Date:         Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:40:08 -0700
Reply-To:     Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Norcold DC0040
In-Reply-To:  <000001c7bb1c$5bc1bb90$020aa8c0@PAULSCOMPUTER>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Paul Chubbuck typed:

> How's the power consumption?

Over a 24-hour period, I reckon this refrigerator uses 20Ah. It draws
2.5 amps when running (Loren measures 2.7A, so that may be a more
accurate number) and if it ran for 24 hours a day, it would use more
than 60 amp hours (2.5A x 24 hours = 60Ah). But it doesn't run
full-time, it cycles on every ten minutes. During a hot day it might run
five minutes per ten minute cycle, and on cold nights maybe only a
minute per cycle. So that's about 1.25 Ah per hour during the day, and a
lot lower at night.

> How long can you go without running the engine
> if you have an auxillary battery?

It depends on the size of the aux battery. A 20Ah battery would be
completely emptied in 24 hours, and completely emptying a battery is
rough on it. A 100Ah battery would only be depleted by 20% in 24 hours
and if you didn't care that you were hammering it, it could probably run
the Norcold for 5 days -- depending on how hot the days are and how cold
you have set the refrigerator.

We use solar power to keep our battery full. I have a flier that I hand
out to folk in campgrounds who see the solar panels* and want to know
more about our solar electric rig. I can email it to anyone who wants a
copy.

> How much did you pay for this unit?

Maybe around $500 or so? It's been a couple of years.

* And don't see the "Caution: Occupant may be armed, naked, or both" sign.

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR