 120 vac line cord and 12 volt dc supply connections over and over. Shore power, then on house battery 12v power, back to shore, trailers connected to tow vehicle, power droupouts and returns in our Florida T-storm weather, all of it. Never have blown any fuse.

Thinking about design objectives for such a mobile / camping-usage device, if the user had to manually shut off and restore the On state of the fridge at every one of the transfers, the product reputation earned by that annoying requirement would soon end all sales.

What does concern me from past experience is momentary shorts from possible conductor jacket chafing during road travel vibration, due to the typically careless and poorly secured routing of 12 volt supply conductors going to some RV fridges. Both of the mentioned chest fridges we run are on slide drawers. Tidying up and adding split wire loom and tye-wraps in some spots was essential to preclude possible pinching or long term chafing for the slide mounted installations. For the big Norcold fridge in the Navigate, the Intech practice of placing plastic sleeves where the factory routed conductors go thru the aluminum sidewall framing is what is supposed to preclude travel vibration-related shorts to ground there.

There is also the (less likely) possibility of vibration related shorts happening on the control board(s) or internal wiring in the fridge itself. A potted or conformal coated internal control board is less prone to do that, of course. My expectation is that the fridge itself is having momentary overcurrent events and will need to be replaced, but a thorough examination of any accessible 12 volt feed conductors would be my tech’s first step if that problem came into our shop for investigation.

Happy travels!

Thanks!!