Interior How can I fit in a bigger fridge

[jazzeddie1234]

I agree. Not real world conditions at all - and it's been fairly mild here in Mandurah compared to our more typical summers of high 30s. The battery monitor has dropped to about 85% state of charge so I'm not really using them as I would on a trip - especially with the inverter running the toaster, microwave and sandwich press (our 3 most used items)

So looking forward to not worrying about gas refills all the time though!

Next trip will possibly start March next year: Mandurah, streaky bay SA, Oodnadatta track, Kathrine, and back through WA... Hopefully at least 6 months again

 

[jazzeddie1234]

A few observations about the fridge now we have been on the road for a few weeks...

This fridge is awesome! So much better than the old one. Mainly - more freezer space, stock internal fridge fans, not too much intrusive noise from compressor (it is noticeable though), simple door locks (no secondary catch to forget) AND NO GAS REFILLS oh bliss the half empty 8.5kg is still half empty

It does run for extended periods - like several hours - unlike my ute 40l but the auto option runs the compressor in low which is around 5 to 6 amps. This running probably reflects the demands of door opening and large freezer loads.

With normal evening power (which includes short bursts of high current inverter stuff) the battery monitor shows 60ah consumed by morning (say about 14 hours of discharge) so a decent battery capacity is needed. My decision on 200ah of lithium is about right

The 400w of solar is coping fine with enough generated on cloudy days (about 2 to 4 amps) to run the fridge in daylight

The rear fans I installed along with the temperature probe is excellent. Not sure how to measure the improvement in fridge efficiency but they quickly lower the rear cavity when active. I've set them to come on at 35' and off at 33' but may reduce when we are in very hot areas.

 

[jazzeddie1234]

Anther fridge update and a complaint this time. For some unknown reason the fridge doors have decorative front panels that slide down plastic slots and held in place by plastic strips top and bottom. This is the same as the previous Thetford so nothing new. Except the slide in panel has a fair bit of movement in the slots so a (not very) rough road results in the bottom trim becoming unclipped and the panel escaping - both doors! After reinserting twice , I have smeared silicon into the side slots before reinserting to hold them more firmly.

Stay tuned

 

[Drover]

Might have to add some packing behind as well, a couple of layers of masking tape ......