12V Freezer?

[rpmhart333]

Does anyone know if there is a small unit--freezer only, no refrigerator--available on the market? Or am I looking at taking a Sawzall to a fridge for my Frankenstenian purposes? Many thanks.

 

[Freelander]

This is the one I use. It will run from 110v AC or 12v DC, and when running uses less than 50 watts to power it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002W8BLUG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[user 423]

Does anyone know if there is a small unit--freezer only, no refrigerator--available on the market?

Alpicool 12vdc/120vac fridges can be used as freezers. They have several different sizes. Check Amazon as there are numerous brands/models that are similar. Here's the one I have but I've only used it as a fridge:

https://www.amazon.com/Alpicool-C20...locphy=200803&hvtargid=pla-446543833648&psc=1

 

[frater secessus]

Does anyone know if there is a small unit--freezer only

You might already know this, but: keeping stuff at below freezing can take a lot more power offgrid than holding 40F or whatever.

 

[Frood]

Aren't most of the 12v cooler-type fridges able to be set as fridge or freezer depending on the temp you use?

 

[user 423]

^ Yes.

 

[rpmhart333]

Much thanks to all for inputs. My query was to find if there was something very small in size just to freeze blue packs for carrying out of vehicle.
Oops. Damn. Gave up my secret Frankenstenian purpose.

 

[Happy Camper]

Really depends on space you have available. For under $200, there are a lot of options ranging from 10 quarts and up. Check your space and get the one that fits.

I would personally get one a little larger then you think you need as you'll quickly find more use for the space. And since it's going to be a freezer with basically a lot of frozen gel packs, it shouldn't run too much to keep it cold/frozen.

 

[Carla618]

And since it's going to be a freezer with basically a lot of frozen gel packs, it shouldn't run too much to keep it cold/frozen.

Anyone know which uses more power? Same TINY frig used for food versus used for frozen gel packs?

Also, I'd like to hear from people who went that route: using their power for a freezer to supply their cooler. Seems you could store more food and drinks that way, if it works to keep the cooler cold enough.

 

[Happy Camper]

Using a tiny fridge to supply a cooler with ice is counterproductive. Using a larger fridge as a freezer to the store food and also make ice for a separate smaller cooler makes a lot more sense.

Most of these fridge freezers are very efficient and sip energy. Having more Frozen or cold mass inside the fridge or freezer helps it stay cooler and keeps the compressor from having the kick on more often. So having a larger fridge that is used as a freezer would be more efficient. When you take the gel packs or ice out of the larger freezer you would still have other Frozen items in there to keep that cool, thereby reducing the compressor having to come on and cool the interior again.

A lot of how this works for you is going to depend on your energy generation, interior temperature, air circulation around the fridge, and a few other things.

One thing I could definitively say regarding 12 volt cooling is never buy a thermoelectric cooler heater. They are completely different from a compressor fridge and will eat up your battery and not work nearly as well.

 

[Carla618]

Using a tiny fridge to supply a cooler with ice is counterproductive. Using a larger fridge as a freezer to the store food and also make ice for a separate smaller cooler makes a lot more sense.

That makes sense. Thank you

 

[user 16179]

I thought about using a C20 to freeze water bottles to use in my Yeti 35 cooler. Good idea. I think the problem comes from the lack of a circulating fan as there is in a "real" freezer. The bottles around the wall freeze much faster than the inner bottles. And the coolant runs through tubes in the walls, the outer bottles even show "zones" next to these tubes that start to freeze first. The frozen areas are left to expand through actual contact vs. the air moving the colder temps. I could put bottles in the home freezer and have them frozen HOURS before the 12v freezer. The lack of a fan is just my guess as to the reason, whatever the reason I KNOW from experience you can't plan your "refrigeration future" based on using a home unit in any of your testing. And freezer gel packs, whether wiggly or hard when not frozen, make absolutely NO---NONE---ZERO difference.

I can't imagine that any ONE particular brand draws so much more or so much less than any of the others as to make a real world in battery usage. That is getting "utoobe expurt anal" in relying on individual cases of testing to actually make a difference that can be duplicated. If you're worried, at all, about those differences it is a definite sign you need more battery storage capacity.

There are so, so, so many different variables to make an absolute statement about the electrical usage of even a single individual freezer sample to make any studies a complete waste of time. What are ambient temps, how full is it or how much does it get opened all can cause such different results that even trying to think of more causes is another waste of time.

Get enough power storage to work, or deal with not having enough power is the bottom line.

 

[tradesman]

Here's a link for an Engel27 and the related current draw at various temperatures, both outside and inside the cooler. They have charts for all of their coolers and all are very similar current draw regardless of size.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0343/7179/7125/files/MT27F-performance-curve.pdf?v=1587147945

 

[Happy Camper]

They didn't ask about how much power was needed. So I didn't bother with that part of the equation. It is true that items on the walls will get cold quicker for certain. But if you have enough frozen mass in there, freezing water bottles or gel packs does go a lot quicker. And the compressor isn't on as long, as well.

I'm no YouTube expert. But I have had a few 12v fridge/freezers that have all done great. 20 quart, 40, and now a 100 quart dual zone. They are all very efficient. The smaller two are quieter and the compressor isn't on as much as the dual.

If I planned on doing what the op was thinking about, I would probably pick the 40 and make it a freezer that is mostly full, and rotate water bottles to freeze and use in a smaller cooler. I would also switch them out when they still have a little ice left, so they are still cold and will freeze faster/easier.

There are a lot of other things I could add, but I'm just trying to stick to the question asked.

Edit: Reading the thread again I have a question for the op. How tiny do you need it to be to work in your space? While what I said is correct, it doesn't matter if it won't work for your particular situation.

 

[LargeMarge]

*** Our response is not applicable to your RequirementsStatement. ***
.
If a Permanent Traveler needs a 61qt dual-zone:
.
We are very happy with our SnoMaster 61qt.
We acquired it used four years ago from a caravan chum... and rumors suggest they acquired it used.
Stainless-steel case, extreme insulation for extended journeys during hot weather.
Extremely low draw.
.
Reliable?
A caravan chum acquired an identical version for insulin.
.
.
Eugene, Oregon.
Wednesdays, we hit Salmon Harbor working (commercial) marina in Reedsport for the fresh catches.
Based on our experience with a used SnoMaster for our ExpeditionVehicle, the farm acquired ten identical fridges as part of our commercial operations.
Four years without a hiccup.
.
Their stainless-steel cases get rough-handled in a hurry, stacked and strapped in the back of the Dodge.
Hinges, latches, structure.
Zero failures.
.
For our farmers markets, they sit silently on the tail-gate.
Customers never notice they exist until we pop the lid.
.
I hope this helps.

 

[rruff]

Using a tiny fridge to supply a cooler with ice is counterproductive. Using a larger fridge as a freezer to the store food and also make ice for a separate smaller cooler makes a lot more sense.

Here's a link for an Engel27 and the related current draw at various temperatures, both outside and inside the cooler. They have charts for all of their coolers and all are very similar current draw regardless of size.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0343/7179/7125/files/MT27F-performance-curve.pdf?v=1587147945View attachment 31707

Note that this does not include the energy to freeze anything; just hold temperature. It shows that these units are quite a bit less efficient at low temperatures. For instance at 25C ambient, maintaining a temp of 3C (22C delta) requires only .66A average. at -13C (35C delta) that jumps to 1.65A... so a 1.59 factor increase in energy loss, but a 2.50 factor increase in energy consumption. At -20C (42C delta) consumption is 2.24A, so a 1.91 factor increase in loss, and a 3.39 factor in energy consumption.

I had considered making ice in a freezer and transferring the ice to a cooler, in order to save on battery needs. When it's sunny I can create more ice, which can give me a few days of buffer for cloudy days, rather than require extra battery capacity for those cloudy days. Plus I could freeze ice for other people if I had plenty of sun.

But the reduced efficiency of the compressors at low temperatures makes me think it isn't worth the trouble.

 

[Carla618]

Edit: Reading the thread again I have a question for the op. How tiny do you need it to be to work in your space? While what I said is correct, it doesn't matter if it won't work for your particular situation.

First I want to see if the 20 liter will be enough for my needs. I'm in a long bed F250 with a high top cap, so I can fit a standard size Coleman cooler. That is what is in it now, but I'll probably swap it out for the 20 liter Alpicool. Mostly I want to keep dairy products from going bad. I doubt I'll be far from a store very often. Not initially, anyway. I'll miss ice, though.

 

[hugemoth]

A friend of mine carries a countertop ice maker so he can have ice for his mixed drinks. Works good for him and is pretty energy efficient.

 

[Alana]

A friend of mine carries a countertop ice maker so he can have ice for his mixed drinks. Works good for him and is pretty energy efficient.

Do you know what brand and model he uses? I've been looking for an energy-efficient ice maker.

 

[hugemoth]

Do you know what brand and model he uses? I've been looking for an energy-efficient ice maker.

No, don't know which one he uses.