Hardwired fridge in frunk

[someccie]

Absolutely love this. Was contemplating doing the same and was hoping someone had done it before me!

I’m thinking about mounting the DC/DC step down behind the frunk liner and drilling a hole to put a 12V outlet receptacle in the liner. This way it’s a clean install, basically same as if they had decided to put a 12V outlet up there.

One big question though, per the manual it seems that once you exit the truck you must keep the AC outlets active to keep the 48V on. Is this true?

I was hoping the LV side would stay on as long as sentry mode was enabled, like our model Y. That way you have less phantom drain than if the huge DC/AC outlet inverter is kept powered on all night. The idle current draw from the main inverter is higher than the power draw of the cooler!

If there’s no way to keep 48V power on without the outlets on than it would sort of defeat the purpose for me and I’d probably just use a 2kW power station in the vault to run my cooler back there and then fast charge it once a day off the truck to be more power efficient.

I haven't revisited this install, but I would like to put the step-down converter behind the liner too. This was just a temporary installation to ensure it would work. After a month of use, it works fine, but I want to give it another few weeks of warmer weather.

The frunk connection is unrelated to the interior 120V or bed 120/240V outlets; therefore they do not have to be switched on to remain on. I have noticed that the frunk connection turns off after some deep sleep time, likely 12-18 hours. I will have to do some testing after an upcoming work trip to verify what that timeline looks like.

I have no interest in wiring directly to the 48V battery. I want to ensure this is a safe installation that is easily removable and will not interfere with any other systems in play on the vehicle. Wiring into the battery could add extra load into the system without any safety constraints (fuses and/or current limiters), which could compromise safety, and I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone go that route. Tesla provided these 48V extensions for convenience and they are current limited to not break the other systems and we should stick to those. The 120/240V outlets aren't wired to other vehicle systems, but are also current limited for safety reasons.

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[Djcoolchris]

I haven't revisited this install, but I would like to put the step-down converter behind the liner too. This was just a temporary installation to ensure it would work. After a month of use, it works fine, but I want to give it another few weeks of warmer weather.

The frunk connection is unrelated to the interior 120V or bed 120/240V outlets; therefore they do not have to be switched on to remain on. I have noticed that the frunk connection turns off after some deep sleep time, likely 12-18 hours. I will have to do some testing after an upcoming work trip to verify what that timeline looks like.

I have no interest in wiring directly to the 48V battery. I want to ensure this is a safe installation that is easily removable and will not interfere with any other systems in play on the vehicle. Wiring into the battery could add extra load into the system without any safety constraints (fuses and/or current limiters), which could compromise safety, and I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone go that route. Tesla provided these 48V extensions for convenience and they are current limited to not break the other systems and we should stick to those. The 120/240V outlets aren't wired to other vehicle systems, but are also current limited for safety reasons.

Does the 48V feed stay active while AC charging overnight? Like at a hotel destination charger while on a road trip for example.

 

[alockbox]

I also wanted my cooler in the frunk and it draws only 48W. I also wanted more versatility for other powered options in the future, so I went with this setup. 48 Volt to 120 Volt and used the Ford outlet that is rated for the max 400W on the auxiliary outlet in the frunk.

Victron Energy 500VA 48-Volt 120V AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter
https://a.co/d/9WQC1ME

Center Console Rear Power Outlet Plug 110V 400W Rear AC Outlet Socket Assembly
https://a.co/d/dzhfFSl

Could you provide some more details on this? The power feed in the frunk has three wires: red w/ blue stripe (positive), brown w/ blue stripe (negative), and green (local interconnect network).

You just stripped the positive and negative power feed wires and connected them directly into the positive and negative on the Victron Inverter? Were the cables long enough to allow the inverter to be positioned somewhere safe and stable / mounted behind the frunk trim?

What you did is exactly what I was thinking, along with with 15A Weatherproof Outdoor Power Outlet.

I’ve done a lot of lighting and accessory mods on all my vehicles past, but just want to extra careful with the CT. Any downsides to doing it this way? 900 peak amp seems like plenty, and it being a standard outlet instead of a 12v barrel makes it much more useful.

 

[RUREDEIAM]

Red is positive
Brown is ground
Green is not used

Cables were long enough

Went with this plug instead of the original I listed, since it plugs directly in to the Victron Inverter,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XF5D8H...id=UFUBC5X88X0F&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_ys_dp_it

 

[alockbox]

Red is positive
Brown is ground
Green is not used

Cables were long enough

Went with this plug instead of the original I listed, since it plugs directly in to the Victron Inverter,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XF5D8H...id=UFUBC5X88X0F&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_ys_dp_it

Yep that's the exact one I had settled on too. Just needed to confirm you didn't have an issue with cable length. I maybe 3M VHB mounting the inverter if there's no ideal location for it. If you have any inputs please share. It's all been ordered and will be arriving mid week when I get back.

Thanks again!

 

[alockbox]

Red is positive
Brown is ground
Green is not used

Cables were long enough

Went with this plug instead of the original I listed, since it plugs directly in to the Victron Inverter,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XF5D8H...id=UFUBC5X88X0F&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_ys_dp_it

I received the Victron Energy 500VA 48-Volt 120V AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter and this baby is way larger and heavier than I expected. To confirm again you were able to fit this behind the frunk liner? Care to share any details on how you mounted it? I will have very limited time when I’m able to tackle this, as it’s my only vehicle and a lot going on each day unfortunately. Just trying to get as much lined up as possible before I start taking it apart.

Thanks again

 

[RUREDEIAM]

I will try to get the time this weekend to remove the frunk liner and take some pictures.

 

[alockbox]

I will try to get the time this weekend to remove the frunk liner and take some pictures.

If you’re telling me it fits I’ll take your word for it. Just trying to document and then share with others are well. This is a BIG HEAVY inverter. May have to VHB it down if I don’t feel comfortable mounting it mechanically some how.

EDIT: Update, I tried this, and could find nowhere this fits behind the frunk bucket with the power feed lines as short as they are. It's possible it could be tucked into the gap infant of the wheel well, but would not be super secure. It could also be set on the vent cover below but there are cables plugged in preventing it sitting flat. In either place, it would be butted up against sound-deadening material or plastic. From what I'd imagine, it would get pretty hot when runnings since it has lots of venting, and also would be exposed to outdoor temps.

Anyone with any input, I'd love to hear it. I think a 110/120v would be so much more useful than a 12v for me, and I'd like to avoid hooking up an inverter inside the frunk taking up space.

 

[RUREDEIAM]

Mine was 3m taped to the casting between the 2 mounting screw posts on the passenger side of the frunk. However l, when I removed the trunk liner everything was wet and dirty. I had not counted on how open to the road and wet the inverter would get. So, I decided to add length to the 48V wires and mount the inverter inside the frunk to keep it dry and have access to the inverter switch.

 

[alockbox]

Mine was 3m taped to the casting between the 2 mounting screw posts on the passenger side of the frunk. However l, when I removed the trunk liner everything was wet and dirty. I had not counted on how open to the road and wet the inverter would get. So, I decided to add length to the 48V wires and mount the inverter inside the frunk to keep it dry and have access to the inverter switch.

Yeah I personally didn’t find a way to fit it anywhere I deemed safe. The one area it could fit, above the wheel well, is literally flexible plastic you can push and dislodge with your hand and expose to the wheel. I wasn’t going to do that. I also didn’t like the look of it as is in the frunk, so I returned it and just opted to step down to 12v. I had planned to use my River 2 Pro in between the power feed and the fridge anyway, as it solves literally every issue with power feeds on CT, Lightning etc… the power can stay on easily without draining main battery, I can control it from my phone, I can leave it running all night if I need to, etc etc.

I plan to look at it again in the future and maybe 3d print a case plus mount for the 120v inverter, cover it up and better protect the connectors, make it a nice black.

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