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qhumberd
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Do you disconnect the electrical plug from your car/truck when stopping for an hour or so to shop?

KAR
KAR Member Posts: 86
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
HI, We're about to go on our first trip and was told by a person that they disconnect the electrical plug from their car when they stop at Target or the grocery store if they plan to stay for more than an hour,,,,when they are towing their T@B. We hadn't thought it would be an issue so hadn't thought about it. Thoughts? Experiences? Thanks, K
2015 Tab S with Alde 
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Comments

  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    Some tow vehicles have an isolation relay that prevents the TaB battery from draining the TV battery.  What TV do you have?  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Tampakayaker
    Tampakayaker Member Posts: 558
    I put a kill switch on the line from the TV battery to the plug.
    2006 RAM 1500 4 door, 2016 T@B 320 MAX S 
    Tampa FL
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  • ontheroad
    ontheroad Member Posts: 489
    We do because sometimes the hour becomes a little longer...🙂...make sure when you plug in again you do the checking of the lights..we also use this time to do a walk around the trailer.
    Former 2017 T@G Max XL
    2021 T@B Boondock CS-S
    2018 Nissan Pathfinder
    Ontario, Canada
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  • Marceline
    Marceline Member Posts: 1,745
    If you have a clamshell (2way fridge) you probably don't need to worry about it. If you have a 3way fridge you may need to unplug.
    San Francisco Bay Area
    2013 CS-S us@gi
    2015 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab
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  • jkjenn
    jkjenn Member Posts: 6,417
    I usually do if I am going to be stopped for over 15 minutes.

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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  • KAR
    KAR Member Posts: 86
    THANKS to all! No TV. We have a 3 way refrig. I'll do the test to see if we have the isolation relay but I don't think we have one. Appreciate your fast responses! Safe travels! K
    2015 Tab S with Alde 
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    @KAR - TV in this case refers to Tow Vehicle😆
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,654
    Is it TV or T/V? AC or A/C?
    A few years back there was a lively discussion about the "correct" use and meaning of various camper and camping related terms and abbreviations.  :-)
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
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  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,654
    My tow vehicle has an isolation relay, so I don't unplug when I stop for any length of time. However, if I am running the three-way fridge on DC (direct current) I do turn the fridge off to avoid draining the camper battery while the tow vehicle is not running.
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
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  • KAR
    KAR Member Posts: 86
    THANKS! Our TV (tow vehicle) is a RAV 4.
    This is like learning medical terminology and all our abbreviations! HAHA!
    Thanks.
    K
    2015 Tab S with Alde 
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  • GatorEgg
    GatorEgg Member Posts: 482
    No we don’t unless we’re running our refrigerator on battery.  Then we shut it off.  Sometimes the lady’s momentary stop turns into a marathon.
    2022 TAB 400 Boondock, 2019 Toyota Tacoma Sport 4x4
    2018 TAB 320 Boondock (previous)
    Odessa, Fl.  

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  • KAR
    KAR Member Posts: 86
    Thanks. Ours will be more like our quick photo op turns into something longer! I'm not much of a shopper!
    2015 Tab S with Alde 
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  • YanniLazarus
    YanniLazarus Member Posts: 366
    KAR said:
    THANKS! Our TV (tow vehicle) is a RAV 4.
    This is like learning medical terminology and all our abbreviations! HAHA!
    Thanks.
    K
    we just picked up a used 2018 rav4 adventure and pick up a 2020 tab320 on Thursday.  You happy with that combo?  And I thought spell check made rv into tv!!!

    Yanni Lazarus 2020 T@B320S, 2018 RAV4 Adventure, Central CT
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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    edited June 2020
    We installed an isolation relay when we bought our Tab. It works well. Not too difficult to install if you have electrical savvy.

    As noted by others, neither unplugging the 7pin, nor an isolation relay, will save your Tab battery, if you leave your 3-way fridge going on 12V for any period of time (been there, done that!)...

    We used this one (West Marine carries it):

    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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  • KAR
    KAR Member Posts: 86
    Thanks:) K
    2015 Tab S with Alde 
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  • nhmike
    nhmike Member Posts: 94
    I'm blissfully ignorant on this one.  we do have the cs-s with a 2-way fridge and have never thought about disconnecting the electrical plug when stopping at the store etc.  never had an issue.  we do disconnect when our journey is done for the day. 
    2016 cs-s max
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    @nhmike, the CS 2 way frig only draws a max of 4-5 amps compared to 11 amps by the 3 way In the S model.  Too many S owners have drawn down their battery while on DC.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • rcarlson1957
    rcarlson1957 Member Posts: 264
    A little confused here. I'm hearing two things. I was planning on putting a battery isolation solenoid between my battery and the 30 amp auto reset breaker on the 12v feed going to my trailer (it also powers my CURT Echo Wireless Brake Controller) so I don't have to unplug my trailer if I'm doing an extended stop and risk not having enough battery to start my TV. But some are saying on here that if you leave your refrig on 12v the output from most new SUV alternators (my Mazda is 100amp (not big) isn't strong enough to pass thru to the house battery and keep it charged so it will just run down you house battery on a long trip if the frig 12v is on. So if that is the case, why would you have it on 12v when driving and why would you need a battery isolation solenoid. I thought I understood it now am a little lost. 

    2018 TAB 320S Silver/Black w/100ah Lithium/Bluetti Solar Battery & Portable Solar Panels
    2020 Honda Ridgeline RTL (AWD) Lunar Silver Metallic w/Bluetti Charger 1
    North Texas - Retired Air Force/Corporate Trainer
    Trips - 48  Mileage - 63,452
    "Our favorite trip will always be our next one"
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  • Bayliss
    Bayliss Member Posts: 1,496
    edited June 2020
    @rcarlson1957, it can be a bit confusing.

    1.  You MUST have the battery switch "ON" while towing, because if the trailer should suddenly become detached from your tow vehicle, the only power to the emergency brakes will be your trailer battery.  The emergency breakaway cable on the trailer is designed to activate the emergency brakes on the trailer in that situation.  When the plunger is forcibly pulled out of the switch, that creates an electrical connection (via the trailer battery) to the trailer brakes, locking them up so the trailer will stop moving forward.

    2.  If you are operating your refrigerator on the trailer battery while towing, and you stop for more than a brief period of time, the refrigerator will continue running and will quickly deplete your trailer battery.  At least that is how it works with the three-way refrigerator.  I can't speak to the the newer two-way version, but as @Sharon_is_SAM has described, it draws less power from the trailer battery.

    3.  The purpose of the relay switch on the tow vehicle is to prevent the tow vehicle battery from sending power to your trailer when the tow vehicle ignition switch is turned off.

    Hope that helps.
    2019 T@B 320 S Boondock Lite; 2025 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4x4
    (Alde: 3020; Refrig: Isotherm Cruise 65 Eleg; Battery: BB 100Ah LiFePO4; Solar: Renogy 220W Portable Suitcase w/ Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 Controller; Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor w/ Shunt; Pwr Cntr: PD-4135KW2B; EMS: PI-HW30C)
    Greg & Marlene (Tucson, AZ)


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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    Good question!

    I initially believed that our Tacoma (w/o any 'tow package') would output enough power to keep the 3-way fridge going. So I ran with the fridge's 12v mode on.

    And I figured, for that "rare" case (sure, rare) when we'd forget to shut off the fridge at a lunch stop or whatever, I'd install an isolater, to at least save the TV battery.

    It turns out however, after much trial and error, and then finally with confirmation from the Victron Battery Monitor, the Tacoma standard alternator only does a short initial high amperage charge, and then settles back to what it thinks must be what the system needs. ie: low current charging.

    It probably doesn't help that due to the voltage drop between the front battery and the Tab battery, the alternator reads the voltage of the TV battery, and drops the charge rate back, when the Tab battery is still not up to level yet.

    At any rate, we don't depend on the 12V mode for the 3-way fridge any more at all, though I'm still willing to experiment with solar charging while we drive.
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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  • qhumberd
    qhumberd Administrator, Moderator Posts: 769
    Bayliss said:
    @rcarlson1957, it can be a bit confusing.

    1.  You MUST have the battery switch "ON" while towing, because if the trailer should suddenly become detached from your tow vehicle, the only power to the emergency brakes will be your trailer battery.  The emergency breakaway cable on the trailer is designed to activate the emergency brakes on the trailer in that situation.  When the plunger is forcibly pulled out of the switch, that creates an electrical connection (via the trailer battery) to the trailer brakes, locking them up so the trailer will stop moving forward.

    2.  If you are operating your refrigerator on the trailer battery while towing, and you stop for more than a brief period of time, the refrigerator will continue running and will quickly deplete your trailer battery.  At least that is how it works with the three-way refrigerator.  I can't speak to the the newer two-way version, but as @Sharon_is_SAM has described, it draws less power from the trailer battery.

    3.  The purpose of the relay switch on the tow vehicle is to prevent the tow vehicle battery from sending power to your trailer when the tow vehicle ignition switch is turned off.

    Hope that helps.
    This has got me confused from a safety perspective so I want to confirm that the trailer brakes are wired thru the battery disconnect? It seems that a lot of folks could forget to turn on their battery when towing if they leave home with a fully charged battery and are going where hookups are available. My assumption was that the brakes would run just thru the trailer disconnect pin. Is that right or wrong?

    Also on the 2 way frig the Unofficial nüCamp T@B400 Resource Guide I got from this forum lists the amp draw of the 2 way at 5.15 amps so a brief stop of even 2 hours would not deplete the trailer or the TV battery. And that is assuming it would run all the time, which it does not when already cooled down.

    Thanks all
    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"
    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    Correct.  In the event of a complete separation of TaB from TV, the break-away brake switch gets it’s power From the TaB battery, so you must always tow with the battery switch turned “on”.  And, make sure your battery is charged enough to be able to deploy the brakes in this situation.  While towing, I believe the charge wire supplies brake power to the TaB via the 7 pin.

    The 400 2 way frig on DC is far more efficient than the 320 S 3 way on DC.  You won’t need to worry with your large 400 battery capacity and efficient frig.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • rcarlson1957
    rcarlson1957 Member Posts: 264
    So to make sure I understand it all. So the whole purpose of a battery isolation solenoid in the TV is to prevent the TV battery from sending power to the TT is the TT battery gets too low when TV is not running? Also, if you have a 3 way frig and you run it on 12v while going down the road it will eventually discharge your TT battery and the TV alternator doesn't provide enough charge (if it's newer and has a small or smart alternator) on the 12V feed through the 7 pin connector to keep the TT battery topped off when driving. So in my case, I should not run the frig on 12v ever? Just get it cool on shore power before I leave then turn it off and load it with frozen water bottles and when get to site power it from shore power or when boondocking power via LP gas or via shore power using a small generator. Sounds like 12v function is a complete waste on the 3 way then. Or am I missing something?

    2018 TAB 320S Silver/Black w/100ah Lithium/Bluetti Solar Battery & Portable Solar Panels
    2020 Honda Ridgeline RTL (AWD) Lunar Silver Metallic w/Bluetti Charger 1
    North Texas - Retired Air Force/Corporate Trainer
    Trips - 48  Mileage - 63,452
    "Our favorite trip will always be our next one"
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    edited June 2020
    If the TaB battery becomes depleted due to the DC frig mode,  the system will draw down the TV battery.  The solenoid relay prevents current moving from the TV battery.  

    You got it right.  Many folks choose to run the frig on LP while towing or they pre chill the frig, keep frozen bottles inside, and turn off the DC every couple hours while towing.  

    Some owners use a DC to DC charger while towing.  Another owner set up an inverter to power the frig via ac while towing.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • KAR
    KAR Member Posts: 86
    It's amazing what people come up with! Creative group!
    2015 Tab S with Alde 
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  • donmontalvo
    donmontalvo Member Posts: 187
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
    @KAR - TV in this case refers to Tow Vehicle😆
    Thank you…acronyms can derail a conversation.
    Don Montalvo | Retired Veteran | Full time boondocker
    Camper: nuCamp T@B 320S BBC | 12V 2x100Ah LiFePO4 | 600W Solar
    Tow Vehicle: Jeep JLU Rubicon | 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 | 200W Solar
    https://revkit.com/donmontalvo/ | https://donmontalvo.com
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  • donmontalvo
    donmontalvo Member Posts: 187
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
    If the TaB battery becomes depleted due to the DC frig mode,  the system will draw down the TV battery.  The solenoid relay prevents current moving from the TV battery.  

    You got it right.  Many folks choose to run the frig on LP while towing or they pre chill the frig, keep frozen bottles inside, and turn off the DC every couple hours while towing.  

    Some owners use a DC to DC charger while towing.  Another owner set up an inverter to power the frig via ac while towing.
    LP?
    Don Montalvo | Retired Veteran | Full time boondocker
    Camper: nuCamp T@B 320S BBC | 12V 2x100Ah LiFePO4 | 600W Solar
    Tow Vehicle: Jeep JLU Rubicon | 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 | 200W Solar
    https://revkit.com/donmontalvo/ | https://donmontalvo.com
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  • ckjs
    ckjs Member Posts: 134
    donmontalvo said:
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
    ...  Many folks choose to run the frig on LP ...
    LP?
    Liquid Propane
    Charles & Judy, Santa Cruz, CA
    2018 T@B 320 CS-S; Alde 3020; 4 cyl 2020 Subaru Outback Onyx XT
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  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,654
    You may find this old discussion useful (or not...).
    I personally prefer T/V--or better yet the actual words TOW VEHICLE--when referring to the, um, tow vehicle.
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
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