TheSamba.com :: View topic - fridge replacement projects

Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:34 pm

Just ordered my Truck Fridge. TF49 AC/DC model.

fyi: The price is now $549. Stock will arrive and ship hopefully a week from Monday.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:08 am

Meant to do this last weekend

Below are pics of my TruckFridge installed

Fridge - I had refaced all my cabinets and had some of the 'kydex' material left over so I slipped a piece of it in the face frame so I wouldn have a big-black door
I also created a brand new face frame instead of reusing the old one
I lined the sides and the top of the inside of the cabinet with 3/4"x1/2" so I'd have a solid surface to mount the frame to

Drawer - my same friend who made the new top for the stove/sink and my threshhold did this drawer for me
the drawer glides/slides are the type that when it gets about an 1" from the cabinet, it snaps shut so i won't have to worry about taking hard left turns and having it fly open

Shelf - just used some MDF for the sides.
the face frame and the entire drawer (except for the bottom) is made out of that same 5/8" multilayer core plywood

Outlet moved out of the way

Latch - been some discussion of the Vitrifrigo latch, this is the one on the TruckFrdige, holds very well and easy to just swing the door shut

Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:26 am

Very nice!
That reefer door looks great! :D

Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:46 am

Nice job!

I wish we could get them to build the frames in grey or dark brown, wouldn't that be nice? 8)

Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:50 am

ohlott wrote: If anybody is looking for solar set up here is the deal. This is the cheapest I have found.
http://store.solar-electric.com/kyso130wa12v.html

Great find! That is an awesome price! Anytime you find panels less than $4/watt, better grab 'em. I suspect these will sell out quickly!

Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:52 am

With the charging system upgrades and cabinet work. How much do ya'll have in these conversions of the fridge?

Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:07 am

westyventures wrote: I wish we could get them to build the frames in grey or dark brown, wouldn't that be nice? 8)
couldn't be all that hard to paint them if you wanted
god knows, it removes VERY easily
(unplug the 110v & 12v, four screws in the frame and it's in your lap)

Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:27 am

kd4yor wrote: With the charging system upgrades and cabinet work. How much do ya'll have in these conversions of the fridge?

Even had I not gone to the Vitrifrigo, I would have added the Surepower 1315, the Iota Smart Charger, the Volt~Minder, and the Blue Sea fuse box. Even after doing all of the maintenance on my Dometic, I still didn't trust it and for medical reasons, needed a fridge that I could depend upon so went with the Vitrifrigo and the four UB12220 batteries.

All of the following are delivered prices.

Four UB12220 batteries --- $169.18
Surepower 1315 --- $73
Vitrifrigo --- $595
Iota DLS-30/IQ4 --- $149.50
Blue Sea Fuse panel --- $35.94
Volt~Minder --- $30

Bought locally and my guess on prices since I did not keep the receipts.

10AWG red and black wire --- $10
8AWG red and black wire --- $14
6AWG red and black wire --- $9
Wire terminals --- $15
Fridge on/off DC switch --- $3
Quart of paint --- $12
Strip of aluminum --- $8
Black caps for fridge screws --- $2
Wood strips & 12AWG and 14AWG wire --- Stuff I had laying around
Misc screws and bolts --- $15
Small piece of 3/4 plywood ---- $10
Misc sandpaper, Dremel bits, etc -- $20

Hope this helps,

Harold

Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:43 am

kd4yor wrote: With the charging system upgrades and cabinet work. How much do ya'll have in these conversions of the fridge?

For the solar panel, controller, and wires..$542
The truck fridge................................... $550 w shipping
2 walmart group 27 110 ah each.............$120
Misc. parts............................................$150

Too much.
But oh well

Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:51 am

I kinda figured it was a $1000 upgrade

Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:55 am

Yeah the solar panel is the killer...But if you are away from a plug in and you want the fridge to run for a long time that's the only way togo...The link I posted for the solar panel is the cheapest I have seen them under $500 for a 135 panel...they normally sell for around 600 and up.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:58 am

ohlott wrote: Yeah the solar panel is the killer...But if you are away from a plug in and you want the fridge to run for a long time that's the only way togo...The link I posted for the solar panel is the cheapest I have seen them under $500 for a 135 panel...they normally sell for around 600 and up.

You can't start the engine to charge the batteries?

Sat Jun 06, 2009 9:02 am

Solar and Truck Fridge
best mod on Wilson

Turns out my set up was wired wrong
i had 3 days no sun
alternatior not charging Camp battery
Fridge on #5

Went camping, three nites no sun
fridge on #5

9 dvs's 9 or so laptop hours
6 or so interior light hours
iPhone and DS charging 6 hours

all running on a Non fully charged 110 amp hour battery

i think with all charging properly, 198 amp hours
and moderate sun, i can go indefinatly
over

Sat Jun 06, 2009 9:03 am

mightyart wrote: ohlott wrote: Yeah the solar panel is the killer...But if you are away from a plug in and you want the fridge to run for a long time that's the only way togo...The link I posted for the solar panel is the cheapest I have seen them under $500 for a 135 panel...they normally sell for around 600 and up.

You can't start the engine to charge the batteries?

Wonder how fast the alternator charges the aux battery (especially with a Sure Power or Yandina)?

Sat Jun 06, 2009 9:06 am

Yeah, you can start the car. but it would take a while to charge your batteries up. I plan on running the fridge full time. I live right by the beach and we take off last min. a few times a week to hang at the beach. San onofre you can drive you van to the water edge basically . I will keep it stocked all the time. Drinks,beer,food.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 9:06 am

Which brings up another inane question from me: what is the benefit of having an onboard battery charger like this one?: http://store.solar-electric.com/dls-30.html

How much more running time will it add to your aux battery if you're camping without shore power? Or are they more for a quicker charge from the alternator?

Sat Jun 06, 2009 9:09 am

Hallvalla wrote: mightyart wrote: ohlott wrote: Yeah the solar panel is the killer...But if you are away from a plug in and you want the fridge to run for a long time that's the only way togo...The link I posted for the solar panel is the cheapest I have seen them under $500 for a 135 panel...they normally sell for around 600 and up.

You can't start the engine to charge the batteries?

Wonder how fast the alternator charges the aux battery (especially with a Sure Power or Yandina)?

I don't know how it translates through your charging system or how much of the output reaches the batteries, but the alternators are rated at 13.9 volts 90 amps, you should be getting a good charge if all the output is going to the batteries.
What's the output of the solar system on a good sunny day?
and of course the sun doesn't always shine.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:58 am

I just picked up my Westy yesterday (new GW engine & trans + some extras). My first experience with my TF...so I picked up some off the shelf sodas (i.e., warm sodas) and a box of 6 Breyer's "dove" bars. Popped the sodas in the door slots and the box of bars in the freezer. Set the TF to 4.

Monster headwinds (USA flags were blowing straight out, no matter the size) and a 1/2-hour of rain on the way home (BTW - got 17mpg running the whole trip 60-75mph, not bad considering the head winds) - pulled over about 2 hours into the drive to grab a soda - it was definitely cold. Not real cold (can't expect that in only 2 hours, even with a home fridge). Got home in about 4 hours --- pulled out the ice cream bars --- not solid frozen, but nice and cold-creamy. Considering that I started from a warm fridge to that, I'm pretty happy.

Next text I'll try a 5 on the TF thermostat. I'm sure if that I had pre-chilled sodas, there would have been a difference in the ice cream and the sodas would have been as cold as when pulled from the store fridge.

The TF interior is huge. You can easily put two 1-gallon jugs of milk in the bottom and still have plenty of room (important when you have 2 kids, one who is just turned 15 and has grown 8" in the last two years...he's taller than me now!).

I also like the top latch on the TF. When I pulled over for soda, I got out of my seat, stood in the aisle between the two seats, leaned over & put hand on top of the stove cover, used the left to open the door and pulled a soda from the top shelf. Didn't have to leave the "cockpit" in order to reach down to where the Dometic latch used to be... Also - the little light inside the fridge is a nice convenience at night.

Totally off topic, I had GW wire up a door light switch for the slider. What a nice convenience! I had already intalled a second overhead light into the headliner for the front passenger door. (BTW - kudos to Sewfine for a great headliner (got the "OEM" panel) - looks great). My "Superbright" LED's arrived this morning, will pop them in above the doors and the glove box today.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 1:04 pm

rockfish wrote:
Totally off topic, I had GW wire up a door light switch for the slider. What a nice convenience! I had already intalled a second overhead light into the headliner for the front passenger door. (BTW - kudos to Sewfine for a great headliner (got the "OEM" panel) - looks great). My "Superbright" LED's arrived this morning, will pop them in above the doors and the glove box today.

I'm doing this too. I got the pass stock light on already and I'm adding a stock door light swith on the slider with a VW Jetta gray dome light. Same for the rear hatch, another stock door light switch and a ligt that I haven't deicded yet on...

You can buy the correct stock door switches for slider and rear hatch at Van Cafe

Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:25 pm

Time for some real-world testing. I'm sitting in VA at a campout, running the fridge since 7pm yesterday. Out of curiosity, I tested amperage before I left--3.7 A on startup, dropping to 2.5 as it runs. THEN, I added an analog clock to the fan power wires to time how much it runs in 24 hours. SO FAR, at this time, it has run 6 hours and 22 minutes. Fridge is 40 degrees inside at the mid point, van in the direct sun, 89 degrees inside. The thermostat is at the 7:00 position.

More tomorrow night. :D