Hello from Wes

[Wes T]

Hello everyone. I am Wes from North Dakota. I have a little bit of background in electrical/electronics but incomplete. I look forward to learning more about the details of off-grid power, particularly solar.

In the last couple of years, my sweetheart and I recently bought a Class C RV that has a roomy OEM 110vac fridge in it. We really like the fridge, but occasional camping at more spartan, non-shore power sites has been rather hit and miss. I need to solve that and fix it in such a way that my wife can still manage by herself, when I am no longer here. Cost is a factor. My remaining years are also a factor (although days spent camping... are certainly not subtracted from one's total - are they?).

I have a plan, some more research to do and some parts. I will have some questions if I cannot already find the answers archived here.

As always, a thank you to the hard-working folks who came before me.

Thank You,
Wes

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Welcome.

Just to make sure... does the fridge also run on propane? That type also runs on AC. Don't think so, but I need to make certain.

If not, then your best plan is to determine your consumption. If you can access the power plug, buy a kill-a-watt meter and measure the power output for a few days of normal usage.

Once you have that information, you can make some sensible plans.

If it's comparable to a typical residential compressor fridge, it probably uses 2-2.5kWh/day.

 

[HRTKD]

The easiest solution is to buy a bigger battery or more batteries. Everything else gets more complicated and more expensive. The next step would be to use a PV system to charge the batteries during the day. You can put in a set of ground deployed solar panels a lot easier than a rooftop set of panels.

 

[Wes T]

Welcome.

Just to make sure... does the fridge also run on propane? That type also runs on AC. Don't think so, but I need to make certain.

If not, then your best plan is to determine your consumption. If you can access the power plug, buy a kill-a-watt meter and measure the power output for a few days of normal usage.

Once you have that information, you can make some sensible plans.

If it's comparable to a typical residential compressor fridge, it probably uses 2-2.5kWh/day.

Thank you for your reply, Sunshine_eggo:,

The fridge is strictly 110vac. I think it was originally designed for very small apartment dwellers. Late last summer I found access to the on-board 110vac 1000W inverter receptacle hidden in a removable inside side-panel of one of our overhead cabinets. I do have a Kill-a-Watt meter that I plan to use to gather data.

Part of the plan will be to determine how often the fridge kicks in while camping primitive during hot weather, considering no constant A/C is available. Next summer I'll check for general fridge power draw, then I think I can simulate the hot weather periodic fridge situation in my driveway. I have some portable panels and can add more if actual use demands it. I only have 200Ah of batteries now, but might be able to squeeze more, probably AGM, under the dinette.

Wes

 

[Wes T]

The easiest solution is to buy a bigger battery or more batteries. Everything else gets more complicated and more expensive. The next step would be to use a PV system to charge the batteries during the day. You can put in a set of ground deployed solar panels a lot easier than a rooftop set of panels.

Thanks for the reply, HRTKD,

I did buy some bigger batteries. Sam's Club has a pretty good deal on 200Ah GC2 6v Golf cart batteries. They barely fit under my step. I may be able to add some AGMs under the dinette, if we need them, possibly using a DC-DC to adjust the difference in charge rates between Flooded and AGM.

I have a couple of ordinary 100W panels of which the 40A MPPT controller can accept more identical panels. I'll have to fashion a spartan stand for those. We also have a 200W suitcase set (20A PWM controller) that I thought my wife might be able to set up more easily. It looks like the easy thing to do would be to connect each of these outputs directly to the same batteries, since these panel sets are different.

Wes