power packs or dual batteries

"I spoke to a battery shop I trust and they said the thumpers were discontinued because they had a short lifespan"

This is where people who do not know what they are talking about create misinformation.

Waeco not longer resell the "thumper" brand but they are certainly still manufactured and sold by Blue Apple in S.A.

The D*ckhead you trust from the battery shop is misleading you in regards to the short lifespan and that they have been discontinued.

The fact goes like this:-

Waeco wanted a monopoly on the Thumper brand of power pack, but only wanted to sell the lower Amp Hour units.

Blue Apple on the other hand had committed to the manufacture of higher Amp Hour units and decided to withdraw from their arrangement with Waeco and go it alone. (maybe by mutual agreement).

You sound pretty happy with yours- how long have you had it? Have you noticed if it can be opened up to replace the battery if needed?

Ben,

Had it for about 16 months. Yes, very happy with it.

I also have a dual battery system but found with a 55 Ah battery I was getting just under 3 days out of it, without recharging.

Now, when I get to a campsite, the fridge usually comes out of the vehicle and into the camper's tent or annex, running off the Thumper. I also run a versalite of it as well.

With the addition of a solar panel outputting 2.5 amps, I get a reasonable input of juice back in to the Thumper. If I find I need more I can add another panel to the existing one to give 80 watts (5 amps) of charge.

The thumper has good quality sockets, both merit and cigarette type and it can be "repacked" with fresh AGM batteries when they have aged.

The units are not cheap, (about $800 or so for the 75Ah size including In Car charging kit) but are comparable to an equivilent dual battery system and much more portable.

I have the Thumper Charging controller connected to my auxilliary battery, so once the primary battery is charged, both the Auxilliary battery and the Thumper Power pack are individually and separately charged from the Alternator when driving.

Its a good setup which gives me confidence that I'm not going to end up with a warm fridge.

Jeepster, how long does it take to recharge? I assume u can recharge thru the cig. lighter? I have put a wet battery in the camper [$300] but I only get 4-5 days, ''Autofridge'' 2hrs. morn & night, so a little 'extra' would be handy. Where's ya trip takin you? cya
Phil.

Coolpower 36 for sale from www.fridgeshop.com.au for $220 + delivery. I bought two and they threw in a connecting kit.

Have never timed it.

By the time I get to the next stop, or home, as the case may be, the Thumper test shows a full charge and is ready for next time.

The time taken would depend on how "run down" the batteries are, but I think the manufacturer advised about 3.5 hours to fully charge the unit from the In Car Charging kit. (I may be wrong here though)