More questions regarding coolboxes / fridges etc!

[sotal]

We've managed to survive for 2 weeks using the 12v coolbox mostly without EHU.

We've had it running all day every day and switched off from about 11pm until 7am. It still seems to be cold enough in the morning. We have driven most days so that has kept the leisure battery charged.

So it has done the job, however it is a bit of a pain. So I'd like to make it easier one way or another.

The things that are a pain are...

1. Reaching to the back of the cupboard to unplug and plug back in the coolbox.
2. When you take the bottle of milk out everything else falls into the space where it was and then you have to take everything else out again to put the milk back in.
3. Everything gets quite wet in there - some things aren't good to put in there.
4. Not sure it is ended to be used so much - the plug ended up getting warm and cracking and shorting out.

My thoughts at the moment are...

I have a 3 way fridge in our old caravan. I'm thinking of seeing if it would fit in the Bongo kitchen unit. I wouldn't use the gas side of things (not sure if that could reduce its size at all? If there is anything that can be removed from the rear?) Would that operate for longer on the leisure battery than the coolbox? Would make things easier with removing at the front etc. Would be hard wired direct to the leisure battery and has a switch on the top to turn it on and off. If it fits that would practically solve everything. Good idea or bad idea? Any thoughts?


If that fails I'm thinking of trying to find a better type of plug/socket to connect the coolbox and maybe fitting an line switch to allow me to turn it on and off from the front.

I'm going from memory as the caravan fridge isn't here but I think it is an Electrolux - something like this one...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electrolux-3- ... 1a0446766a

[francophile1947]

Three way fridges usually only work on 12V when the engine is running. They use gas or 230v when stationery.
I am amazed that you could run your coolbox for so long each day - they flattened my leisure battery in about 5 hours.

[sotal]

I don't think we had a single day when we didn't go out in the Bongo so it always had a recharge. It would run from say 7am until 10am, then we might drive for half an hour (with it running) spend a few hours out and about - then perhaps move on to somewhere else, spend another couple of hours somewhere then drive back. Perhaps run it for 5 hours in the evening, then another 3 in the morning again.

The longest it was probably run for without running the engine was about 8 or 9 hours. It still seemed to be fine after that, radio was used a little, USB chargers were used constantly! There was always something charging up! LED lights were used quite a bit after dark.

I haven't tested properly but I reckon it takes about 3amps. So 9 hours is 27Ah. The battery is something like 75 or 85Ah so it should easily be able to do 9 hours at a time.

[windywatson]

Hi,
My conversion was complete with a good quality 2 way fridge 12v Dc or 240v ac made by Weaco. It is a compressor fridge which is like a scaled down domestic fridge. However these fridges are expensive £300/350 which is why some converters are using cheap 12v cool boxes to keep costs down. The good compressor fridges are a lot more efficient as the compresser can get the temprature down much quicker and then only needs to cut in and out occasionally where as the cool boxes from my experiance run all of the time. However I would recomend a good quality liesure battery as big a capacity as you can fit into the battery tray. I have a 110AH, this will help give longer running time and handle the initial demands of the fridge when first switched on & getting the temprature down. These fridges are a bit more demanding on the LB but due to being efficient will give you better service than a cool box.

Cheers

[Bongoplod]

If you use a 3 way caravan fridge in your bongo,it will need to be vented.

Chest type 3 way fridges £160 in go outdoors sale at present.

As stated above,12 v usually used when engine is running. On a caravan fridge, 12v wont cool the contents,but will keep them cool if its run for an hour or so on 240v or gas,to get the temp down. 12v will then keep it cold whist on your journey

Brian

[sotal]

Thanks for all the advice.

I have given up on the 3 way fridge idea following the advice!

I have wired the coolbox in better to give a better connection and will stick with that for now. I can't really justify the cost of a compressor fridge but if one ever crops up cheap I may well buy it!

Still considering a solar panel to keep the LB topped up.

[mikeonb4c]

Thanks for all the advice.

I have given up on the 3 way fridge idea following the advice!

I have wired the coolbox in better to give a better connection and will stick with that for now. I can't really justify the cost of a compressor fridge but if one ever crops up cheap I may well buy it!

Still considering a solar panel to keep the LB topped up.

What kind of coolbox is it? I replaced a dirt cheap Peltier type coolbox with a Waeco Tropicool Peltier coolbox. Although the latter uses the same inefficient principle as the former, it seems to do it better, has low temp cutout, cools colder and would I suspect go for a lot longer on a battery.

We generally only camp for a night of two at time and its amazing how putting a few freezer blocks in the coolbxox and thoroughly chilling contents before setting off, and keeping coolbox in shaded and ventilated location can get you through a weekend with food that is still acceptably cool.

Solar panels can only do good in this respect. Mind you, if you're going to spend £s on solar panels, you might consider that an expensive but v efficient Danfoss compressor fridge could solve the problem by another route and for not too much more £s

Two big pluses with top loading coolboxes(and a point not lost on designers of the expensive VW T5 California if my friends one is typical) are that (1) precious cold air is not dumped each time you open them and (2) you avoid situations where, for example, the bed is set up and you can no longer swing open the fridge door. The downside is the annoying problem of stacking food, milk etc. But with a little imagination, you can get around those (DIY plastic partitions etc.)

[cmm303]

So it has done the job, however it is a bit of a pain. So I'd like to make it easier one way or another.

The things that are a pain are...

1. Reaching to the back of the cupboard to unplug and plug back in the coolbox.
2. When you take the bottle of milk out everything else falls into the space where it was and then you have to take everything else out again to put the milk back in.
3. Everything gets quite wet in there - some things aren't good to put in there.
4. Not sure it is ended to be used so much - the plug ended up getting warm and cracking and shorting out.

Keep some milk handy in a small Thermos. We expect it to stay fresh in the thermos for 24 hrs. then sling leftovers if starting to get dubious and refill from the cool box. Minimises heat gain in the cool box and dead convenient for morning tea in bed! We use an unpowered cool box, albeit really chunky, and still have ice at the end of 4 days and very chilled beers

[mikeonb4c]

So it has done the job, however it is a bit of a pain. So I'd like to make it easier one way or another.

The things that are a pain are...

1. Reaching to the back of the cupboard to unplug and plug back in the coolbox.
2. When you take the bottle of milk out everything else falls into the space where it was and then you have to take everything else out again to put the milk back in.
3. Everything gets quite wet in there - some things aren't good to put in there.
4. Not sure it is ended to be used so much - the plug ended up getting warm and cracking and shorting out.

Keep some milk handy in a small Thermos. We expect it to stay fresh in the thermos for 24 hrs. then sling leftovers if starting to get dubious and refill from the cool box. Minimises heat gain in the cool box and dead convenient for morning tea in bed! We use an unpowered cool box, albeit really chunky, and still have ice at the end of 4 days and very chilled beers

Indeed. And we buy Cravendale when camping - keeps much longer.

[sotal]

What kind of coolbox is it? I replaced a dirt cheap Peltier type coolbox with a Waeco Tropicool Peltier coolbox. Although the latter uses the same inefficient principle as the former, it seems to do it better, has low temp cutout, cools colder and would I suspect go for a lot longer on a battery.

We generally only camp for a night of two at time and its amazing how putting a few freezer blocks in the coolbxox and thoroughly chilling contents before setting off, and keeping coolbox in shaded and ventilated location can get you through a weekend with food that is still acceptably cool.

Solar panels can only do good in this respect. Mind you, if you're going to spend £s on solar panels, you might consider that an expensive but v efficient Danfoss compressor fridge could solve the problem by another route and for not too much more £s

Two big pluses with top loading coolboxes(and a point not lost on designers of the expensive VW T5 California if my friends one is typical) are that (1) precious cold air is not dumped each time you open them and (2) you avoid situations where, for example, the bed is set up and you can no longer swing open the fridge door. The downside is the annoying problem of stacking food, milk etc. But with a little imagination, you can get around those (DIY plastic partitions etc.)

The coolbox is just the one that came with the Bongo. It was brand new and is this one...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ezetil-E24-Mira ... B00BJF9JPC

We tend to use ice packs, or one tip I used to use with the caravan fridge for helping to cool it was to use Capri Sun pouch drinks (or Aldi's equivalent!) - pop these in the freezer. They work just like the blue ice packs but you can drink them instead when they have melted!

I came up with the same idea for the milk whilst we were away (flask) - will keep an eye out for a small thermos flask as I'm sure it would save us some hassle!

[mikeonb4c]

Yup that's a basic coolbox. I used one like that for years for weekend camping and got on fine with it. The Tropicool is a lot better but cost a lot more unless you can bag one 2nd hand at a good price. As you and others say, the trick is to get contents as cold as possible before setting off. Personally I wouldn't bother with milk in a flask as its just extra bulk. You can freeze milk just as long as you don't need it before it's thawed (maybe freeze most but decant a cup of teas worth into a small plastic bottle) 2 litre frozen milk makes a great ice pack

[Fassi]

When I bought my bongo I was happy to see a fridge installed and the guy saying that it worked. He however forgot to tell me that it was a 230v currys table top that was only on when connected to an EHU.

I had a 600w inverter lying about so stuck in in behind the glove box and tried running the fridge from that. It nearly works good apart from having to recycle power to the inverter each time the fridge compressor kicks in. I'm just using this system temporary until I get home. Maybe get a new fridge or a bigger inverter that can handle the surge. So strange that i can just flick the switch off and on manually and it starts working again but the 'intelligent' power supply in the inverter can't do it. I've extended the switch and led indication so it is handy next to the handbrake. Lets me turn the inverter on and off when i wish easily and know if the overload has kicked in. Not ideal but better than nothing in the meantime. Plus when I get an EHU it is all good. The switch on the left does the scavenger fan as of today as well. One on the right is inverter

[cmm303]

What did you use to mount the switches?

[mikeonb4c]

When I bought my bongo I was happy to see a fridge installed and the guy saying that it worked. He however forgot to tell me that it was a 230v currys table top that was only on when connected to an EHU.

I had a 600w inverter lying about so stuck in in behind the glove box and tried running the fridge from that. It nearly works good apart from having to recycle power to the inverter each time the fridge compressor kicks in. I'm just using this system temporary until I get home. Maybe get a new fridge or a bigger inverter that can handle the surge. So strange that i can just flick the switch off and on manually and it starts working again but the 'intelligent' power supply in the inverter can't do it. I've extended the switch and led indication so it is handy next to the handbrake. Lets me turn the inverter on and off when i wish easily and know if the overload has kicked in. Not ideal but better than nothing in the meantime. Plus when I get an EHU it is all good. The switch on the left does the scavenger fan as of today as well. One on the right is inverter

I had this issue with my (300W) inverter and a low power device like my sons PS2. The capacitance of the device pulled a momentary load that threw the inverters overload switch. But by switching the inverter off and on again, it would easily power the device. I think the trick worked because the capacitance in the PS2 'held' the electricity for long enough to restart the inverter, and the PS2 then no longer needed to pull such a large load. Its as though the overload switch in the inverter needs to allow overload for a tad more than time than it does. Perhaps your fridge poses the inverter a similar problem

[Fassi]

What did you use to mount the switches?

a bit from a plastic box, a dremel, self tappers and some tape. Some wire and some spiral wrap. Rough job