22 replies to this topic

[bsharp007]

I had fairly bad luck with the three Norcold absorbtion refrigerators I have owned. They either didn't work or they worked too good...freezing everything.
I have done a search on this site but I'm curious to learn more about the real world preformance of some of the compressor DC/AC refrigerators that FWC is now offering. Honsetly I would go with an ice cooler over a 3 way fridge..based on my experience it just wasn't reliable. My old setup had a 80 watt solar panel and one coach battery, it would drain the battery in about 2 hours with the refrigerator set on 12 volt even in full sunlight.

My setup will be the 90 watt solar panel with 2 coach batteries. Can I expect this setup to run a Waeco 80 liter or 110 liter compressor fridge on 12 volt overnight? Most of my camping is done in the west with fairly reliable sun.
Or should I just go with a Engle 12volt. There has to be someone running this exact same setup who has real world experience? They were building a couple of campers with this exact setup during my visit to FWC.

[leadsled9]

I have the Waeco 110 and 120 watt solar system. See my install here:
http://www.wanderthe...__0

After living with this set up for a while I would never go back to the 3-way refrigerator. With this set up I can set it and forget it. I have two 100ah AGM batteries. Everything works fine if the weather is good and I get the normal sun.

However, if I encounter several days of storms....that is days without good sun then I have to top off the batteries in the evening by running my Honda generator (1000, or 2000) for a couple of hours.

I just completed a 6 week trip to Colorado and where I camped was not good for solar power. The trees blocked my solar panel from the sun and I was only getting 2 or 3 hours of sunlight per day. I had to top off the batteries on that trip too.



So, my recommendation if you want to have a similar set up is to have a back up plan in the form of a Honda generator because you never really can predict the weather.

YMMV.

[bsharp007]

Hmm this is getting easier:
$ 1200 for the Waeco 80 liter fridge
$ 1000 for a solar panel
$ 500 for 2 batteries
$1000 for a generator

Or just going old school and bringing a quality cooler I already own that I know can keep ice for a week and takes up less room then a generator plus fuel? Btw the SS refrigerator looks good.

I have the Waeco 110 and 120 watt solar system. See my install here:
http://www.wanderthe...__0

After living with this set up for a while I would never go back to the 3-way refrigerator. With this set up I can set it and forget it. I have two 100ah AGM batteries. Everything works fine if the weather is good and I get the normal sun.

However, if I encounter several days of storms....that is days without good sun then I have to top off the batteries in the evening by running my Honda generator (1000, or 2000) for a couple of hours.

I just completed a 6 week trip to Colorado and where I camped was not good for solar power. The trees blocked my solar panel from the sun and I was only getting 2 or 3 hours of sunlight per day. I had to top off the batteries on that trip too.



So, my recommendation if you want to have a similar set up is to have a back up plan in the form of a Honda generator because you never really can predict the weather.

YMMV.

[K6ON]

I have an Engel 45, a 100 watt solar panel, and two group 31 batteries in the camper. The longest I've been parked in one spot is 4 days, and the solar kept the batteries up just fine with the Engel running in freezer mode. Go for it.

[leadsled9]

$ 1000 for a solar panel
$ 500 for 2 batteries
$1000 for a generator

I would buy the three above items whether I had a fridge or not. Those three items will ensure your electrical needs are taken care of for any length trip in any kind of weather or camping conditions. The fridge is just icing on the cake.

During my long stays it is nice getting to fire up the flat screen tv and watch a movie....use lights without worry....recharge numerous electrical items (cell phone, satellite phone, gps's, radios, computer, printer, flashlight and head lamp batteries, camera batteries, etc.). I use a computer and printer to print detailed topographic maps of my hunting areas.

[bsharp007]

Good points...I like your camping style.
I guess it comes down to compromise and what works best for your needs. Did you find that most of the time your 2 batteries and solar panel could keep up with your fridge and other power needs? I'm not keen on lugging a generator and if its rare I'll fire up the truck as needed to recharge.

I would buy the three above items whether I had a fridge or not. those three items will ensure your electrical needs are taken care of for any length trip in any kind of weather or camping conditions. The fridge is just icing on the cake.

During my long stays it is nice getting to fire up the flat screen tv and watch a movie....use lights without worry....recharge numerous electrical items (cell phone, satellite phone, gps's, radios, computer, printer, flashlight and head lamp batteries, camera batteries, etc.). I use a computer and printer to print detailed topographic maps of my hunting areas.

[leadsled9]

Did you find that most of the time your 2 batteries and solar panel could keep up with your fridge and other power needs? I'm not keen on lugging a generator and if its rare I'll fire up the truck as needed to recharge.

It all depends on your camping sytle and how much you want to rough it. If you are moving every few days then I wouldn't worry about a generator....the truck motor will recharge your batteries in short order.

If I am having blue bird weather, such as when I go down to the Arizona/Mexico border....then I probably won't need to fire up the generator. But if a nasty desert storm rolls in and hangs for a few days like it did in 2010....then the generator is a great thing to have along.

Here's my 2010 camp in blue bird weather.


Same view after 4 day freak winter storm.


Most of my hunts are of long duration (4 to 6 weeks) and solo events. There is no one else around to bail me out so I like to be prepared. I also pack a Honda DC cord that plugs into the generator to put a quick charge on a dead or weak truck battery. It has come in handy a time or two.

[DirtyDog]

I had my Engel running for 8 straight months this year and never had one issue with the fridge or the power. I have dual batteries and a single panel. Pretty awesome setup I'd never go back to a cooler.

[craig333]

Panels shouldn't cost anywhere near that much, though they are going up thanks to the guvmint cracking down on the cheap chinese panels. I love it, gives great peace of mind.

[PeterV]

Will,

Maybe you already made up your mind/ordered something, but: I have a Waeco fridge I used in my subaru for the past year and a half, every weekend. I have an Optima blue top that I charge at home and then I put in the car (it's not even connected to the car). I can run the fridge for 2-3 days without running out of battery, especially in the spring/fall or if the car is parked in the shade. In the summer, parked in the sun, with the inside getting really hot, then I sometimes run out of battery during the day (as the compressor has to work a lot harder). But I would never have any concern for the fridge to run it overnight. And with a solar panel for day time use, then I think you will never have issues (also, you mention getting two batteries instead of just one, which will help but probably even is overkill).

In short, I think you'll be happy with it as well and never have a problem. Unless you stay parked in one place for 2-3 days and have no sunlight, which would be a rare/never occurrence? (Mine is a top loader, unfortunately, so it will be too hard to retrofit into the Eagle... I like the propane option more in theory, but in practice it is proving a bit of a pain.. we'll see)

Or did you already decide?