12V Fridge & freezer

[DanW]

Hmm idk but I actually have their solarsaga 60watt panel. Got it yesterday. I liked the compact folding design.

If you wanted to use a different panel you could cut the wire and splice in the wire leading to the panel.

Just gotta keep in mine that charging is limited to 42watts

Is it a proprietary connector? Otherwise, there would be no way to splice it without buying from Jackery. Do you have a link? If their solar panel is competitively priced, then no issue.

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[brazos]

Is it a proprietary connector? Otherwise, there would be no way to splice it without buying from Jackery. Do you have a link? If their solar panel is competitively priced, then no issue.

The information on the Amazon page tells how to use other solar panels.

 

[Martindfletcher]

Thanks. It appears to only put out A/C, so wouldn’t start a vehicle directly. Would it power my battery charger? The ability to start a dead vehicle is very important to me. And I’m clueless about electricity.

Arb has ac cord also. What frig do you have again?

 

[brazos]

Arb has ac cord also. What frig do you have again?

ARB 37. I plug into the AC cord at home. I intend to run the fridge all the time, unless y’all think that’s a bad idea.

I’d probably go with the Jackery if I was starting fresh, but since I have the 2kw Honda generator, I think I’ll stick with it. It’s heavier and bulkier, but ultimately more versatile and dependable I reckon.

If all electrics are dead, and it’s raining, I can make 12v or 120v instantly, with 2 pulls of the cord.

Just got back from 9 days in Colorado, camping alone off-grid every night. Never started the Honda, but it sure was a comfort to have it.

 

[RubenZ]

Is it a proprietary connector? Otherwise, there would be no way to splice it without buying from Jackery. Do you have a link? If their solar panel is competitively priced, then no issue.

It’s 179 for their folding 60w panel. They do make a 300w one buts more than 300 ouch!

Here is link to 60w https://amzn.to/2YXqjOH

 

[IronScott]

I bought the Costway 54 fridge/freezer and the Jackery 240, along with the Rockpals 60w solar panel.

The Costway is impressive for the price. I've been running it a week straight using a mix of 120v AC and 12v DC from the Jackery unit. I've done a few tests running on on the battery. I have the Costway set at 32 degrees at medium safety voltage. It's run about 12 hours in ECO mode on the Jackery battery and around 10.5 on MAX mode. I haven't been able to really log the cycles between ECO and MAX but have noticed that the temp range on ECO mode is wider than MAX (e.g., it warms to a higher temp before going back down). I have a few bottles of water and Gatorade in the fridge, so that is a factor in the testing. If I had more product in the fridge I'd probably get a little more run time.

Not been able to test the solar panel system much, other than to verify it works, but it is a solidly built system and has a connector for the Jackery power source. It's bigger than what it appears in the pictures on Amazon. It also has many connectors and some direct USB connections. Expensive but seems to be good value.

I've only tested the Jackery battery with the fridge but it is a really nice unit. Very light and smaller than I thought.

The Costway fridge is amazing so far. I tested with a laser thermometer and the temps were fairly accurate. The drinks are wonderfully cold. I need to try ice and dropping the temp to see how it does. I could raise the temp a bit and get some more battery life.

All my testing has been in the garage so far. I hope to get it on the trail soon but from a budget standpoint I'm happy with the initial results.

I'll try to test the solar panel soon. It's been raining almost every day for weeks.


Fridge:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SQCBR6Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Solar:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079DNGBQN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Power:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D29QNMJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[intentsrig]

So on a recent camping trip I used the solarsaga 60w panel. I set it up on top of the Jeep once at camp and plugged it into the jackery while the jackery charged the fridge.

Before bed I changed the direction of the panel to the east so the rising sun would hit it before I got out of bed. I woke up a little bit after the sun and the panel was still at 92%! It only lost 8% percent over the night.

By the time I was done with breakfast and doing morning things, the jackery was already back at 100%.

Needless to say..as long as there is sun..looks like it is an endless amount of power for a fridge. Basically the fridge does not draw enough vs solar recharging. Looks like the jackery can determine how much input power is going through. Higher the charge/lower the output..lower the input but hey it worked awesome.

 

[IronScott]

I’ll give you our opinion. Full disclosure, I’m a dealer for them because I believe in the product so much.

Snomaster coolers are the “best” I’ve found. They have the longest compressor warranty and come standard with the most options like a travel cover, remote, bottle opener and have the dual temp capability. The US distributor is located in Austin. If you’re interested I can send you his info and I’m sure you could pick it up directly to save on shipping. We love ours, we have the classic 56, it’s 26l and 30l. Can be freezer/fridge, freezer/freezer or fridge/fridge. I bought the arb wiring kit and ran the wiring from the battery to the storage compartment in the cargo area. Had to get a different style 12v female plug to match the fridge but it was an extra $8.

Also installed an onboard battery charger. Been on the fence if we want dual battery or not but since I typically have access for power anytime longer than a day I can just plug the Jeep in.

Let me know if you’re interested in more pics or want more info. We are really happy with this set up

Brett

Hey Brett - do you have a link to the 12v female plug you used? I'd like to get the ARB wiring kit but I don't have an ARB fridge, so the screw-in adapter won't work.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Hey Brett - do you have a link to the 12v female plug you used? I'd like to get the ARB wiring kit but I don't have an ARB fridge, so the screw-in adapter won't work.

I’d have to look for it. Bought it on amazon and swapped it out. Was around $8-9.

Brett

 

[RubenZ]

Hey Brett - do you have a link to the 12v female plug you used? I'd like to get the ARB wiring kit but I don't have an ARB fridge, so the screw-in adapter won't work.

with my Engel you unscrew end of 12v male plug and it exposed the 2pin screw type that worked with arb plug.

 

[IronScott]

I’d have to look for it. Bought it on amazon and swapped it out. Was around $8-9.

Brett

Thanks. Much appreciated. I see a few options there but wanted to ensure I got the right type with the correct connections.

with my Engel you unscrew end of 12v male plug and it exposed the 2pin screw type that worked with arb plug.

Mine is a Costway and unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

 

[IronScott]

I’d have to look for it. Bought it on amazon and swapped it out. Was around $8-9.

Brett

Looks like something such as this should work. https://www.amazon.com/Cigarette-Lighter-Receptacle-Motorcycle-Riseuvo/dp/B07FVQ51CX

Is that essentially the same?

I ran across this, which might be nice to have as well. https://www.amazon.com/Linkstyle-Charger-Voltmeter-Cigarette-Lighter/dp/B07JHH5YP4

 

[rustyshakelford]

Looks like something such as this should work. https://www.amazon.com/Cigarette-Lighter-Receptacle-Motorcycle-Riseuvo/dp/B07FVQ51CX

Is that essentially the same?

I ran across this, which might be nice to have as well. https://www.amazon.com/Linkstyle-Charger-Voltmeter-Cigarette-Lighter/dp/B07JHH5YP4

This is the one that we used with the arb housing and wiring.

Brett

TEQStone Cigarette Lighter Socket, Waterproof Marine Grade 12V DC Outlet for Motorbike Car Scooter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018WZI0P6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9PmPDbYTWKY22

 

[IronScott]

This is the one that we used with the arb housing and wiring.

Brett

TEQStone Cigarette Lighter Socket, Waterproof Marine Grade 12V DC Outlet for Motorbike Car Scooter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018WZI0P6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9PmPDbYTWKY22

Excellent! Thank you, sir.

 

[Roki]

What are good ice alternatives for coolers https://under-the-open-sky.com/best-thermoelectric-coolers/? One of the biggest complaints i hear about coolers is that everything is floating in water. I have a bunch of freezer cold packs that i reuse and use in my crappy coolers. They work OK but honestly we mostly just use it for 1 day outings. So i dont know if this is a valid ice alternative. One time i also froze a bunch of nalgean bottles and water bottles and tried that. It didnt feel like things stayed cold very well. But i was using a super cheap 20 year old Colman. So i dont know if it was my "ice" technique or the crap cooler.

Yesterday i found a SMOKING deal on a Pelican 30qt. More than likely a fridge is in my future. But the Pelican was cheap enough that i bought it and might give it a try and hold off on the fridge. It still have the tags on it and was from REI. So if i change my mind in a few days i can return it. But with a good quality cooler what ice alternatives will work that keep the cooler dry? Are the cold packs a good idea? or do you guys freeze water bottles or buy the 5lb Pelican brand reusable things?

Or should i just keep it simple and fill a few gallon ziplock bags with water and freeze that?

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