chromisdesigns
Adventurer
We are in the planning stages for a 4x4 camper. Everybody seems to use 12v refrigeration these days, or 12v/propane, in some cases. Does anyone use mechanical, holding-plate systems driven by a compressor belted to the vehicle engine?
We lived aboard a sailboat for 8 years, and had nothing but great experiences with our holding plate fridge/freezer. An hour a day running the diesel at just above an idle not only pumped down the fridge (which would stay cold for a few days once the plates were frozen, if needed) but also gave us about 150 amp-hours a day of electric to use from our 440 AH battery bank, which was plenty since we didn't have a high-amp 12v fridge to worry about. It took about a quart of fuel per day, max, on days when we wouldn't otherwise run the engine.
It seems like one of these systems would be ideal for an expedition vehicle, especially since you could build the box into whatever space you wanted.
----------edited later: such as system would have to have a fan-cooled condenser, like a truck refrigeration unit, rather than the water-cooled versions used in boats. But even without an engine-drive compressor, an air-cooled 12v compessor with holding plates should use about 1/2 the AH draw of constant-run evaporator units.
We lived aboard a sailboat for 8 years, and had nothing but great experiences with our holding plate fridge/freezer. An hour a day running the diesel at just above an idle not only pumped down the fridge (which would stay cold for a few days once the plates were frozen, if needed) but also gave us about 150 amp-hours a day of electric to use from our 440 AH battery bank, which was plenty since we didn't have a high-amp 12v fridge to worry about. It took about a quart of fuel per day, max, on days when we wouldn't otherwise run the engine.
It seems like one of these systems would be ideal for an expedition vehicle, especially since you could build the box into whatever space you wanted.
----------edited later: such as system would have to have a fan-cooled condenser, like a truck refrigeration unit, rather than the water-cooled versions used in boats. But even without an engine-drive compressor, an air-cooled 12v compessor with holding plates should use about 1/2 the AH draw of constant-run evaporator units.
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