Fridge Vs Coolbox

[Mairy]

We're currently in the middle of our shuttle - camper conversion. We have a full width bed, purposely leaving not an enormous space (about 800-850mm in length) for a kitchen pod (sink or no sink is another dilemma!) There are not many units that small including a fridge... so what I would value opinions on, is whether a 12v coolbox is a viable replacement?

I plan to install a 150W solar panel, so efficiency/running time off my 110ah leisure battery when off grid is also a consideration.

Thanks for your thoughts...

 

[Phil_G]

Instead of the compressor you'd have in a fridge, coolboxes use a Peltier element which is generally uncontrolled though some have a crude thermostat arrangement. Peltiers are inefficient and use an awful lot of current, it depends on the element area but a continuous 5A is typical. They give a fixed thermal gradient, ie the hot side gets hot as the cool side gets cool, and you need to get this heat away somehow because the cold side is a fixed temperature (18-20°) below the hot side. So if the hot side gets very hot, the cold side is only 18° cooler than 'very hot'. Basically the cool side tracks the ambient temperature, but at best, 18° lower in temperature. In a nutshell they dont work as well or as controlably as a compressor, but if your power system is up to it, they're much cheaper, more reliable, silent (apart from the airflow fan) and you can easily make your own custom-fit Peltier fridge or coolbox.
Heres an example, cheap as chips: 5PCS TEC1-12706 Heatsink Thermoelectric Cooler Cooling Peltier Plate 12V 60W | eBay
Cheers
Phil

 

[Ed Webb]

I always found 12v coolbox never got that cold and chewed through the battery. The fridge I have in this van sips from the battery and gets really cold.
The functionality of the fridge is worth the extra cost.

 

[micksea]

i would add a second leisure battery and a compressor fridge.in place of the expensive and pointlessly small sink I would get a silicon pop up washing up bowl,this will take up less space in your cupboard than the plumbing and usually unreliable pump needed for a sink that's next to no use.

 

[Davenjo]

Instead of the compressor you'd have in a fridge, coolboxes use a Peltier element which is generally uncontrolled though some have a crude thermostat arrangement. Peltiers are inefficient and use an awful lot of current, it depends on the element area but a continuous 5A is typical. They give a fixed thermal gradient, ie the hot side gets hot as the cool side gets cool, and you need to get this heat away somehow because the cold side is a fixed temperature (18-20°) below the hot side. So if the hot side gets very hot, the cold side is only 18° cooler than 'very hot'. Basically the cool side tracks the ambient temperature, but at best, 18° lower in temperature. In a nutshell they dont work as well or as controlably as a compressor, but if your power system is up to it, they're much cheaper, more reliable, silent (apart from the airflow fan) and you can easily make your own custom-fit Peltier fridge or coolbox.
Heres an example, cheap as chips: 5PCS TEC1-12706 Heatsink Thermoelectric Cooler Cooling Peltier Plate 12V 60W | eBay
Cheers
Phil

Just to add to this; the 18° C below ambient temperature you will get from one of these coolboxes may sound sufficient for the UK but, even here, a closed up van in full sun will easily get up to 40°+ on a hot day.

@Mairy - I have a 75ah leisure battery and a 100w solar panel - my Waeco Compressor fridge (CRX65) runs 24/7 with very little driving between camping trips, hence your plans for a 110ah battery and 150w solar should be ample for similar

 

[stuart-t6]

I have a dometic cool freeze cf 26 compressor cool box.
I have a small leisure battery 70ah and a 100 w solar panel,
The solar keeps the battery full and runs the cool box vey well.

 

[Wills]

We're using a top loading fridge with Evo furniture. Worth looking @ their designs to see if something they have works for you.

 

[mdp]

Hi. I have a T6 conversion with a full width bed (wanted to do the cooking and stuff outside). I want to get a more efficient, and quieter, way of refrigerating stuff than my current thermoelectric coolbox. I want to be able run it off the 12V whilst I'm travelling, but keep in it the awning when I'm at a site, preferably running off a 240V hook up. I've looked at the Waeco CRX-50, and really like that it has the small freezer compartment (want to just use ice packs in a coolbag for excursions), but I want to be able to move it into the awning when at the site. Does anyone know how robust they are, being moved in and out of a van? And I don't reckon they're sculpted to enable carrying around? I've looked into the Waeco compressor coolboxes, which seem more expensive, bigger for tand don't seem to come with a separate freezer compartment. Anybody got any advice?

 

[slidepods]

Personally I'm a compressor coolbox fan. They are a versatile product and extremely efficient. We stopped pushing the weaco units as aftersales from dometic is shambolic and we had more than a few issues with them. We now sell the isotherm units and have had only one faulty on to date and that was straight out of the box and it got sorted quickly. My personal one is nearly 3 years old and has been running for about 90% of the time I have owned it and its never missed a beat.

 

[Loz]

Good compressor fridge/freezers are not cheap but you get what you pay for.
We have an Engle 40L portable unit that has been faultless for years. Its dual voltage and we also use it in the house at Christmas as an overflow freezer.

Take a look at Engel Waeco ARB Portable Fridge freezers

 

[mdp]

Thanks for the tips. I'll have a look.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Thanks for the tips. I'll have a look.

We have one of these, brilliant bit of kit, but not cheap. It's currently sat outside the van in Northern Spain making ice for our evening G&T
NL 50 Twin Weekender Refrigerator & Freezer - National Luna

 

[Loz]

We had a National Luna previous to our Engle, great bit of kit.

 

[Juliedaisy]

Hi wondering if anyone can help. Having just purchased a t6 lwb we are travelling to France in it in a few weeks. When we go the van will be lined, and have rock and roll bed but no units we plan to just use carver boxes and portable hob. However our concern is the fridge...we will be running off grid (had already booked a gite before getting van so van just being used to extend holiday - 3 days max in van either side of week in gite)

I originally thought I would buy a cheapy electric 12v coolbox but now worried that a) it won’t stay cool enough and b) it will flatten battery. I have looked at compressor fridge type cool boxes but really expensive when we will hopefully be getting full units in with built in fridge on our return? So just wondered if anyone had any ideas...would it be possible to buy a fridge that we will eventually fit in and use this - I’m guessing we would need to fit a leisure battery or would fridge need to be in a unit ie not freestanding? Any ideas welcome...thank you

 

[Nigel W]

If it was me I would buy one of these as this is what you would want to eventually fit into your conversion. Yes you will need a leisure battery, and some method of charging it, but it will run for 3 days on a charge.
My friend has one and uses it freestanding awaiting the purchase of units.
Dometic Waeco CRX50 Fridge 12volt Compressor

 

[Redsurfbus]

We ran 2 coolboxes with frozen bottles of water in for years, worked for 5 to 6 days. Though I also had a big 'cool cupboard' that the coolboxes went in, this was slightly insulted too.

 

[Juliedaisy]

Thank you for the replies...I’m looking to see if we can get leisure battery fitted..if not cool box it is...frozen water sounds like a good idea.

 

[Base1388]

Hi wondering if anyone can help. Having just purchased a t6 lwb we are travelling to France in it in a few weeks. When we go the van will be lined, and have rock and roll bed but no units we plan to just use carver boxes and portable hob. However our concern is the fridge...we will be running off grid (had already booked a gite before getting van so van just being used to extend holiday - 3 days max in van either side of week in gite)

I originally thought I would buy a cheapy electric 12v coolbox but now worried that a) it won’t stay cool enough and b) it will flatten battery. I have looked at compressor fridge type cool boxes but really expensive when we will hopefully be getting full units in with built in fridge on our return? So just wondered if anyone had any ideas...would it be possible to buy a fridge that we will eventually fit in and use this - I’m guessing we would need to fit a leisure battery or would fridge need to be in a unit ie not freestanding? Any ideas welcome...thank you

Hi

Ill second the Dometic

For 10 years I drove to south France 6 or 8 times a year basejumping trips and work.
For the first few years i never bothered with a fridge
then a friend was selling one of these it was an older on he used in an HGV i bought it and OMG what a difference it made to the whole experience.
I know they expensive but fantastic bit of kit
I would pug into cig lighter socket and only run it when driving defiantly turned off over night
Always kept cold
I added a Cool bag type jacket with a zip lid you could buy for it helped as well

Romany

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dometic-CD...02&hvtargid=pla-563744915014&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

 

[Valdubvee]

Hi there
- another huge thumbs up for the Dometic - I also have the one above (slightly newer model), on the recommendation of friends who used it in near 40 degree temps in France and it was perfect.

The latest version (from 2018) is the Dometic CoolFreeze CF26 (the old model is CDF26)

Key issues - its extremely quiet when sleeping, it is very frugal on use of power and will cool to your set temp irrespective as to how hot it is outside. Really important to have as quiet an operation as poss, if you're sleeping next to it

It a compressor type with 12/24 volt and 110 - 240 mains built in mains operation (no need for a mains adaptor). All leads and plugs included.

Can be set to use as mobile freezer or fridge. Temperature range -18 C to +10 C. Electronic thermostat with digital display, just set it at you preferred temp and it will maintain that.

Accommodates standing 2 litre bottles. Actual capacity is 21 litres. Bigger versions available.

Automatic voltage recognition, so if your battery starts to run down it will automatically switch itself off rather than flatten your battery (v important if hooked into your vehicle battery).
Empty weight 12.5 kg.

V expensive- but, as far as I can tell, the best.

 

[Lord Mfwic]

Is there any reason why you can't use a small household domestic fridge ?