Also desperately trying to solve this fridge problem....I need to carry more fresh produce than most due to my particular diet preference....so volume is important to me. I hate ice chests and wet food. I've been pretty much convinced on the Engel type solution, but haven't pulled the trigger yet mostly due to the high cost.....then recently, on an impulse...(motivated by a great price) I recently purchased an Isotherm CR65 off eBay ....similar to the Norcold DC0040....slightly larger (2.3 vs 1.7 cu.ft.) interior capacity and uses the Danfoss BD35F compressor. It will install right into Vanagon fridge opening (width perfect, with a space left over at the top., sticks out slightly farther than the face of the Westy cabinets...easily solved with a bit of frame backing between the fridge and cabinets. Electrial specs are: "average" useage is .7amps/hr, max draw 2.5 amps http://www.emarineinc.com/products/refrigeration/icr65.html It cools down quickly and keeps food very cold in my "bench tests" so far But, I'm still trying to get a grip on all these battery types and construction and their various charging/discharging qualites and requirements. It seems that going 12V only and giving up propane comes with some serious expense...and space compromises....for the required extra battery capacity and (solar ??) charging apparatus.....not to mention the extra weight. From what I've read here... for a weekend outing....if you start on Friday, a 100AH battery capacity is the minimum....and possibly you're risking battery damage on the third day (more than 50% discharge). Depending on your choices, the fridge will cost $400-$900 and the solar panel, controller, battery, etc....another $600-$1000. Yikes.!!...maybe wet food in an ice chest isn't all that bad. There is no 100AH battery that will fit under the driver's seat....so there goes my precious under the rear seat storage. My goal is to keep that darn battery either under the driver's seat or under the van somewhere else. One idea I'm looking into is increasing the area under the drivers seat. Would it be possible to cut out the bottom of the battery box under the seat and weld in a 3" deeper box section?? Not sure yet what's directly under the battery box, but there's almost 12" of length and 7" of useful width there already....the limiting factor is the shallow depth. With an extra 3" of depth....there might be a 100AH battery that will fit in there ...????? Comments on this? Also, I keep reading that there are SOME deep cyle batteries that can be discharged safely to 80% DOD...that's a BIG 30% increase in useful AHs per charge....and would safely get you that third day without (expensive)solar help . Which ones ?? and how does their size compares to the 50% DOD types. I read a post on another forum that said the 6 volt golf cart batteries allow this...but two 6 volts in series must be even larger than a single 12V with same AHs. There's a lot to learn and understand here. Warren C |
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