Smad 12 volt Fridge/Freezer reviews?

[SondraRose]

I had planned to buy an Engel, but after re-measuring the space we have allotted for a fridge, I am looking for a much narrower unit.  

I found this Chinese-made Smad fridge on Amazon and wondered if anyone had experience with it?  It has a Danfoss compressor according to the manufacturer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GJ3R3P/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2S9J32G0YFW1P&psc=1

 

[John61CT]

Get a cardboard box 1 cu ft in volume and confirm that's big enough for you.

Contact the mfg and check the warranty policy, may require buying from authorized dealer.

 

[Weight]

While you may have a space selected, could you redesign? I have a Indel-B marketed by Truck Fridge and it is an excellent product with many years of experience. In the same price range of that copy. Search through here; https://www.truckfridge.com/portable-refrigerator-freezers/

 

[SondraRose]

While you may have a space selected, could you redesign? I have a Indel-B marketed by Truck Fridge and it is an excellent product with many years of experience. In the same price range of that copy. Search through here; https://www.truckfridge.com/portable-refrigerator-freezers/

Thanks for the recommendation!  I think the TF-31 will suit our needs perfectly.  Do you know how fast they ship?

 

[Weight]

I don't recall any problem. I can't locate my records. But, they are not on my list of slow shippers.

 

[SondraRose]

I don't recall any problem. I can't locate my records. But, they are not on my list of slow shippers.

Ordered it yesterday, and it will be here by Friday!

 

[highdesertranger]

make sure to give us a report. highdesertranger

 

[SondraRose]

Truck fridge arrived last Friday. Overall, I am pleased. It’s the TB-31 model. 1 cu. ft.

Really great that I can move it myself at just over 35 lbs empty.

Packaged really well and all parts present. Assembling the handles was finicky and time consuming due to design flaws, but I got it done. The basket will be useful.

The lid is a bit thin and I will put a pillow on top for some added insulation.

When in fridge mode, it draws about 3 amps when the compressor is on. In freezer mode, about 5 amps.

The compressor is a bit noisy (to me), but I am pretty sound-sensitive. It’s not any louder than our new house fridge, though.

It cooled to fridge temp in 1/2 hour. Froze a cup of water in about 4 hours.

I’m doing real world testing at the RTR for 9 days, so will share more then.

 

[John61CT]

Great report, hard numbers and all!

You don't find it just too tiny?

If you're willing, AH use per 24hrs after full of contents at target temp would be ideal, note ambient as well.

Note the lid's job is mostly sealing, the heat from the sides and below needs more insulation than the top.

If you can feel where the heat builds up, increasing air circulation there should help.

 

[SondraRose]

You don't find it just too tiny?

I eat a mostly carnivorous diet that is pretty nutrient dense and I don’t eat much food at age 54, as a small build woman.  Just meat, cheese, cream and a couple of condiments that need refrigeration.  

Per your earlier suggestion, prior to purchasing the fridge, I took a 1 cu. ft. box I had on hand and test-filled it with my food for 10 days for the RTR.  Had room left over!

It’s important to me that I can physically move all of our van components by myself, if needed.  We opted to keep everything modular and portable until we decide if we want to do a full build-out in the future.

When my husband and I travel together this summer, we will restock more often and carry a cooler for his veggies.

 

[John61CT]

Excellent! Sounds perfect for you.

I'm thinking making a custom icebox built into an awkwardly shaped corner, and so far thinking at least 5 cu ft inside capacity, spillover design and not including the holding plate.

But that includes not just meat but lots of dairy, ice cream, cold drinks, maybe ice-making. Goal is a month between shopping runs in a pinch.

 

[SondraRose]

Excellent! Sounds perfect for you.

Goal is a month between shopping runs in a pinch.

I was aiming for two weeks, but organic heavy cream only lasts just over a week, so I would probably make a grocery run then anyway.  The ultra-pasteurized stuff will do in a pinch, but it just doesn’t taste the same.

 

[John61CT]

The plain half-and-half I use at a regular kaffee klatsch I attend is often 3-4 months old before we finish it, rarely does it need tossing before that.

Not organic, but then some members bring raw milk from a local farm to the regular potlucks, so maybe it all balances out

 

[SondraRose]

Spoke a bit too soon.

Still testing:
Got an E1 battery cutout error when my lithium battery voltage was 10.89. Fridge is supposed to cut out at 9.6 volts on the low setting. Truckfridge is on the line

 

[John61CT]

my lithium battery voltage was 10.89. Fridge is supposed to cut out at 9.6 volts on the low setting.

AACK!

Get a charge on your bank ASAP!

Never rely on a cheap built-in device LVD to protect your batts.

I would never let my LFP bank drop below 12.5V! Maybe 12V if a heavy load.
Won't get even 1/10th of its intended lifespan treating it like that.

I guess you're flying with no BMS?

Is it even an LFP bank, or some other chemistry? Links please. . .

 

[John61CT]

Fridge is supposed to cut out at 9.6 volts on the low setting.

Actually that setpoint is only there to protect their stuff.

Even an ordinary lead batt being 20-hour load tested is only allowed to touch 10.5V for a minute or two, letting it sit there for long will "do damage" as in reduce its lifetime cycles.

If you don't want to spend a lot, check out this guy from Latvia's stuff:

https://m.ebay.com/sch/i.html?sid=sbs.solutions.sales.usa4

 

[SondraRose]

AACK!

Get a charge on your bank ASAP!

Never rely on a cheap built-in device LVD to protect your batts.

I would never let my LFP bank drop below 12.5V! Maybe 12V if a heavy load.
Won't get even 1/10th of its intended lifespan treating it like that.

I guess you're flying with no BMS?

Is it even an LFP bank, or some other chemistry? Links please. . .

Chill.  It’s a Kodiak 90 am hour Lithium NMC power pack.  Built in BMS.  You can read the specs on the Inergy website.  

And John, please don’t query my choices. (yes I’ve seen your posts on the topic before!)  I am not interested in a built-in system and have tested the Kodiak for the last 3 weeks with other appliances and my panels.  It has worked fine.  Has worked fine with the fridge for the last 3 days.

The fridge is fine when tested in the van with the cigarette plug.

TF says it needs at least 10 amps and obviously is not getting it from the Kodiak at this level of charge.  The Kodiak’s readout is notoriously unreliable, so I will do a slow recharge on the unit and try again.  I was purposely trying to see how long I can run the fridge and The Kodiak was not fully charged, so it really wasn’t a good test.

The owner at TF said they have had issues running their fridges off of these power packs, especially Goal Zero, but they didn’t have a disclaimer on the website.  He is happy for me to return it and give me a refund, if I can’t get it to work the way I need it to.

 

[John61CT]

Ah OK then, but I can't imagine what's going on there if Kodiak's BMS is letting the pack get that low.

Maybe it's NMC internally not LFP, and runs a much lower voltage internally, boost-converting on the fly to get 13.8V output.

And yes much better for any powerpack like that to be fully charged before trying anything new.

I'd be very curious how many hours you get from Full to BMS cut-off running the fridge.

Best to try to get back to Full each day until you get familiar with the usage cycling patterns.

Sorry for freaking out

 

[SondraRose]

Ah OK then, but I can't imagine what's going on there if Kodiak's BMS is letting the pack get that low.

Maybe it's NMC internally not LFP, and runs a much lower voltage internally, boost-converting on the fly to get 13.8V output.

And yes much better for any powerpack like that to be fully charged before trying anything new.

I'd be very curious how many hours you get from Full to BMS cut-off running the fridge.

Best to try to get back to Full each day until you get familiar with the usage cycling patterns.

Sorry for freaking out

No problem!  Yes, NMC internally.

 

[John61CT]

This will help you find other discussions here on the Kodiak side of things in case you missed any

https://www.google.com/search?q=site:cheaprvliving.com+lithium+kodiak

If you gather any detailed tech information on their internal workings from elsewhere, please post back to one of these threads.