Date:         Thu, 13 Jun 2002 13:49:06 -0400
Reply-To:     jbrush@AROS.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Brush <jbrush@AROS.NET>
Subject:      Re: anyone bought a Coleman thermoelectric cooler?
Comments: To: Randy Charrette <rcharrette@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <F165kBnccYTjr8cU6xf00002580@hotmail.com>

>I have a coleman 12V fridge set up in my van. The fridge itself draws
>3amps. and cools to approx. 40degrees below ambient temp.

Randy, can you verify that power consumption with a meter or at least the
rating marked on the cooler/power supply? I looked at the ones in the
store, and they do not reveal the power consumption on the outside of the
box, or on the fridge itself.

I never heard of a refrigerator that only draws 36 watts and would
appreciate some kind of verification if you can. I can see 3 amps at 120V
but not 12V. That sounds impossible.

However, I am often wrong and would like to find a fridge like that one.
Coleman doesn't seem to list the power requirements on their web site, but
the AC power supply they sell looks more like a 5 amp box than a 500
milliamp version.

> I have a optima
>aux battery(yellow top)&nbsp;which will run this fridge for a little over
>20hrs without charge. Confirmed this with Optima.

Which Optima battery do you use? 20 hours is 60 amps should pretty much
empty your battery, right? Did Optima recommend that you do that? Have you
actually run the fridge for 20 hours on the battery successfully? If so,
would you provide the coleman model number and the model battery you are
using. I would like a combo like that for myself.

I guess another variable in the mix is whether the box runs 100% of the
time, or if it is thermostatically controlled. I would imagine it just
runs all the time, right?

I am not doubting you, I just need to be educated.

Thanks much,

John