Freezer to fridge conversion

[highdesertranger]

the problem I found with propane refers, when boondocking sooner or later you run out of propane. highdesertranger

 

[GotSmart]

The one she linked to shows as being a 12v/110v dual voltage unit same as your link

I did not read much further than the description, where it lists it as  110.

 

[Kozi_Kidy]

Very large units.  Check Amazon (or Ebay if you go that way) for smaller compressor fridges.  My Dometic (waeco) CF-18 cost me a bit under $300 via Amazon.  Can hold cans, fresh veggies, sandwich condiments.

That CF-18 just looked sooo small. Im probably just so used to looking at a full sized fridge. I was thinking I'd like to stock up and boondocks quite a bit. Since it's only just me you're probably right and I can go with a much smaller unit.

 

[Almost There]

That CF-18 just looked sooo small. Im probably just so used to looking at a full sized fridge. I was thinking I'd like to stock up and boondocks quite a bit. Since it's only just me you're probably right and I can go with a much smaller unit.

The easiest way to visualize how much space you'd have in any of the compressor 12v units is to use a cardboard box and cut/tape it the same size as the INSIDE of the unit.

Then start taking stuff from the fridge and making it fit.

Remember that once you're on the road you're not going to be stocking 2 of anything in the fridge, you'll find workarounds for it.

I'm going with 2 units, both 65 qt, so that one can be set at freezer temp and one at fridge temp. Expensive..well yes, but not any more expensive than a full size RV fridge that always comes with a dinky little freezer and won't play nice with 12v for long term usage.

 

[LeeRevell]

I camp in both a minivan and a full size E150, so I am always concious of equipment size.  I also camp no more than a few days at a time.  I can easily move this one between the two vans.

 

[highdesertranger]

Almost There wrote, "Remember that once you're on the road you're not going to be stocking 2 of anything in the fridge". obviously not a beer drinker. remember the more capacity you have the longer you can stay out in the boonies. right now I have 2, 40qt Engels I will add a third for a dedicated freezer. highdesertranger

 

[Almost There]

Almost There wrote,  "Remember that once you're on the road you're not going to be stocking 2 of anything in the fridge".  obviously not a beer drinker.  remember the more capacity you have the longer you can stay out in the boonies.  right now I have 2, 40qt Engels I will add a third for a dedicated freezer.  highdesertranger

Well, no, actually...

And I drink my water at ambient temperature as well so, yes, I only try to pack one of anything at a time. One juice container, one milk bottle, one package of eggs etc.  :angel:

 

[ahh_me2]

That CF-18 just looked sooo small. Im probably just so used to looking at a full sized fridge. I was thinking I'd like to stock up and boondocks quite a bit. Since it's only just me you're probably right and I can go with a much smaller unit.

Something to consider....

On any of the 12 volt compressor fridges, there is a base price for the compressor and shell.
What this means is that it costs very little usually to upgrade to a bigger size.
For example using arbitrary numbers:
Base unit compressor: $250
18 qt unit                   $350
30 qt unit                   $450
45 qt unit                   $550

So it is therefore better to buy a larger if you can because you pay a base rate for the compressor anyway.
If you find down the road you want a second one because the first was too small, you pay again for the compressor.

The exception to that would be if you want to run one as a fridge and one as a freezer, as I am doing and as Almost There and HDR have mentioned also.

PS: did you see my post #20 with the pic in it? it shows power consumption AC/DC/battery sizes/solar etc, info you were sort of asking for earlier.

 

[GotSmart]

Something to consider....

On any of the 12 volt compressor fridges, there is a base price for the compressor and shell.
What this means is that it costs very little usually to upgrade to a bigger size.
For example using arbitrary numbers:
Base unit compressor: $250
18 qt unit                   $350
30 qt unit                   $450
45 qt unit                   $550

So it is therefore better to buy a larger if you can because you pay a base rate for the compressor anyway.
If you find down the road you want a second one because the first was too small, you pay again for the compressor.

The exception to that would be if you want to run one as a fridge and one as a freezer, as I am doing and as Almost There and HDR have mentioned also.

PS: did you see my post #20 with the pic in it? it shows power consumption AC/DC/battery sizes/solar etc, info you were sort of asking for earlier.

Actually this 45 qt I have had my eye on is only $445.  I am thinking use that as a freezer, and do ice for my chest to use as a fridge. 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002W8BLUG...colid=2V2H86R4VLH9&coliid=IE4PSXZ25NRSL&psc=1

 

[SternWake]

I've found 1.8 cubic feet/~50 liters to be a good size for myself alone. I rarely need more than this, the exception being when it is hot and the cheap american beer swill is high on my menu.

I don't really use the freezer portion, which is not really big enough anyway.

A bigger fridge using the same compressor will run more often to keep the interior cool, and there is the possibility that the compressor will run at a higher rpm and thus consume higher amperage for those longer run times.

One thing often forgotten or overlooked is that a 100AH battery earns that 100AH rating providing a 5 amp load for 20 hours before voltage drops to 10.5 which is considered 100% discharged, even though one can indeed draw a 12v battery much lower than 10.5v. A 130AH battery can power a 6.25 amp load for 20 hours before 10.5v, ect

A 6 amp load on a 100AH battery will not allow the battery to produce 100AH capacity total, but some number below this depending on the quality and health of the battery. So amp draw of any particular Fridge needs to have the battery capacity figured in as well.

If one is running two 3 amp compressor fridges, and they both decide to run at the same time from the same 100AH battery, Peukert will step in and reduce the overall capacity of the battery as the loading will be above the 5 amps at which the battery earned its 100AH rating.
Actual fridge consumption numbers WILL vary widely depending on Ambient temperature, how often the door is opened, how often warm items are placed within, and how much Ice build up there is on the cooling plate inside, as well as the thermostat setting.

I've put one of these inline on my Fridges power leads and the consumption numbers vary extremely widely depending on how I use it:

http://www.amazon.com/GT-Power-Analyzer-Consumption-Performance/dp/B00C1BZSYO

Generally i use this to satisfy my curiosity, not to fine tune my thermostat settings. One only needs to seek to keep temps below 40F for a fridge. My IR thermometer aimed at different points inside my fridge right now reveals no spot over 33f. I could play with the thermostat top get this upto 39f, and use less battery power, but it really is not a concern when one has adequate charging sources applied regularly.

 

[highdesertranger]

stern I am glad you do all this research so dummies like me don't have to. highdesertranger

 

[GotSmart]

stern I am glad you do all this research so dummies like me don't have to.  highdesertranger

I link to the parts I need from his posts. 

 

[akrvbob]

I have a friend with the CF18 and it was too small for me so I got the CF 25 which worked pretty good for me. When I got the trailer I got a Whynter 65 quart which is effin HUGE!!! If I had it to do again I'd get the 45 quart.

But when I travel in the van in the summer it's only the CF 25, it's the perfect size for a van for my needs.
Bob

 

[ahh_me2]

I've put one of these inline on my Fridges power leads and the consumption numbers vary extremely widely depending on how I use it:

http://www.amazon.com/GT-Power-Analyzer-Consumption-Performance/dp/B00C1BZSYO

Generally i use this to satisfy my curiosity,

I have 3 E-flite RC power meters and 1 Watts UP power meter I use.
The Watts Up has a greater range of total amps/watts, and the 3 E-Flite's are good to keep an eye on different circuits/appliances.

I find them invaluable for tracking/projecting/confirming actual power consumption values. I come from a RC background planes/heli's
and so have always had a few lying around.

 

[ahh_me2]

I have been using an Engel MT-35 since last April, but have been using it as a freezer.

I was a little disappointed in the noise level as it was louder than claimed.

In my cube van I plan on having 2 - 12 volt compressor units, one as a fridge and the other as a freezer.
Locally, it seems only the Engel and the ARB are available, up in Canada btw.

I've been watching amazon.ca, and it does appear I can get a bit of a deal on a whynter 65 qt unit, and since it doesn't use the sawafuji compressor, I would expect it will be quieter. I won't need the second one for another 2 months or so, but I would definitely like a unit that isn't so noisy.

 

[debit.servus]

Are we still on the OPs topic?
If not:
I am looking at acquiring a compressor based 12v fridge/freezer to use as a freezer alongside the vans built-in absorbtion based fridge. I looked at this: http://www.compactappliance.com/FP430-Compact-EdgeStar-Portable-Refrigerator-Freezer/FP430.html then read on this thread about this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002W8BLUG...colid=2V2H86R4VLH9&coliid=IE4PSXZ25NRSL&psc=1. What are the differences between the two fridges?

I also hear thermoelectric thrown around, what thermoelectric the same as absorbtion-based refridgeration?

If So:
I like chest freezers for their insulation and effificiency, too bad they do not manufacture little deep freezers.

 

[SternWake]

I have been using an Engel MT-35 since last April, but have been using it as a freezer.

I was a little disappointed in the noise level as it was louder than claimed.

In my cube van I plan on having 2 - 12 volt compressor units, one as a fridge and the other as a freezer.
Locally, it seems only the Engel and the ARB are available, up in Canada btw.

I've been watching amazon.ca, and it does appear I can get a bit of a deal on a whynter 65 qt unit, and since it doesn't use the sawafuji compressor, I would expect it will be quieter. I won't need the second one for another 2 months or so, but I would definitely like a unit that isn't so noisy.

Truckfridges have chest style models that have Danfoss/secop compressors and here is a distributor in Canada.

http://www.northernfridge.ca/

I think NovaKool is  a Canadian based 12v fridge maker which uses Danfoss compressors, but think they only make front loaders, not chest/portable style.


I've no idea what compressor the Whytner uses, nor its volume level, but my Sawafuji compressor was too loud too.  I had spent considerable effort at sound and vibration dampening with it, with modest success.  Apparently some Sawafuji compressors are quieter than others from what i have gleamed over the years.  Mine annoyed the piss out of me, especially when something nearby would develop harmonics from the vibrations which would quit after I started punching things.  I eventually got used to it, but sometimes on the edge of falling sleep, it kicking on would inhibit that delicate stage.  When First installed, and screwed into the cabinet, I could tell it was running by touching the Van body and hear it on a quiet day from outside the Van.By the end it was basically floating on foam rubber, and the compressor itself also cushioned from the box
 but might have contributed to the loss of refrigerant that led to its failure.

Still beat having a cooler and block ice.

I put a quieter more efficient 120mm fan on my Vitrifrigo's Danfoss compressor, A Noctua NF-f12.  My Sawafuji powered Norcold had no condenser fan using only passive coils to dissipate heat and an 'emergency' fan which would kick on when it got to ~ 110F near the compressor.  The Danfoss makes a clunk when it first fires up, but is 1/4 the noise level of the Sawafuji after that with no vibration suppression required, and no harmonics.

TMy VF also has  a Click before the clunk with the Danfoss/secop compressor, so those sensitive to nighttime noises might not be happy with a compressor fridge.  I only really notice mine in winter when I have no fans running and windows closed.  Most of the time I confirm the compressor is running by feeling for the air being sucked into the vents below my fridge, or checking my Ammeter for its 2.2 to 2.7 amps load.  It starts at 2.7amps and ~5 minutes later right before shutoff it is 2.2 amps.  The Norcold's Sawafuji was always 2.7 amps from start to finish 

I think the newer Dometics are using Waeco's new compressor which appears to be a clone of the Danfoss, or at least very similar, and I believe I read here that it is indeed quiet.

Older Dometics use the Danfoss BD35f.

Anybody have experiences with Whytner sound levels as compared to a Danfoss?

 

[GotSmart]

If you use Balsa blocks or shims, it removes the vibration noise.  

I once lived near a railroad track  After the first coupe weeks, I only noticed the trains if they were late. 

 

[ahh_me2]

Thanks for the link SternWake, I had looked at NorthernFridge stuff last year and didn't have them bookmarked and had actually forgotten about them.

 

[ahh_me2]

If you use Balsa blocks or shims, it removes the vibration noise.  

Interesting, I have pounds of balsa! Tons would just be way too large a size.