lets talk about friges....

[baron]

ok, so I would apperciate your views on fridges in your vans, as I'm wondering what my options are for replacing the one I have.

It's a campigaz one, like this: http://www.camping-online.co.uk/cam...pingaz-36lt-classic-free-mains-converter.html

it's built in to my interior, and I can't have one that's any wider than this, absolute max would be 40cm wide, but i can adapt the interior to take a taller fridge.

my problem is using the fridge when static for a couple of days flattens the leisure battery, as it has no therostat, and just cools constantly, unless it's turned off when of course it doesn't cool. I do have a solar pane trickle charge for the battery, but it's power production under optimal conditions is nothing like what's needed to keep the little fan in the fridge going all day. and i have tried just cooling late in the afternoon, but no joy, same result, it's draw is just too much. oh and I recently replaced the leisure battery.

so, are there thermostaticaly controlled fridges that would fit the narrow space?

or would i be better with a gas powered fridge? if so, i assume I need some venting - happy to have this going through the floor but anything that requires cutting through the walls is a no no

so... your views please, someone must have the ideal fridge in their van, surely?

 

[Clem]

Gas venting needs to be at hieght, so going through the sides at some point is a must ... the b pillar is the best, but I wouldnt.
Electric from a battery will always draw heavily and not really sustainable without hook up.

Other than that try those evaporation units, or the other ones ... I cant remember :?

I use ice packs and fresh stuff bought from the site shop where possible and freeze/chill as much stuff as possible in advance and use uht milk etc.

 

[Pete B]

I have no experience of gas ones but do think they can be a bit bulky and of course, you need somewhere to store the gas bottle.
My small (15 litre) 'leccy cool box can pull 48W, so at 12v thats 4 amps. With the 85Ah leisure battery fully charged thats just 21.25 hours continuous use before it's flat. It does last longer due to having a thermostat and I also turn it off quite a bit.
Like Clem, I chill/freeze everything before (inc the coolbox) and use LOTS of ice packs in a conventional modern coolbox, sometimes with a folded blanket draped over it. Seems to keep stuff cold for a couple of days.
Any 'box running on 12v will drain the battery fairly quickly without the engine running, don't think there is a 'perfect' solution fella, just have to pitch up for a day at a time then drive a bit further to top up the battery!

 

[Baldrick]

I asked questions about fridges in this thread:
http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23076

There might be something in this that helps.

 

[baron]

looks like cool packs etc are the answer then, thanks guys, to be honest I'd not really thought about them, in a hopeless bid at getting the fridge to do all the cooling for me....