Solar and fridge

Self builds and DIY projects
User avatar
richc
Posts: 335
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 5:56 pm
Location: Leicester

Solar and fridge

Post: # 213Post richc
August 26th, 2014, 8:27 pm

I'm going to add a flexible solar panel 150 wats to the roof - why flexible well they are lighter and create less air resistance

Just means I've got to do that horrible job of drilling the roof. I'm going to use an MPPT controller to get the most out of the panel

I'm also going to look at swapping out the fridge for a compressor fridge, I don't like 3 way fridges, so old technology and you need to be level to get them working.

Rich

User avatar
zildjian
Site Admin
Posts: 22051
Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 217Post zildjian
August 26th, 2014, 8:32 pm

I glued mine in place (we used to sell a very aggressive double sided tape)
although I went on to drill the roof to fit dish set-up but used lots of mastic around all the screw holes as well and so far it's been fine

User avatar
TrueDink
Posts: 456
Joined: September 2nd, 2014, 11:48 am
Location: Stanley, County Durham

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 487Post TrueDink
September 4th, 2014, 1:07 pm

I have a Waeco compressor fridge I will be swapping out for a 3 way in the very near future. When 'free' camping I found it impossible to keep a compressor cold. What model fridge do you have? Maybe a swap?
Nissan NP300 Navara Tekna double cab
S.Karosser EC6L-2.0

User avatar
richc
Posts: 335
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 5:56 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 547Post richc
September 5th, 2014, 8:07 pm

I'll tell you when i finally get to see the camper :oops:

Strange, i've only ever had compressor fridges and they have all been great

User avatar
TrueDink
Posts: 456
Joined: September 2nd, 2014, 11:48 am
Location: Stanley, County Durham

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 559Post TrueDink
September 5th, 2014, 11:50 pm

Don't get me wrong, compressor fridges are super efficient and get cold very quickly but when you are away from electricity for a month and only travelling for maybe a couple of hours a day they are a bitch to keep cold.
Nissan NP300 Navara Tekna double cab
S.Karosser EC6L-2.0

User avatar
richc
Posts: 335
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 5:56 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 695Post richc
September 8th, 2014, 10:17 pm

150 watts solar should sort that out, always had before

I have only used south africam made ones before which are super insulated, and they have been the chest variety of fridge rather than an open the door and all the cold air falls out (ie tradional fridge design) . If I desgined my own truck I would use these again. Makes such as Engel and National Luna , Waeco also do them.

So went on a spending spree tonight, K&N filter and snorkel for truck, solar panel, wire + connectors, MPPT charge controller and the workshop manual for the truck on CD. Just got to order a spare wheel and tyre now

Havn't even got the camper body back yet but got over excited I think :D

Rich

User avatar
richc
Posts: 335
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 5:56 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 833Post richc
September 13th, 2014, 1:59 pm

Well K&N filter arrived and installed

Snorkel, well got to build up courgage to cut a large hole in the wing

Solar panel is so light - even packaged it was only 3.5 kgs, nearly as heavy as the 10m wire and connectors package I bought

I've also got a housing to go over the hole in the roof with waterprrof entry points for the cable.

Now where did I leave that demountable camper.

Rich

User avatar
richc
Posts: 335
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 5:56 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 1220Post richc
September 29th, 2014, 10:01 am

TrueDink wrote:I have a Waeco compressor fridge I will be swapping out for a 3 way in the very near future. When 'free' camping I found it impossible to keep a compressor cold. What model fridge do you have? Maybe a swap?
I have a sneaky suspsion that your compressor fridge is quite big and won't fit my truck after seeing a north star this weekend in the flesh so to speak but send me the measurements (height and width) and I'll have a look

Rich

martinjdover
Posts: 103
Joined: September 28th, 2014, 8:57 pm
Location: Poole, Dorset

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 1274Post martinjdover
October 2nd, 2014, 9:26 pm

Would that be mine by any chance Rich??

Remember this is something I'm considering too as I want to reduce my gas consumption.

Martin

User avatar
richc
Posts: 335
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 5:56 pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Solar and fridge

Post: # 1289Post richc
October 3rd, 2014, 12:03 am

Martin


Yes it was yours I saw, and your comment about the higher worktop because of the fridge size.

I too want to reduce the dependency on gas, also electric fridges are less of a faf, switch on at start of trip and then forget till end when it is switched off, no messing with gas or 12v (with a very high current requirement), will work in far higher ambient temps (most 3 ways will only take it down to 22-25 degrees below ambient and ambient can be high in the back of a camper. THe elctric fridges will also work eve if you a parked at a bit of a tilt

I picked up a waeco cf50 today for silly money (so silly I bought 2), its not quite the right size but it will fit ,I like the Vitrifrigo ones because I can get a 90 litre one into the space and the current draw is very low, but thats a 600 quid spend and I have other priorities right now so may put the waeco in as a stop gap measure

Rich

Post Reply