Running 3 way fridge via inverter

hairydog said:
My fridge is AES. You switch it on the day before you plan to go away. You switch it off again when you get home. That's it.
Yes, they're not cheap, but they're far cheaper and less hassle than th 12v stuff needed for a compressor fridge.
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Like I say....
Depends on your useage....
Our van fridge is always loaded and ready to go... Solar and batteries are already there as we tend to avoid hook up...
It's a no brainer for us to modify the Swift to make it suit the same sort of vanning we enjoyed with the transit.
 
mistericeman said:
Like I say....
Depends on your useage....
Our van fridge is always loaded and ready to go... Solar and batteries are already there as we tend to avoid hook up...
It's a no brainer for us to modify the Swift to make it suit the same sort of vanning we enjoyed with the transit.
Click to expand...

I must admit that I’m surprised that you can keep your fridge loaded and ready in the UK winter if charging batteries relies on solar, especially if it’s a compressor. I only have a 100w solar panel, and some winter days it only supplies a couple of ah.
Personally I usually move most days so that charges the battery, but did manage 5 days stationary and off grid at New Year. If I had not had a 3 way fridge running on gas that would not have been an option.
 
2cv said:
I must admit that I’m surprised that you can keep your fridge loaded and ready in the UK winter if charging batteries relies on solar, especially if it’s a compressor. I only have a 100w solar panel, and some winter days it only supplies a couple of ah.
Personally I usually move most days so that charges the battery, but did manage 5 days stationary and off grid at New Year. If I had not had a 3 way fridge running on gas that would not have been an option.
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Thats what i posted ....i only plug the van in a handful of times when we dont get away in the van for a few weeks ...rest of the time when we are going away the batteries get charged via the vsr as we also tend to move around each day.
 
Minisorella said:
I I have been told that the 12v mode when driving is a mere 'trickle' that will help maintain the current temperature in the fridge, ie it won't bring it down any further. Makes sense that it doesn't involve a thermostat or any switching on and off.
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This is exactly what I was going to say.
 
We cool ours down the day before we offskie via the mains and then put a frozen something (generally a 2 ltr milk) in the fridge
 
St3v3 said:
This is exactly what I was going to say.
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I have heard the same too, but given the very similar power ratings of the two elements it seems it should perform very nearly as well as on mains. That’s why I’m a little surprised at the absence of a thermostat in the 12v circuit.
 
I suppose the lack of thermostat on 12V could be a cost issue, omitted because 12V is only while driving a couple of hours, whereas 240V will be used for weeks potentially.
 
St3v3 said:
I suppose the lack of thermostat on 12V could be a cost issue, omitted because 12V is only while driving a couple of hours, whereas 240V will be used for weeks potentially.
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Yes, that's my thinking too. The element ratings are taken from the owners manual.
 
mistericeman said:
Like I say....
Depends on your useage....
Our van fridge is always loaded and ready to go... Solar and batteries are already there as we tend to avoid hook up...
It's a no brainer for us to modify the Swift to make it suit the same sort of vanning we enjoyed with the transit.
Click to expand...
We keep perishable food in our fridge, so I can't see any point in leaving it in if we're not using the van. What do you leave in your fridge when not using the van? Why?
 
hairydog said:
We keep perishable food in our fridge, so I can't see any point in leaving it in if we're not using the van. What do you leave in your fridge when not using the van? Why?
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Stocked with the basics... Butter/beer/cheese etc etc.
It's left in there so we're ready to head off without unloading stuff from the house fridge every time we head off...
We have clothes that stay in the van all the time... And cupboards loaded with tons etc....
Literally grab the Mrs and load the dogs in and we're off.
 
hairydog said:
We have clothes etc in the van all the time, but never leave stuff like cheese and butter. That goes into the house fridge so the van has fresh supplies each trip.
We drink real beer, not the crap you keep in a fridge. And that doesn't have to be stored cold anyway: you chill it to disguise how bad it tastes.
Leaving your fridge on will dramatically reduce your battery life
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3 years in.... Batteries are still doing nicely thanks....
IF I was only going away in the van on odd occasions then I'd probably use fresh supplies each time too....
However as we're away in it most weekends it makes sense for us to not keep emptying it....
As partial as I am to a nice real ale (not unknown for me to take a 72 pinter and hand pump away with us with the landrover lot)
I quite enjoy a decent lager too....
But then I'm not so blinkered to consider anything other than "real beer" as crap.

There are frankly plenty of craft beers out there that could do with serving cold if that hides the taste.
 
Yes, there are terrible craft beers. Just don't buy them! Whether you like lager or not, it doesn't have to be stored cold.
We tend to spend three or four months in the van each year (though rather more in 2018) but mostly in trips of at least a week or two at a time with spells at home in between. It's decades since I switched to working "at home" so I'm not stuck with office hours and weekends.
 
I didn't say I had to store it cold....BUT I like to drink it cold....

Forgot to ask....
Have you actually got a compressor fridge that you have problems with?
 
mistericeman said:
I didn't say I had to store it cold....BUT I like to drink it cold....

Forgot to ask....
Have you actually got a compressor fridge that you have problems with?
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Of course not. I have a three way AES fridge supplied by the motorhome maker that works perfectly. Why would I change it?
The physics is clear, however much you claim it works for you. Compressor fridges need no maintenance and give less cooling issues in hot conditions, but they cause most people endless hassles with 12v power.
If you use hookup, they're great. If not, they need at least 200 watts (300 is better) of solar panels, and even then your expensive batteries will need replacing far sooner. The LPG is cheaper, less hassle and lighter.
 
It is a shame to close an interesting thread, but this is a place for friendly discussion, not animosity.

edited to add that the thread is now reopen to most.
 
linkshouse said:
I have an Electrolux RM270 fridge fitted to my van.

I suspect the 12v section is faulty (I will investigate more fully in due course) as it cools fine on mains hook up and on gas, but even if it is cold already does not stay cold when 12v whilst driving.

Looking at the specs and wiring diagram I see that 240v element is 105 watts and the 12v element is 100 watts. Also, the 240v element is controlled by a thermostat whereas the 12V element is on all the time the 12V is present (engine running).

It seems to me that a reasonable solution might be to, take the 12v supply to the fridge and use this via an inverter to feed the 240V fridge circuit. I realise that I would not then be able to use the fridge on mains hookup.

Any thoughts?
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Absolutely no reason at all not to do this while driving, assuming you have the inverter already. I've been doing it for years and it's actually better and cooler on 230v vs 12v.
 
Will a lithium battery handle it better.Discharge to 10% ,depending on alternator and BtoB will charge 50amps hour
and smart solar charger gives plenty on good days.Battery good for 150 years to cover investment over mains hook up
 
Just run it on gas all the time and save yourself all the hassles that are being suggested.
 
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