Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2007 18:27:38 -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: Comments wanted on this portable fridge
In-Reply-To: <86476e250708051733h5fccea30qa3872e703c2abdb4@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I reckon that our DC0040 uses about 20Ah per day. It draws 2.5 amps when
running, so if it ran for 24 hours a day, it would use 60 amp hours
(2.5A x 24 hours = 60Ah). But it doesn't run full-time, it cycles on
every ten minutes and 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.
I probably wouldn't try to go more than three days without recharging
our 100Ah battery. At 20Ah/day that would draw it down to 40%, and I'm
not convinced that drawing it down past 50% is a good idea if I want it
to last for a few camping trips.
--
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
Loren Busch typed:
> On 8/5/07, PB <pbrattan@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Loren,
>> How long will your Norcold run on the aux battery without the use of solar
>> panels or a generator?
>
> Karl Mullendore was getting 2-3 days on a Group 91 battery (slightly more
> capacity than the Group 41 most have under thir seats) I have a battery
> installed that is about twice that capacity and haven't run it dry yet but
> expect at least four or five days out of it.
>
>> Did your Norcold fit in the stock cavity, or did you have to mod the
>> cabinet?
>
> The 110v ac box under the sink has to be moved (it sticks out and gets in
> the way. If you use the original front panel from the Dometic setup you
> will have to widen the opening about 1/4"-1/2" and probably square off the
> corners either at the top or bottom depending on how high you block the
> Norcold up from the floor.
>
>> I want to improve the fridge situation in my Westy, and was thinking of
>> taking out the Dometic, converting the cavity to a cabinet, and replacing
>> the fridge with a portable that can even be put in a car if needed. The
>> downside is that the portables take up a huge amount of floor space, and I
>> think if the fridge were stowed away in its cavity, it would be simple
>> enough for me to build some kind of hassock contraption for extra storage.
>
> I've traveled with a large ice chest/cooler (when the Dometic wasn't
> working) and yes, it's a PITA with all the room it takes up, at least it was
> for me.
>
>> The 2 problems (that I know of) with the stock Westy fridge are
>> insufficient cooling temperatures, and inefficient power use. I was
>> considering the Dometic RC4000 under the assumption that these problems were
>> fixed with newer refrigeration technology. Is this not so?
>
> Probably not so with the unit you refer to, at least not the power
> consumption problem. On 12v the stock Dometic pulls a constant 8 amps,
> gives you max of 2-3 hours on the normal aux battery. The unit you refer to
> is the same absorption type cooling system so don't ecpect much
> improvements. A far better choice if going to that type of rig is the type
> being referred to in the first message in this thread. Or the type being
> sold by GoWesty:
> http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4091&search_phrase=refrigerator&start=
> BTW, this type can be found at better prices but still are expensive.
>
>
> Patti
>> ***********************
>>
>> On 8/4/07, Loren Busch <starwagen@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> RE: I'm still very amps/volts/challenged, so how long would that fridge
>>> run on
>>> an auxiliary battery while the van is parked?
>>>
>>> It's the same type as the stock 'fridge in the Westy. You would
>>> probably get maybe two hours out of a standard aux battery.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
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