Reverse Engineer
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This is a post that crosses over a few issues far as cooling is concerned.
In another thread I was asked about how much power to run an ice maker.
That depends on a few variables. How efficient is the ice maker? How long do you have to run it to make enough ice for the day? How fast does the ice melt in your cooler? What is the ambient temperature?
Below 70F with a well insulated cooler, you don't need to make all that much ice each day, and your ice maker is pretty efficient at making ice. However, at temps above that you start to run into trouble. The ice maker takes longer between cycles to make some ice. The ice you already made is melting faster. So every degree of temp rise in your surrounding environment makes this more difficult and more energy intensive.
You definitely want to keep the ambient temp inside the vehicle as low as you can. Park under shade of a tree if you can. Put an awning over the vehicle if you can. Vent the vehicle top to bottom so cooler air comes from below and warmer air leaves at the top.
The cooler should have its own insulated compartment. A 10-20 gallon size cooler is big enough for all needs for one person. Drop said cooler inside a box with around 2-3" wall insulation. This will substantially reduce heat transfer.
Insulation is everything here in terms of keeping the energy requirement to a minimum. However, if you are in an environment with regular temps at 90F or above, it will cost you plenty in energy to keep your food at 40 or below.
In another thread I was asked about how much power to run an ice maker.
That depends on a few variables. How efficient is the ice maker? How long do you have to run it to make enough ice for the day? How fast does the ice melt in your cooler? What is the ambient temperature?
Below 70F with a well insulated cooler, you don't need to make all that much ice each day, and your ice maker is pretty efficient at making ice. However, at temps above that you start to run into trouble. The ice maker takes longer between cycles to make some ice. The ice you already made is melting faster. So every degree of temp rise in your surrounding environment makes this more difficult and more energy intensive.
You definitely want to keep the ambient temp inside the vehicle as low as you can. Park under shade of a tree if you can. Put an awning over the vehicle if you can. Vent the vehicle top to bottom so cooler air comes from below and warmer air leaves at the top.
The cooler should have its own insulated compartment. A 10-20 gallon size cooler is big enough for all needs for one person. Drop said cooler inside a box with around 2-3" wall insulation. This will substantially reduce heat transfer.
Insulation is everything here in terms of keeping the energy requirement to a minimum. However, if you are in an environment with regular temps at 90F or above, it will cost you plenty in energy to keep your food at 40 or below.
