Greetings and a first question

[D'L]

Hello, and thank you all for having this forum!
I recently bought a SUV and, while I do not ever plan to live in it, I do plan to make it possible to take road trips and sleep in it so I am working out how to do that.
I am on a budget and like things to be simple.
My first question is can you recommend the most budget friendly way to have a small compact refrigerator that runs on solar? I thought they would be available with a solar panel you could simply put in the window, but have not found one; they all seem to need an extra solar panel from which to charge. If that is the case, I still need to do it as inexpensively as possible, while getting something that will last.
Anyone have ideas?
Thanks again for being here. I look forward to reading your posts.

 

[afblangley]

A fridge that ran off solar wouldn't be very useful, it would stop working between dusk and dawn, on cloudy days, when parked under shade, etc. So what you're really taking about is a fridge powered by batteries. Solar is just one method for recharging said batteries.

The issue you face is how much battery capacity you need to run all your stuff for the duration you need to run it. The answer depends on your use case. Boondocking on BLM land for weeks at a time or street camping on the weekends or plugged in at campgrounds or doing 6 hour drive days between overnight stops.

There are numerous power efficient 12v fridges on the market to choose from. For all of them, the power demand will vary greatly with environmental conditions. The temperature inside a closed up vehicle sitting in summer sun can reach 115F making the fridge cycle much more frequently than on a cloudy 60F day. Again this comes back to your use case.

The most common constraints in power setups are cost and space. There are basically two paths: build your own system or buy a power station. The former obviously takes time and skill and is typically (at least semi) permanently installed in the vehicle, often with an alternator system that rapidly recharges the batteries. The latter offers flexibility derived from being able to recharge it almost anywhere due to its portability.

 

[D'L]

Thank you very much for such an informative reply, afblangley. Much appreciated.

I have realized that I will need the power generator to run the fridge, and to power the generator (at least partially) with solar, so looking into that.

My usage will be mostly doing road trips of a few days just to get somewhere but be able to avoid the cost of a motel, and also other trips of one to two weeks wandering, involving some BLM or National Forest dispersed camping, and maybe a campground now and then.
So I need a generator that can get powered up by solar while I am driving or off car battery (while driving) if it is not sunny. I found one small and relatively inexpensive that can be used while simultaneously being charged. So this would hopefully keep the fridge running. I'm not skilled to build such things, so am dependent on what I find to buy, and of course am on a budget. But I since this will be used 2 to 3 times a year at most rather than every day I may get away with an inexpensive setup. I will be looking for the right combo of power station and solar charger for it, compact and affordable. I'm watching Bob Wells' recommendations on this of course.
And still open to specific suggestions on those, if anyone has them.

Thanks again!

 

[rruff]

Anyone have ideas?

afblangley spelled it out pretty well. Running a refrigerator is a commitment in equipment and space/weight... which is why I don't refrigerate. Plenty of foods will last a week without it.

Going off memory ... the refrigerators will typically use ~300WH per day (varies), so you'll need >100W of solar, and enough battery capacity to last a couple days. This is just for the refrigerator, and assuming you park for days at a time. If you are just sleeping overnight, you can charge a little "solar generator" from your car while driving during the day and use that to keep the fridge running at night.

 

[Camper]

My refrigerator that runs with 600 watts of solar and lithium batteries is very useful.

 

[D'L]

Thank you, rruff and Camper.
I decided I am not going to get a refrigerator at first, because it seems wise to have the set up as simple as possible and only get more things when I discover I really need them. As you say, plenty of foods don't need to be kept cold, and a cooler will usually do for 2 days even in the summer when I use frozen water bottles instead of ice, if I need that.

rruff, your idea of charging the solar generator while driving (or camped for the day) and use that to keep the fridge going sounds like the best option.

At first I am only going to put a bed in the back without removing any seats (no place to put them), organize it all, and keep it a simple camp/sleep thing. So far it looks as though a comfortable bed won't be difficult because I am small, and I am going to see if I can do my initial set up for under $100. You tube videos have been very useful and of course I have watched a lot of Cheap RV Living, and appreciate Bob Wells.

Because I am always on a budget I am a big goodwill outlet shopper. At the outlets they have everything in huge bins they roll out and they sell everything by the pound, so you can find some truly amazing deals sometimes. I don't know if they have these everywhere or not, but 2 different places I have lived in the west had them.

I hope I will be able to contribute useful information to others here, once I am not quite such a newbie. I appreciate the responses.

 

[tx2sturgis]

. But I since this will be used 2 to 3 times a year at most rather than every day I may get away with an inexpensive setup.

If you are just camping, whether it's a few days or maybe a few weeks, 2 or 3 times a year, all you need is a good ice chest. A GOOD one...not a cheap $30 igloo from the big box stores.

Something like a 40-50 qt Yeti, Orca, Engle, etc. One of these is gonna cost around $200-$400.

They are not cheap but they hold ice a lot longer, they are so rugged you can stand or sit on them, and the hinges and latches will last for decades.

Freeze your own ice blocks at home in your home freezer....then when you hit the road, load up the cooler with your DIY ice blocks. Load in food and drinks, and hit the road. Depending on how often you open it and the ambient temps, you might need to buy some ice in 5 days to maybe a week.

The investment in a DC fridge and the solar and battery power system to run it makes no financial sense AT ALL if you will only be using it 2 or 3 times a year.

 

[rruff]

Something like a 40-50 qt Yeti, Orca, Engle, etc. One of these is gonna cost around $200-$400.

There are cheaper options like Lifetime for <$100 that work well.

As you say, plenty of foods don't need to be kept cold, and a cooler will usually do for 2 days even in the summer when I use frozen water bottles instead of ice, if I need that.

Actually you can reduce your refrigeration to zero... no cooler either. I started off with a cooler and got rid of it... too much bother. That was fulltime though; if you are just taking trips a few times a year and you have the space, a cooler would be nice to keep the beer cold...

This gets back to the frugal and simple side. Refrigerators and coolers are a PITA and pricey and take up space. Of course I had to alter my typical foods a bit, but I'm not picky about a lot of things and it wasn't hard to alter my diet.

 

[Tony's Dream]

D'L.....like you I am a traveler versus a nomad. I looked at refrigerators and found myself always worrying about the power supply. I opted for a yeti cooler and it works just fine for me. I avoid carrying a lot of perishable foods, the cooler is more for my drinks and condiments. I use mainly dry goods (canned foods or non-perishable) and buy perishables as I travel and consume them. It lowered the stress level and allowed me more travel more freely.

 

[WayOutWest]

I started out with a 40 qt ORCA cooler and eventually switched to using a Dometic CFX3 55IM camping refrigerator.
I am not a full-timer, but do trips varying from 3 to 12 days long.
For short trips, the ORCA cooler is great -- though coolers require a little more work than refrigerators, the amount of work is minimal for a few day long trip. The main issue with coolers that I encountered, is your food getting damp because of the melting ice. But if you take care and can keep things in plastic containers or put your food on a rack above the ice, you'll have less trouble. For a few days, you may not need to replenish the ice very much. On one trip, I started out with 2 blocks of ice and bought cube ice each day. After a 7 day road trip in weather that got to 90 degrees on several days, by the time I got home, I found a good amount of each of the blocks of ice was still solid! So the ORCA was quite effective.

The electric fridge can't be beat though if you don't want to have to think about ice or aren't in places you can buy it, or don't want to deal with removing water from a cooler.

I have a Goal Zero YETI 1500x battery to use the power my fridge, and found that if I start with a full charge, I lose about 15-25% of the charge each day to the refrigerator, depending on ambient temperature. As well, I can charge the battery from my vehicle engine using a 1500W inverter, so this can replenish the battery during the time the vehicle is moving. Thus I can easily do a 4 day trip without needing a solar panel at all to charge my fridge. For longer trips, I bring a 200watt portable solar panel with me, and I set it up at campsites. It can recharge the battery 10% or more with just a couple hours of charging.

 

[eDJ_]

When I started out in my first Van rig I used a 36 quart Igloo ice chest. It was just me and I read in a Sailboat magazine an article about getting the most from your ice supply by keeping most of the water drained from the chest. Their point was that a small amount of water was desirable where too much water hastened the melting of the ice. So on hot days I'd drain the ice chest about every 4 hours and I found the ice lasted a surprising length of time. I kept canned beverages and some food in it and never had a problem. An ice cold beverage on a hot day (I didn't have A/C) was a real comfort.

Today I would buy some 2 inch thick plastic foam insulation with high R value and cover the sides and bottom with it using tooth picks to hold things in place. Cut reliefs for the handles and drain plug. Then using Duct Tape tape the sides & bottom up so it would look like an "Egyptian Mummy". I'd leave the lid original.

If you are on a budget you may be amazed at how inexpensive a solution like this is. Ice is very commonly available and you could have less than $20 dollars in this solution with nothing mechanical/electrical to break down.

It is better to have a couple of small ice chest (28 quart) rather than one big one since a large one when loaded can be too heavy to lift or move around.

 

[afblangley]

I am going to see if I can do my initial set up for under $100. You tube videos have been very useful and of course I have watched a lot of Cheap RV Living, and appreciate Bob Wells.

This YouTube channel has dozens of video on topics related to doing van life inexpensively. Lots of practical advice based on real world experience, no glamour.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

If you are just camping, whether it's a few days or maybe a few weeks, 2 or 3 times a year, all you need is a good ice chest. A GOOD one...not a cheap $30 igloo from the big box stores.

I used a cheap igloo ice chest for 3 years, getting about 5 days from 10 lbs of ice. I wrapped the chest in a down comforter bought at a thrift store and kept it out of the sun.

 

[rruff]

When I started out in my first Van rig I used a 36 quart Igloo ice chest. It was just me and I read in a Sailboat magazine an article about getting the most from your ice supply by keeping most of the water drained from the chest. Their point was that a small amount of water was desirable where too much water hastened the melting of the ice. So on hot days I'd drain the ice chest about every 4 hours and I found the ice lasted a surprising length of time.

There are lots of tricks you can use to make your ice last longer. Many of them "work" by making the interior warmer... but that isn't what you usually want. Draining the water out is one of those. Using big solid blocks is another.

Better insulation, keeping the exterior cool, and keeping it sealed are the best ways to make ice last.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I used a cheap igloo ice chest for 3 years, getting about 5 days from 10 lbs of ice. I wrapped the chest in a down comforter bought at a thrift store and kept it out of the sun.

Think how much more effective a down comforter would be when wrapped around a really good quality ice chest.

 

[D'L]

All of you are being very helpful to me. I like hearing about different options and how to make them work as best as possible. Seems as though a decently good cooler, insulated (never would have thought of the extra insulation around it so thanks for that!) will be my first step. I like to utilize all the simple tricks I can to do things rather than spending a bundle of money upfront for something fancy, so all of your suggestions have been great. Thanks so much for welcoming a newcomer with so much response and information!

 

[sithigh]

Think how much more effective a down comforter would be when wrapped around a really good quality ice chest.

Actually, the better the cooler, the less extra insulation does for you. I still wonder how it all stacks up against the foam board insulation sealed into a box or cabinet with a can of spray foam sealant. He wasn't a camper. But said it was all he needed at that location.
He also hated bringing ice.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Actually, the better the cooler, the less extra insulation does for you.

{snip}

He wasn't a camper.

{snip}

He also hated bringing ice.

Yes, true that...but I have found a few things DO help retain ice even in the high quality ice chests, and especially in hot and/or sunny locales. One of those is to make sure to keep the cooler box shaded from direct sunlight, and a blanket or cover can help in that regard.

Who wasn't a camper? You lost me on that one. The OP plans to camp a few times a year and I dont recall a comment about hating to bring ice.

 

[jacqueg]

Here's a reference for food storage that is useful - https://theboatgalley.com/tag/food-storage/

When I first started camping, many years ago, all I'd bring with me is cheese, sourdough bread, and apples - and just eat that for several days running. Not recommended, but definitely doable!

Any grocery store these days has plenty of "just add hot water" single-serving meals. And it's pretty easy to carry a little gadget to heat water.

FWIW, I agree that getting a refrigerator and the stuff to keep it running is overkill for someone on a budget who intends to go camping for only a few trips a year. I didn't buy a refrigerator until I went full-time. Ice chests work fine for occasional use. Plenty of youtube vids on how to beef up and use an ice chest to keep food longer.

Don't bother with thermoelectric gadgets like these - they don't work very well, an ice chest is better - https://www.amazon.com/Wagan-Quart-...mer/dp/B07CSSM2HV/ref=sr_1_50_mod_primary_new

 

[sithigh]

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{snip}





Yes, true that...but I have found a few things DO help retain ice even in the high quality ice chests, and especially in hot and/or sunny locales. One of those is to make sure to keep the cooler box shaded from direct sunlight, and a blanket or cover can help in that regard.

Who wasn't a camper? You lost me on that one. The OP plans to camp a few times a year and I dont recall a comment about hating to bring ice.

He was a building contractor in a improvised shanty. But he didn't have any electric run to his shed and the generator on site wasn't run at night. It's amazing what we can do or carry in bit by bit.