GrampaKoot
Fruitvale BC Can
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I just purchased two, eighty amp hour 12 volt deep cycle batteries.
I have installed them parallel. I read 14.1 volts at full charge.
With only the fridge running for 24 hrs., I drop to 12.1 volts and my charger indicates 70% remaining of charge.
I calculate that 70% means I have used 48 amps in 24 hours or 2 amps /hr.
I fear that, at best, I can only get 48 hrs with just fridge running. Hardly enough to go boondocking eh?
GrampaKoot says...la vida es corta para añejar el vino
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jauguston
Bellingham, WA
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Are you running the refer on propane? If not you should be. Most likely neither of the voltage numbers you posted mean anything. In order to get accurate voltage readings for state of charge the batteries need to be rested for several hours with no load and no charging.
Jim
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2oldman
Winchester WA
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Sounds like there's a draw somewhere else, provided the fridge is on gas.
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tkcas01
Roaming Fulltimer
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Joined: 10/11/2005
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I had contacted Norcold a few years back regarding my 1200 and they said the unit would draw an average of 1.9 amp hours.
My last known location (is here)
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trickyvic3
Raymond NH.
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The voltage drop is actually about right for overnight. On my rig when the batteries are charged I show around 13.4 to 13.8 after sitting a few hrs, they settle down to around 12.8 or so. I was worried about it and posted it here, and was told this is normal.
I'll bet that even without the fridge running they will show 12+ the next day.
If your running the fridge on LP it shouldn't draw much power at all.
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enblethen
Moses Lake, WA
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Joined: 01/05/2005
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80 amp hour batteries are not much. What is make and model of batteries as they may not be deep cycle.
Your refer should not draw the batteries down if they qwere fully charged. There is many other paracititic loads.
Bud
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RAS43
Littleton,CO
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I guess I am a bit comfused by the comments about running the fridge on propane to save the battery. Unless the OP has a three way fridge I don't believe that the fridge uses more 12 volt power on either propane or electric. The control panel is what uses 12 volts and it would operate either way. 
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jauguston
Bellingham, WA
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43,
The OP was talking about boondocking so there was the possibility he was powering the refer with a inverter.
Jim
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bluebirdPT36
NE Tn
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How do we know the fridge is propane? Silly me, I thought electric compressor type when he mentioned amp draw. If propane fridges draw 2 amps/hour, that makes my little compressor fridge look real good. It uses 0.9 amps when running which is usually less than half of the time.
Actually, I question the accuracy of the OP's amp usage. Only sure way is to wire a VOM in series with the fridge and measure the amp draw.
I agree with the poster that said 160 isn't many amp/hours. Isn't this only 80 usable if you draw the batteries down to 50 percent?
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MrWizard
Traveling
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Joined: 06/27/2004
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RV propane fridge would draw about 25 amps using a 12v heating element
30 amps using an inverter for the 120v heating element
our residential fridge uses 10 amps draw from battery using inverter when the compressor cycles
duty cycle 40% or so
80>100 AmpHrs per day
2 amps draw for fridge and parasitic loads seems normal with fridge on propane
yep batteries were probably closer to 80%
but you have to disconnect for a couple of hours and let them recover to get a more accurate reading closer to the truth
30>35 AmpHrs average for fridge controls and parasitic loads
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