Fred Stevens
Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2014
- Messages
- 13
Hi 4 Wheelers,
A year ago my wife and I got a Fleet unit for our 2014 Tacoma Access cab. After getting used to the various subsystems, and yes, there were figurative bumps in the road, we’ve enjoyed it immensely. The popup and truck have worked fine but the cold box/reefer that we initially chose requires ice every other day, and that has tied us to campgrounds near stores. It’s time to rethink the refrigeration option. We rarely camp where shore power is available, and solar panels to power a compressor (12/120 volt) type unit is unrealistic since where ever possible we park in the shade. Our Fleet comes with two Exide AGM batteries, each rated at 75AH. Assuming a 2 ampere/hour draw from a compressor unit and not draining the batteries below 50 percent, it seems to me that a compressor unit would be only good for about for a day and half to 2 days without recharging. This is a problem since we generally go to a location and stay for several days before moving on. This leaves a 3-way refrigerator/propane as a possible option. Aside from the “level ground”issue,” I don’t see major problems with a 3 way even while running in transit. To me the risk of gas accumulation in the popup, seems negligible if you simply crack the roof vent and open one of the turnbuckle access ports while driving. That said there is the question of how efficient these units are at keeping things cool. In Tom Hannigan’s excellent video on 4 wheel’s site, he shows a 3 way unit that has a Dometic? factory test sticker on the back. The sticker shows with an ambient temperature in the 70F range (no doubt at the factory), it can get the internal temperature down to around 35-37F, good enough to prevent spoilage. What is not clear is how efficient the unit would be if the ambient temperature was around 85F? Another question. If you were driving with the unit in propane mode, what would happen if you exceeded the level surface requirement? Would it just temporarily shut down and automatically restart later or would it require a manual restart? I would like to hear from others on this question as I plan to take the Fleet back to Woodland this fall for a refrigerator mod and needless to say I want to make the right choice.
Thanks,
A year ago my wife and I got a Fleet unit for our 2014 Tacoma Access cab. After getting used to the various subsystems, and yes, there were figurative bumps in the road, we’ve enjoyed it immensely. The popup and truck have worked fine but the cold box/reefer that we initially chose requires ice every other day, and that has tied us to campgrounds near stores. It’s time to rethink the refrigeration option. We rarely camp where shore power is available, and solar panels to power a compressor (12/120 volt) type unit is unrealistic since where ever possible we park in the shade. Our Fleet comes with two Exide AGM batteries, each rated at 75AH. Assuming a 2 ampere/hour draw from a compressor unit and not draining the batteries below 50 percent, it seems to me that a compressor unit would be only good for about for a day and half to 2 days without recharging. This is a problem since we generally go to a location and stay for several days before moving on. This leaves a 3-way refrigerator/propane as a possible option. Aside from the “level ground”issue,” I don’t see major problems with a 3 way even while running in transit. To me the risk of gas accumulation in the popup, seems negligible if you simply crack the roof vent and open one of the turnbuckle access ports while driving. That said there is the question of how efficient these units are at keeping things cool. In Tom Hannigan’s excellent video on 4 wheel’s site, he shows a 3 way unit that has a Dometic? factory test sticker on the back. The sticker shows with an ambient temperature in the 70F range (no doubt at the factory), it can get the internal temperature down to around 35-37F, good enough to prevent spoilage. What is not clear is how efficient the unit would be if the ambient temperature was around 85F? Another question. If you were driving with the unit in propane mode, what would happen if you exceeded the level surface requirement? Would it just temporarily shut down and automatically restart later or would it require a manual restart? I would like to hear from others on this question as I plan to take the Fleet back to Woodland this fall for a refrigerator mod and needless to say I want to make the right choice.
Thanks,