Newbie fridge question

[Poppy and Hamish]

I wouldn't call that luck, I'd call it witchcraft!!!

How did you do it?

It's on the metatrak app, which comes with the non starter installed by vanbitz. Obviously only the vehicle battery, not the leisure battery.

 

[stuartholmes]

It's on the metatrak app, which comes with the non starter installed by vanbitz. Obviously only the vehicle battery, not the leisure battery.

Cool, never heard of them - gonna investigate! Thanks.

 

[roadwarrior]

Is it a 3 way or compressor fridge? If the latter then I can say that it’s about the same draw (when running) as the one in our Adria, which uses very little power overall and runs from the leisure batteries - it also has a ‘night’ setting for very quiet operation and reduces to 50% of the previous figure.

he said its an electric only, when you say it runs from the battery - for how long -3 hours or 3 days ?

 

[Orion]

he said its an electric only, when you say it runs from the battery - for how long -3 hours or 3 days ?

We have 2x100 leisure batteries and during the cold spell before Xmas did 3 days and 2 nights away static without EHU (with the Truma Combi heating running on gas) and the panel never registered less than 70% capacity. At the time we had a 115watt solar panel but there was only some sun on one of the days. I used the night feature when required, but otherwise used the fridge as normal. It’s our first experience of a compressor appliance but we’re very happy with it.

 

[PaulOH]

It depends on your fridge and it's specific installation. Sometimes it works better, sometimes its not great regarding power consumption but I think it depends on where the fridge finds itself.

I was parked in a campsite on EHU, in the shade, with the fridge on 240V last year and it wasn't great, yet did the same thing two weeks ago in slightly cooler weather and the fridge went the bomb. I've had it on gas in similar warm areas and it's not very effective = the warmer & stiller the air, the less your fridge'll cool. That being said, the old tip of not turning it to max on either gas or EHU seems to be quite effective in my experience.

My van is German and runs the 12volt off the leisure battery - which was a great boon once when stopped following two days parked in full summer with no EHU - fridge having been on gas - and a drive of about two hours, following which the 12volt was left running as the stop was impromptu, but turned into a break for lunch.

The 12volt put the leisure battery into a red-light situation during the stop of 90minutes, but the van started without a problem, and, what with the air flow over the vents during the remaining 4 hour drive, the freezer box had made ice cubes and there was a full charge on the leisure battery by the time we got home.

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[roadwarrior]

I have suggested he fire it up on the drive and monitor it

 

[PaulOH]

Did the same just after I got my van and ran it (3-way) on butane for two weeks to test it's consumption - bottle of fizzy water chilling in the fridge to test. I just wanted to know how quickly it would use gas more than anything else.

I had done the condensation test beforehand down the side of the gas bottle I connected and measured it using a tape before starting. Two weeks on, I still had chilled, delicious water and a consumption of about 5mm down the tank.

Those non-compression fridges do a good job on not much gas provided the conditions are optimised. I'm making an external heat-repelling screen to go over the exterior wall for when it's parked facing the sun, to help it along without blocking the vents.

 

[roadwarrior]

Did the same just after I got my van and ran it (3-way) on butane for two weeks to test it's consumption - bottle of fizzy water chilling in the fridge to test. I just wanted to know how quickly it would use gas more than anything else.

I had done the condensation test beforehand down the side of the gas bottle I connected and measured it using a tape before starting. Two weeks on, I still had chilled, delicious water and a consumption of about 5mm down the tank.

Those non-compression fridges do a good job on not much gas provided the conditions are optimised. I'm making an external heat-repelling screen to go over the exterior wall for when it's parked facing the sun, to help it along without blocking the vents.

oh i completely agree, i am very happy with my big 3 way on gas.. i am understanding that the small 12v only fridges are frugal but i can see tears before bedtime if he gets back to me and tells me its drawing from his starter battery but i dont have a clue as he tells me it was a self build he bought so i have no idea right now.