fridge recommendations

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fridge recommendations

Postby crdouger » Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:37 pm

If I'm going to build a teardrop, I want to have a good working decent sized fridge. I realize I will need to design my teardrop around it. I also want to be able to spend a significant day on the road and still keep my lunch meat cold so I'm looking at either 12V or propane. What have people successfully done? (I'm not a fan of ice chests and bags of ice...I know many of you do that.) I like my propane fridge in my airstream, but I'm perplexed on how to vent it efficiently.

Suggestions (preferably with pictures)?

Thanks a ton.
Doug
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Postby halfdome, Danny » Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:21 pm

The best way in my opinion for you to accomplish your cooling needs would be to purchase aEngel cooler. They run automatically from 110 volt to 12 volt when the shore power isn't available. They aren't cheap at around $600 but one would fit in a 24" deep galley, check your height. You'll notice on some websites that they rate each sized unit with figures of people or how many cans it will hold. Welcome to the forum, :) Danny
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Postby crdouger » Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:40 pm

Where do you store your Engel cooler while you are driving? I imagine in the trunk of your car doesn't get much air circulation. Does it fit in your galley? Where is it vented?
Doug

:thinking:
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Postby sdtripper2 » Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:59 am

crdouger wrote:Where do you store your Engel cooler while you are driving?
I imagine in the trunk of your car doesn't get much air circulation.
Does it fit in your galley? Where is it vented?
Doug

:thinking:


Doug: :)

John B. Profile Clicky or (jhb) = forum name
has the Engel installed on slides in his Teardrop. He likes it very much.
You might Private Message Jhb and ask him to respond to your questions.

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Picture above is the galley of John B's = (jhb)
John keeps his Engel in his galley mounted on slides, while traveling.

***&***

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is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards." -------Theodore Roosevelt

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Postby Steve F » Fri Nov 28, 2008 6:27 am

I run a 50lt Waeco, it sits in the Jeep when traveling and then plugs into the TD when at camp for easier access and because I have a 100AH battery in there :)

Cheaper than an Engel and just as good in my opinion, mine has been through some tough offroad stuff in the 5 years I've owned it,

Cheers
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Postby Gerdo » Fri Nov 28, 2008 10:02 am

I have an Engel and love it. Here is another thread you should read. I keep mine in the back of my tow vehicle.
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Postby Russ in California » Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:01 am

If you're not in need of a 'brand new one' and patient, you might check ebay or craigslist. I won mine years ago, a Norcold, for $275. I've even seen NOS in perfect condition. They're usually the older models but hey, maybe you don't need the newest most expensive model. Mine works like a charm.
I have it mounted in my Land Cruiser and during the summer months when we go on our monthly club runs, I crank up the cold and put some ice cream bars or something in there and enjoy them out on the trail. It's fun.
There you go...
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Postby Gaston » Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:50 pm

I just got a Engel mt35 to replace my cooler in the teardrop. I hate the ice thing and the water resulting. BUT the price for this water free beauty was steep :? 685.00 to my door. I'm going on an extended teardrop trip to Mexico and wanted a reliable "cold box" for the trip. (also can be used as a freezer. the spec sheet shows at a outside air temp of 35c(95f) and a inside temp of 5c(41F) it will run 40% of the time and draw .96 ah/hr. (At freezer setting and 95f outside air it draws 1.7ah/hr and runs 70% )
good enough to run in refer mode on a battery for a couple of days. (less than 10amp draw a day) other than the price, I love it :thumbsup:
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Postby halfdome, Danny » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:44 pm

The guy who bought TD#1 called me today and said he will swap out the stove/oven for the same type refrigerator/freezer (their both the same size) and get the bigger Honda generator for it & a microwave. Figures he'll carry the stove in the truck. It's nice to have options that will work for your needs. Who knows their might be an Engel for us someday.:) Danny
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Postby Alphacarina » Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:04 am

Gaston wrote: the spec sheet shows at a outside air temp of 35c(95f) and a inside temp of 5c(41F) it will run 40% of the time and draw .96 ah/hr. (At freezer setting and 95f outside air it draws 1.7ah/hr and runs 70% )
good enough to run in refer mode on a battery for a couple of days. (less than 10amp draw a day) other than the price, I love it :thumbsup:


Less than 10 AH per day for any fridge would be GREAT . . . . but sadly, it ain't so

Your Engel draws 2.5 amps when it's running so your .96 AH is the average of it's running/not running time - 40% of the 2.5 amps gives you an average of 1 amp per hour, or 1 AH times 24 for a grand total of 24 amp hours per day

That means that so long as you don't open the fridge (that lets in added heat) . . . . or add anything to it which isn't already cold that you're going to use that much everyday. Since you actually will have to open it to take things out and put things in, you can probaly count on more like 30 AH per day, real world consumption - Quite a difference from the 10 AH you thought it would be, huh? If you're running it on a 60 AH battery, that means it will only take 24 hours to take your battery down to a 50% charge (assuming you're not also running lights/fans/radio/TV from the same battery) which is as deeply as most recommend for optimal battery life . . . . so you're going to need some way to get a 30 AH battery charge once every day

The good news is . . . . . If you added a 45 watt solar panel to this scenario, you wouldn't need to worry about a regulator - No way the solar panel alone could make 30 AH per day to keep up with the fridge, so no danger of ever overcharging the battery :D

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Postby Gaston » Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:34 am

usage will be less than 24 a day under normal conditions. (overnight I usually sleep and don't open the fridge just to see if its cold) if you read the post you will see that I posted "worst case" conditions ie 95f temp. The specs are .5 ah/hr& 21% run time at 77f temp and 41f refer temp. I tested it the other night and it held freezer temps overnight unplugged .
and as a side note I have 45 watts of solar on the roof of my tear ;)
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Postby greg755 » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:54 am

Coleman makes a 12v/110 cooler/fridge that works as a cooler in the normal position or a fridge (with shelves) in an upright position.
They are only $98 in wally world.

Has anybody used one of these? Do they work good and are they COLD?
Thanks
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Postby Russ in California » Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:06 pm

greg755 wrote:Coleman makes a 12v/110 cooler/fridge that works as a cooler in the normal position or a fridge (with shelves) in an upright position.
They are only $98 in wally world.

Has anybody used one of these? Do they work good and are they COLD?
Thanks
Greg


Not cold. Only cool. Don't think they take anywhere near the power the fridge/freezer's take but just compare their names and you'll have your answer.
1) COOLER
2) FRIDGE/FREEZER
There you go....
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Postby halfdome, Danny » Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:09 pm

greg755 wrote:Coleman makes a 12v/110 cooler/fridge that works as a cooler in the normal position or a fridge (with shelves) in an upright position.
They are only $98 in wally world.

Has anybody used one of these? Do they work good and are they COLD?
Thanks
Greg

Greg, From the price you quote those only cool 40 degrees below the ambient temperature. I tried one once and returned it since on an 80 degree day it will only cool it down to 40 degrees, if you start out with cold food. Too high of a temperature for perishables like dairy foods. :D Danny
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Postby madjack » Fri Dec 26, 2008 2:21 pm

greg755 wrote:Coleman makes a 12v/110 cooler/fridge that works as a cooler in the normal position or a fridge (with shelves) in an upright position.
They are only $98 in wally world.

Has anybody used one of these? Do they work good and are they COLD?
Thanks
Greg



...one word...CRAP...they work sorta well WHILE traveling BUT will kill a battery overnight...they are notoriously inefficient and will only cool to 40* below ambient, which means on a 90* day, your baloney will turn green and your drinks will be tepid...getta Engel, a Waeco or one of these , which are on sale for 395USD right now......
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