Official FRIDGE Thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter RoughOne
- Start date
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Anyone seen discounts on the NL, ARB or the like?
Rare, I trolled for 1.5 years and finally found a 2021 engel mt45 for 700 used but it was in great condition.
FWIW while waiting for an opportunity I purchased a $350 dollar aspenora 42 qt and it works, draws a hair more power and the lid & body are plastic so direct sun will wreck them, I had to heat and flatten the lid, lesson learned but the fridge works fine and is a third the cost or better.
FWIW while waiting for an opportunity I purchased a $350 dollar aspenora 42 qt and it works, draws a hair more power and the lid & body are plastic so direct sun will wreck them, I had to heat and flatten the lid, lesson learned but the fridge works fine and is a third the cost or better.
I'm looking to pick up a National Luna fridge. I've got a family of 3. My plan is to keep it in my vehicle full time in my Trekboxx. I've already got a second battery system wired up (100Ah LiFePO4 w/ DC-DC charger). It will be used for camping trips but mostly for around town (snacks, grocery shopping). I'm trying to decide on a 72L or a 90L, both dual compartment (my son asked for ice cream on the trail). Both have the same outer dimensions. Both are wildly overkill for my needs, but I have the space thanks to the Trekboxx. I currently have a Coleman ice chest strapped in there (62Qts/58L). It is just on the small side for grocery shopping and with ice, much less space.
- Does anyone have any thoughts on the 72 versus the 90?
- Any data showing that the decreased insulation (60mm vs 42mm) is a huge loss in cooling capability?
- I see that the fridge has an interesting 12V plug, but it looks like its standard Anderson PowerPoles? The rest of the plug looks to be the proprietary plastic mold, but am I correct on power plugs being PowerPoles? If so, I'd just fashion my own cable with PowerPoles and a spiral cord.
I have a 75L fridge, and even as a single person I could go bigger if I was off grid for more than a few days. Having said I lose one compartment to a freezer section, so the effective refrigeration section is only small.
Do you have panels to keep your battery topped up? If you have panels, then a lot of the discussion disappears because you dont have to worry about efficiency. You can go bigger fridge with thinner insulation, because the compressor will run more, but who cares. Yes the compressor may have a shorter life, but were talking years of life still, and the NL are very easy to do a compressor swap if I recall.
If you dont have panels, or an appetite to install panels, then I would go smaller because you want to minimise the compressor run time.
I wouldn't under estimate the convenience of having the fridge available full time. I use it on a nearly daily basis, and where I am for work now is a 1hr drive to do my big weekly shop. So it gets a constant workout. I was a bit hesitant to get a fridge at first since it was a decent amount of cash. So I got a cheapie Kickass fridge as a trial, and 2yrs later its been one of the best additions. It cops an absolute flogging in the tray, and on 24/7, but still marches on. It will die one day, and when it does I'll be spending proper money for a decent fridge because its that handy.
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
My $.02. We've tent camped for 3 years with a fridge/freezer and a 100Ah battery. If it's dual zone and you have the room and ability to keep your battery charged I'd go 90L for a family of 3. Make sure each zone is configurable in case you want the whole thing one giant fridge or freezer.
We have a Dometic 75L dual zone AND WE LOVE IT. My wife and I camp and we use every bit of 75L on a week long camping trip. It can be configured so a zone is either a freezer or a refrigerator. On average it takes 50 Wh/h so our 100Ah-1500W/h Goal zero 1500X can run it for 18-24 hrs - this is actual experience. (you don't ever want to run your battery flat) What we find particularly handy is the freezer and it surprised us. No more OMG the hamburger is going bad or OMG we have to eat all these hotdogs. We pack frozen stuff in a modular way so that only the minimum amount needs to be thawed. If the packages are flat they will thaw very quickly in the field.
E.g.
- Get a 2 or 4 lb package of burger, cut the meat in quarters or eighths while still in the package and on the styrofoam, flatten it, put it all in ziplocs and freeze it. Then at camp break off what you need and leave the rest frozen.
- Same with eggs: break eggs into a ziploc, lay them flat and freeze them either scrambled or whole.
- If scrambled, add diced onions, peppers and mushrooms for an instant omelet!
- Do not forget the Klondike bars. The envious looks from the other campers makes it worth it all by itself.
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