3 way fridge on battery whilst on ferry?

[Nesting Zombie]

I don’t idle MOs engine Trev !

I’m Driving to my next park up.

 

[trevskoda]

I don’t idle MOs engine Trev !

I’m Driving to my next park up.

Sorted then, by the way a fridge should be at 2c and a freezer at -20c, this 5/7 thing is to high, as others have said freeze bottles of water and place in the fridge and switch it of, easy last 8 hrs or more no bother.

 

[Nesting Zombie]

It’s a Chest FREEZER that has a Refrigerator setting that I predominantly use as a CHILLER/ FRIDGE Trev.

https://amzn.eu/d/aCHZ5WQ

It’s just that I’ve found that if I put it on FREEZER mode when I’m driving it works harder & brings the temperature down quicker, it then happily keeps the space between say 5-7 for absolutely HOURS.

 

[wildebus]

Sorted then, by the way a fridge should be at 2c and a freezer at -20c, this 5/7 thing is to high, as others have said freeze bottles of water and place in the fridge and switch it of, easy last 8 hrs or more no bother.

It is virtually impossible to have a combined Fridge and Freezer configured with the optimum temperature for both - there is only one thermostat and have to just hope that you can find a suitable setting on it close enough to be suitable.
FWIW, I have my freezer set to come on at -16C and off at -17C, and the fridge has to look after itself usually is around 2-5C but as I don't store any meat in the fridge it is not that critical.

 

[Nesting Zombie]

I think that for most of the time the Fridge is WELL under 5°C, Especially just after starting it up in the morning & for a fair few hours after turning off, only Climbing to around 7°C as the day goes on & before I chill it down again in the evening if I have temperature sensitive yummynes in there.
However even at under 7°C according to the little thermometer thingy inside I’m still kinda ok according to the Food Standards Agency-

But let’s be fair, I can tell when Milk & Coleslaw goes over, My Game is Processed within hrs & cooked same day, Cheese is fine & let’s not even talk about Eggs !

How did life go on before Fridges!

 

[trevskoda]

It is virtually impossible to have a combined Fridge and Freezer configured with the optimum temperature for both - there is only one thermostat and have to just hope that you can find a suitable setting on it close enough to be suitable.
FWIW, I have my freezer set to come on at -16C and off at -17C, and the fridge has to look after itself usually is around 2-5C but as I don't store any meat in the fridge it is not that critical.

I get it, no meat no chance of atracting zombie after dark.

 

[Boris7]

Why not just run it on gas during the crossing?

I know they used to say don’t and they used to check, but that’s years out of date tbh

 

[jann]

Frozen Chicken, Salmonella poisoning I'd be worried about that as at home it's

Place the chicken in a box at the bottom of the fridge (as you would at home. After an overnight crossing to Rotterdam, it has not thawed.

 

[Chasn]

It is virtually impossible to have a combined Fridge and Freezer configured with the optimum temperature for both - there is only one thermostat and have to just hope that you can find a suitable setting on it close enough to be suitable.
FWIW, I have my freezer set to come on at -16C and off at -17C, and the fridge has to look after itself usually is around 2-5C but as I don't store any meat in the fridge it is not that critical.

I have just bought a compressor fridge that allows individual settings for both fridge and freezer so presumably has two thermostats. As it has Bluetooth it can also be set and monitored on my phone. Not bad for £216.

 

[WildPete]

Absolutely you can. We have 200Ah of lithium and have run a 3-way fridge for five hours. There was still plenty of charge left. You might have to do some adjustments to the wiring so that the 12V is used from the correct battery. If you're lucky you will have a fridge that has a solar control input - I used that to trick the fridge into running on DC.

 

[Moped]

Why not run the fridge on gas during the crossing?

Ok the ferry staff may in theory do a check for condensation drips while you are on the upper decks. However I have yet to learn of anybody being summoned through the tannoy system for having their gas turned on to run the fridge.

 

[st3v3]

I have just bought a compressor fridge that allows individual settings for both fridge and freezer so presumably has two thermostats. As it has Bluetooth it can also be set and monitored on my phone. Not bad for £216.

Got a link?

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I have just bought a compressor fridge that allows individual settings for both fridge and freezer so presumably has two thermostats. As it has Bluetooth it can also be set and monitored on my phone. Not bad for £216.

I'm guessing that will only work if you want to use it as one or the other, i.e. as a fridge or a freezer, but not both?
Or is it more sophisticated than that, with two separate/independently monitored storage sections within the same unit?
If the latter, then sounds a very reasonable price - that's if it lasts more than 5 minutes ...

Our old 3-way fridge has a small freezer compartment, but we only really use it for re-freezable ice cubes for drinks.
Fancy gizmos are definitely not us!

 

[mark61]

£216 is very good for a dual zone compressor fridge/freezer
Dometic one is probably close to £1000.

 

[wildebus]

I have just bought a compressor fridge that allows individual settings for both fridge and freezer so presumably has two thermostats. As it has Bluetooth it can also be set and monitored on my phone. Not bad for £216.

That is good, but it is not the norm though.

Be useful to share more information on this gem of a fridge/freezer you have

 

[n brown]

Not sure Trev, but I think some vans can only use 12V on a 3 way fridge with the engine running?

Could be wrong though, I usually am.

all the vans i did were like that
sat on a campsite or drive - 240 volt
in the wild - gas
driving - 12v element [running off van battery ,only works when engine running ]

 

[Robmac]

That is good, but it is not the norm though.

Be useful to share more information on this gem of a fridge/freezer you have

I assumed it was this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpicool-Refrigerator-Portable-Campervan-Electric/dp/B091KWF7G9/ref=asc_df_B091KWF7G9?mcid=c02c7036d2b33d088c19af0ce88ecbd2&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696386426092&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15255438813005396661&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046204&hvtargid=pla-1394919885809&hvocijid=15255438813005396661-B091KWF7G9-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1&th=1

 

[wildebus]

all the vans i did were like that
sat on a campsite or drive - 240 volt
in the wild - gas
driving - 12v element [running off van battery ,only works when engine running ]

Newer vans are often configured with a variation on that setup ....
The 3-way fridges actually run off the LEISURE battery when running on 12V (rather than the van/vehicle battery), BUT the fridge will only enable that 12V into the Fridge when there is a D+ (engine running) signal.

I think they might do that so if a Compressor Fridge is specified, no rewiring is required, so handy for aftermarket changing, but on the downside - and it is a significant downside - it means that around 12A of the output of the B2B is used just to run the Fridge, so if you have say a 30A B2B installed, nearly half of that output is used just for the fridge and not for on the move battery recharging.

 

[wildebus]

I assumed it was this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpicool-Refrigerator-Portable-Campervan-Electric/dp/B091KWF7G9/ref=asc_df_B091KWF7G9?mcid=c02c7036d2b33d088c19af0ce88ecbd2&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696386426092&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15255438813005396661&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046204&hvtargid=pla-1394919885809&hvocijid=15255438813005396661-B091KWF7G9-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1&th=1

So a coolbox rather than a fridge? Can be handy and top-loaders tend to be more efficient as you don't lose so much 'cold' when opened, but they are a pain in the neck to get stuff out. I used a Waeco Compressor Coolbox in my first conversion and it was really good in terms of keeping stuff cold and using low power, but I was very pleased to switch to a 'proper' fridge in my next conversion.
Great for storing drinks and the like, but as a general purpose fridge? nah, not for me.

Might be not the one Chasn was talking about as it only has one compressor so can't see how you can accurately set 2 controlled temps from the one power source?

 

[Robmac]

So a coolbox rather than a fridge? Can be handy and top-loaders tend to be more efficient as you don't lose so much 'cold' when opened, but they are a pain in the neck to get stuff out. I used a Waeco Compressor Coolbox in my first conversion and it was really good in terms of keeping stuff cold and using low power, but I was very pleased to switch to a 'proper' fridge in my next conversion.
Great for storing drinks and the like, but as a general purpose fridge? nah, not for me.

Might be not the one Chasn was talking about as it only has one compressor so can't see how you can accurately set 2 controlled temps from the one power source?

Yes, I'm not sure but the price is in the right ballpark.

Personally I would have a chest freezer, preferably with a lift out basket but prefer a proper fridge.