Fridge Swap

[clonkel]

Hi, we have a new van with a 3-way fridge (over arch). It is currently with Offgrid for a lithium batter/multipass inverter etc. Whilst it is being worked on we have the option to take out the brand new existing 3-way fridge for a compressor fridge. I know that the compresser will work when not exactly level, will draw from the leisure batter (of which we have a lot of capacity) and won't get too touchy with weather conditions. When we used to van many years ago we did have a 3-way and it was fine in the Alps on hookup.

We intend to be more self-sufficient this time around (off grid). The money is not so much of an issue on the swap.

We are torn on what to do but whilst the van is being sorted we thought its a better time to do the fridge as well?

Any thoughts would be welcome

thank you

 

[Northernraider]

If you have enough battery capacity to run it in the worst of conditions and not have to drive or hook up then it makes sense. If it sucks out enough power to mean you can only be off grid in fair weather then I'd be hesitant

 

[Googlebot]

I would swap it and sell on the three way.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Get the compressor fridge. I don't miss my gas guzzling 3 way and only got an 80ah battery and 250w solar. We only use the van in summer though.

 

[Northernraider]

Get the compressor fridge. I don't miss my gas guzzling 3 way and only got an 80ah battery and 250w solar. We only use the van in summer though.

And there lies the issue if you use the van all year round .

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[Richard n Ann]

And there lies the issue if you use the van all year round .

If I used it in winter I'd definitely need the tilting panel. Not used it tilted this year.

 

[Northernraider]

If I used it in winter I'd definitely need the tilting panel. Not used it tilted this year.

And a bigger battery to store the solar.


I had 1100watt of solar and 700ah of batteries on the euramobil and still had issues with powering the fridge In winter . I took to switching it off at midnight and putting it back on at 7am in really bad weather.

 

[PaulW2]

Hi, we have a new van with a 3-way fridge (over arch). It is currently with Offgrid for a lithium batter/multipass inverter etc. Whilst it is being worked on we have the option to take out the brand new existing 3-way fridge for a compressor fridge. I know that the compresser will work when not exactly level, will draw from the leisure batter (of which we have a lot of capacity) and won't get too touchy with weather conditions. When we used to van many years ago we did have a 3-way and it was fine in the Alps on hookup.

We intend to be more self-sufficient this time around (off grid). The money is not so much of an issue on the swap.

We are torn on what to do but whilst the van is being sorted we thought its a better time to do the fridge as well?

Any thoughts would be welcome

thank you

I find the 3-way fridges absolutely fine. They run on gas, don't need that much of it, and don't drain the batteries.

If you're not able to recharge your lithium batteries while you're off grid (maybe because there isn't much sun) then I'd expect your gas supply to last a lot longer than your batteries before they need to be recharged.

 

[StillGoing]

Our compressor fridge was great for the long ferry journey from Portsmouth to Santander. We couldn’t have done that with our old 3-way. Also, the compressor fridge kept the temperature of the contents the same whatever the temperature outside. Our old 3-way couldn’t do that (especially in very hot weather). The freezer in our compressor fridge can store ice cream - our 3-way couldn’t do that. I’d never go back to a 3-way.

 

[clonkel]

Thank you.

It seems a mixed bag. We will be using the van throughout the year but not hang around more than 2 or 3 days in any one spot.

280W solar and 300AH lithium battery

Does the 3-way use a lot of gas (sorry not sure from the answers).

If there is a fair split on the answers we will leave it as is.

Thank you

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[PaulW2]

Thank you.

It seems a mixed bag. We will be using the van throughout the year but not hang around more than 2 or 3 days in any one spot.

280W solar and 300AH lithium battery

Does the 3-way use a lot of gas (sorry not sure from the answers).

If there is a fair split on the answers we will leave it as is.

Thank you

It depends, I think, on the fridge. Somewhere in the region of 200 to 400 grams a day. Let's say 300? Then an 11kg gas bottle should last about a month.

On batteries, if you draw say 30 or 40 ah a day using the fridge then maybe 100-120 ah during a stay. Well within capacity - you would have say 240 ah usable from a 300 battery. So use some power for other stuff, and you may need to charge 200 back in. This will take time, even with a good B2B.

This assumes that solar isn't helping. If it does help then it will obviously take less time to charge it up when you move on.

I have 150 lithium and a B2B, can't be bothered with solar for this van, never spend more than a few days in one place, and have all the power I need for all purposes. But I do have a 3 way fridge.

 

[clonkel]

@all thank you

If I stick with the 3-way, assuming it will be mostly gas as we won't often be on hook up then this would be offset with lower gas usage on cooking as we would use the microwave/air fryer. If we have a compressor then this will compete with the other appliances and maybe we then use more cooking gas.

Travelling will top up the battery even in winter, assuming little to no solar.

Having said that then gas is competing with the heater which is also gas.

We have an underslung 25L LPG tank. Taking PaulW2 figures then 300grams per day will take some time to deplete but again this is against cooking/heating).

Difficult because there is no clear answer here in which case I guess its best to leave it alone.

 

[Jabstatt]

I’m really sold on compressor. Gas is now becoming an issue, even though I have Gaslow.

I would change tomorrow but mine too is a wheel arch model and I can’t find a compressor replacement

If you find one, let me know. And I’ll be over to Offgrid!

Tony

 

[clonkel]

Jabstatt I have sent you a DM

 

[Richard n Ann]

I’m really sold on compressor. Gas is now becoming an issue, even though I have Gaslow.

I would change tomorrow but mine too is a wheel arch model and I can’t find a compressor replacement

If you find one, let me know. And I’ll be over to Offgrid!

Tony

If you want to keep the fridge box just remove the 3 way contraption off the back and fit a compressor kit

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[Oisin]

We have a 3way, been in all conditions from southern Europe to Norway can't fault what's in this van, I have had some auxiliary fans fitted on the top vent to draw to heat out if parked vents facing south and high 30degrees don't think they do a lot but it helps.
also if you have all that lithium on the hot/sunny days just put your inverter on and the fridge will run off the battery at 6pm I switch mine back to gas for the night, simple

 

[Richard n Ann]

Our 3 way fridge always worked well once I'd renewed the thermal paste. I was just sick of buying LPG

 

[Shrimp]

We have a 3-way, its thermostat doesn’t work anymore.
We haven’t been on EHU since mid April.
The hot water is via gas and on for about 2-3 hours a day, cooking-hob & oven are gas, plus the fridge and we reckon on about 4-5 weeks on an 11kg bottle-Gaslow!

 

[Richard n Ann]

I filled ours up in Benidorm a few weeks ago, I guesstimated the 2 x 6kg Gaslow bottles would last us 8 months continuous use if not using the heating or hot water.

That's compared to the 4 weeks it lasted with the 3 way fridge.

 

[Brize]

Make the change, you won't regret it.

We have done 12500 miles in 10 months with a new compressor fridge, and it's been great. The power consumption is not as great as you think - the stated consumption assumes the compressor is running all the time, but of course it isn't. Our is on for probably 30-40% of the time.

As @SillGoing states, no problem on 34 hour ferry to Bilbao with no solar input, and batteries dropped very little. You seem to have plenty of lithium and solar, and if you are moving every 3 days, you will get engine top-up as well as solar input.

You get a bigger fridge as well. May look the same from the front, but without the absorption gubbins at the back you get a much deeper fridge.

Do it!

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[Richard n Ann]

Our compressor runs for about 15 minutes every 50 minutes in Benidorm so would be a lot less in cold Britain.

The downward spikes are the fridge running