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r39o Samba Polizei
Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 9800 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:04 pm Post subject: Another refrigerator question - cheap reefer |
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http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=1...mp;topnav=
(Sorry, I can't make this long URL display right.)
Sanyo 2.4 Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator
I saw inexpensive refrigerators like the above at Costco. Some even cost less and were like $89. I am curious as to if using something like this has some major "gotcha?" Ya, I know it is 110V only. Maybe it can be modified for 12V operation or if an inverter would be too impractical to run it off?
At around a 7th of the price of similiar sized application specific units, it sure would be an interesting experiment. I mean just how special are the the various high dollar camping special units? What are the real world trade offs, if any? Or am I stupid fool for even considering something like this? _________________ "Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....
Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently) |
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whynotvw Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2004 Posts: 1322
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:51 am Post subject: |
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i have similar model thats little older and it seemed to draw alot of amps. i have engel mt45 fridge and this fridge draws much less power. so i guess the power draw would be the drawback. |
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pioneer1 Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2008 Posts: 2068 Location: Ontario Canada
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:28 am Post subject: reefer |
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Hi: may I suggest a Coleman Powerchill 40- $85 and it's 120/12v compatible.
You could probably remove the old Dometic but retain the door and hide the Coleman inside the same space-be creative... _________________ "Always waiting for tomorrow ruined everything"
'85 Porsche 911 Targa
'76 Westfalia project |
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odin43 Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2010 Posts: 80 Location: spokane, wa.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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anybody have experience with these units? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028MOZI6/ref=pd...H0G2N4CR0J
i know they can only cool to 45 deg. below ambient, but up here in the inland NW we dont see too many days above 80-85 deg. _________________ 86 syncro
02 passat w8 |
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wolfej1 Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2005 Posts: 679 Location: North Royalton, Ohio
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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You can do it and it will work fine. I rigged mine up using my aux battery (standard type 41) and an inverter.
I have not used it for any prolonged period standalone on 12V but it works fine with shore power (why wouldn't it right?) and the inverter keeps it powered when in transit and for stops of a few hours.
I was going back and forth on whether to remove the dometic but I finally did because I was tired of having warmish food whenever the temps went above 80 degrees and most of my camping with the westy occurs where there is shore power available - otherwise I am backpacking..
I have no regrets with the change. I have used dry ice in there when there is no shore power and that worked for a few days as well.
If you do the majority of your camping where there is shore power - go for it - you will be happy.
my $.02 |
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r39o Samba Polizei
Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 9800 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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wolfej1 wrote: |
You can do it and it will work fine. I rigged mine up using my aux battery (standard type 41) and an inverter. |
Which one?????
What did you or are you using?
These are Avanti brand units. I have no experience with them, but I was looking for information about these "super conducting" reefers. Is it just hype for Peltier (sp?) junction technology or really something special?
odin43 wrote: |
i know they can only cool to 45 deg. below ambient |
I was wondering what the magic numbers were for the Avanti reefers.
I did read somewhere that they draw about 83 watts or about 7 amps at 12 volts.
Further, from my reading, it seems I really would want a unit with a Danfoss compressor. I noticed replacement compressors are like $200 so a whole unit should not be more than $300 or so I would imagine but I can not find anything less than in the $500 range and mostly more. _________________ "Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....
Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently) |
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Howesight Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008 Posts: 3273 Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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Hi R39:
I did a lot of research before I settled on the Truckfridge TF65 for my '86 syncro Westy. None of the truly great campgrounds here in the Canadian west have shorepower. All the "touristy" campgrounds have shorepower, but I prefer the wilder sites. For that reason, I got the 12 volt only TF65 and rely on my 115 amp/hour auxilliary battery to run it.
It is the best addition I have made to my Westy, bar none. I had to modify the cabinet to fit the TF65 in there, but for my money, having 65 litres of space instead of 49 litres of space (with the TF49) is well worth the effort involved. Note that the factory Westy fridge is about 46 litres. Having the absolute certainty that food will not spoil and beer/pop will be ice cold (as well as having ice cubes!) was worth every penny. The Danfoss BD35 compressor is the heart of the unit and uses power very sparingly.
Anyway, there are a lot of good posts in this thread, including a couple from me. If you need to fugure out how to modify the Westy cabinet to fit the TF65, PM me.
Here is the thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=359831&highlight=fridge+projects |
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Sir Sam Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2009 Posts: 1684 Location: Fort Collins Colorado!
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:57 am Post subject: |
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Howesight wrote: |
Hi R39:
I did a lot of research before I settled on the Truckfridge TF65 for my '86 syncro Westy. None of the truly great campgrounds here in the Canadian west have shorepower. All the "touristy" campgrounds have shorepower, but I prefer the wilder sites. For that reason, I got the 12 volt only TF65 and rely on my 115 amp/hour auxilliary battery to run it.
It is the best addition I have made to my Westy, bar none. I had to modify the cabinet to fit the TF65 in there, but for my money, having 65 litres of space instead of 49 litres of space (with the TF49) is well worth the effort involved. Note that the factory Westy fridge is about 46 litres. Having the absolute certainty that food will not spoil and beer/pop will be ice cold (as well as having ice cubes!) was worth every penny. The Danfoss BD35 compressor is the heart of the unit and uses power very sparingly.
Anyway, there are a lot of good posts in this thread, including a couple from me. If you need to fugure out how to modify the Westy cabinet to fit the TF65, PM me.
Here is the thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=359831&highlight=fridge+projects |
I did this as well, just remember that modifying the cabinet in itself is a project. _________________ '91 Carat Westy
87' Syncro + '87 Westy conversion coming soon |
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r39o Samba Polizei
Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 9800 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 11:38 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies. My needs are more modest, actually. I want to fit a reefer and or sink to my Multivan. Basically for going to the beach and driving the kids around and have cool drinks and some food for a day. Times are tough and money tight for such things so I want to be sure I make a prudent choice that meets my needs and not out perform the refrigerator at home. Below is my pattern:
.
_________________ "Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....
Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently) |
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wolfej1 Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2005 Posts: 679 Location: North Royalton, Ohio
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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Coleman 1200 Watt Power Inverter - 2400 Watts Peak Power PMP1200
Walmart type 41 standard battery
Haier reefer - not certain of the model number as it was given to me - but it is one of those dorm type units.
Like I said - only good if using shore power or driving combined with short stops. The inverter is only there to keep it powered while in transit.
However, I have never tested how long it would work on DC before killing the battery. I would not think too terribly long. _________________ 1982 Westy
2004 KDX200
2008 Kawasaki KLR 650
1979 Yamaha DT 175
1995 Toyota 4Runner |
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r39o Samba Polizei
Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 9800 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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Anybody using the below????
Almost 2 years have passed.
There are now sub $100 compressor frigs out there. LOTS of them. My only concern is current draw which I never see mentioned......sigh....Here are a few:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-1.7-Cubic-Foot-Ref...ductDetail
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-1.7-cu.-ft.-Refrig...gMethod=rr
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Decker-2.7-cu-ft-R...gMethod=rr
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Daewoo+-+1.7+Cu.+Ft.+C...Id=3109205
http://www.target.com/p/Emerson-1-8-Cu-Ft-Compact-Refrigerator/-/A-12254452#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton _________________ "Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....
Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently) |
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DAIZEE Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010 Posts: 7552 Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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I'm looking for alternatives for the future. I have the doubly deep Dometic in my ASI. I'll follow with interest. Is a big Coleman unit cheaper in the States and how readily available is dry ice? If I may ask those questions in this thread? I consider putting a large bar fridge in but as I don't want to be held prisoner by shore power, I've pretty well ruled them out altho there are some good sale prices on some nice units. My being economically challenged is a factor. _________________ '09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold) |
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r39o Samba Polizei
Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 9800 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:21 am Post subject: |
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I am liking the below:
http://www.target.com/p/Emerson-1-8-Cu-Ft-Compact-...on[/quote]
http://www.livingdirect.com/CRF150SS-EdgeStar-Comp...OPDISCOUNT
BUT, I am still having a hard time with power consumption specs.
I see a lot of them show around 315 Kwh/year also the Edgestar is rated at 138W / 0.87A at 115VAC
So:
315 Kwh/year X 365 days/year X 1 day/24hrs = 36 watts
36W is a LOT different than 138W.
Is the 36W the average over a whole year and 138W the highest/starting power?
I know, I know, I can always go and measure, but I want to bench race it first.
What is going on here? _________________ "Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....
Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently) |
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ShootingFish Samba Member
Joined: July 25, 2010 Posts: 330 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:47 am Post subject: |
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315Kwh/yr is still 863w/day at 12amps is 71amp/day. _________________ SF
Props aren't just for boats....
'88 2WD ALH-TDI Westy
'90 Syncro 16 Doka |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15143 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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Daizee yoru ASI should have a 2way 12/120v fridge that is far superior to a bar/college fridge in service.. mine is 5yrs older than yours and holds tons of stuff cold.
though I do need to keep a maintained 12v aux battery (2 aux batts for my off grid tastes)
you would have to go to a 3way (propane/12/120) to gain off grid efficiency and or a true ENGLE style carry on fridge/cooler
the 2 batteries are cheaper even with every4-5yr replacement.
DAIZEE wrote: |
I'm looking for alternatives for the future. I have the doubly deep Dometic in my ASI. I'll follow with interest. Is a big Coleman unit cheaper in the States and how readily available is dry ice? If I may ask those questions in this thread? I consider putting a large bar fridge in but as I don't want to be held prisoner by shore power, I've pretty well ruled them out altho there are some good sale prices on some nice units. My being economically challenged is a factor. |
_________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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DAIZEE Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010 Posts: 7552 Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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yes and it's double the depth of the Westy's Dometic BUT I live in apt and have no place to plug it in and it never gets cold enough driving. I'd be prepared for 2 batteries dedicated to it but getting it cooled down is not working for me. I may use it this summer with dry ice IF I can find dry ice on my travels.
I'm not in a position to buy a vehicle fridge anyhow. _________________ '09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold) |
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