Have you by any chance got a Hymer, as I had a similar fault and everybody but everybody told me that it was the relay
Peter Hambilton told me that Hymer in their wisdom (not) fit one Scotch Lock and that would be the problem and IT WAS
The battery shouldn't come into the equation - the 12v fridge power should come come from the alternator when the engine is running only.It should still work without a leisure battery.
" I've had a broken connection that could cope with lighting the gas but could not handle the 12V operation."
The connection for lighting the gas should be from the leisure battery not the power for the 12v fridge cooling - two different circuits.
Methinks your wiring needs looking at!
neither of the 2 motorhomes I have had have had a fridge that works off 12v when the engines turned off. (Swift and Hymer)Some fridges maybe designed to work direct from the Alternator - but its not the normal method of wiring a 12/240/LPG Electrolux fridge in my experience. The whole idea of having the 12V operation is that it can be used without the engine running for short(ish) periods, sort of defeats the point of having 12V if you have to have the engine running all the time.
The Electrolux wiring diagrams only include a single 12V power source to the distribution junction box (where the connector on mine failed) on top of the fridge. I can understand a fridge being powered from an alternator if there is no leisure battery, the vehicle starting battery would soon be flattened on 12V operation. But additional circuits would have to be installed to use the 12V thermostat and electronic ignition (if fitted) when the engine was not running to operate the fridge on LPG.
I think that you will find that the idea of using 12v is so that you are not travelling with the fridge operating on gas with all the attendant risks thereby incurred. It is the normal method of wiring.Why on earth would you wish to flatten your battery in preference to using gas when stationary? The 12v side is far less efficient than either 240v or gas.Some fridges maybe designed to work direct from the Alternator - but its not the normal method of wiring a 12/240/LPG Electrolux fridge in my experience. The whole idea of having the 12V operation is that it can be used without the engine running for short(ish) periods, sort of defeats the point of having 12V if you have to have the engine running all the time.
Would help us to know exactly what van you have - make and chassis type.
Has it ever worked since you bought it. May not even have the 12V supply installed. Easiest way to check is -
If you have a meter or test lamp, check that you do have power to the junction box on the back of the fridge. Remove the outside bottom vent to get access.
MAKE SURE THE 240V IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE VAN
This way you will know which direction to start fault finding. Don't forget to check any chassis earthing associated with the fridge connections as well
If there is power there then it might be the selector switch, a bad connection within the fridge wiring or more likely, the 12V heater has burnt out.
If there is no power at the back of the fridge then first make sure conditions are correct for there to be power there. As others have pointed out, normally the 12V fridge circuit is only powered up when the engine is running and sometimes this only happens if the engine battery has had a chance to charge up after starting the engine. Sometimes there is a light comes on on the habitation control panel to show that 12V is being supplied by the engine.
Every motorhome has a different system so it becomes a problem of how they wired it and where the components are. Proceed logically and don't start ripping things apart. The solution is most likely very simple.