Using a Coleman cooler

[ficzus]

Hi all of you guys,
I have a question(or two)from smart Okies whom has knowledge in this area,for some of you probably will be silly,but for me the answer will be very educative.
I purchased a 12 volt cooler(COLEMAN POWER CHILL)for my longer trips to keep cool things on the road.
Can I keep connected the box on to the cigarette lighter?while the engine is running.Will it use up my battery power?
The second Q is,because this unit is not coming with a main connection,or transformer how can I pre-cool it the night before the trip?Is there a kind of universal gizmo I could buy somewhere for main connection?
In the "mode d`emploi" the fabricator advise to use a battery charger thru a 12v battery otherwise the heaven fell down,and the cooler`s motor get damaged.It seems to me, it is rather complicated way to solve the problem .Anyone has experience or idea about all this?(on acceptable budget)
Best regards to all of You
Peter

[Gemaskerde Tuinvurk]

Running while the engine is running should not be a problem.

It's more about how much power it uses. If it draws too much it could overheat the wiring and cause it to melt / burn. Do you know what the Amp or Watt rating is for the cooler?

On running the 12v off mains I'm not sure what the cheapest would be... I always run stuff of my battery box.

[4ePajero]

I agree with what the Ninja Garden Fork said.

I would suggest you install a decent Brad Harrison or Hella 12V plug in the back of your vehicle with decent thickness wires from the battery to the back.
Install a fuse in the line, of course!

To pre-cool it, consider either a 220V AC - 12V DC transformer, of adequate Amp rating, or a cheapie 12V charger, with adequate Amp rating.

[ficzus]

Thanks guys,
The writing saying 12V 4AMP
Is the std cigarette lighter is OK to supply this
for a longer trip?
Why must I connect a battery if I use a charger as main supply?
Why is my fan motor get damaged if the charger is connected only?
Peter

[Gemaskerde Tuinvurk]

4Amps should in theory be fine, as it will be around 50W... In the Gen4 the plug in the front of the car can do 120W. As far as I understand it you calc the watt rating based on Volts x Amps (but I'm sure it must go up for resistance...)

As far as connecting a charger to it... I'm not sure what happens to the excess amps if you connect say an 8amp charger to it... It might work fine, but to be safe I would connect a battery in between to act as a regulator. I think batteries can handle excess charge easily (they give off heat, etc.). But I'm no expert...

[LowRange]

.....In the "mode d`emploi" the fabricator advise to use a battery charger thru a 12v battery otherwise the heaven fell down,and the cooler`s motor get damaged.

Yes, whatever you do........DON"T connect the cooler directly to just any charger without a battery. The voltage regulation on some of the cheapies is horrific and WILL damage your fan motor.

Get a proper 12Vdc power supply, or rather run it off a battery, which you charge as required.

Johan

[ficzus]

Thanks Guys,
My last Q will be.
How do I connect the charger,the battery and the cooler box?
In series,or parallel?
I have a battery charger all ready,if i can use it.
Thanks again,
Peter

[Gemaskerde Tuinvurk]

If I remember correctly its called in parallel... Connect charger pos to battery pos, and battery pos to 12v plug pos (same with the negs).

[paw_by_paw]

Ninja Fork
I suggest you give Pieter a call from PBE. I am sure he will advice you how best to use the system correctly. 4 Amps on 12 Volt is quite high especially if still have to run other equipment in paralell with it. The socket in the vehicle has quite thin wires. Running the appliance is not the problem it is the starting amps which is high- and that is for every appliance whther 12v or 220.
His number is 0837490445.
Hope this helps.