Cigarette lighters...

[Gollom]

Firstly, I'm assuming there is no way I can set them to stay on when keys removed from ignition?

Secondly, lets say I am charging 2 torches or one torch and one of those little 4 can coolers/fridge things - roughly how long could I do so without having to fire up the engine? i.e. could I leave them plugged in overnight?

Thanks!

Guess who is camping this weekend? And guess what the forecast is? Come on people - send good thoughts to the sunshine gods for us! We are in Northwich at Thundersprint (my mate is a bike nut and going to test a BMW 1200S? He bottled out on the latest Ducatti... Suggests that living is slightly more important)

 

[Sp!ke]

Erm... I'll begin by saying you wont be needing a fridge at night in this weather - save your battery. Also, the torches will surely be in use at night (best charged by day).

 

[Gollom]

Erm... I'll begin by saying you wont be needing a fridge at night in this weather - save your battery. Also, the torches will surely be in use at night (best charged by day).

LOL. Thanks Sp!ke. But my friend likes her white wine VERY chilled!! We have doubled up on the rechargeable torches. The question is one I have oft wondered about anyway

Prayed to the sun god for us yet? I'm all for sacrificing the youngest grandchild - but his grandma seems to have a slight problem with that!

 

[television]

LOL. Thanks Sp!ke. But my friend likes her white wine VERY chilled!! We have doubled up on the rechargeable torches. The question is one I have oft wondered about anyway

Prayed to the sun god for us yet? I'm all for sacrificing the youngest grandchild - but his grandma seems to have a slight problem with that!

Well you could alter the wiring. First the radio and the cigar lighter often share the same fuse and are key I, cars with command have there own fuses and circuitry.

It is easier to add a socket, owing to the difficulty of getting wires through the bulk head.

The one all time live thing that we all have is the light switch, this is also easy to get to by just removing the dash under panel. It is easy to crimp a cable to the the main feed, and no wires to cut.

You must fit an in line fuse for safety reasons. The hardest job is finding some where for it.

The other handy thing about this is that it can be used for solar charging.

Hope this helps a little.

Regards

 

[Gollom]

OK. that makes sense. But how long would it be before the battery needs recharging. Not looking at heavy duty things here

 

[Shude]

Firstly, I'm assuming there is no way I can set them to stay on when keys removed from ignition?

"set them" to stay on? Probably not. You could make some changes in the fuse box so the cigar lighter is on permanently or you could wire up an additional cigar lighter (possibly in the boot?) that was wired directly to the fuse box or (with in-line fuse) to the battery.

A cigar lighter with integrated battery condition LED might be a good idea if you're going to have it live with the keys out.

 

[BTB 500]

I would just use an ordinary cool box with plenty of freezer blocks in it, frozen before you go. If your bottles are well chilled first the whole lot will stay cold for at least a couple of days. That's what I did before I had a caravan, no problems at all.

Otherwise we need to know what current your can cooler pulls, ditto for the torch charger, and what capacity your car battery is. Otherwise we're just guessing.

Alternatively take a spare 12V battery and use that to run your cooler and torches. That way you know you won't have a problem starting the car

 

[Shude]

Otherwise we need to know what current your can cooler pulls, ditto for the torch charger, and what capacity your car battery is. Otherwise we're just guessing.

This is a good idea. Car radios, glovebox lights and other features are not usually expected to pull the same current as a fridge. wiring and fuses would be put at risk.

Alternatively take a spare 12V battery and use that to run your cooler and torches. That way you know you won't have a problem starting the car

This is probably the best idea yet, you could wire the additional battery to charge off the alternator too. Check with an in-car-entertainment expert, this is pretty common in their world.

 

[Gollom]

This is a good idea. Car radios, glovebox lights and other features are not usually expected to pull the same current as a fridge. wiring and fuses would be put at risk.

This is probably the best idea yet, you could wire the additional battery to charge off the alternator too. Check with an in-car-entertainment expert, this is pretty common in their world.

Fridge is 12V 35W - 65W and torch is 6v 4 Ah. Taking the B-class which according to the bumf has an heavy duty battery?

All chinese to me!

 

[Sp!ke]

You'll never get really chilled wine with one of those 4 can 12v coolers. In fact it might even warm the wine up compared to just being left outside at night.

A simple solution would just be to fit one of these crocodile clip lighter sockets onto your car battery overnight. Should still be able to close the bonnet and everything. Cost about £3.50

 

[BTB 500]

Fridge is 12V 35W - 65W and torch is 6v 4 Ah. Taking the B-class which according to the bumf has an heavy duty battery?

All chinese to me!

4 Ah is the battery capacity of the torch, charge current would probably be approx. 0.5A (C/10). Two of them, 1 amp (educated guess).

Fridge, worst case, 65W is 5.4 amps. Say 6.5 amps in total, with the torches. So if your car battery is 65 Ah (educated guess) it would be completely flattened in 10 hours.

Take a separate battery, just charge it up at home before you go.

Or go the freezer block route ... probably cheaper and easier.

 

[television]

Well your fridge alone would pull 30amps from the battery over a 10 hour spell,
you cant afford to do that, since you may get away with it the 1st night you may not the second. The reason being is that alternators are not made for charging flat or nearly flat batteries.

Is there some place on the car (I know nothing of the B class) where you could fit a free time battery, under the car, bonnet or back corner

 

[pammy]

I've got a really good camping fridge. Runs off the 12v or off the mains - and it actually freezes stuff if the outside temp is even remotely cool! You're welcome to borrow it. Is big mind - will take more than 4 cans

 

[Gollom]

I've got a really good camping fridge. Runs off the 12v or off the mains - and it actually freezes stuff if the outside temp is even remotely cool! You're welcome to borrow it. Is big mind - will take more than 4 cans

Thanks anyway - but we leave in 30 mins!

Appreciated though - come and have a glass of wine with us! lol

 

[pammy]

Thanks anyway - but we leave in 30 mins!

Appreciated though - come and have a glass of wine with us! lol

lol - enjoy the weather then

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Do you have one of those jump-starters that dealers use? They have a 12v cigar-lighter style socket that could run it.

But as others have said, car fridges don't really cool things - at best they limit the degree to which they get hot on a warm day. At least in my experience with two.

 

[television]

But as others have said, car fridges don't really cool things - at best they limit the degree to which they get hot on a warm day. At least in my experience with two.

I have to go along with this, my one expensive not much use, in spite of keeping the food in the hotel fridge overnight, By the end of the first day in the car we threw the food away and the runny butter