Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:09:07 -0700 From: Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM> Subject: Norcold results (long) <I installed a Norcold DC0040 into Mellow Yellow and during this week's shakedown trip, I monitored its performance. First, generalities: it kicks butt on the Dometic 182R. Despite all the tweaks and modifications I made to the Dometic, it never held cold below 50F when the outside temperature climbed past 80F. This reefer, on the other hand, is rock-steady at all times, even at 90F outside.> That's not the norm for a Dometic - at least not mine! <The one issue that concerned me is battery draw. Before putting Mellow Yellow to bed at the end of camping season last year, I finished installing the solar setup. I now have two BP Solar 45W panels that I can haul anywhere within 40 feet of the van where there's sun, and a Blue Sky Company Solar 2000E controller to stuff the electricity generated by the panels into the Optima aux battery. Even so, if the the consumption of the reefer (along with this little notebook that we use to watch movies on, and the stereo system I installed . . . oh yeah, the fluorescent lamps I installed, too) . . . well, if running all these things depletes the battery quicker than I can charge it back up, then I will need to re-configure my setup.> Having done quite a bit of larger RV and trailer camping, there is a reason nobody uses 12V for anything other than temporary use for their fridges. Even with massive charger arrangements (three or more 150 watt panels!) and multiple full sized deep cycle batteries (in addition to the starting batteries), people don't do it. In fact, most fridges on these RVs don't even have a 12V option. While the Norcold may be a newer and more efficient fridge, the typical use of a fridge is not just keeping food cold. Every time you open the fridge, and especially when you put something in that's not already cold, the duty cycle will have to go up tremendously while it tries to catch up and stabilize. Couple that with the fact that batteries, even deep cycle, don't like being fully discharged, and you will need to either always camp where there is power or add more solar cells and battery(s). Rich |
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