Freezer

[Trotter]

Lead Acid batteries - so can only take down to 50%, giving you a realistic usable capacity of 135Ah.
Your main fridge is 3-way, so that will be using very little battery power.

Solar Contribution ... just looked at my setup as a real-life example and with 460W of solar on a nice April day on Scotland, I have so far put in 70Ah into the battery with a couple of hours of decent harvesting left today (that 70Ah into the battery doesn't include the power the fridge is using either, so will actually be better than 70Ah from the solar).
So getting into the summer (and further south?), I would say a 200W system could make up the 40Ah the freezer would use? and a bad weather day will take around 30% of the USUABLE battery bank power
I don't think it is unrealistic to be able to run a little freezer like that Russell Hobbs one in the van in the summertime, especially if you are touring every few days

I had a look on Amazon to see the current price of the Waeco Coolfreezes (they are very efficient and work well as freezers as well). Currently still pricey but they fluctuate a lot in price (I bought a 36L one for just over £300 in the past, but I managed to catch that price at the right time - usually much more).
I did see this unit - https://amzn.to/2y0axGy . Not got any experience of these, but could be an possible option at £279 for an unit that I *think* is 200Wh/day (the spec writeup is a bit mixed-up. it quotes 0.2kW/h and I think that is meant to be 0.2kW/Day)?

At £279 , that’s very similar to the one on eBay at £219. Tbh, I reckon going the domestic route would be the better way to go. All we need is a vaccine, so we can all get away again.
Thanks again Dave. Feel free to plug anytime
Stay safe

 

[wildebus]

What you may find is lots of people have bought extra freezers for their lockdown - and as soon as they are released on parole, they may want to shift them? glut of freezers going cheap?

 

[Trotter]

What you may find is lots of people have bought extra freezers for their lockdown - and as soon as they are released on parole, they may want to shift them? glut of freezers going cheap?

They had to put those loo rolls somewhere

 

[mistericeman]

What you may find is lots of people have bought extra freezers for their lockdown - and as soon as they are released on parole, they may want to shift them? glut of freezers going cheap?

Worth checking IF you have a local refrigerated medicine distributor nearby....

I used to have the option of small countertop fridges/freezers that they replaced at either 3 or 6 months old for free (the meds stored (sealed temp critical packs) were very much life and death so they needed 100% reliability....

Those I didn't flog on (they were all like brand new.... Usually still with plastic coverings on)
I reclaimed the R 134a from and sent it for resale and weighed the rest in....
Happy days

 

[Rec]

Have you considered an ice cream maker if it is just ice cream you want the freezer for?

Ice Cream Maker Emma with Compressor 150W, 1.5L, Stainless Steel Ice Cream Machine, Removable Ice Cream Container, No Pre-Freezing, LCD Display: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Ice Cream Maker Emma with Compressor 150W, 1.5L, Stainless Steel Ice Cream Machine, Removable Ice Cream Container, No Pre-Freezing, LCD Display at Amazon UK.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[wildebus]

Have you considered an ice cream maker if it is just ice cream you want the freezer for?

Ice Cream Maker Emma with Compressor 150W, 1.5L, Stainless Steel Ice Cream Machine, Removable Ice Cream Container, No Pre-Freezing, LCD Display: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Ice Cream Maker Emma with Compressor 150W, 1.5L, Stainless Steel Ice Cream Machine, Removable Ice Cream Container, No Pre-Freezing, LCD Display at Amazon UK.

www.amazon.co.uk

mmmmmm

 

[mistericeman]

I've got a Gaggia Geleteria....
Cracking thing THOUGH ice cream still needs setting in the freezer after you've made it....

 

[wildebus]

I've got a Gaggia Geleteria....
Cracking thing THOUGH ice cream still needs setting in the freezer after you've made it....

Do you need a PROPER Freezer? My Fridge in the van is not a fridge-freezer, but does have an 'ice-box' whic keeps frozen stuff frozen but does not really freeze from cold, if that makes sense. What you reckon? (it does seem a good ice box though).

 

[mistericeman]

Do you need a PROPER Freezer? My Fridge in the van is not a fridge-freezer, but does have an 'ice-box' whic keeps frozen stuff frozen but does not really freeze from cold, if that makes sense. What you reckon? (it does seem a good ice box though).

I tend to make ice cream with condensed milk/double cream (cheats ice cream BUT cuts down on pfaff.... Especially the rate I go through ice cream)

When the process is complete you end up with a bowl of very soft scoop (identifiable as ice cream) but really needs further freezing to be proper Ice... cream.
IF the 'ice box' will freeze ice cubes then it would probably final freeze ice cream.

 

[wildebus]

Good stuff
Yes, I like to use those fillable ice bags for ice cubes and they freeze up very well in the ice box.

 

[Trotter]

Have you considered an ice cream maker if it is just ice cream you want the freezer for?

Ice Cream Maker Emma with Compressor 150W, 1.5L, Stainless Steel Ice Cream Machine, Removable Ice Cream Container, No Pre-Freezing, LCD Display: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Ice Cream Maker Emma with Compressor 150W, 1.5L, Stainless Steel Ice Cream Machine, Removable Ice Cream Container, No Pre-Freezing, LCD Display at Amazon UK.

www.amazon.co.uk

Ice cream would be a very welcome addition to my freezer items. Add peas, broccoli, sausage, mince, chicken as well, and we’ll be getting there.
Vegan alternatives are available, although not in a freezer near me.

 

[wildebus]

Ice cream would be a very welcome addition to my freezer items. Add peas, broccoli, sausage, mince, chicken as well, and we’ll be getting there.
Vegan alternatives are available, although not in a freezer near me.

There are some very nice vegan alternatives you know

 

[wildebus]

(Not sure about non-dairy ice cream though?! I actually prefer Sorbet thinking about it)

 

[Trotter]

There are some very nice vegan alternatives you know

I’m sure there is.
But I’ve yet to see the carnivore alternative in a vegan restaurant. Flippant comment, I know.

 

[JohnnyGM7LSI]

Home made is best.....

None ice cream machine ice cream.

Tin of condensed milk
Tub large of double cream
Add flavour (couple of tablespoons of instant coffee and table spoon of warm water to dissolve/or few spoons of Horlicks powder for a nice malty flavour)
Mix and whisk until thick....
Tip into container and freeze for an hour or so (till part frozen)

Then stir some crushed biscofee biscuits for coffee one
Or malted milk biscuits for Horlicks

Freeze completely and enjoy


Or let your imagination run wild flavour wise

Mmmm that sounds nice, what size of condensed milk and how much cream

 

[JohnnyGM7LSI]

I like the idea of this, we have a freezer but a small tabletop one in the garage would be great, and then run it off of the inverter when driving and when parked up. I`m off for a google.

 

[Trotter]

I like the idea of this, we have a freezer but a small tabletop one in the garage would be great, and then run it off of the inverter when driving and when parked up. I`m off for a google.

I wouldn’t need the freezer for the odd weekend away, Longer trips, a week to three months, it would come into its own.
When shopping, at Lidl’s or similar, meat comes in a minimum of 500g, far too much for a meal for one. Well, for me anyway . Then I can split it into two or three meals, and I’d not have to have the same meal, two or three days running. Ready meals would be an alternative. Ben and Jerry will also have somewhere to stay.