Using a Refrigerator in a 2000 Mitsubishi Delica Van

Question:

Hi. Ive recently purchased a 2000 Mitsubishi Delica 3L V6. Id like to install an aux battery to power a fridge when the vehicle is not running. The ARB 63 is the fridge that has been recommended and the Odyssey 34-pc1500t was the suggested battery. Im trying to figure out how best to charge the aux battery. The van does have a 6 pin trailer wiring outlet no trailer being towed. Is there a simple way to wire the aux battery to the aux power terminal on this outlet? Is a 12V charger required? An isolator? I am aware of the dedicated Dual Batt Systems, but am seeking a less involved and costly solution. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

asked by: Brent

Expert Reply:

On a large 12 volt battery the vehicle alternator will not be able to charge it up. The best that it can do is provide a maintenance charge to the battery. You would then need to charge the battery using an AC charger such as # CTEK56353.

A better option would be to use a fridge that plugs into AC power and then use an inverter such as # WC3720 which would connect directly to the regular vehicle battery. This inverter converts 12 volt DC power to 115 volt AC power. Provided the fridge you use does not draw more power than the inverter can handle this would be a great solution.

expert reply by: Michael H