Reddit mentions: The best rv appliances

Looks like bullshit to me.

1. No discussion on the technology used on the website. No specs This is a huge red flag. What temperature does the fridge maintain? How long does it maintain that temperature on battery power?
   
2. I see no compressor. This means it is likely utilizing a Peltier to do the cooling, which runs at about 10% efficiency (compared to 30% with a compressor which is 3x more efficient) and is incapable of maintaining temperatures of proper refrigeration. It may cool your drinks down to 45-50 degrees, but it will not function for safe fresh food storage.
   
3. Those solar panels are going to put out a max of maybe 50W in the heat of the day if you're lucky, probably closer to 20W. And that involves taking your refrigerator and leaving it in the sun, where you will need far more cooling capacity to maintain proper temperatures. That's not enough juice to run a portable compressor powered refrigerator by a third. You'd probably need 6 times as much power to properly cool with a peltier.
   
4. Large gaps between the parts will make for leakage and loss in cooling capacity. Combined with thin walls, this thing is not going to be a good insulator.
   
   
   You can use a compressor powered, 12VDC portable refrigerator and freezer effectively on the go, but you're going to need some dedicated solar power production. Let's run through some numbers:
   
   31 liter capacity portable fridge/freezer for $611
   They have a 10.5 liter capacity version for $316 if you need to go really cheap. Reviews say this unit draws an average of about 3.75A, or 45W. For quick math: watts = volts x amps.
   
   

• This will consume 3.75 amps for 24 hours every day, so it consumes 90 amp hours (AH) per day.
  
• Lets say for 16 hours per day you need to make sure your fridge runs of of batteries. So 2/3 of that 90AH will come from batteries, resulting in a number of 60AH for battery power
  
• I am going to add 50% right back on that 60AH for energy loss and battery efficiency, putting the requirement back at 90AH. We're then rounding this to 100AH since thats the size batteries come in. To run the above refrigerator at 45W all day long on solar/battery power, you will want a 100AH deep cycle or AGM battery
  
• Next up, we want to know how much solar power you need to keep this going. This varies by solar panel placement and latitude, but I'm going to say you get a total of 6 hours of prime sun per day. During that 6 hours, you need to be able to charge 100AH of battery. That equates to 16.6 amps per hour. 16.6 amps x 12 volts = 199.2W. To run this system you will need 200W of solar panels on the roof of your van, producing power for you
  
  As a comparison, you can just how much different an actual refrigeration system is from the portable unit linked above. Looking at the pricing and weights further shows just how far off this system is from being able to actually safely refrigerate your food.
  
  
• 100AH battery for $179 (weighs 63lbs)
  
• 31 liter capacity portable fridge/freezer for $611 (weighs 30lbs)
  
• 30A charge controller for $30 (weights maybe 1lb)
  
• 2x 100W solar panels for $277 (weights 33lb)
  
  In total, This is $1100 in hardware and 127lbs of equipment to be able to properly maintain cold food storage. The thing you linked is a backpack sized beverage cooler only.

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the responses and advice. It does help. I need to be more clear on my idea and better explain how I could easily achieve my goal of a hot bath every night. Here it goes.
I would install an RV 60 gallon tank (71"L x 18"W x 12”H) between my bed (Twin XL) and floor. The tank would be fully insulated minimizing the power to keep a consistent heat. The hot water would also keep my bed warm so I wouldn’t need much heat at night. The big question Ive noticed is “how would you heat the water?” My idea is to heat the incoming fill water with propane by using something like this.
http://www.amazon.com/Eccotemp-L5-Portable-Tankless-Outdoor/dp/B000TXOJQ4.
Once I have the hot water I could maintain temp with this
http://www.amazon.com/Suburban-520789-1440W-Electric-Element/dp/B003G9G4X4
Using golf cart batteries to power element.
Or I could fill my tank with cold water and heat incoming bath water with tankless water heater.

If you're not planning on using the alternator to charge the battery, I doubt that 60w alone is enough to run a fridge. I have a 115w panel that I use to run a small dometic fridge and it works well if it's sunny. I could probably get away with less, but I doubt half as much, which is what you have. On the other hand, if you're only going to run it for a weekend, get the largest AGM battery you can fit in the space you have and recharge it when you get home.

Get an MPPT charge controller because you want to maximize the output from those small panels.

Here are the fridge and charge controller I have and am happy with.

I've been living in my jeep Cherokee for about 2 months and have this . I have it in the passenger seat floor. Its an actual freezer/fridge, that's nicely low power and battery saver mode. Great for ice cream across Nevada. :-D

If I ever have a passenger its really light and easy to pop in the back and they have a seat.

I have these three things:

Small compressor based frige/freezer

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005X9E6IK

Lithium battery

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M45PI56

12v adapter for lithium battery

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IR6WTHQ



adapter->battery->fridge

The fridge will run 10-20 hours off the battery alone, range depending on the fridge setting and ambiant temp. When the car is powered on, the battery recharges from the console 12v connector. The battery pulls 60watts when charging so it's well under the max that can be pulled from the 12v outlet in the car.

Edit: and to add to that, when I use it, I put it in the trunk space right by the back of the car. I have a 12v line from the front console run into the back and just plug the battery into it and fridge into battery. It sticks up above that space but wedges in nicely when the battery is placed along one side and something else like a folded towel is placed along the other. Also keeps the air intake and output with good ventilation by being spaced from the sides.

I'll go take a pic shortly and edit with pic.

If you get a fridge, pick one like this Dometic not the one you linked to.

You won't be able to keep a fridge going in the summer from the engine unless you drive a lot. I would suggest starting off with something like this Coleman


Save your money as much as possible and then see what you will need once you have been living in the van for a while.

I have done a lot of research on this, and in my view, the [Dometic CF-018DC] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030G7Y64/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20), which costs less than $500 new, is the best DC fridge/freezer on the market.

Doesn't take up a lot of space, runs cold and holds up to 23 12 oz cans of soda.

Hope this is helpful!

Use an airbnb place, cook for week, clean up. Pack my van. Roll

The fridge I use, love it

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-018DC-Portable-Refrigerator-Personal/dp/B0030G7Y64/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1474840297&sr=8-12&keywords=Dometic

I have a Dometic CF-35 that draws 4 Amps when running (48W) but it only runs 1/4 or less of the time, so that would come close to your requirement.

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CFX-35US-Portable-Electric-Refrigerator/dp/B00T36NUYA/

But, it's pretty large.

The CF-18 is somewhat smaller outside: https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-018-D65-B-Portable-Refrigerator-Personal/dp/B0136TQ65Y/

The CF-10 is smaller, still: https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-018-D65-B-Portable-Refrigerator-Personal/dp/B005X97OHA/

Probably your best bet:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005X97OHA/

That won't work, unfortunately.
A solar panels' 'nameplate' power is only produced in cool weather and the panel pointed to the (overhead) sun.

Enter San Diego into http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/, change "DC System Size (kW):" to "0.1" (100W), and change "Tilt (deg):" to "" (horizontal), on the last page you'll see the monthly" production under "AC Energy (kWh)", divide by 31 to get the daily numbers (the juli/aug 16kWh is 500Wh/day), and your 60W cooler needs 60W x 24hr = 1440Wh/day (thermoelectric coolers are very inefficient).
More expensive are compressor coolers, 3A average according to "customer comments", and (they say) it will 'freeze' stuff in 1 hour, if your "need to keep something cool" can handle ambient temperatures like can/bottle beverages you can install a timer to run it only at let's say 11:00-13:00 for lunch and 16:00-22:00 for dinner.

>so I have decided to use whatever I will have for solar system as my starting battery

Bad choice, a 'starter' battery is designed to give a very high 500A? 'starting' current (thin plates for a very large surface area), a 'deep cycle' has fewer but much thicker plates for a current of ~1/10th the capacity (12A from a 120Ah battery).

There are ways to charge the 'domestic' battery from the car alternator, example (pdf) uses diodes, to find out if a particular setup will damage the deep-cycle I suggest you google-fu RV/boat-users websites (the -shops* only want to sell things).

If you like electronics, or know someone (highschool tech dept.?), a small CC-CV buck-boost converter's input can be connected directly (via a fuse) to the (12V) panel, the output, via a diode, to the starter battery, the "CC" (constant current) will limit that to whatever you set it (0,5A?) and the "CV" can be set to 13.8V? (max starter battery voltage), that will keep it 'topped up' from the solar panel without draining the domestic battery.

You do need a 'battery charge controller', an MPPT is recommended.

Edit: word

Is that like a normal fridge with Freon and a compressor, or is it the gas absorption style like what you'd find in an RV? Just curious since Dometic makes portable gas absorption refrigerators/freezers that look similar to what you've got. https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-080AC110-Portable-Refrigerator-Capacity/dp/B005X97OHA?th=1 Not sure what the 11 liter one draws, but the largest one draws 7 amps at 12VDC

If the fridge is empty the temperature changes quickly. When the compressor runs it gets down to the set temperature quickly. Put a 6 pack of your favorite beverage in it. Put a thermometer in it. It is supposed to run a short period of time and shut off. The time depends on the temperature inside.

About $20 :
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-4451037733-Volt-Power-Refrigerators/dp/B01GVTBN5E/

Then you can keep your original cord intact and cut the end off the new one.

How about 330$? Ive had this for 3 years now, works a champ. I keep it as a fridge but for a few months i cranked up to freezer temps and could even keep ice cream solid.

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-018-D65-B-Portable-Refrigerator-Personal/dp/B0136TQ65Y

Something like this should work for a sedan: https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CDF-11-Smallest-Portable-Refrigerator/dp/B005X97OHA

I use Dometic CF-040

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-040AC110-Portable-Freezer-Refrigerator/dp/B0030G4VBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466305117&sr=8-1&keywords=dometic+cf-040

I power it with two 12v batteries, 125ah each.

https://www.amazon.com/Suburban-520789-1440W-Electric-Element/dp/B003G9G4X4

https://www.amazon.com/Flame-King-YSNHT600-Burner-Cooktop/dp/B01D42QH2U/ref=pd_sbs_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PBZV9MR4JCQMPTM5HBN4

<33333!

No worries, this is the plug you want for the drain hose.

Absorption fridges are inherently inefficient in how they cool. If you're camping a lot in deserts it might be worthwhile to switch to a 12V compressor fridge as a lot of your issue is likely just that the ambient air temperature is so high.

hey all,

I'm in my Ford Explorer currently, out of neccessity, but plan to move into a van out of choice at the end of October.

I was thinking of getting this Goalzero Solar Kit, a long with this 12Volt Dometic to store some cold items.

Do you think I'd be able t run that fridge off of the Yeti 400 and still be able to charge my laptop about once a day at least? I'm in Portland Oregon, so I plan to also charge the yeti off my vehicle engine when the weather goes to shit.

What type of Solar & refrigeration set ups do you all have?
My budget initially should be around 600-700 bucks.