Best performing compressor fridge?

Butch50 wrote:
......Something just popped up in my feeble mind. For the popup crowd I have a question for you. When you have solar on your roof how do you get the cables from the roof to your controller? It would seem that this would be a problem with the soft sides and stiff cable. Just curious.

The wires aren't all that "stiff" since they don't need to be that big from panels to the controller, as the panels are delivering about 15-20A max depending on the panel setup. Mine are zip tied along the hinge so they are kept in position as top raises/lowers.

Perhaps you were confusing them with the cables from the batteries to the inverter, now those puppies are "STIFF". :)

The one thing that is good about a chest type setup is when you open the door all the cold air does not fall out. As cold air seeks the lower areas when you open a regular upright the cold flows out the bottom of the fridge and warm air enters the top. So it is easier to keep a chest type colder. This is why the home chest type freezers are more efficient than uprights. Tho it is true that that with chest type is a lot harder to get items out of them as compared to an upright as it seems in the chest that the item you want is always at the very bottom it, seems to happen every time.

I really wish more manuf would offer 12VDC fridges from the factory. If NL offered them I would have one in a heart beat. If my 3way goes bad it well have a 12VDC installed in the opening. Then I don't have to worry about getting the vehicle that close to level when I park and not to have the worry of propane turned on driving down the highway and in gas stations. Just an all around better solution in my mind.

This is IMO

Something just popped up in my feeble mind. For the popup crowd I have a question for you. When you have solar on your roof how do you get the cables from the roof to your controller? It would seem that this would be a problem with the soft sides and stiff cable. Just curious.

Hi Silver,

Greetings from the beach at Assateague Island.

It sounds like there are a few proven compressor portable fridges now in service.

If I were considering a fridge for expedition work in rough terrain, I would consider a built in system. There is no substitute for insulation to reduce compressor operating time. When we were sailing we used an Adler Barbour 12 volt compressor to cool a top loading box with 5" of closed cell insulation, top, sides, and bottom. For the most part the compressor was run off a battery charged by solar and a wind generator. We never had any failures.

The compressor was up to the task in all weather. Top loading is, I think, the most efficient way to freeze and refrigerate. The Adler Barbour had a freezer box that fitted in the big box, there were ice cube trays that were vertical, most important at cocktail time! The freezer was plenty large enough to store a good amount. The top opening doors were thick and tapered to fit nice and tight.

We have a Tundra compresor fridge in our Outfitter as well. During 21 months, with temps running from 11F to 110F, and driving on some very harsh roads for long periods of time, it worked flawlessly. We run our fridge off solar / batteries at all times. To power it, we have 200W of solar, and four (4) 6V AGM batteries.

We did have one subtle issue that took us a while to figure out: in Paraguay, where the temps, even at night, were in the 100F+ range, our fridge was draining our batteries, even though we had plenty of sunlight to re-charge our batteries fully.

As it tuns out, two of the screws connecting our wires to the batteries had vibrated loose. Not loose enough to fall out, but loose enough to where the connection between the wire (or rather the lug) and the battery was very marginal. As there was still a connection, albeit a poor one, the voltages on our solar converter looked normal...

Some threadlocker fixed the issue.

Cheers, Henrik

silversand wrote:
Steve:

I recall your extremely robust long-term trial running strictly solar to run your Tundra/Apex in searing 29 Palms. I think the Danfoss compressors are pretty well the norm across most (all ?) of the built-in compressor fridges in North America, today.

Yes, I did a test where I ran my Tundra fridge for over a year off just my solar panels and batteries with no problems. I had a remote thermometer with hi/lo temp recording and the fridge never left the safety zone for food, despite ambient temps that stayed over 100 degrees during the day for several months. Which is just normal conditions for us out here. :C

You mention the ARB portable...this reminds me of the extensive expedition fridge review in my Overland Journal (2 years ago, think?). This may also be the best option (no ripping out absorption, all the mess of installing new compressor). Just buy an ARB, back seat it, plug into 12V, done// Hmmmm?....

Personally I would recommend using (and do) an ARB portable as a backup rather then as my main unit. They are just too small to store the food you need and everything is stacked on top of everything else. They make a bigger version but it is too bulky for backseat use and still isn't large enough to function as your main fridge for long periods in my opinion.

We tend to use our ARB more as a freezer during trips, since the RV fridges have such small freezer sections.

We also use it on 4wheel runs in my Early Bronco as a replacement for an ice chest.

silversand wrote:
Cal:

Was your truck-to-camper charge system plugged in while underway, running fridge (in DC mode) ?

Sure.

It appears to me that Dometic products with Danfoss are leading the pack. I have also heard very good reviews of Truck Fridge but I don't know if it has the Danfoss system. They are also less expensive.

I have the Engel 45 but I don't want to go that route again. Takes up floor space and you have to stand on your head to get something that is always on the bottom so you have to take everything out!!!

Thanks, Dan!

We'll be porting a few solar panels, too (to lay optimally anywhere the sun happens to be, manually)...

I have a Dometic CR-1110 3.8 cuft (Danfoss) that I'm happy with. My solar was originally a single 135w panel which wasn't enough to keep up with the fridge. I just added a second 140w panel and that problem is solved.

More great info as read with coffee in hand!

Steve:

I recall your extremely robust long-term trial running strictly solar to run your Tundra/Apex in searing 29 Palms. I think the Danfoss compressors are pretty well the norm across most (all ?) of the built-in compressor fridges in North America, today.

You mention the ARB portable...this reminds me of the extensive expedition fridge review in my Overland Journal (2 years ago, think?). This may also be the best option (no ripping out absorption, all the mess of installing new compressor). Just buy an ARB, back seat it, plug into 12V, done// Hmmmm?

Sleepy:

True. I recall Woodhog's wrting about his "system"...thanks!