Teardrop newbie looking for electrical advise.

[TNSean]

how many amp hours are you planning on using per day?

How exactly are you planning on using your system? Shore power vs battery only etc....

[Wishno]

how many amp hours are you planning on using per day?

How exactly are you planning on using your system? Shore power vs battery only etc....

I'm not exactly sure because I'm totally new at this but my cooler says it uses 4 amps and 48 watts. Otherwise maybe two LED lights for an hour each night.

I plan to have shore power most places I camp and will plug in wherever I can but I would like the essential systems to run off 12v. How many amps in a charger is ideal?

[Wobbly Wheels]

If it helps: Watts = Volts X Amps
On your cooler, 48 W = 4A X 12V
On your LEDs, ?W = ?A X 12V
If they're 5W like many are, then 5W = 12V X ?A
Or ?A = 5W / 12V
5/12 = .42A

The cooler won't draw 4A all the time, only when it's cycling. It will take some time to figure out how much it actually draws over 24hrs. That will go up as the outside temperature does as well. You can cut that down by putting a jug of frozen water in there if you can spare the space for it. If it has extra insulation around it, it will also cycle less.

For now, let's assume it's running 1/4 of the time and let's assume four 5W lights are left on for 6hrs/day.
Cooler: 4A X (24hrs X 25%) = 24A in a 24hr period
Lights: .42A X 6hrs = 2.52 A in a 24hr period

So for each 24 hr period with those numbers, you'll use about 26.5A out of your battery. With a 100 A*h battery, 2 days will draw it down to 50%. While many calculate 50% as the max discharge for a deep cycle, it does shorten the lifespan. If you don't draw your batteries down more than 30%, they will last significantly longer.

Personally, I'm doing what we do in boats and using 2 batteries of 100A*h each even though I'm not running any more equipment than you are (not yet at least...)
The batteries will last a long time, though it does require an extra switch, an isolator for charging, and monitoring your usage a bit. For your use, and to keep it simple, you could simply go with a bigger battery.

[kludge]

The cooler won't draw 4A all the time, only when it's cycling. It will take some time to figure out how much it actually draws over 24hrs. That will go up as the outside temperature does as well. You can cut that down by putting a jug of frozen water in there if you can spare the space for it. If it has extra insulation around it, it will also cycle less.

This would apply if the cooler has a thermostat. A lot of them don't and they run continuously.

[Wishno]

Hey guys I have my battery on the way and was wondering what I should use for the battery cables from the battery to the fuse box?

[kayakdlk]

I used 10 gauge red and black wire with soldered ends connectors

Dan

[Wishno]

Hey guys I started getting my electrical system together today and I noticed that when I plugged in my cooler the plug for it got kind of hot and didn't run as fast as it does when it's plugged into my jump box. I ran 14 gauge wire to it and a 15 amp fuse. Do I need to run bigger wire to it?

[bobhenry]

You will need to install a DC voltage cooler in the line just behind the fuse !
Some are loaded with dry ice. This cold slows the electrons down and with the slower current there is less heat buildup in the wiring.

[Wobbly Wheels]

Hey guys I started getting my electrical system together today and I noticed that when I plugged in my cooler the plug for it got kind of hot and didn't run as fast as it does when it's plugged into my jump box. I ran 14 gauge wire to it and a 15 amp fuse. Do I need to run bigger wire to it?

Read what it says on the cooler for the current rating. Add 10% for the fuse rating.
And yes, if the wire is getting hot you need to run a heavier guage (bigger) wire.

[H.A.]

......

[Wishno]

I bought a new cigar plug for it to go into so lets see how that works. Also I got my 14 gauge wire in the mail yesterday and it says speaker wire on the wire themselves. Is this safe to use or will I need to find something else?

[Wishno]

I ended up giving it a try and it seems to be working so far.