Re: refrigerator vent fan
? I did this some time ago, but not with a 12 volt inline thermocouple like the one installed on the cooling fins of a Dometic fridge.? Instead, SilenX offers an integral thermocouple in their EFX-12-15T fan (note the “T” at the end of the model number).? The thermocouple is mounted in the same cooling fin location as the Dometic thermocouple, and the Dometic thermocouple is bridged out.? The integral thermocouple works far more smoothly, because it ramps up the fan speed as temperature increases, instead of just a binary on/off reaction. ?
? Dave ? ………………….. ? Another thing some do is put a thermocouple on the power wire.?
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Re: refrigerator vent fan
? I generally agree.? One fan is all you’ll need. To make this even simpler, start by running the fridge until the old fan starts. Switch it off with the fan switch mounted on your cabinet. Then just remove the old noisy fan and install the SilenX EFX-12-15 or equivalent fan where the noisy one was.? Turn the fan switch back on. If the new fan has three or four wires, start with the black and red ones and try different combinations until the new fan starts.? If it blows inward, reverse the wires.? Working with live 12 volt wires like this won’t hurt you a bit. There’s no need to bypass the thermistor mounted to the fins in back of the fridge as long as the fan runs when the fridge has warmed up. ? Another note:? I would certainly not pay Amazon $45 for a new fan. There are other less expensive sources, for example: ?
? Dave ? ………………… ? I recently was looking at commercial fans available on Amazon for the inside of our 3 way fridge.? While reviewing I saw others for the purpose you require.? I replaced mine a couple years ago. I bypassed the fridge thermostat that controls the fan, so I could run it full time.? The toggle switch inside controls it completely.? It is a simple wiring job.? I did have to get creative with mounting them, and had to redo it once because it interfered with the vent covers.? Hindsight.
The amperage draw would be the main consideration, especially if you plan any boondocking.? From what I see, you would pay a premium for someone to attach two simple fans together.? I'd buy the fans and mount myself.? You do not need fancy controls IMO.
--
??
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Re: Installing a Rear View Camera-2016 Expedition
This camera works very well for backing up as it has a wide field of vision.
We use it in city traffic to see if there is anything behind us that our mirrors don't catch, it does not replace mirrors at highway speed as the field is too wide.
The best parts about this installation are no holes in the camper, powered and turned on/off from TV and can be moved? between TVs in less than a minute.
Nick
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I do all my replies through my email account.? I only go to the website to more easily view all of the messages in a particular post.?? -- Don DeRyke Sunrise, Florida 2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.? Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.
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I think yahoo broke this website.? Neither my tablet nor my phone can scroll to the start or end of a message that exceeds the text box size.? Editing messages is really awkward. Anybody else seeing this?
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Re: refrigerator vent fan
(Continuing my prior post.? This website has gone whacko on me.? If I type a message bigger than the text box, it won't scroll to the end of thd message without great difficulty)
An additional thing to do for fan installation is hunt down the location where the power is on only when the fridge is on.? That way when you shut the fridge off the fan goes off too.
Another thing some do is put a thermocouple on the power wire.? This makes the fan only come on if the temp in that area exceeds what opens the thermocouple.? But this mod is overrated IMO.? My original fridge had a thermocouple that never shut the fan off, and my new fridge has a thermocouple that almost never turns the fan on.
Another mod to make handling of the upper fridge vent easier is to make the fan connected by some small spade connectors, so you can remove the vent and set it aside.? If you do that, use insulated spade connectors, and put the female connector on the live (+) power wire connected to the battery, so it can't touch a ground and blow the inline fuse.
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Re: refrigerator vent fan
There have been some comples wiring methods posted on this forum that allow changing fan speed.? I actually did that on my install but have never used it.? You don't need it.
Here's the simplest install:
Wire up just one fan that's on the higher side for speed and power. Having 2 fans is not mandatory. Find the 12v+ and 12v- wires for the fan, and connect them to the 12v power of the fridge.? On the 12v+ line, route it through a 1 amp inline fuse, and a small 12v/dc rocker switch.? Mount the rocker switch on the side of a cabinet somewhere.? If you have a upper vent cover that's plastic (which everything but older Chalets have), zip tie the fan to the inside of the cover, blowing out, on the right hand side, since the fridge chimney is on the right and that's the hottest part of the fridge. ?
That's it, you are done.
Here's a good fan to use if you mount only one.? It's the max size that fits (140 mm), and goes at the max rpm you'd want (1500 rpm).? You can just barely hear it if all is quiet.? You can't hear it if the wind rustles the trees:
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Re: Installing a Rear View Camera-2016 Expedition
Their wireless recording model looks awfully good as well. -- Don DeRyke Sunrise, Florida 2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.? Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.
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Re: Installing a Rear View Camera-2016 Expedition
Nick,
I already did my camera thing, but my cousin is interested.? How does this work as a backup camera versus just rear view?? I actually haven't tried to use mine for backing, so I'm not sure.? But I think mine might have too deep a field of view to be much help getting into a campsite.
--
Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida
2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.
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Re: refrigerator vent fan
Dave, you can search messages (posts) in the search box in the upper right of this page. I recently was looking at commercial fans available on Amazon for the inside of our 3 way fridge.? While reviewing I saw others for the purpose you require.? I replaced mine a couple years ago. I bypassed the fridge thermostat that controls the fan, so I could run it full time.? The toggle switch inside controls it completely.? It is a simple wiring job.? I did have to get creative with mounting them, and had to redo it once because it interfered with the vent covers.? Hindsight. The amperage draw would be the main consideration, especially if you plan any boondocking.? From what I see, you would pay a premium for someone to attach two simple fans together.? I'd buy the fans and mount myself.? You do not need fancy controls IMO.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZF65YK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 -- Don DeRyke Sunrise, Florida 2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.? Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.
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1. There was a posting in 2021 about replacing the noisy, power robbing refrigerator cooling fan with a 2 fan alternative. It was complicated because a limit switch needed to be replaced (or perhaps not - it was unclear), the the rocker switch needed to be replaced and rewired, and a 2 fan housing needed to be built. Now I see a number of 12 volt, dual fan assemblies online, complete with control boxes, that could perhaps be installed by a non-electrician.? Are any of these a good, easy to install, low power, quiet? alternatives?? Please specify which.
2. When I go to the the homepage for this site I don't see a quick way to look up the past submissions and discussions by topic. Perhaps one exists that is not obvious to me. Thanks
Dave Smith
2010 Aliner Classic
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Re: loose wiring connection question
The photo didn't get attached, but your best bet is to review each circuit 12v & 120vac - make sure they are working.
If you find a circuit that doesn't work there is your culprit.
You may also want to check if there is a voltage between the loose wire and ground.? Your best practice would be to put a wire nut or tape up the end of that loose wire, so as not to cause a short.
On Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 5:30 PM, sandyvoit@... <sandyvoit@...> wrote: In preparing for our next trip - leaving tomorrow morning - I discovered a loose wire in the compartment to the left of the sink where the external electrical hookup cord is stored. I have attached a photo so that you can see it.
It is the black wire that isn't attached and I have no idea where it should be attached.
Anyone have an answer/suggestion?
Much appreciated.
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loose wiring connection question
In preparing for our next trip - leaving tomorrow morning - I discovered a loose wire in the compartment to the left of the sink where the external electrical hookup cord is stored. I have attached a photo so that you can see it.
It is the black wire that isn't attached and I have no idea where it should be attached.
Anyone have an answer/suggestion?
Much appreciated.
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Re: Solar charger recommendations
Sounds like a good setup, 200watts of solar seems to be just the right amount for most people.? (Unless your running a microwave or AC)
I also run 200 watt with an extension cable(s), but with mc4 connectors on one end and sae on the other, then into the zamp plug on the side of the camper to a charge controller .?
Have a great camping trip next week!!
Dan S
On Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 1:55 PM, Cindy Harris <cah329a@...> wrote: Just this week I replaced my 9-year-old 90w solar suitcase with a new 200W Renogy suitcase. I've liked having the portable suitcase rather than a fixed installation because I can park in the shade and with a 15ft cable set the panels anywhere they need to be to catch maximum sun. The big annoyance with the new Renogy suitcase is that it came?with a 12ft fused cable that has battery clamps on one end and MC4 connectors on the other end. That would make it a pain to connect and disconnect every time I wanted to set it up. After mucking around looking at various cables of various lengths with various connectors, I settled on a short MC4 to SAE cable, a 15ft SAE to SAE cable, and a fused SAE to ring terminal connector. Which all should have worked except:
1. The ring terminal connectors were 1/4"....and so were my battery terminals, so they did not fit. I cut those off and replaced them with 3/8" ring terminals. And I also replaced the 20A fuse with a 15A to match the recommendation from Renogy for 14AWG wire. The ring terminals are now installed permanently on my battery, with the short cable tucked inside the battery box where I can fish it out without opening the whole thing every time I need to use it. 2. The 15ft extension cable was actually two cables that were not wrapped together, a royal pain to keep untangled. I used 3:1 shrink tubing to connect them, using a size that was just big enough to slip over the connectors and still small enough to shrink down to hold the wires together. If I hadn't found big enough shrink tubing with enough shrink to work, I would have used little zip ties, but I didn't exactly love the idea of all those little ends sticking out as I coiled the wires to put them away. Ten short shrink tube lengths spaced along the wires worked just fine, and I could add more if needed. 3. One would think that if you lined up all the red wires and all the black wires you'd have the polarity correct, no? So I added a polarity reverser that came with the MC4 to SAE connector to make that happen. And when I plugged it in, got an error message that the polarity was reversed. Oh well. Easily solved by removing the polarity reverser.
I won't have a chance to road test this new setup until next week, but it was pretty impressive in my driveway test, generating nicely even with part of the panel in partial shade. I have always liked having solar for the times when I was camped with no utilities, but on my last trip there was a lot of overcast weather and it became clear that the old solar panel had finally degraded to the point where it was no longer charging the battery fully unless there was a lot of full sun. Hopefully this new one will solve that problem.?
Interestingly enough, this whole thing cost me under $400, and if I recall correctly, my original suitcase ten years ago with half the power cost more like $600. And the technology has certainly advanced significantly. The new controller is more sophisticated, with specific settings for flooded, gel, AGM, and LiFePO4 batteries. And it's better in situations where there's partial shade from trees or other obstacles because they've figured out a way to bypass the shaded elements rather than cutting out the whole panel. I should be good to go for another ten years :-)
Cindy Harris
2013 Expedition Pittsburgh, PA Will my solar charge controller conflict with the onboard charger when plugged in at a campsite with electricity?
I can trip the breaker between the panels and controller easy enough.
JoeS
-- Cindy Harris Pittsburgh, PA 2013 Expedition
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Re: Solar charger recommendations
Just this week I replaced my 9-year-old 90w solar suitcase with a new 200W Renogy suitcase. I've liked having the portable suitcase rather than a fixed installation because I can park in the shade and with a 15ft cable set the panels anywhere they need to be to catch maximum sun. The big annoyance with the new Renogy suitcase is that it came?with a 12ft fused cable that has battery clamps on one end and MC4 connectors on the other end. That would make it a pain to connect and disconnect every time I wanted to set it up. After mucking around looking at various cables of various lengths with various connectors, I settled on a short MC4 to SAE cable, a 15ft SAE to SAE cable, and a fused SAE to ring terminal connector. Which all should have worked except:
1. The ring terminal connectors were 1/4"....and so were my battery terminals, so they did not fit. I cut those off and replaced them with 3/8" ring terminals. And I also replaced the 20A fuse with a 15A to match the recommendation from Renogy for 14AWG wire. The ring terminals are now installed permanently on my battery, with the short cable tucked inside the battery box where I can fish it out without opening the whole thing every time I need to use it. 2. The 15ft extension cable was actually two cables that were not wrapped together, a royal pain to keep untangled. I used 3:1 shrink tubing to connect them, using a size that was just big enough to slip over the connectors and still small enough to shrink down to hold the wires together. If I hadn't found big enough shrink tubing with enough shrink to work, I would have used little zip ties, but I didn't exactly love the idea of all those little ends sticking out as I coiled the wires to put them away. Ten short shrink tube lengths spaced along the wires worked just fine, and I could add more if needed. 3. One would think that if you lined up all the red wires and all the black wires you'd have the polarity correct, no? So I added a polarity reverser that came with the MC4 to SAE connector to make that happen. And when I plugged it in, got an error message that the polarity was reversed. Oh well. Easily solved by removing the polarity reverser.
I won't have a chance to road test this new setup until next week, but it was pretty impressive in my driveway test, generating nicely even with part of the panel in partial shade. I have always liked having solar for the times when I was camped with no utilities, but on my last trip there was a lot of overcast weather and it became clear that the old solar panel had finally degraded to the point where it was no longer charging the battery fully unless there was a lot of full sun. Hopefully this new one will solve that problem.?
Interestingly enough, this whole thing cost me under $400, and if I recall correctly, my original suitcase ten years ago with half the power cost more like $600. And the technology has certainly advanced significantly. The new controller is more sophisticated, with specific settings for flooded, gel, AGM, and LiFePO4 batteries. And it's better in situations where there's partial shade from trees or other obstacles because they've figured out a way to bypass the shaded elements rather than cutting out the whole panel. I should be good to go for another ten years :-)
Cindy Harris
2013 Expedition Pittsburgh, PA
Will my solar charge controller conflict with the onboard charger when plugged in at a campsite with electricity?
I can trip the breaker between the panels and controller easy enough.
JoeS
--
Cindy Harris
Pittsburgh, PA
2013 Expedition
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Re: My Gas Spring Adventure
Nice no nonsense video Steve.? What's the parts source, McMaster? -- Don DeRyke Sunrise, Florida 2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.? Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.
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Re: Solar charger recommendations
No, it won’t conflict.? Multiple parallel DC supplies will work in harmony, although any one smart supply will be influenced by others – so if you’re on shore power, your solar controller well “think” that your battery is fully charged because of the charge voltage/current from your shore powered converter. Not efficient, but not an existential problem. ? This cannot be said for multiple parallel AC supplies…. ? Dave ………………… ? Will my solar charge controller conflict with the onboard charger when plugged in at a campsite with electricity?
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Re: Solar charger recommendations
No, your solar will not interfere with charging your batteries while plugged in to a campground post. I exist on solar and I have plugged in a few times to experiment with the results. For example, I plugged in March 22nd, 22 after dark and stayed plugged in until March 24th. My solar brought in 60 watt hours (5amp hours) on the 23rd.? This leads me to believe that my solar takes better care of my batteries then the standard WFCO converter. ?With the victron smart solar mppt charge controllers you can download and Excel file of the previous 30 days charging data. I do that routinely and run a spreadsheet since I am full-time.? This is what I installed my LiFePO4 battery.? Here is the summary I have at the top of the sheet to show you what data comes in.? I added the total charging time column at the end. You can actually see the change in the length of days during the year 
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Re: My Gas Spring Adventure
I have a 2008 Classic with no dormers. Here is the invoice of the parts I used. I am very pleased with the result. I inserted a link to a video showing the difference having the lifts made.?
26.25'' Lift Supports Depot SE260PSS30M10 Lift Support With 10MM Metal Ball Sockets | SE260PSS30M10-W
| SE260PSS30M10-W | 4 | $37.95 USD | $151.80 USD |
AB Ball Stud 10mm=(3/8") 5/16 X 18 S316 Stainless 4 Pack
| b-bs10-1ss-4-W | 1 | $13.00 USD | $13.00 USD |
FP Ball Stud Joint 10mm=(3/8") 2 Hole Offset Bracket S316 Stainless
| y-ob165ss-W | 4 | $6.25 USD | $25.00 USD |
On Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 8:38?PM Eugene Breindel < efbreindel@...> wrote: [Edited Message Follows]
Here is the little video I made to show the first time closing and opening and evaluating the results. In the video I ask the question of myself:? "Is there anything I can do about that?"
Dan, yes it helps, but mostly at the end of the opening.? I am going to shift the cylinders front to back and see if it is better, I'm looking for some feedback.?
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Re: Solar charger recommendations
Will my solar charge controller conflict with the onboard charger when plugged in at a campsite with electricity?
I can trip the breaker between the panels and controller easy enough.
JoeS
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Don DeRyke
Eugene Breindel