Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 14:05:48 -0700
Reply-To: Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Subject: Re: About them Norcold refrigerators
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Thanks Otmar, for the great report on the Engel 45.
I realize that the batteries would have to be replenished after some use
How long would you have to run the alternator to replenish two deep cycles
in the battery compartments?
Say if you ran the engine for 15 minutes how many amp hours to you actually
get back?
But what fridge can get down to 30 degrees in 113 degree weather and
maintain it.
No westy fridge can even come close to that
If you can keep the air temp inside the van down to 95 it can drop temps
down to 5 degrees
At 78 it will go down to -5 degees below zero!
You can make some pretty darn cold ice for your other coolers with that much
cooling power.
I concede the point about the cold air falling out of the westy fridge.
You guys are right the thermal mass of the food itself will make it a non
issue.
Its my understanding the swing compressor is only on the Engel 35 and 45.
You can see the change in amperage on the chart here.
https://www.expeditionexchange.com/engel/
I agree with mike if there was a "hybrid" propane power for night and swing
compressor for day you would have it all.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Otmar" <otlists@EVCL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 12:32 PM
Subject: Re: About them Norcold refrigerators
> At 11:40 AM -0700 7/12/05, Michael Elliott wrote:
> >Thanks, Doug
> >
> >2.5A in freezer mode running, like, 24 hours a day is 60 amp-hours. That
> >would quickly deplete my aux Optima 50Ah battery unless I added a lot of
> >supplementary recharging.
> >
> >But I know that these reefers do not run 100% of the time. Someplace,
> >somewhere, I saw a spec page which provided typical duty-cycles. Can't
> >find it now. And I don't plan to run freezer mode, just below 40F.
>
> I have a copy of one here:
> http://www.evcl.com/vw/Accessories/MT45F%20curve_jpg.pdf
> A bit fuzzy, but the data is there. Ambient temps across the top, and
> Cabinet temp on the left. The curves just show how long it takes to
> get to temperature.
> For instance, the top left one shown that at 25 deg outside air temp
> and +5 deg C cabinet temp (fridge mode) it draws and average of .54
> Amps. They show it as .54 amp hour per hour.
>
> I have a Engel 45 that I use as a freezer. Sure is nice to have
> popsicles and ice cream in the desert! If you turn it up too much the
> ice cream is too cold to scoop. So you have to keep it turned down a
> bit.
>
> At home I also use it on 110V as a freezer.
>
> Temperature control of the unit is very good. It seems to hold within
> 1 degree so that's good for efficiency too.
>
> The only drawback I find is that I like it very quiet at night, this
> is not super quiet. Even putting it outside the van still makes
> noticeable noise, though not much. My opinion is that the
> "swingmotor" is no quieter than a normal compressor fridge. It's hard
> to beat the Vanagon Fridge for night time quiet.
>
> hth,
> --
> -Otmar-
> 82/86 Stretch Vanagon Westfalia GTI. "Power of two" Soon to be TDI.
> http://www.evcl.com/vw
> 1 914 EV, 1 Insight Hybrid