Greg_Volkman
Observer
Check out my system in my M-416 trailer, here, running my fridge and 12 volt shower!
https://youtu.be/Jy_561tW1XE
https://youtu.be/Jy_561tW1XE
100Watt, 12 Volt Solar System w/dual Optimas on my Offroad Trailer
- Thread starter Greg_Volkman
- Start date
Bear in NM
Adventurer
Greg,
looks good. I assume you have to carry your cold stuff in a conventional cooler to your camp, then switch things to your fridge? Nice that you noted for folks, having to let the fridge settle, after driving.
I'll have to look at 12 volt water systems on amazon. I have a zodi, but all in all it is kind of a pain having to deal with batteries and propane cylinders. Now that I am also running solar, I need to start converting conveniences.
Great looking Jeep and Trailer. My YJ got munched last year by a drunk driver, but I can appreciate Jeepin' mods. I finally have my off trailer converted to Chevy wheels and hubs (was all set up to match my Jeep), and it is nice to be done with major mods. All of the solar stuff is fun, and not back breaking.....
Craig
looks good. I assume you have to carry your cold stuff in a conventional cooler to your camp, then switch things to your fridge? Nice that you noted for folks, having to let the fridge settle, after driving.
I'll have to look at 12 volt water systems on amazon. I have a zodi, but all in all it is kind of a pain having to deal with batteries and propane cylinders. Now that I am also running solar, I need to start converting conveniences.
Great looking Jeep and Trailer. My YJ got munched last year by a drunk driver, but I can appreciate Jeepin' mods. I finally have my off trailer converted to Chevy wheels and hubs (was all set up to match my Jeep), and it is nice to be done with major mods. All of the solar stuff is fun, and not back breaking.....
Craig
Greg_Volkman
Observer
Craig,
Thanks for the reply. The coleman cooler in the video is a thermoelectric. It's actually very well insulated, so I pre-freeze all my food and put a couple of bottles of ice in there too. Even without running it, it will keep the ice frozen for 3-4 days. But I run the coleman cooler on the 12volt plug in my jeep when driving so it cools everything down still. I can also run the coleman on the solar, but it's a power hog...the fridge is much more efficient.
Thanks for the reply. The coleman cooler in the video is a thermoelectric. It's actually very well insulated, so I pre-freeze all my food and put a couple of bottles of ice in there too. Even without running it, it will keep the ice frozen for 3-4 days. But I run the coleman cooler on the 12volt plug in my jeep when driving so it cools everything down still. I can also run the coleman on the solar, but it's a power hog...the fridge is much more efficient.
Bear in NM
Adventurer
Greg,
gotcha. I recently acquired an ARB fridge, and on my first trip out used the frozen food and water bottle route, much the same as I would do with my regular colemans. I also plugged it into a 12 volt outlet, for the short trip, then switched it over to my solar once parked. My ARB certainly does not have the type of dead air space a coleman has, but this makes me think that maybe I should try an ice test with it, to see if it can perform at all like a conventional cooler, and if so, for how long.
Interesting that your fridge is more efficient (in terms of power). I guess the downside is that it is not necessarily rated for trail running while in use, but you seem to have a good system worked out. Might I guess that you fridge is your beverage holder, once parked ;^)
Craig
gotcha. I recently acquired an ARB fridge, and on my first trip out used the frozen food and water bottle route, much the same as I would do with my regular colemans. I also plugged it into a 12 volt outlet, for the short trip, then switched it over to my solar once parked. My ARB certainly does not have the type of dead air space a coleman has, but this makes me think that maybe I should try an ice test with it, to see if it can perform at all like a conventional cooler, and if so, for how long.
Interesting that your fridge is more efficient (in terms of power). I guess the downside is that it is not necessarily rated for trail running while in use, but you seem to have a good system worked out. Might I guess that you fridge is your beverage holder, once parked ;^)
Craig
Greg_Volkman
Observer
thermoelectric coolers apply a charge to one side of a plate, causing it to heat up, and the other side cools down. There are heat sinks on both sides, and fans blow cold air inside and hot outside. it's neat science, but not efficient. I wish I had an ARB cooler - some day, but for now this works okay. I wonder how much the oil splashes around in the compressor on the fridge, but it's a small system so I think waiting more than a couple of hours is probably overkill.
Bear in NM
Adventurer
Thanks for the design explanation. I never really looked at those. Yes, the Arb was a big hit to the wallet. About the only way I could justify my entire setup (including solar) was the ability to have a back up system here at the house. I couldn't care less about the frozen bacon, but losing elk meat is another story.
There are always plenty of chores to do when setting up camp. Letting the fridge sit for a spell seems like an easy thing to do.
Craig
There are always plenty of chores to do when setting up camp. Letting the fridge sit for a spell seems like an easy thing to do.
Craig
Greg_Volkman
Observer
Sorry; hope I didn't seem like a know-it-all with the thermoelectric cooler talk. I just thought they were pretty cool little things until I learned how much energy they pulled (I have heard everything from 4 to 8 amps), and that they can only cool to 40 degrees below the ambient outside temp. It works great for getting to the trail and keeping the food frozen though. It works fine on 3-4 day trips (4 being the most). I constantly scan Craigslist and websites for ARB/Nor Cold/ Sun Power/ other 12v coolers. One day!
Bear in NM
Adventurer
Greg,
No, I appreciate the explanation. When I decided on the Arb, I did a little reading on options, and the thermo's inability to get really low in warm weather made them a non-start for me. I don't remember whether I looked at negative amp draw reviews, but I did see that the better real fridges with the Dan Foss type compressor seemed to run in the roughly 1 amp/hour, for a 24 hour time frame. I did another small test on my Arb on Sunday, as the sky was blue, but we had a lot of lighter clouds blowing through.
My Arb definitely runs at about 3.75 amps when running. .08 amps when sitting. My single 135 watt panel was pushing about 6 amps and change, 70 degrees and pointed well at the sun. I got about 0.2 amps from just cleaning the dust and mud spots off the panel, when I started. With a dead (warm) start up from 43 degrees inside, to running at 19, with the broken clouds passing through, I was able to run the fridge at the high heat point of the day, and still reach float (13.6v) on my sunsaver controller (it did start in bulk, at 14.4v). But with the clouds in front of the sun, I was only seeing about 1-2 amps from the panel. This definitely confirmed to me that a second 135 panel and more amp hours in my battery would certainly be needed for extended cloudy weather. I have a 75 amp hour battery in my portable center, and 55 amps hours in my second truck battery, for what, something like 50 amp hours of safe reserve.
Sorry for getting off track, but I thought perhaps a data point might help with your decisions as to whether or not to upgrade. I'll probably add a second 135 watt panel later this fall, for testing this winter. Fortunately, hinging this second panel to my first will still allow for it to be portable, and fit on the racks of my Avalanche. It looks like it would be easy to add a panel to your trailer mount (which is very nice) if needed.
Craig
No, I appreciate the explanation. When I decided on the Arb, I did a little reading on options, and the thermo's inability to get really low in warm weather made them a non-start for me. I don't remember whether I looked at negative amp draw reviews, but I did see that the better real fridges with the Dan Foss type compressor seemed to run in the roughly 1 amp/hour, for a 24 hour time frame. I did another small test on my Arb on Sunday, as the sky was blue, but we had a lot of lighter clouds blowing through.
My Arb definitely runs at about 3.75 amps when running. .08 amps when sitting. My single 135 watt panel was pushing about 6 amps and change, 70 degrees and pointed well at the sun. I got about 0.2 amps from just cleaning the dust and mud spots off the panel, when I started. With a dead (warm) start up from 43 degrees inside, to running at 19, with the broken clouds passing through, I was able to run the fridge at the high heat point of the day, and still reach float (13.6v) on my sunsaver controller (it did start in bulk, at 14.4v). But with the clouds in front of the sun, I was only seeing about 1-2 amps from the panel. This definitely confirmed to me that a second 135 panel and more amp hours in my battery would certainly be needed for extended cloudy weather. I have a 75 amp hour battery in my portable center, and 55 amps hours in my second truck battery, for what, something like 50 amp hours of safe reserve.
Sorry for getting off track, but I thought perhaps a data point might help with your decisions as to whether or not to upgrade. I'll probably add a second 135 watt panel later this fall, for testing this winter. Fortunately, hinging this second panel to my first will still allow for it to be portable, and fit on the racks of my Avalanche. It looks like it would be easy to add a panel to your trailer mount (which is very nice) if needed.
Craig
Greg_Volkman
Observer
Thanks for the info! If it weren't for the fridge, I would only be running 1 optima. Even then, they are only 75 ah each. We don't get many clouds out here in CA in the summer, the real pain is unbolting the panel and keeping it in the sun (the pine trees tend to cast long shadows, as do mountains). I originally went with 10 feet of solar cable, but I got another 10 foot extension for the times that the sun is far from the trailer. I'm normally able to get a pretty good long amount of time of full sun, and at night up in the mountains here it's low to mid 50's all summer so the fridge just idles, like you said.
Bear in NM
Adventurer
I am in Northern Nm, and we have the altitude for lower day time temps, but yes, tall tress and mountains do cast long shadows. I'll be up at the ranch this weekend for 3 days, and will push the system again. We have been having strong monsoon flows, so clouds are a real issue right now. I actually have quite a few cables of various lengths, the longest being about 35 feet. If I have to stretch it out, voltage drop be danged......Looks like a nice camp setup, by the way. Two 75's would set me up very nice. Maybe next year on more battery capacity.
Craig
Craig