Fridge in Pop-up???
Gordon Croft
Coleman, but most Colemans don't have a fridge (or even an ice box) and
if you want a fridge it is an extra $1000.
I am looking at alternatives:
1. What about those "electric portable coolers"? Anyone used one for
camping? Are they worth the $150?
2. What about a "normal" 110VAC fridge (small size) and a 12VDC to 110VAC
converter? Is this practical for traveling? How long do you think it
would run on the 12V battery?
3. Just go ahead a "bite the bullet" and get a 3 way "RV" fridge.
4. Any other suggestions???
Thanks in advance,
Gord
Dave Shanks
Gordon Croft <Gordon...@mindlink.bc.ca> wrote:
>We are planning on buying a pop-up (Tent trailer). The one we like is a
>Coleman, but most Colemans don't have a fridge (or even an ice box) and
>if you want a fridge it is an extra $1000.
>
>I am looking at alternatives:
My wife and I have a Coleman tent trailer, and got a small, portable three way
fridge with the trailer (it was part of a Coleman winter sales incentive).
The fridge is small, but it holds what we need to keep cold. One of its best
features is that it is portable. That is, it isn't mounted anywhere in the
trailer so it doesn't take up any storage space when the trailer is set up.
When towing, it sits in the trailer's entry area and plugs into an extra 12
volt socket the dealer added for us. We typically leave it outside when
camping since that's where we do our cooking. The fridge is made by Dometic,
and I've seen it advertised in one or more of Camping World's, Cabela's or
Bass Pro Shop's catalog (sorry, I can't remember which). I believe the price
was roughly US$450. That's certainly cheaper than the $1000 your dealer is
quoting even after acounting for the exchange rate. I think this alternative
is better than the 12V cooler alternative because 1) the fridge will keep
things cool much better than a cooler (based on comparisons with coolers owned
by friends) and 2) it won't drain your battery when camping like the cooler
will. Of course point two is moot if you will always be camping at a place
with shore power (we never do).
-Dave Shanks dsh...@vcd.hp.com
Gordon Howie
Gordon Croft <Gordon...@mindlink.bc.ca> wrote:
>We are planning on buying a pop-up (Tent trailer). The one we like is a
>Coleman, but most Colemans don't have a fridge (or even an ice box) and
>if you want a fridge it is an extra $1000.
>
>camping? Are they worth the $150?
I used one (and a Coleman tent trailer) for 10 years. The contents will be
about 40-50 degrees colder than the outside air temp but...... it does draw
4 amps and will drain your vehicle battery in 18-24 hours. I always carried
an extra 12v battery, used the power transformer whenever possible, switched
it off overnight and ran it in the van whenever I was driving. Now looking
at solar panels as a way of freeing myself from camp sites with hookups.
Oh, and having to ask for a boost now and again always turned out to be a
pretty good conversation opener :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gordon Howie gho...@interlog.com
East York, Ontario
Canada gordon...@canrem.com
John Sankey
technology is super - I've used them for cooling things at work
for years - but the commercial units are junk. None have a
thermostat, so when it gets cool at night they freeze things.
Also, when they get warm, they LOSE efficiency, so they cool
less as things get hot. They work beautifully WITH a thermostat.
They also need more cooling fins than either of the commercial
units have that I could get here.
I've found the performance of RV absorption frig's to be a pain
in the neck, and am looking at compression frig's (they HAVE to
run off 12V). For $500 you can get an excellent Aussie unit
1/2 cu.ft. that works up to 110F and needs no levelling etc.;
two golfcart batteries would run one for 3 days at maximum
cooling nonstop. However, I want a larger one, so see my next
post for my question on the one I'm most interested in.
--
Music is Beauty; Beauty is Truth; Truth is Freedom.
Harry Salvini
>I am looking at alternatives [the optional ones in Coleman are $$$$]:
>
>1. What about those "electric portable coolers"? Anyone used one for
>camping? Are they worth the $150?
We've got some friends who have one of these coolers. We love it. A
bit noisy, but large enough to hold about a weeks worth of groceries
provided you don't have any family members approaching or in puberty.
>2. What about a "normal" 110VAC fridge (small size) and a 12VDC to 110VAC
>converter? Is this practical for traveling? How long do you think it
>would run on the 12V battery?
Not bad if you have access to 110/220, but converting from 12 to 110 will
really eat up 'dem batteries! The converters aren't cheap either.
>3. Just go ahead a "bite the bullet" and get a 3 way "RV" fridge.
We've got a Rockwood XL Tent Trailer (carried by Cobra Industries now),
and it has a small 3-way. Too small for me. We tend to take a 32quart
cooler and keep a block of ice and milk in there. The freezer is really
small, and can hold a couple of good sized popsicles if you take the paper
wrappers off :-).
>4. Any other suggestions???
Good luck in any case. At least the 3-way in our "new" trailer is
power and not simply a cooler (like our old Aristocrat had), although
the cooler in that old anchor was 4x bigger too. Hmmmmm....
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DMCanady
worked like a dream. I highly recommend it. It worked so well that we
tended to use it for picnics also.
I used the propane option while camping, the 12V hooked up to the
cigarette lighter in our van while traveling, and the AC option to get it
cool and loaded at home before leaving on a trip.
I've now moved up to an MH that has a refer in it, so the portable has
been religated to use on picnics and as an office cooler at work.
Dennis
Marty Halvorson
In article <3v40ht$3...@fountain.mindlink.net>, Gordon Croft <Gordon...@mindlink.bc.ca> writes:
>I am looking at alternatives:
>
>1. What about those "electric portable coolers"? Anyone used one for
>camping? Are they worth the $150?
I used one this summer on my vacation for two weeks. The main
problem was power use. As long as you have a way to keep the
battery charged it's no problem.
It kept everything just fine, including the days at 100 + degrees.
You do need to pre-chill stuff before it goes in however, as the
ability to bring things down in temperature is limited.
I got the Coleman version with an integral fan. I believe that
having the fan helped.
Peace
Marty Halvorson
ma...@lanl.gov
George Lyle (233789)
|> Coleman, but most Colemans don't have a fridge (or even an ice box) and
|> if you want a fridge it is an extra $1000.
|>
|>
|> 1. What about those "electric portable coolers"? Anyone used one for
|> camping? Are they worth the $150?
Fairly good, as long as the engine is running. Keep them out of the sun, too.
|> 2. What about a "normal" 110VAC fridge (small size) and a 12VDC to 110VAC
|> converter? Is this practical for traveling? How long do you think it
|> would run on the 12V battery?
It will, for a couple of hours. Inverters are not too efficient.
You will also need a pretty hefty inverter ($$$)
|> 3. Just go ahead a "bite the bullet" and get a 3 way "RV" fridge.
I think this is the best idea. Sorry, but your application is what they
are optimized for.
|> 4. Any other suggestions???
See if you can find a VW bus camper that someone is parting out. Their fridges
are small and you can get the propane hardware at the same time. Just make sure
that the fridge is functional!
|>
|> Thanks in advance,
|> Gord
|>
|>
No problem...
George
Paul Hoffman
If I were in that position facing a cost of $1000 for a on board 3 way
reefer I would take a serious lok at a portable 3 way unit. They can be
had for arund $350 or so I believe. We have one of the electronic coolers
and while it is very handy it does have limitations. It will only cool
about 40 degrees below ambient. One thing I know for sure, I will never
travel without a fridge and go back to ice. We have a 3 way in our Jayco
and it is great. Have fun and see you on the road. Paul
--
Paul D. Hoffman "Never build anything you can buy "
McMaster University, Biology
E-mail:hoff...@mcmaster.ca (905) 525-9140 Ext.24241 Fax (905) 522-6066
Ed Boehm
>We are planning on buying a pop-up (Tent trailer). The one we like is a
>Coleman, but most Colemans don't have a fridge (or even an ice box) and
>if you want a fridge it is an extra $1000.
>2. What about a "normal" 110VAC fridge (small size) and a 12VDC to 110VAC
>converter? Is this practical for traveling? How long do you think it
>would run on the 12V battery?
We, while the boys were quite young, camped in a Jayco pop-up with
only an ice box inside for short <weekend> trips. For longer trips we
had a small <4.5 cu ft.> 110V ref. that I would place in the rear of
the truck or van, keep plugged in at home until we left. I covered the
unit with a quilt while on the road and then put it under dining fly
at the campsite. This kept things cold during 10-12 hours spent
traveling on several occasions
--
Have a Nice Weekend!
Ed Boehm
mro...@ibm.net
>We are planning on buying a pop-up (Tent trailer). The one we like is a
>Coleman, but most Colemans don't have a fridge (or even an ice box) and
>if you want a fridge it is an extra $1000.
>
>
>1. What about those "electric portable coolers"? Anyone used one for
>camping? Are they worth the $150?
>
>converter? Is this practical for traveling? How long do you think it
>would run on the 12V battery?
>
>
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Gord
>
I use a Kooltron cooler, it works great, I only wish it was larger, but
for $150.00 including the AC adapter it sure beats shelling out the big
bucks.
Morris
John Sankey
it's domestic frig's that are inefficient. A properly designed
frig uses less than a tenth as much power as the typical home
frig unit. I understand that in Denmark it's illegal to sell
a frig that guzzles anywhere near as much energy as ours do.
A 2.8cu.ft. good frig will use less than 2A average at 90F outside
36F inside; abaout half the best you can get even with a well
designed thermoelectric system.
Lou Schneider
: Over several years we researched and built our own micro compressor with the
: goal of running it at less thas 3 amps on 12 volts. We have succeeded and our
: current product reads like this:
How well do you dampen the compressor noise? One of the reasons I go out
to the boonies is to revel in the -silence-.
I had a VW conversion with a Norcold compressor fridge - I wound up
turning it off at night to get rid of the compressor buzz. No problem as
long as I remembered to turn it back on in the morning. <G>
It's been a while, but if I remember right the current draw was around 4
amps at about 50% duty cycle.
Lou Schneider
lo...@crl.com
Tony Newton
>From: dsh...@vcd.hp.com (Dave Shanks)
>Subject: Re: Fridge in Pop-up???
>Date: Tue, 25 Jul 95 19:27:23 GMT
>In article <3v40ht$3...@fountain.mindlink.net>,
> Gordon Croft <Gordon...@mindlink.bc.ca> wrote:
>>We are planning on buying a pop-up (Tent trailer). The one we like is a
>>Coleman, but most Colemans don't have a fridge (or even an ice box) and
>>if you want a fridge it is an extra $1000.
>>
>>I am looking at alternatives:
A quick note From Fridge-Mate in Australia. We are going about getting our
technology marketed in the USA but in the meantime here is a little
information. Isleys, the catalog people in Mesa Arizona are about to launch
the product so if you want to see and test one please call them. Should cost
less than $600.
Over several years we researched and built our own micro compressor with the
goal of running it at less thas 3 amps on 12 volts. We have succeeded and our
current product reads like this:
Weight: 28 lbs
Capacity: 30 quarts (Bigger units being developed right now)
Power Draw: 2.7 amps while running (This means that when using it a fridge
the power draw usually averages about 1.5 amps assuming a 50% cycle rate)
On 110 volts you just need a 12 volt supply like they use on the
thermo-electric fridges.
The fridge has its own battery cut-out system built in and should a battery
reach 11volts or below the fridge shuts itself off. On a normal heavy duty car
battery the fridge will operate for 24 - 30 hours. On a deep cycle battery
such as those used with solar panels the fridge will run from 80 to 100 hours.
Now if you are driving a few hours a day the fridge will just keep ticking
along. In the remote areas of Australia all RV's carry a second battery for
the accessories and starting is never a problem.
Performance: Capable of freezing to 80 deg F below the ambient temperature.
Even on your 100deg days the fridge can hold temperatures of 20 deg F.
In the first year of full production in Australia over 9,000 units were
purchased and torture tested over incredibly rough conditions.
We'd love someone to try one and let us know what you think of this new
concept.
Robert Cummings
You said you could hear your Norcold refir compressor running? How old
was the unit? I just purchased a Conversion van this week with a new
Norcold already installed. With the refrigerator door closed, it is VERY
difficult to tell if it is running. The unit is installed in a cabinet
and there is carpet on the floor inside the cabinet. I'm sure this also
cuts down on noise but even with the cabinet door open and I can see the
back of the refrigerator, there is very little noise. When I said a
slight hum, I meant slight. If you have a new unit, I would consider
returning it getting it looked at. Maybe the compressor isn't mounted
properly. It could be contacting another metal surface thus negating the
isolation of the compressor. Just a thought.
Robert-FL
Djsmith135
coupl
Deryl Dantzler
(Djsmith135) wrote:
> I installed one of those dorm frigs. I think I paid $90 and remove a
> coupl
Too bad this message got cut off. Does this poster or anyone else have
more info on the possibilities of this solution? John Sankey emailed me
some details of the DC power demands of running off an inverter while on
the road. How does the compressor hold up to travel conditions?
--
Deryl Dantzler der...@macon.com
Macon, GA dantz...@mercer.peachnet.edu
Robert Cummings
refrigerator from an inverter. This is very inefficient. Norcold makes
a refrigerator that runs from DC as well as AC. It differs from other
camping refirs in that it has a COMPRESSOR. It is not an absorbtion
style. The compressor draws about 3.5 amps while it cycles. Figuring on
a 50% duty cycle that is about 1.75 amps per hour. Try to do that with
an inverter. The compressor is so quiet that it is almost inaudible.
The faint hum can be heard when the door is open. Positioning with this
style of refrigerator is NOT important. It can even be run on it's side
according to the literature. This feature was designed for the boating
industry. Another key feature to this unit is the speed at which it
cools. Since it has a compressor, it begins to frost almost immediately.
This is more expensive then the dorm style unit but is more efficient
and will probably work much better.
Robert-FL
Charlotte Maxwell
runs on 115v from the inverter. The inverter load increases about 6 amps
when the refrigerator is running, which is about 25% of the time. My
inverter is a Trace 24v model so so you would have to double the current
for a 12v system.
This system works very well for me. I have a large reefer and freezer with
an icemaker. A smaller RV could use a smaller reefer which would draw less
current.
I know there is some power loss in the inverter. Mine is about 90%
efficient, but I have a large enough battery bank to support my loads.
A 12 vdc compressor will also work, but I am not sure of the long time
reliability of this refrigerator. House hold refrigerators last at least 15
years.
good luck
--
Charlotte
Miami Florida
char...@pipeline.com