What size fridge?

[billharr]

Looking at the DC fridges that are out there and have some questions. I wrote Camelracer about his Truckfridge and how he like it. He had some comments I had not though about, the size and layout of the shelfs. I have been happy with the small Norcold I had in the old Hawk and not sure if I need any thing bigger in the new Hawk. Looking for any comments on the size of the fridge you have and how the shelf layout works for you. Also if you have a DC fridge how it is working and if you could make a change what would it be? Going to try to get my build right the first time.


Bill Harr

 

[marty]

We have a Norcold that was donated to the free parts pile by a Wander The Westerner. He said it was fine just wanted something else. It is larger than your old one however it is in the free pile.

 

[billharr]

We have a Norcold that was donated to the free parts pile by a Wander The Westerner. He said it was fine just wanted something else. It is larger than your old one however it is in the free pile.

Thanks Marty but I want to go with a DC and not propane this time.

Bill

 

[leadsled9]

I read many threads about how the 3-way fridge sips propane....and runs for ever using very little. I switched to a DC fridge a few years ago and was amazed at how long my propane tank lasts now.....so my 3-way was using more propane than I had originally thought.

I think the size and shelf arrangement is dependent upon what type of camping you do. My trips tend to be long....from 4 to 6 weeks in one spot.....so for me the largest fridge I could stuff in there make sense. It might not make sense for you. I started a thread about my install you can find with search. There were pictures comparing the old 3-way with the new fridge so you can see the shelf arrangement and see some of the measurements. The new fridge holds a lot more than the old one just because of it's design.

The DC fridge has been flawless for me and I would never switch back. My driveway is at an angle.....now I can just plug in to shore power and load up the fridge ahead of time when prepping. No more turning the pilot on and off while at the gas station etc., no more worrying about being at an angle, no more constant monitoring for temperature. Now I just turn it on and forget about it.

The solar keeps up with it generally.....but I carry a generator for those times when the weather is socked in for many days in a row. It's better to run the Honda generator a couple of hours rather than start up the truck and use it as the power source.

 

[Beach]

I have the big 3 way Norcold that works really well, bought my Hawk used, so fridge choice wasn't an issue. I think I would get the 3 way if I was replacing the fridge though. With the low amp draw of a compressor fridge on 12v, I would install a high capacity battery bank and big enough solar panel(s) to keep up. Running out of propane in the back country would be a pain, solar is always there and if it was cloudy the batteries could carry you for at least few days minimum. My 2 cents

 

[leadsled9]

I have two group 31 Sears Platinum AGM house batteries....and yes they will run the fridge (and provide for other 12v needs) for several days even with no sunshine. Watching the solar system work and keep the batteries topped off is a thing of beauty.

The real issue is how deeply you want to discharge the house batteries during times of no sunshine. The deeper you cycle them the less life you will get out of them....and those batteries are EXPENSIVE. Read the fine print at the bottom of the last attachment. It says to size your battery system to deliver twice the average power requirement, to assure shallow discharges.....and I believe that to be sound advise.

If the weather is such that the solar won't keep up....I will top off my batteries with the generator in the evening to avoid deeper cycling. YMMV.

 

[Simpleman (shanz3n5)]

Hey leadsled take a look at this guys web site. Not sure who he is but he has put some effort into off the grid electric.
I've been reading and it has me even more confused. HAHA
I am just using the 12v AGM and the honda 200 gen. I do plan on adding solar and 2 batteries. I am thinking seriously about 2, 6volt batteries. What do you think. I just would like to put a simply solution together for this mod soon.
The heater drains the existing bat very qwkly.
If bobs website is off the wall then at least i had some good reading.
http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/

 

[Simpleman (shanz3n5)]

apologies if i put this content in the wrong spot. i think you guys call that hi-jacking a thread. and that was not my intention

 

[craig333]

My 12v fridge is great. After using it a while now I still think its much better than a chest model. It does use more juice than I originally thought. Solar is almost required.

 

[ckent323]

Leadsled9, et al.

If I am interpreting the chart of Depth of Discharge (DoD) vs Cycles found in the Odessey Battery (I believe this includes Sears Die Hard Platinum) Technical Manual, I see that at 50% DOD the number of cycles is around 700 (as compared to the generic chart you posted showing about 370 for an AGM battery).

You can find this information in the Odessey technical Manual on page 11 here:

http://www.odysseybattery.com/documents/US-ODY-TM-001_0411_000.pdf


The graph also underscores that battery lifetime (in charge cycles depends on the DOD).

Also note the importance of the charge cycle for these batteries (see page 15).

To be clear, I am not an expert on this topic and am simply reporting manufacturer information.

I hope this information is helpful.

regards,

Craig

 

[chnlisle]

I am using an 85 watt panel (our new ones are larger) a 75ah Interstate and an Engel MT45. All lights are LED. I can freeze water in Death Valley in July and never run out of battery. We have sat on the beach in Baja for 8 to 10 days and even over night we have lights fridge and the heater if we needed it. I too am no expert but it seems to me that this works pretty well.

 

[Marshfly]

I use an engel 45 in the camper for food and a Yeti 50 in the back seat of the truck for drinks. Once the yeti is chilled, I can buy block ice and not drain the melt and get about half a week opening it multiple times a day. I figure that if my ice melts totally, I can throw a few beers in the fridge to chill in a pinch, but I can't do the opposite with my cheese and meat. I have found that for my needs, staying in one place for 3-4 days at most, this setup works best. By the time I need food, I need ice anyway.

 

[Captm]

Hi Bill,
I have a Truckfridge TF130 that I installed in my Flippac, and am really happy with it. Previously I used a Edgestar 43 but wanted a front loader and more volume. Every time I open TF130 the blue light that goes on inside is like my smile that I have knowing that I made the right choice. The shelf level options work for me along with flip-up section for tall items. I feel that the power draw is a little high when on (4.8ah), although it is equaled out by the fact that it doesn't run that often. I don't have the on/off numbers -just going by my battery monitor . The freezer section is great - last trip we had two chicken breasts, 1.25 lbs. of hamburger and ice for cocktails. Unfortunately it is an inch too tall to fit in my Fleet Shell which I recently ordered. I will be going with a TF 65, less volume but I'm sure that the quality and operation will be the same.
My less than year old TF130 is for sale.
Cheers