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Old 07-31-2018, 11:07 AM   #1
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Refrigerator stops working when Sprinter motor is off

My 2013 Interstate has a new issue.

My fridge used to be nice and cold as long as the house batteries were on and charged. Now it seems when if I turn the off Sprinter, the fridge is also going off. The house batteries are charged and are on.

What should I look at? Could I have changed a setting in the power controls?

Thanks in advance for the assist!
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:24 PM   #2
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A few thoughts.
1) How old are your house batteries? Are they the originals? If so they may no longer be able to hold a charge.
2) How do you tell if the fridge off when you turn off the Sprinter engine?

My guess based on your description would be that the house batteries are shot and your fridge only gets the proper voltage when the charge is coming from the Sprinter alternator. I also have a 2013 Interstate - the measly 50W solar panel and useless solar controller have probably contributed to the death of your batteries unless you have kept it plugged and only left it unplugged for a day or two. Unfortunately on a 2013 Interstate that is what is required to keep the house batteries charged. The solar controller lights an voltage give you a false sense of security because they show a good voltage when the sun shines. But 50W solar is not adequate - which is why the new Interstates have 300W of solar.

I upgraded my Interstate with 400W of solar and a good quality MPPT solar controller. Also increase the battery capacity to 440AH from four 6 volt batteries. Have had no battery issues since the upgrade three years ago. I can leave my van in the driveway unplugged indefinitely because the batteries are kept topped off by solar.

Hope this helps,
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Old 07-31-2018, 09:04 PM   #3
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How did you find space for 400 watts? Or do you have the extended van model? I just am about finished with a 300 watt solar upgrade for my regular length 2011 Interstate and there sure isn't any room up there for another panel.

Battery upgrade is next. How and what did you do for your battery upgrade? Did you upgrade the inverter charger?
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Old 07-31-2018, 09:27 PM   #4
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Room for 400w Solar

Quote:
Originally Posted by gmillerok1 View Post
How did you find space for 400 watts? Or do you have the extended van model? I just am about finished with a 300 watt solar upgrade for my regular length 2011 Interstate and there sure isn't any room up there for another panel.

Battery upgrade is next. How and what did you do for your battery upgrade? Did you upgrade the inverter charger?
Lew just did a solar upgrade for me. I have a 2013 non-ext AI and Lew does 300 watts of panels on that size, and 400 watts on ext AI versions.

I kept my 1 year old 6v - 220 Ah Lifelines. Lew took the battery box out, so when I replace the existing Lifelines, I will have room for a 6v - 300 Ah pair.

I’m about to do a 4 day off grid trip, so we will see how the system works. Maybe I will be looking for more battery capacity, but will see how this goes.

So I am curious too how Boxster fit 400 Watts.
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Old 07-31-2018, 09:36 PM   #5
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Extended...400 watts of solar



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Old 07-31-2018, 11:19 PM   #6
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Extended...400 watts of solar
What is the white box where the vent is just behind the front panel?
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Old 08-01-2018, 06:29 AM   #7
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Beautiful!
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Old 08-01-2018, 06:43 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by X New Yorker View Post
My 2013 Interstate has a new issue.

My fridge used to be nice and cold as long as the house batteries were on and charged. Now it seems when if I turn the off Sprinter, the fridge is also going off. The house batteries are charged and are on.

What should I look at? Could I have changed a setting in the power controls?

Thanks in advance for the assist!
You say it “seems” that when you turn off the engine, your frig is going “off”.

Your indicator lights on the front of your frig will tell you if the frig is actually turning “off”.

If they don’t indicate “off”, perhaps you have a cooling issue.

If you’re unsure, perhaps take a picture and post it here.

Maggie
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Old 08-01-2018, 07:31 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lily&Me View Post
You say it “seems” that when you turn off the engine, your frig is going “off”.
Your indicator lights on the front of your frig will tell you if the frig is actually turning “off”. Maggie
There are no lights on the NovaKool that would be installed in the OP's 2013.

If I listen real closely, I can hear the compressor, but not with the engine running.

The NovaKool shuts down if voltage goes below a certain level to protect the battery. I don't have the specs here and I don't remember the level except that it can be changed with a jumper.
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Old 08-01-2018, 09:17 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gmillerok1 View Post
What is the white box where the vent is just behind the front panel?


That is the cover for the fan. I got one from Wachuko’s list. Don’t have the link handy.
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Old 08-01-2018, 09:18 AM   #11
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Looks nice! I have 350w on top and 200w of portables. I put 2 Battleborn 12v 100ah lithiums in my 2013. They slide right into the orig box without the tray. I used IKEA silicone cutting boards cut to fit in place of the original tray. In fact, I "lined" the battery box with them. Luv the new batteries!
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Old 08-01-2018, 10:49 AM   #12
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I received a PM from OP (X New Yorker) with a number of questions that are best answered in this thread to help others understand the likely cause of the refrigerator issue experienced by OP.

The Nova Cool refrigerators, like all DC model refrigeration units have a low-voltage cut off to prevent daring batteries completely. I did a quick search and found this Nova Cool document that indicates their low-voltage cutoff is 12.2V.
http://www.novakool.com/support/docu...ber2007PDF.pdf

The condition of the refrigerator stopping after the engine is turned off is a sure sign that the batteries cannot hold their voltage after the charging source is removed. You can do a quick check of the voltage on each battery source by using the voltage display on the Tank Monitor Panel. Need to check it without any charging sources like solar. If the voltage drops to something like 12.2V within an hour of shutting off the engine it is a clear sign that the batteries are a problem. If they are original 2013 batteries, that have been drained flat repeatedly without a full recharge of over 24hrs from the onboard Magnum charger, they likely need replacement.

Since a 2013 Interstate is no longer covered by warranty you don't have to use an Airstream dealer to get the batteries checked. Any experience RV repair shop should be able to check the batteries and intall new ones if needed.

To get a solar upgrade I'd also check with local RV repair shops and ask if they have done solar upgrades. Obviously you want to choose a shop that has some experience doing a solar installation on a van.
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Old 08-01-2018, 01:39 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pahaska View Post
There are no lights on the NovaKool that would be installed in the OP's 2013.

If I listen real closely, I can hear the compressor, but not with the engine running.

The NovaKool shuts down if voltage goes below a certain level to protect the battery. I don't have the specs here and I don't remember the level except that it can be changed with a jumper.
Thanks for that clarification, and sorry for any confusion.

We have never gone to an RV dealer for our batteries, but to an Interstate Battery Store...who check them for free and also replace with no labor charge.


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Old 08-01-2018, 03:03 PM   #14
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Wow, I can't wait. I'll see Lew in Florida in Oct. Or Nov. The difference between what you now have and what I currently see up there on mine looks like night and day. Keep us all posted on your trip. I had told Lew I wanted to be able to boondock 3 days with air conditioning and fridge on.
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Old 08-02-2018, 02:18 PM   #15
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Hi - Who is "lew"?
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Old 08-02-2018, 03:48 PM   #16
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"Lew" is also known as "Lewster" on the forum. Real name Lew Farber.

He is an acknowledged expert at Airstream electrical systems specializing in Solar Installs. Has multiple certifications and tons of skill!

He works for AMSolar in Oregon.
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Old 08-02-2018, 03:48 PM   #17
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“Lew” is probably one of the better true experts in everything solar, Airstream, electrical for our cantankerous beasts. Lew Farber. I need say no more, or I’ll likely violate some advertising restriction in the forum.
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