fridge size for full timing

[jaross]

Hows the freezer on the TF130? Does it actually fully freeze? Do the freezers on any of the units with only one large front door freeze alright?

 

[86scotty]

My TF130 does NOT freeze things completely solid but I rarely turn the dial up past about 5. It goes to 10. If I had a ton of reserve power I might try it but I don't really use my fridge for much and don't like the extra cycling when I turn it up (or down rather). It keeps an ice tray frozen but won't freeze ice cream completely for instance.

 

[luthj]

A bit of insulation on the freezer tray will let you turn the unit down lower (to keep ice cream frozen) without freezing the upper fridge area. Closed cell foam works well. Extra insulation on the outside of the freezer (and fridge) part of the unit can help reduce power usage a lot. The truckfridge units may have a 1/4" air gap behind the doors outside panel. It slides out, and some reflectix in the gap is a good idea.

 

[The Artisan]

I travel and work in my van 5 days a week now and try to never eat out. I average one bought meal per week usually just out of laziness or busy-ness. I LOVE my Truckfridge T130. Sips power and plenty of room for all of my pre-made meals. The freezer goes all the way to the back of the unit but doesn't freeze stuff like ice cream solid.

https://www.truckfridge.com/tf130acdc/

You didn't really mention whether you were leaning towards front door or chest style. I've had both. If you prefer a chest I have a Truckfridge/IndelB chest too for longer trips and this size has always been plenty for 1-2 of us. Unfortunately it's no longer listed on Truckfridge's site but it's made by IndelB. You can find them lots of places these days.

http://www.indelb.net/portfolios/indelB-YCD45/

That is the fridge I had planned to get. What is your avg amp/hr on 12v?
Kevin

 

[86scotty]

I've never measured it but it's on their site in the specs I'm pretty sure. I have two 6v golf cart batteries (230 amp hour bank) and it will run that fridge for 5 days or so if the van is off. No solar yet but I don't really need it because I drive so much. Even after a 3 day weekend at home my voltmeter only drops to 12.3-12.4 when fridge is running. Put simply, very efficient.

 

[transporterjr]

It would be nice to have room for a 6 pack of beer too. ..

But with the fridge, I've found that we could slip two beers in before supper and have them cool enough to drink with supper. This was with a rental van (Jucy Camper) and the fridge was a 29L (30 qt) drawer. Our family of 4 could get by with this, but a larger one would have allowed stocking up for getting through a national park better. The drawer arrangement was pretty convenient except for tall containers that did not seal well. I was thinking that two of these, although an expensive arrangement, would make a nice set-up. Drinks and lunch foods in one, the rest in the other.

 

[clarkh]

I didn't mention this before because most van folks want to go small but I have the biggest Truckfridge in my motorhome, the TF2600. It's amazing, almost residential size (8.1cf) with a REAL freezer that freezes like a freezer should. They aren't cheap at about $1300 but are so much better than the propane electrics in typical RVs. Our propane fridge in our class C died shortly after we bought it so I replaced it with one of these. No regrets. 300 watts of solar on the roof keeps it perpetually happy.
Ask TF for a discount and it will probably be granted. I've bought 4 of them at their Georgetown KY location and always gotten a discount and never paid tax because I don't live in KY.

https://www.truckfridge.com/tf2600/

If you have the space I agree with this... I've had 2 of these, well the Vitrifrigo - this model at least is or was a rebranded Vitrifrigo, and love it. Don't pack it full most of the time so it's easy to get at stuff, but the space is still there when you need to load up. Freezer is awesome, ice, ice cream, good stuff.

My current one:

 

[flightcancled]

One thing I haven't seen anyone mention is space. Full time in a van is like living in a cave as soon as the weather turns. Too much fridge just means less living and storage space. As said most people who aren't going on a full-blown expedition can pretty much graze from store to store for food. Make sure you pull out a tape measure and find something that is going to tuck away where you want it.

Have an idea of what is really going to go in there. If it is going to be mostly beer then a top door is great. Cans and bottles stack nicely, and you can sit on top or use it as a work surface. If you're going to have mostly smaller food items, veggies, etc then it turns into a major hassle. Everything has to come out to get something on the bottom, and fragile stuff like fruit gets smashed.

Displays are nice, but do you really need them? If I could change something I would get a model that only lights up when prompted with maybe just one small indicator led to tell me it is running. An OLED screen that's on 24/7 telling me the inside temp is a waste of power, lights up the van at night when you are trying to sleep, and draws unwanted attention to you when people walk by and see a glow.

Finally make sure the warranty is BOMBER. You are going to be pushing the fridge to the limits with extended constant use. I killed a Dometic in 3 months of alternating dust, damp, high temps, constant vibration and bumps. That could have been a crisis, but they have a 2 year warranty that is renewed if they give you a replacement. Most camper retailers are service centers so I can just drop it off and have them deal with it.

I think I am running a 54 liter. It was the biggest that I could put into the space where I wanted my fridge - right behind the driver. Here's a look https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/q-flights-rb-e250-quigley-build.163811/page-7