12v or 3way

Discussions about fridges & freezers.
pop's coaster54
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by pop's coaster54 »

Hi Terry.

Yes i was very happy with that the temperature setting on 0 for 9 days. :D

Karen,Ron and the Girls. :P

Just coasting along. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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bellett65
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by bellett65 »

Well after a lot of deliberation, I bit the bullet today and ordered a Waeco Cr 110 12/240 volt fridge. Got a good deal at the local Jayco dealer. Hopefully if it arrives next week they will fit it for me. It is part of "THE PLAN" next is to wrk out power strategy. When discussed with the service manager, as part of another issue he said it was the way to go.
Peter
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T1 Terry
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by T1 Terry »

As a matter of interest Peter, what was the price? The smaller units aren't readily available in efficient 240vac units right now, possibly going through the testing etc with the new hydrocarbon refrigerants like R600, R600a, R290 and all the blends. They will be incredibly efficient when they are finally released.

T1 Terry
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bellett65
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by bellett65 »

Came in at $1400 including the fitting kit. The RRP is $1449 plus $89 for the flush fit kit. The Service department have quoted for 3 hours to fit. So all up around $1700 I had allowed for $2400. My logic was RRP cost plus 50% fitted.Then there are no surprises. I don't think they have realised that they will have to take the old one out through the window yet. I just have not got the time to do it myself.
Just keeping fingers crossed it arrives next week, if not we have to wait till February to get it fitted.
Peter
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TigerMK1

Re: 12v or 3way

Post by TigerMK1 »

Reached 40+ in the bus today (again) the F&P fridge, you know the 230V unit that cost $600 new, was purring along at 1.2C in the fridge department. :lol:
Steven
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by T1 Terry »

TigerMK1 wrote:Reached 40+ in the bus today (again) the F&P fridge, you know the 230V unit that cost $600 new, was purring along at 1.2C in the fridge department. :lol:
Steven
:D 8-) :D 8-) I do like to hear good feed back, 40+ would have the Waeco on it's knees begging for mercy.
So much for the knowledgable ones saying "the condensor in the cabinet walls will make them inefficient, you have to have the rear condensor" and "they couldn't survive without added insulation on the cabinet walls" and then added fans inside for better circulation etc etc :twisted:
If they worked well enough to pass the AS/NZS 4474:2 the way they left the shop you can be confident they will stand up to very hash conditions.
Thanks for posting that Steven, you made my day :D
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nut17
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by nut17 »

Following this thread with interest. In 1999, when I fitted out a Mazda Parkway bus as a motorhome, I installed a 90lt Vitrifrigo 12v/24v fridge and was very happy with it's performance, but at that stage we were not doing much freedom camping. In the summer the fridge was consuming around 30Amps over 24hrs and in winter this dropped to around 20 amps / 24hrs. I ended up selling the bus before I got into installing solar. Since then we have purchased three new caravans, the first in 2004 and all have come supplied with Dometic three way fridges which we have been very happy with. New Zealand conditions are certainly different to Australia and for this reason I think we are more suited to the three way option here. We do not have the extreme heat, and sunlight hours for recharging the batteries cannot always be relied on. I estimate that I would need around 400w solar to maintain a 185lt 12v compressor fridge here and there simply is not enough room on my roof to carry enough panels.

Our current fridge is an automatic energy sensing Dometic three way 187lt 2 door fridge freezer which performs perfectly even during a week of 30 deg weather last summer. It will run 9 -10 days on a 9kg bottle of gas - $26.00 which is acceptable.

Cheers Chris
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by T1 Terry »

The issue is enough area/weight allowance to fit 400W of solar really, for the rest of it a 3 way or even a 12v/24v fridge is not economically viable for a fridge around the 250ltrs, the numbers are well in favour for the 240v unit. If it was a full time every day situation portable panels would drive you nuts but Peter M's idea with the fold out panels sitting on top of each other while travelling would work ok, if the weight wasn't an issue.
Sometimes these things are a compromise, sometimes economics don't come into it, the weight for the solar may be just too much so a 3 way is the only option.

T1 Terry
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norman
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by norman »

nut17 wrote:Following this thread with interest. In 1999, when I fitted out a Mazda Parkway bus as a motorhome, I installed a 90lt Vitrifrigo 12v/24v fridge and was very happy with it's performance, but at that stage we were not doing much freedom camping. In the summer the fridge was consuming around 30Amps over 24hrs and in winter this dropped to around 20 amps / 24hrs. I ended up selling the bus before I got into installing solar. Since then we have purchased three new caravans, the first in 2004 and all have come supplied with Dometic three way fridges which we have been very happy with. New Zealand conditions are certainly different to Australia and for this reason I think we are more suited to the three way option here. We do not have the extreme heat, and sunlight hours for recharging the batteries cannot always be relied on. I estimate that I would need around 400w solar to maintain a 185lt 12v compressor fridge here and there simply is not enough room on my roof to carry enough panels.
Our current fridge is an automatic energy sensing Dometic three way 187lt 2 door fridge freezer which performs perfectly even during a week of 30 deg weather last summer. It will run 9 -10 days on a 9kg bottle of gas - $26.00 which is acceptable.

Cheers Chris
Now that interesting. I converted a 8.2mt Fuso bus. Put up 2 x 85 watt panels 440ah batteries and run a Dometic 190lt 12v fridge with power to spare.
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bellett65
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Re: 12v or 3way

Post by bellett65 »

Well after a little drama the new fridge is in. I should say the second one. When the fitter opened the crate they found it was damaged. Luckily we were still on site so the M.o.W.a.F. went to look. Replacement was ordered and duly arrived. Since Friday it has been running on one notch under max and has not been connected to shore power. I have just been out and checked the battery level before the sun hits solar panels. Got a healthy 12.7 volts and fridge is sitting on 2.1c. So far very happy with it. The guy that fitted it did a great job and it sits flush with the cabinet. The old one used to sit out 60mm. It has been connected to the hot wire from the black Fella and runs off the house battery when switched over.
Getting there slowly I now only have to change 3 globes and we will be totally LED.
One thing that worries me though as the new fridge is 4 kilos lighter than the old one will it throw the balance of the van out when travelling. Well that would be positive in that other place :lol: :lol:

Peter
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