frig power usage

**csei74** · 07-08-2020, 02:42 PM

Hi All, I have a 2018 337RLS 5th wheel I take dry camping. I find the frig fan is constantly running. I have to keep a generator on at least 10 hours a day to keep my batteries up. Has anyone else found this odd? Could I have a bad fan switch?

**ultramafic** · 07-08-2020, 03:56 PM

If your fridge is in the slideout and its really warm out yes I have seen/heard our same fans run nearly constantly all day to try and keep my fridge cold. I have resigned myself to the fact that with this setup we will not likely be able to dry camp for very many days without plugging in in some way. If its that hot you have a good chance of having a fair amount of sunlight which should allow you to have a solar panel on your batteries during the day to offset the usage or possibly even power those fans back there.

I was actually a little shocked to see there is four of them behind my fridge in our trailer. They probably arent a huge draw each but combined and constant they will add up over a day.

Mike

**Always Learning** · 07-08-2020, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by csei74

Hi All, I have a 2018 337RLS 5th wheel I take dry camping. I find the frig fan is constantly running. I have to keep a generator on at least 10 hours a day to keep my batteries up. Has anyone else found this odd? Could I have a bad fan switch?

We have a 2020 337 with a 12cf Norcold fridge. We bought it fall 2019 and live in it full time. Over the winter in New Mexico the fan never came on and as it got hotter out it runs more. We just spent two weeks dry camping in Utah at 8,200 feet with day time highs 80-85 and night time 60. On propane the fridge fan ran more than it had since we have owned it but it did not run all the time. The fridge did eat plenty of propane.

Why do you think it is the fridge fan that is draining your battery? There are a lot of variables that can be impacting how long your batteries last.
.

Do you have a battery monitor? I have a Victron BMV712 with bluetooth which works great to monitor the batteries. Get a monitor and do some tests to see if you can determine where your DC is being used.

**csei74** · 07-08-2020, 06:38 PM

Thanks Always Learning. I'll buy one of those monitors. I just moved to AZ from CA. All my dry camping was done at 5-6000' in CA so never that warm and usually between trees. This is the biggest trailer I have owned so it may just draw more power.

**csei74** · 07-08-2020, 06:40 PM

Thanks for your info. I believe this frig and trailer must draw more than I thought it would.

**csei74** · 07-08-2020, 06:43 PM

I'm curious since you have a newer 337. Did the lights above the bed stop working? It cost me 350.00 to re-wire under the bed/slide. The connectors pulled out when the base of the slide slid over them. If it happened I can send you pics of before and after to fix the issue.
csei74

**Always Learning** · 07-08-2020, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by csei74

Thanks Always Learning. I'll buy one of those monitors. I just moved to AZ from CA. All my dry camping was done at 5-6000' in CA so never that warm and usually between trees. This is the biggest trailer I have owned so it may just draw more power.

Something you might want to do is to get a better converter. Grand design puts the WFCO converters in these trailers and if you search this forum you will find all the bad things people have to say about them. As I recall part of the problem is they don’t produce enough volts for a good quick bulk charge so it takes a long time to charge the battery, sound familar. You should have in your trailer a WFCO 8955, the 55 amp deck mounted converter.

Good luck and happy camping.

**Always Learning** · 07-08-2020, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by csei74

I'm curious since you have a newer 337. Did the lights above the bed stop working? It cost me 350.00 to re-wire under the bed/slide. The connectors pulled out when the base of the slide slid over them. If it happened I can send you pics of before and after to fix the issue.
csei74

The lights over the bed work fine on our unit. The little blue lights outside an the bottom of the bedroom slide did stop working. I read a post that there is a wire under the bed that can get trashed by the slide and make them stop working. Since I have power to the switch I figured that was probably the problem but I don’t really care if those lights work or not.

**csei74** · 07-08-2020, 07:47 PM

The overhead lights and the blue outside lights are wired together. Amazing what you find out dissecting a trailer.
Glad the important lights work for you. If they go out it will be the wiring under the false wood floor under the bed.
You would get to it from the inside.

**Always Learning** · 07-08-2020, 07:58 PM

Thanks for the tip. I hope the lights over the bed keep working. That space under the bed is one place in the trailer I have not had to dig into, yet. After doing a solar install and replacing a grey tank valve I have seen most of the guts of this trailer.