My 54 quart (1.8CF) 12V/24V fridge was under $300. You don't need to buy a $1000 Dometic.
New System for Van Camper - 12V or 24V?
- Thread starter 2p4d1van
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My 54 quart (1.8CF) 12V/24V fridge was under $300. You don't need to buy a $1000 Dometic.
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
Ahh. Different animal.
I wasn’t referring to the cooler fridges- I was talking a traditional 12-15CF household type with a door. I’m using a -5CF under-counter type but at this point I wish I’d bought a 10CF.
1.8CF sorta keeps the shopping options down and on-hands low. The <5CF I’m using now was only $150; the DC household-types are a thousand dollars and more. Probably more now.
All good points but this thread is about a camper van. You don't want to put a 10CF (or even 5CF) fridge in a van. I'm in a 7x14 trailer which has a lot more space than a van and I could barely fit in my 1.8CF fridge.
And personally I can't stand those "dorm fridge" types. The whine they make when the cycle keeps me awake. I've stayed in enough hotel rooms over the years with those kinds of fridges. Usually the first thing I do is unplug the fridge.
Swamplizard
Ready to unplug and wander the USA
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- Oct 21, 2020
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Florida is tough due to sun/heat/humidity levels - we ended up with a roof A/C - lowest profile I could find at 8-inches, cools the van fine but we are foam insulated throughout and have two small tinted windows only. It draws about 1200watts so we went 24volt with inverter/mppt/charger combo unit. It can run 4-5 hours if it is cycling (so at night typically) off battery and we can shore power at camp sites. If we were to boondock more we would probably pick up a small genny.
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
Well the OP already has a 120V fridge, so…
Yes but the OP stated that it needed to go in favor of a 24V fridge.
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
And I responded with an idea that could inform them that they still have the option to use 12V and run a power-thrifty 120V fridge should they choose.
OP mentioned 24V fridges and they may not know how expensive they are. The compressor and ammonia portables are a lot less money but not everyone wants to live out of a cooler. They may not mind?
I know I want more fridge space - advantage though is this thing I’ve got shows 60-80W while running which is pretty good imho.
I ended up buying a 47 quart that is 12/24 volt for around $280. It's a dual zone unit. I really like that it has a removable partition that gives me the option of running the entire unit at one temp, or one side as a fridge and the other side as a freezer.
G'Day rmaddy
Being on a 'tight' budget I agree
But, I have bought 2 x 24V fridges and both don't pass the Drumstick test
Anyone bought a 24V and can keep Drumsticks frozen solid in a hot summer 35+ Cel. without spending $1500+ AUD ???
Being on a 'tight' budget I agree
But, I have bought 2 x 24V fridges and both don't pass the Drumstick test
Anyone bought a 24V and can keep Drumsticks frozen solid in a hot summer 35+ Cel. without spending $1500+ AUD ???
You want a DC rated double breaker sized to not nuisance trip from your PV output. These are utilized for switching not fusing, so larger capacity is fine.
Your SCC gets it's own fuse or breaker to the battery or bus, 1.25 to 1.5 times the controller output, so something rated 50-60A to protect your wiring. I used a switching breaker which doubles as a SCC cutoff. Get a Bussman or TTokas and not one of the no-name amazon ones - they are known to either fail or create a lot of resistance.
Good vid on the subject...
Which system setup did you end up going with? 12 or 24V?
AC on batteries?
I ended up going with a 24 volt system. My two 24v/200ah batteries are finally arriving today. I connected the panels in 2S2P and ordering a Renogy Rover 40 amp controller with bluetooth. I appreciate the input on the breaker/switches. I'll add them to my orders. I've gone to 12 or 24 on everything, so I'm not even going to wire an inverter, for now. I'm going to give the Coolride A/C a shot and see how it does. It's similar to the Zero Breeze for about half the price. So, now my A/C and fridge/freezer are both 24 DC. I'll add a 12v TV and water pump. That's pretty much it. I even found a source for 12v crock pot, fry pan, and some other kitchen stuff. I'll add a 24 to 12 step down and run two fuse blocks, one for 12v and one for 24v.
