Hello! Log in or Register   |  Help  |  Donate  |  Buy Shirts See all banner ads | Advertise on TheSamba.com  
TheSamba.com
 
Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021
Forum Index -> Eurovan Share: Facebook Twitter
Reply to topic
Print View
Quick sort: Show newest posts on top | Show oldest posts on top View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Gar4ever
Samba Member


Joined: February 08, 2021
Posts: 8
Location: BC
Gar4ever is offline 

PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 10:08 pm    Post subject: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

I have read and looked through past Samba posts for good ideas for replacing the Norcold 3163 in our 1995 Eurovan Camper, but there has been limited information about using more energy efficient technology.

To replace the current 3-way with a 3-way, an access panel would be needed to be cut into the outside of the van body, as there is no replacement being sold that fits the same venting or new LNG requirements. Perhaps that is not the best option?

How about a efficient 2 way? What is anyones experience or ideas for using a 200amp solar panel, a good coach battery and a fridge like the efficient Dometic CRX series? We like to go off grid, but once in the bush, we will not have access to AC for over a week.

Does anyone have any experience with a AC/DC fridge replacement (for use in the pacific northwest) using batteries and solar?

Pros? Cons? Suggestions?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
IdeaNerd
Samba Member


Joined: May 24, 2016
Posts: 596
Location: Central California
IdeaNerd is offline 

PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:12 am    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

I don't have an EVC so not apples-to-apples, but we are running a Dometic CD-50 in our main "adventure van" Weekender, and have been happy with it. We're almost entirely off-grid in our camping, and it's worked well for us in that capacity, though I need to improve our house battery setup and probably our solar as well. Right now we're running a 100ah AGM coach battery and a Renogy 100-watt suitcase panel setup just as a simple charger for it. If I'm diligent with putting the solar panel out, we're generally fine, but sometimes I get lazy and then end up running the battery down lower than it should be.

FWIW, I agree with your thinking re: two-way vs. three-way.

Have also heard some folks using TruckFridge in EVCs with good results.

Our next Weekender built-out iteration will likely use an ARB portable, for its easy removable and top-loading cold air conservation. But, that will likely be in a different location closer to the sliding door, and really not apples-to-apples with a typical EVC setup.

Keep us posted on what you end up doing and how it turns out, OK? I'm interested! Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
dazey77
Samba Member


Joined: May 11, 2020
Posts: 163
Location: Other side of the pond.
dazey77 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 12:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

I put in the Vitrifrigo C60i as I ran into it on other blogs for the Winnebago eurovan and its a simplish swap. 12v only, but of course if you are wired for hookup then it’s kind of 2-way by nature. Works well for me
I have 200w solar getting swapped for the 250w Panasonic hit rigid
_________________
My van modification blog:
www.dazedproductions.co.uk/Vanity
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Gar4ever
Samba Member


Joined: February 08, 2021
Posts: 8
Location: BC
Gar4ever is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 3:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

Thanks for the feedback and support. This is a total upgrade to the entire electrical system of our EVC.

I'm working on putting together a good (mostly off grid) system.

Fridge : Dometic CRX 65E AC/DC high efficiency fridge. Low power consumption, and slightly larger than the norcold 3163. Tight fit. Can pre-cool with AC before heading out.

Solar: Renogy 200 Watt Eclipse Monocrystalline Solar Suitcase, can move it around into the sun, if we park in the shade.

Battery: Brand new flooded deep cycle marine battery

Inverter/charger: Still looking for a good match, don't need much power, but want a good solar connection and a good battery tender. Recommendations?

Battery monitor (I have been looking for a decent battery meter/monitor for a year and just found this: Renogy 500A BATTERY MONITOR (https://ca.renogy.com/500a-battery-monitor/), this way I can tell at any time what is happening for battery life and draw.

Extra space beside fridge: Rev-A-Shelf 6w"x21.5"dx23.4 tall

I'm still connecting the dots here, and hope to photograph the whole removal and install.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
dazey77
Samba Member


Joined: May 11, 2020
Posts: 163
Location: Other side of the pond.
dazey77 is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 7:03 am    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

I don't really know your intended usage, my concern with the suitcase solar would be that you may struggle to keep the battery topped up, just due to the frequency with which its deployed.
Also depends on things like how much your on hook up and how much driving.
If your out and about then you will have no power input apart from the alternator, park up for a day somewhere without the solar out and your loosing power.
Your point about shade is of course valid but personally for me a portable only solution wouldn't work. Doesn't mean it won't for you. Yes, I always have to consider shade when I park and which direction the sun is coming from.

Why do you need an inverter? There is hardly anything you can't run off 12v, laptop car adapters for example.
_________________
My van modification blog:
www.dazedproductions.co.uk/Vanity
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
SteveZ
Samba Member


Joined: January 02, 2019
Posts: 118
Location: Nova Scotia
SteveZ is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:25 am    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

At 5.5 amps, that Dometic fridge will use 77 Ah in 14 hours (overnight and sittin, constant cycle, without your battery being recharged). That's the maximum, though, since the fridge will likely cycle on intermittently. (Oh, how I wish we could get data on how much power fridges use in a real life situation, accounting for ambient temperatures and in-use cycles!)

If your battery is less than 160 Ah capacity, that 77 Ah draw will lower its capacity below 50%, which will, over time, ruin your battery. The 77 Ah figure does nor include what else you are using that uses electricity, and as stated above, does not account for the fridge on-off cycle.

Will a 200w portable solar system replenish your battery in the time and sun available? No one knows, but there may be some experience out there. Sadly, I have seen little reporting that makes me confident, but that did not stop me from ordering a Renogy Eclipse 100 w kit last week! I figured it was worth the cost to run my own experiment.

For a battery monitor, I chose the Victron BMV-712 and I'm happy with it. I also have 2 AGM batteries for a total of 182 Ah. The AGM batteries will generally have a high Ah capacity than flooded batteries of the same size. If money is not an object, the Lithium batteries have higher capacities for a given size and can tolerate lower levels of discharge. I'd suggest the Victron IP67 25A for mains power charging and CTEK D250SE for alternator and solar charging. Search TheSamba for those products and you should get some other interesting threads on this subject. I am using a Pro Mariner Pro Sport 12 battery charger for 110 v ac charging my batteries. The circuitry of the Pro Sport allows the charger to be connected all winter while the batteries and van are stored, keeping them topped up with an occasional cycle with no intervention from me.

Here's a bit of information on batteries - apologies if you know this stuff already.

Don’t drain your battery to 10.5 volts - no lower than 12.2 volts if you want to maintain its ability to hold and take a full charge.

You don’t want to fully drain your auxiliary battery! If it goes below 50% state of charge you risk damaging it, reducing the charge capacity and it’s ability to hold that charge.

12.2 volts is a battery discharged to 50% of its capacity. 50% SOC, where SOC = state of charge, is as low as manufacturers recommend a battery be discharged. Fully discharged is 11.4 volts. Batteries do not respond well to being discharged below 50% of their capacity. They will lose their ability to take a charge or hold that charge, loose the ability to fully charge, so you don’t get a lot of power back into them and they will deteriorate rapidly until they need to be replaced.

About the 12.2 volt 50% SOC point, think of it this way. If your loads need 12 volts, running them from a battery below 12 volts won’t work well. Yes, a lamp will still glow, but dimmer, but electronics or a fridge compressor that need that certain voltage will not work or could be damaged running on low voltage. So, low voltage below 12.2 is potentially bad for the loads and for the battery.

Your aux battery is one of these types: FLA - a standard flooded lead-acid battery, or a FLADC - a FLA deep cycle battery, or one of the AGM equivalents: AGM or AGMDC. Ideally, your aux battery should be a Deep Cycle battery. The AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries will have a bit more capacity in AH (ampere hours) than the FLADC of the same size, they are spill proof, do not require water to be added, and do not emit gasses when being charged.

To charge the battery, if they have been discharged, but not below 50%, you need to supply them with a "bulk" charge until the batteries are about 75% fully charged - 25% to go. Then the "absorption" stage takes over and the batteries receive 14.1 to 14.8 volts until they are charged. Next, they receive a "float" stage at 13.0 to 13.8 volts to maintain them at full charge.

The engine alternator will charge the aux battery in your van when you drive, but it can take a very long drive to fully charge a battery. Long road trips may work well, or shorter drives when the battery has only been discharged a bit, say down from the 12.9 volts of a fully charged battery to 12.8 volts. But if the battery has been discharged to 12.3 volts, a short drive is not going to charge it fully. When you are driving the alternator is charging the aux battery if it is not already fully charged. The reading of voltage on the meter is the voltage at the battery, but when it is being charged the reading is the charge voltage, not the battery SOC. You won’t see that until the engine is off and the battery has rested a bit.

The 110 volt charger comes into play when the van is connected to shore power. An overnight charge may be enough to bring the battery up to full, depending on the charger and the load running through the night, such as the fridge.

So, important numbers: 12.9 volts is fully charged. 12.2 volts is 50% SOC. 11.4 volts is fully discharged. Don’t use battery below 50% SOC/12.2 volts. Charging takes time, depending on SOC and output of charger (alternator or shore power).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
steve2sloth
Samba Member


Joined: August 25, 2019
Posts: 84
Location: Berkeley, CA
steve2sloth is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

Just wanted to chime in about dazey77 asking why someone would need an inverter... I need one to charge my MacBook Pro. All of apple's laptops require 15v to charge so you just cannot do without an inverter, and it needs to be pure sine too. I also use it to power my shop-vac and drill when I'm doing van projects but that's hardly a necessity. Finally, since I got the inverter I also occasionally use it to run a TV and XBox or an air purifier during fire season Wink Truthfully though, the inverter is probably the least used feature on the van compared to all else.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
dazey77
Samba Member


Joined: May 11, 2020
Posts: 163
Location: Other side of the pond.
dazey77 is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 2:14 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

Steve, your wrong on Apple! I actually have an old apple 12v magsafe 2 charger. They use DC-DC converters inside. They are dirt cheap on amazon or ebay.
You dont say which model but there are loads of magsafe 2 car chargers and I have an anker car USB-C for my Macbook (which is 18V from memory?).
For light loads like laptops, DC-DC conversion is much better than going DC-AC-DC
TVs come in 12V. Xbox and air purifier. . . dunno

First google result
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charger-MacBook-ORIGINAL-ELECTRONIC-EQUIPMENT/dp/B00H1BPPS8
_________________
My van modification blog:
www.dazedproductions.co.uk/Vanity
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
steve2sloth
Samba Member


Joined: August 25, 2019
Posts: 84
Location: Berkeley, CA
steve2sloth is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 2:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

Ah, dazey77, you're right! I'd done other searches in the past for a dc magsafe charger and failed but today, on the third try, I found them on ebay... searching for "magsafe car charger" works. Looks like they put out plenty of watts for a quick charge. Apple works hard to kill any magsafe knockoffs but I guess they're letting their grip go slack. My newer laptop works off usb-c so I don't need to search so much for a charger. That was my only must-have inverter need but no longer I suppose. Now I just need some satellite internet and I can work from the van Wink

The newest xbox/ps5 use up to 200w of power so there's little hope of running them off of DC for long but I don't really need that anyways... I just like them now because I can more easily vacate my small apartment to give my wife some rare alone time during the pandemic. In a couple of weeks I'm gonna camp with a friend who I have been quarantined from for a year and we'll probably just hang out in the van drinking and gaming. He's not much of a hiker.

As for the air purifier... they're becoming a life necessity here in California every summer. Last summer I couldn't leave my house without a respirator for a month and canceled 2 camp trips for the smoke. Now that I've added the inverter for the air filter, maybe I can give it a try. For this level of smoke you need a bigass air filter, not the tiny 12v air purifier you see on amazon. What a time to be alive
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
st.pauli
Samba Member


Joined: February 19, 2021
Posts: 7
Location: NY
st.pauli is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

We got a Truckfridge with 105W of solar and some old wet batteries. With some driving eveery 1-2 days this was ok without shore power. A better battery should come next.
We got one Sunflare 105W Flexible Solar Panel. These work still ok when parialy shaded (bypass diodes). That works fine, but I think they loose power when getting too hot. So I glued on an Aluminium Sheet witch is screwed on F-Track Hurricane Panel Footers that are mounted on the pop top. In my eyes a portable system in not easy to handle with camping and parking and driving...
_________________
-------------------------------
1997 Eurovan Camper
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Gar4ever
Samba Member


Joined: February 08, 2021
Posts: 8
Location: BC
Gar4ever is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:59 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

1995 EVC electric upgrade update from original post.

Okay, after 6 months of careful planning, electric reno is done.

One thing led to another, but I have replaced the old Norcold fridge, control panel and the entire coach DC system.

Front install:
Dometic fridge
Scad TM1 fresh water meter
Renogy battery monitor (love this)
LED cable lighting
New pump switch
Switch for Fridge
Rev-a-shelf for the extra space (this is very handy)

Rear install:
Renogy DC to DC charger,
Renogy 200 watt suticase solar panel
2x 100ah renogy lithium iron batteries
Progressive Dynamics PD9145ALV (charges in under 2 hours)
Lots of custom cabling

Everything worked the second I turned on the system.

Fridge will run for over 5 days off battery (pacific northwest), super fast AC charge and next week, we'll set up the solar panel.

Our EVC was in near mint shape, but the electronics for the camper has some serious issues. All gone now. Worth the time and $$ to know we have reliable power in the deep woods.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
almond
Samba Member


Joined: April 06, 2021
Posts: 38

almond is offline 

PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:10 am    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

Looks great. Nice job!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
Blaque Jacques
Samba Member


Joined: February 06, 2018
Posts: 114
Location: Moab
Blaque Jacques is offline 

PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

thanks for the write up. I am working on similar. That is the TF 49 right? Is it significantly smaller than the Norcold? love a pic of he inside. also of the Rev a shelf!
_________________
86 2wd Westy GW2200. 97, 99 02 EVC. Lots and lots of bikes
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Frostilicus
Samba Member


Joined: June 11, 2021
Posts: 8
Location: California
Frostilicus is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

Wow That is Amazing!! Good work!
I really want to do the same with a 97 EVC that I just acquired.
I am a novice on all of this but figured I could find enough online help.

Where do I start when upgrading electrical?
I need 2 nice aux lithium batteries, solar, charge controller, etc...
But is it straightforward to "hook" this all up to existing Electrical system?

Assuming from Gar4ever's post that it may not be?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
sgirard
Samba Member


Joined: September 18, 2014
Posts: 93
Location: Spokane, WA
sgirard is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Best fridge replacement (Eurovan 95) options for 2021 Reply with quote

Frostilicus wrote:
Wow That is Amazing!! Good work!
I really want to do the same with a 97 EVC that I just acquired.
I am a novice on all of this but figured I could find enough online help.

Where do I start when upgrading electrical?
I need 2 nice aux lithium batteries, solar, charge controller, etc...
But is it straightforward to "hook" this all up to existing Electrical system?

Assuming from Gar4ever's post that it may not be?


It partly depends on how simple or complex you want to make it. You might start a new post and list out what you are hoping to achieve… what do you want to power, etc.
_________________
95 EVC
--------------
Previous:
64/71/72/82
--------------
Intro
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Forum Index -> Eurovan All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

About | Help! | Advertise | Donate | Premium Membership | Privacy/Terms of Use | Contact Us | Site Map
Copyright © 1996-2023, Everett Barnes. All Rights Reserved.
Not affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen of America | Forum powered by phpBB
Links to eBay or other vendor sites may be affiliate links where the site receives compensation.