Club 80-90 Forums

So of all the weekends to pick, we’re taking our van on it’s maiden camping weekend tomorrow.

It’s a chance for a little practise locally before we go further afield - you know, figure out what works gear wise and what we need to change for a proper trip. And find out what’s broken and needs fixing no doubt!

When we bought the van we were told the fridge will either run on gas or the leisure battery.

We’ve not had the onboard gas system safety checked yet, so we don’t want to fill the lpg on this trip.

So we have to rely on the 12v (I think) fridge. Will this likely run all weekend on the leisure battery? Volts are not my forte!


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Depends on the type of fridge, If it is the normally fitted 3 way Absorption Fridge found in the majority of UK conversions, then these are generally connected to the starter battery via a relay which is only engaged when the ignition is on, the 12V supply is disconnected with ignition off. The reason being that the current required to operate the fridge from the battery would flatten it rather rapidly.

There are alternatives such as Compressor type fridges that have been fitted by owners to replace older 3 way fridges (I think these may also be fitted in some German Conversions i.e, Westfalia). These have a much lower current requirement, most often connected to the leisure battery and can operate for much longer. Exactly how long depends on make, model, ambient air temperature and Battery capacity.

I have a German Westy so I think I’m in the latter camp


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So I guess there’s only one true way to find out then.....operation practise camp begins today!

Flat battery o’clock coming up !



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12v is generally used while driving then switch over to gas or 240v when on a site.
If it's working efficiently the fridge will stay cold for a few hours after a good drive.