OLD Fridges - are they a challenge? Well yes they can be. Now we all love our fridges right! It is a bit like Holden vs Ford or Chrysler. In particular we keep them forever and if you, like me have a fridge that is more than say 15/20 years old then there is every chance it is old technology and compared to todays model it is inefficient in terms of current draw from your battery. Now we are not picking on Engel, lets get that from the start - this is just an example that we can use to demonstrate the issue based on our own experiences. I have a very old Engel 13 litre (truckies fridge - around 40 years I think?) and it is a battery killer by todays standards. It is still a great fridge and a great freezer and I will never sell it, but I cant take it camping. It is too hungry compared to my current model 40 litre (I have two of these). The older types run at around 4amps compared to less than 1amp in the newer models. Many people approach us to buy solar and they have an old 39litre Engel and there are thousands of them out there. Now it is a great fridge but to replenish the amps it draws from your battery with solar power for Free Camping is a serious challenge and they are probably not as efficient as they were when new either; so lets do the numbers. My local Engel Rep gave me a heads up on the current draw and was cautious that they may even draw more due to their age and likely condition? There may be exceptions of course. 24 hours running time @say 3.5 amps = 84 amps. Recharge/recovery time of say 8 hours of bright sunshine plus a margin of a minimum of 30% and suddenly we need 13.6 amps out of a solar kit. This would be a conservative number too - more would be better. Yes, this is all doable but at what cost? Probably around the $800 - $3,000 or even more depending on the type and structure of solar panels you prefer or can afford? One thing is for sure - you will need multiple panels unless you have a very big truck or lots of roof space to put hard framed panels on. So, the traditional aluminium folding units would need to be around 250Watts .... very big and very heavy (approx 35-40kgs), but definitely the cheapest option at around $1k mark. The flexible panels can get there too, but again only in multiple panels and probably around the $1,200 - $1,500 mark. The super compact canvas models can also get there and would be around the $2 - 2,500 mark depending on the brand you choose and who you buy from. The most expensive would undoubtedly be Amorphous and they would run into the many thousands as an estimate. Now if you can fit the hard framed sets into your vehicle then you might still be OK with the older styled fridges but if like most people you simply cannot fit them in then lets think outside the square. A new 40 litre fridge will set you back around a grand and a bit or more depending on brand and size and the deals on the day so that is one expense to consider. If you invest in a new fridge then your minimum solar needs plummet considerably to around 100 Watts, or less in some cases. Then your budget for solar also drops a heap and may be as low as $300 or for the more modern units no higher than say $800 (other than amorphous). Now we have a new camping fridge (and a great beer fridge at home with the old model) and more importantly we have a solar system as well and can probably free camp for as long as the sun shines! I think this makes sense. What do you think - let us know and share your experiences to help others. You might also like to share this post with your friends - you never know who needs help when it comes to solar power for free camping? Happy camping folks . cheers from me . JB foldasolar.au - 1800 900 999 Pic: 17 vehicle convoy airing down on Murchison Station last weekend with Campfire Escapes.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 05:28:22 +0000