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running a fridge with the goal zero yeti lithium 12v regulated cable

since using a 12v fridge full time in my van, i’ve had the dreaded F1 error pop up on my fridge, essentially shutting off the fridge as a way to protect my battery life if the voltage is “too low.”
 
there are some workarounds with the fridge, like eco modes, but regardless of how high my battery life was on my generator, i always seemed to get an F1 error.
 
to get around it, i would switch to AC power, which was killing my battery bank faster than usual.
 
i thought about getting a 100w solar panel just for the yeti, but after doing some reading, i discovered that goal zero has this cable that should solve the low voltage error i’m receiving from my fridge.
 
when plugged into AC power, the fridge reads 14.4v consistently. when on 12v, it reads anywhere between 10.8 and 12.3v.
 
keep in mind, my yeti might be fully charged, or even mostly charged, but it would still result in a voltage reading too low to keep my fridge running.
 
so i got tired of throwing food out, or limiting how many days i run my fridge. i read that goal zero’s 12v output is not regulated, which means the voltage isn’t consistent, which MEANS if you want to run a fridge off DC power RELIABLY, you need to buy this accessory from goal zero.
 
for the most part, the yeti generators can be used out of the box without any issues except the limitations of your inverter wattage and battery bank. i have the lithium 1000 series, which means i have a pretty substantial bank for my needs. never had any issues using the generator.
 
but if you intend to run any 12v refrigerator straight off of your battery, you’re gonna run into some issues.
 
so the solution to my problem was to buy this 12v regulated cable sold by goal zero as an accessory to their yeti lithium generators.
 
it costs $40 from goal zero, but i bought mine from amazon at the same price, mostly for the 5% back.
 
according to the packaging, this cable is used to regulate the 12v output to a consistent voltage, “improving capability with 12v-powered devices.”
 
it’s funny you need a separate accessory to have a consistent voltage on a thousand dollar generator, but that’s okay, it’s only $40.
 
any 12v item you might be running off your generator that requires a consistent voltage will need this accessory. fridge, cpap machine. these are not things you want to risk shutting off in the middle of the night.
 
so you plug the male anderson powerpoles into the 12v output underneath the traditional 12v cigarette input, and then plug my 12v plug from my fridge into the other end.
 
when running my fridge on AC, i consistently get above 14.4v, so the fridge never shuts off. downside is it kills nearly double the power.
 
and even though i am 12.3v on DC, i immediately receive the F1 error on my fridge. this is basically my fridge saying hey imma turn myself off to protect your battery, mmkay?
 
mmkay except that don’t fly with me because i got half a dozen eggs and flax milk chillin in there and i wanna eat breakfast in the morning.
 
so using this accessory now gives me a consistent 14v, no F1 error. cool. i guess it is as advertised.
 
if it doesn’t hold up, i’ll let you know, but if you’re encountering F1 errors on your van fridge, a regulated power supply is what you might need.
 
hope this helps.