Fridge/freezer

[DesertWillow]

Replacing my fifth wheel RV fridge with a fridge/freezer to use in cargo van conversion when I'm ready to hit the road as a VanDeweller.
Which size and brands do you find most reliable?
Found some on Amazon but wanted to ask first.

DesertWillow

 

[SternWake]

I assume a front loading upright fridge?

Look into truckfridge, novaKool, Vitrifrigo, norcold, engel, edgestar, whytner, dometic, arb.

Some other brands escape me atm

 

[WheelEstate USA]

As far as chest type, Whynter makes a good unit and you can order then thru Walmart, sent to your local store to save shipping costs.

We wanted a smaller (33 qt) fridge and went with Grape Solar. After several months of use, we are happy with our choice.

 

[Almost There]

I read your other post in the newcomers' section.

What will work in a 5th wheel in a park setting is/will not be likely the best thing for in  a cargo van conversion.

The 5th wheel traditionally uses a 3 way fridge where it's most efficient on propane, runs fairly efficiently on 120V while in the park and is only meant to run on 12V when driving down the highway. It's usually a power hog on 12V.

Unless you plan on plumbing in propane in a cargo van (expensive), you'll want something that runs as efficiently as possible on 12V.

IIWM, and the 3 way in the current 5th wheel is giving up the ghost, I'd stick a regular 120V fridge in the hole, anything that will fit and is cheap. Then put in a good 12V compressor fridge when you're outfitting the cargo van.

 

[DesertWillow]

I assume a front loading upright fridge?

Look into truckfridge, novaKool, Vitrifrigo, norcold, engel, edgestar, whytner, dometic, arb.

Some other brands escape me atm

Thanks: Found listings for trucker appliance sites.
Yes, it's an upright, single door.
Don't ever get an RV with appliances in the slide.
Didn't know what I was buying at the time.
Change feels really good.

Walk in Beauty
DesertWillow

 

[VanGirl]

I assume a front loading upright fridge?

Look into truckfridge, novaKool, Vitrifrigo, norcold, engel, edgestar, whytner, dometic, arb.

Some other brands escape me atm

I have a truckfridge and I love it. It runs from solar during the day and the house battery at night. At one time I owned 3 over the road trucks and used truckfridges in them when the OEMs gave out. They are good.

VanGirl

 

[Free Range Chicken]

Isotherm

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

 

[arctic cat]

I personally own a 35 QT ARB reefer with a Danfoss compressor. It run on a 100 watt solar and comsumption is only .85 AMp hour if it was running continuously (which it does't as it shut on and off as it need to.

 

[DesertWillow]

I personally own a 35 QT ARB reefer with a Danfoss compressor.   It run on a 100 watt solar and comsumption is only .85 AMp hour if it was running continuously (which it does't as it shut on and off as it need to.

Greetings Artic Cat:

Thanks!
Size of unit and how much power to operate tells me what to look for when shopping for appliances and solar.


Walk in Beauty
DesertWillow

 

[DesertWillow]

Replacing my fifth wheel RV fridge with a fridge/freezer to use in cargo van conversion when I'm ready to hit the road as a VanDeweller.
Which size and brands do you find most reliable?
Found some on Amazon but wanted to ask first.

DesertWillow

My thanks go out to Arctic Cat.
The ARB 35 quart is awesome.
I'll be taking my RV fridge/freezer out and using that space in my 5er slide for a closet.
Now I would like to hard-wire the ARB into my solar.
Anyone done this in a 5er?
My battery bank is in the front compartment and I will have to run the wire through my main
bay and into the coach to do this. I would like to keep the ARB in the coach where it could ride over
the wheel base. I believe Amazon had the hard-wire kit available.
And for me to do this.........
What is the distance I am allowed from the ARB to the battery bank?

 

[highdesertranger]

what's the amp rating of that refer? you are only limited by the wire gauge. you could put it anywhere if you run the proper size wire. where do you want to put the refer? highdesertranger

 

[DesertWillow]

My thanks go out to Arctic Cat.
The ARB 35 quart is awesome.
I'll be taking my RV fridge/freezer out and using that space in my 5er slide for a closet.
Now I would like to hard-wire the ARB into my solar.
Anyone done this in a 5er?
My battery bank is in the front compartment and I will have to run the wire through my main
bay and into the coach to do this. I would like to keep the ARB in the coach where it could ride over
the wheel base. I believe Amazon had the hard-wire kit available.
And for me to do this.........
What is the distance I am allowed from the ARB to the battery bank?

Just measured and it is longer then 6ft.
Can you go maybe 10ft?

 

[highdesertranger]

maybe I didn't explain it right. you can go as long as you want. you just need to use the proper size wire. how many amps does your refer draw? it should be in the instruction under specifications. highdesertranger

 

[DesertWillow]

maybe I didn't explain it right.  you can go as long as you want.  you just need to use the proper size wire.  how many amps does your refer draw?  it should be in the instruction under specifications.  highdesertranger

Thanks for being patient with me. I am learning to do this on my own to save money for other repairs on the 5er.

On 12-volt this draws 5.0 amps

Proper wire size.....would be 10 gauge?

 

[DesertWillow]

what's the amp rating of that refer?  you are only limited by the wire gauge. you could put it anywhere if you run the proper size wire.  where do you want to put the refer?  highdesertranger

ARB draws 5.0 Amps

Wire Size would be 10 guage?

Here is the plan since I am upgrading my solar for long term use.
Presently I have a main solar system of: 3-batteries in the front compartment powered by 3 x 75watt solar panels.
Hard wire from there through main bay into coach to an ARB mounted connection made for their 12-volt cord.
ARB can sit secure when the slide is in front of the new closet.

 

[highdesertranger]

yes 10 gauge would be ok, 8 gauge would be better. use quality wire meant for auto or marine use. the more strand per given gauge the better. do not use household wire like you get at Home Depot. highdesertranger

 

[DesertWillow]

yes 10 gauge would be ok,  8 gauge would be better.  use quality wire meant for auto or marine use.  the more strand per given gauge the better.   do not use household wire like you get at Home Depot.  highdesertranger

8 guage it is then.
Where do you find "auto or marine use" wire.....Thinking?
Could probably find this out by asking an RV tech.
I'll find it since there are a lot of people doing solar around here and I do want the best
connections when I'm on the road full time.

 

[ArtW]

Auto or marine wire is stranded, or made up of a bunch of smaller wires all together, and is flexible
Household wire is typically solid, and not flexible
in a mobile application, stranded is better

 

[SternWake]

I had a 50 quart ARB in my possession for a while and tested it. The provided ciggy plug cord was only 16awg. The voltage drop on that cord when the unit was pulling 60 watts, was ~2 volts and was allowing the low voltage shutoff to kick in when the battery was still easily able to power the fridge for another 24 hours.

Here, Danfoss/secop, who makes the compressor used in the ARB, recommend wire sizes for certain lengths, and the cord provided with the ARB is basically criminal when looking at their recommendations.

http://files.danfoss.com/TechnicalInfo/Dila/06/bd35-50f_electronic_unit_ac-dc_04-2009_ei100g402.pdf

They say 10 awg is good for 20 feet, which is total circuit length, meaning + and - wires together, so a 10 foot power cord would need to be 10awg and anything longer 8awg

Danfoss powered fridges are more susceptible to voltage drop on their power cords. The ciggy plugs and receptacles are always an insult to electricity, but combine this with 16 awg power cords to the unit and it is close to criminal.

These fridges work much better and more reliably and more efficient the higher the voltage they are presented with.

Minimal voltage drop should be sought in the power cord from fuse block to Unit itself for best most efficient performance. There is no point in turning battery power into heat, and that is exactly what happens when too thin of copper is combined with ciggy plug receptacles.

12v accessories HAVE to come with ciggy plugs as it is the ubiquitous connector used in every vehicle, but it is an absolute crap electrical connector and will cause issues at some point, and more so and sooner when the device requiring power is capable of 60 or more watts draw.

I used 45 amps anderson powerpoles for all my connectors, but getting 8awg into them is not for the Newb.
I still have 7 ciggy receptacles I wired in before I knew better, and these basically are now never asked to pass more than 15 watts, and the spring loaded tips still get warm passing this tiny amount of current, indicating resistance and just an extremely poorly designed electrical connector.

If you want reliability and maximum efficiency, cut off the ciggy plug and feed the fridge from a fuse block with 10awg or thicker. Danfoss says to wire directly to battery and fuse at battery and to not share common busses with other devices.

http://www.genuinedealz.com/8-2-awg...nned-copper-boat-cable-flat-blk-red-by-the-ft

 

[DesertWillow]

Auto or marine wire is stranded, or made up of a bunch of smaller wires all together, and is flexible
Household wire is typically solid, and not flexible
in a mobile application, stranded is better

Making it easier to separate the strands to wrap around the contact connections.
Gotcha.
I think I did that once when a neighbor in a Texas RV park was showing me how to make a heavy duty extension cord to plug in
an electric heater when my furnace quite during an ice storm.