Member - Banjo (SA) replied:

By searching the archives you should find bulk advice in this topic - most members here would not trust cig lighter fittings to provide reliable power to the fridge. Choice of fittings, cable, fusing and power source all matter.

madlee replied:

if you don't know much about electrical go straight to the auto electrician.The new cars are not as simple as older cars.Alot of components including taillights,trailer lights are becoming controlled by computors.If this wire you are talking about can't cope you can do alot of damage.

80scruiser replied:

I'd run 4mm wire back to the battery and don't use cig lighter.
Not sure what state you are in but Coventry auto parts sold me some marine style fittings for mine. They are stainless steel, and screw together. I haven't had a drama in 3 years with them. They were about 25 bucks for the female and 19 bucks for the males.

ferris replied:

Woodiebro,

Seven core trailer wire is not heavy enough to run the fridge. Using it will cause you all sorts of grief. I have seen Engles run off a cigarette lighter, but the lighter gets hot, and would not be recommended for the longer term. The simplest way is to run 6 mm wire direct from the battery with a 15 amp fuse close to the battery. This will provide heaps of power for the fridge without affecting anything in the car. Only downside is the fridge will keep going when the engine is off, and a standard car battery will be flattened fairly quickly, especially in warm weather.
There are three ways to stop a flat battery:-
1. Remember to turn the fridge off when you get out of the car
2. Install a low voltage cut out - giving the battery enough reserve to start the car
3. Install a relay, so the fridge goes on with the ignition
If you are not confident with 12v electrics, probably best to consult an autoelec.
Ferris

Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

Terry,
I agree with the others that you would be best advised to instal heavy wiring (6mm minimum) from the battery to the fridge. Engel cigi plugs are great....you can unscrew the end which leaves you with a screw-up fitting....you'll need to buy a Engel fitting which is supplied with a fuse and enables the fridge cable to be positively connected (the normal cigi plug can work loose). These special fittings come in 2 styles....one with a short lead; the other has a nice long lead that will be able to be run up to your engine bay and connected directly to your battery. As for the problem of running your battery flat if you forget to turn the fridge off when the vehicle is stopped, i think you'll find the Engel has an automatice low-voltage cut-off at about 10.5V (which may still be too low to provide enough power to start your car).
Cheers
Roachie

hoyks replied:

I wired a plug into the back of the wagon, it isn't hard.
Last week I rewired it as the cable had a short and I up graded. In Supercheap in the car stero area you can get heavy duty wiring kits for car stero amps. In the kit is about 5m of very heavy gauge wire a fuse holder a fuse and a few crimp on conectors. Mine was only about $9 and saved walking out with more bits than you need as it is all in the box. The wire has a good layer of insulation on it and is nice and flexable so it can be tucked in behind the plastic trims.
Get a good quality plug. There are cigarette type things but there are also better ones that won't vibrate loose and fall out.
Follow the wiring diagram on the box, just hook it up to the plug instead of the amp and you can't go wrong........hopefully.

woodiebro replied:

Thanks for all your advise I have arranged for the local 4WD centre to install the proper Engle plug into the back of the ute
Terry