Running a compressor-type mini-fridge in the RV while traveling.
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2020
- In this video, I hook up a Jackery 500 power station to a mini-fridge in the RV. This enables me to power the refrigerator as I am traveling down the road.
I also tried other solutions, such as the EverReady 200Watt power station, and a 300Watt inverter running on the DC supply of the RV.
I also discuss alternatives, such as an absorption style mini-fridge, and a DC compressor-type fridge.
Project webpage: www.rv-project.com/projects/mi...
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THIS IS EXACTLY what i was looking for! I was really hoping a jackery 240 would be able to work, but the initial surge wouldnt work. So thank you!
Glad you were able to get an idea or two from the video.
THANK YOU SO MUCH I’ve been looking for somebody to do exactly this test , I had to go through waaay to many videos to get to this one thank you a million
Glad it helped!
As an EE I love your analysis and data. Good video.
Much appreciated!
Finally! Someone who knows what they're doing! Thank you thank you thank you! I'm going from California to Florida in May, I'll be using the same hook up but with the solar panels to power up a medical grade mini refrigerator. Hopefully I'll make the trip in less than 4 days.
Glad you found my video useful.
How was your trip?
This is precisely what I what looking. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Super helpful video. Thank you so much
WOW that is a great solution!!!!
Thank you for supporting the channel.
That’s a great video 👍 TFS
Thanks for the visit
Thank you so much. This is just the info I was looking for. I am buying a class B+ rig and it only has a 2-way fridge and I don't want to change it to a 3 way [not yet anyway] and was wondering if I could something similar to your test.
Hope it works out for you.
thats a great idea I like going your way instead of buying a different fridge because you can use the power station for something else and well worth the price
Also, many people do not realize it, but many towables have limited cargo capacity. Say your trailer has a 1,200lb cargo capacity... it might seem a lot, but in reality it isn't.
For example, a 50gal load of water, distributed between the fresh water and holding tanks reduces the tow capacity by 400lbs. Then you add bicycles, clothing, kitchen utensils, and food - you can get to that 1,200lbs pretty fast.
So if you add a permanent inverter and wiring, you are adding at least 25lbs to the weight of the trailer. While 25lbs in itself is not a big deal, add up all of the other projects and necessities to the trailer, and you are cutting down on the cargo capacity.
By keeping things portable, you can provision your trailer for each trip. Why add 25lbs of stuff if you don't need it for trip A. Just add it for trip B if needed (and take something else out for that trip weighing 25lbs if need be).
In every project I have done, I am mindful of weight. In fact, some projects. like the Torklift steps actually reduced permanent weight by a few pounds.
Great video! As you pointed out, the 300w inverter puked likely due to voltage drop. I am curious if you had a 12v battery present right next to the inverter with short thick wire runs (like what is likely internal to the Jackery), if it would have been able to kick it on. I also wonder if a smaller Jackery would be able to run the fridge. I have a similar project to you going right now but $500 is steep to bite off for this purpose.
I did try a smaller portable battery unit, but it could not handle the motor start up current. Perhaps a big capacitor might help.
Good Video!
Thanks for the visit
I love this concept. I'd need to find the power requirement specs, but what are your thoughts on this approach to power 120v/propane absorption fridge during travel. I'm thinking there would not be a startup surge issue for the heater.
I have not tried this approach, but I do like your idea.
I looked at a larger double-door model Norcold RV refrigerator (model 1210 - 12cu ft), and it specified 3.5A@120VAC, which is a bit less than 500Watts.
And a smaller Norcold single door RV refrigerator (model 641 - 6cu ft) still requires 3A@ 120VAC, which is still 360Watts.
Unfortunately, not accounting for inverter inefficiency, 350Watts to 500Watts @ 12V will require 30-40 Amps DC, which is sill going to be an issue. The absorption process requires heat, and trying to power a heating element at 12V is going to require a lot of current.
It could be done, but it's gonna require at least 8AWG to the inverter from the 12VDC side. Fortunately though, you could probably install an inverter right at the 12V/120V power distribution/fuse panel, and use the existing 120VAC wiring to the fridge.
Also, some inverters do not like powering heater loads, so you would have to have a compatible inverter.
You would have to install some kind of bypass breaker to keep everything legitimate.
And you would want to put a power meter on the fridge like I used to see the average power requirements, as I am sure the current specification is not constant.
But say the current requirement has a 50% duty cycle, i.e. 15A average current at 12VDC. A standard 80AH deep-cycle battery , discounting Peukert's Law, inverter inefficiency, etc. and limiting the battery to 50% discharge, you are looking at 2-3hours of powering the fridge.
But if you can augment the drain on the battery with recharging from the tow vehicle, it might just work.
New Subscriber needing some advice Please! I just ordered a Vevor 12V, 53qt dual zone car fridge and a Acopower 100W 12V monocrystalline solar panel that will installed on top of our Suburban. That’s all the room on top cause of the roof cargo boxes. Using BLUETTI EB55 Portable Power Station 537Wh. Will this be enough solar for it keep up running that fridge?(nothing else). Should I add a narrow flexible solar panel (say 50watt) on one my cargo boxes? Problem is I hear nothing but bad about those. Thank for any insight or ideas!
So I can just plug in my mini refrigerator to the jackery right, so the compressor is the white thing that's plug to the jackery?
Nice test. I was looking at those DC fridges and like you said not cheap plus I am reading varying reports on their longevity. These dorm style fridges might do the trick and are meant to be run 24/7. I wonder if the new dorm fridges are even more efficient? I'd probably hook up a 50 or 100 watt panel to the Jackery and be good to go.
Thanks for the info!
😅
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The 300 has (2) 110V outlets, but the 500 only has (1). This may be one of those questions......but I am assuming I could plug an adaptor or extension cord into it to have more outlets. That is assuming I do not overload it with more that 500w. Am I correct?
That is correct. However the proper sizing of the extension cord would still apply.
A faster way to charge the Jackery is to use house voltage (120V) with the supplied adapter charger. It will charge at 84Watts. Use the 300W Giandel inverter to simulate the house power and charge the Jackery
Interesting idea.
When you had power into the jackery was your engine running
I tested it with both the engine running and engine off.
I wanted to do the same. However, my fridge is at the rear of a 33 ft trailer. I would need about 36 ft of 6 gauge wire to get an acceptable voltage loss to run an inverter. I didn't want to spend that much.
You can always install the inverter near the RV's battery and run less expensive 14AWG duplex wire for 120VAC, dedicated to the fridge.
Compared to 12VDC, the current demand is 1/10th at 120VAC, so the voltage drop is less significant.
You could do that for $100 or so depending on the inverter. Of course, running wire in a RV is always a challenge.
Otherwise, the least expensive option is to install an absorption mini-fridge. They are about $250.
Will using your jackery setup to power the fridge damage your RV battery?
Connecting the RV battery to the Jackery input is optional. But if you do connect the battery to the Jackery's DC charger port, it will keep the Jackery charged.
There should be no issues with the RV battery unless you manage to discharge it more than 50%, then it can be hard on the battery. But this is true with any load on a deep-cycle battery, so nothing unique to the Jackery.
Your inverter would have worked, if you connected the inverter close to your RV battery, with larger cables. Then run an extension cord for the 120v. 120v travels much greater distance because the amperage needed for 120v produce the required wattage, is much much lower the the amperage 12v needs to produce the same wattage
The goal was not to have to run any additional wiring.
I could also have attached an inverter to the AC input at the breaker panel and accomplished the same thing, as long as all of the other breakers were off except the one for the fridge. But that is a messy solution.
Would a capacitor correct the power factor?
Sort of. The power factor varies depending on the load. You could correct for a specific power factor, but as soon as the load changes, the power factor, and thus the required ideal capacitor would change.
There are specific capacitors that correct the power factor, but these work best in an industrial environment... for example, a cooling fan or conveyor belt motor that runs a constany speed/load.
Doesn’t your RV fridge run on 12 v? My fridge is 3 way, LP, 12V and 120v. I run mine on 12 v when traveling
The main refrigerator runs on 120VAC and propane. 12VDC is only used to power the circuit board.
I would add a house battery, 1200W sine inverter, and 200w of solar panels. About $100 more but it will do so much more than the lunchbox power supply.
Ymmv
The solution I came up with is certainly not the only option.
But you don't really need another battery or solar panels if the vehicle keeps the RV battery charged. My testing revealed that the vehicle alternator was enough to keep the Jackery battery charged.
But you would still need to connect an inverter at the battery to power the fridge.
And you would then need to install a transfer switch to make it legal, or run a dedicated 120VAC circuit to the refrigerator.
@@RVProject
Certainly. I do understand.
However, to my way of thinking, the $500 could be spent differently and open up so many other options while traveling. That was just my overwhelming thought as I watched the conclusion.
FWIW department
You don’t need a transfer switch, really. You could simply turn off the onboard converter (it’s a huge phantom load without generator or shore power) and simply plug the RV umbilical cord into an inverter with a 15A adapter. Just a couple (or three is what I might do) of batteries and 200W of solar panels you could run the fridge for many hours- probably 24 hours- continuously even if not driving. Plus a coffeemaker maker, microwave. 300 watts of solar and three batteries would be closer to ideal - it will do the above and perhaps expand your options and raise your comfort level while on the road. The little power box is handy but a more robust system would be more attractive - to me anyways.
I was watching your vid because I want to go electric mini fridge and eliminate that portion of my propane dependence. You gave me good food for thought.
I have also been planning to do a 12V electric water heater on solar as well since I do have more solar capacity than I use and it appears achievable.
While I do love my (very old) magic chef gas oven/stove, hot water quality doesn’t change if heated with electric VS propane :)
Wouldn’t in be easier to buy $90 car battery, $150 inverter and a $25 trickle charger and have a continuous power source via the battery and constant charge as well?
Wouldn't a 1500 watt inverter I've seen people selling as cheap as 45 bucks "working" be a cheaper option than the jakery? Or did you need the battery of the jackery? I feel the same way I'd rather have a compressor fridge in mine but I cannot afford a jakery........I have a 3000 watt inverter so I can power a compressor fridge and I have 2 car batteries but night time is a no go for me
The primary reason I used the Jackery is the existing 12VDC wiring was not enough to provide sufficient amperage to an inverter. The Jackery, with it's on-board battery could.
However, the existing 12VDC wiring was sufficient to keep the battery in the Jackery charged.
So essentially, the Jackery provided the peak power required to start the compressor, and the 12VDC circuit kept the Jackery charged via charge from the 7-pin trailer connector connected to the tow vehicle.
I could have skipped the Jackery if I wanted to run a dedicated 12VDC circuit using heavier wire from the RV's battery to the inverter location.
@@RVProject gotcha
Could a solar panel and/or a car cigarette port charging a power station like the jackery 1000 keep a fridge and lights running in a van full time for living? Thanks
There is no universal yes/no answer. It all depends on the refrigerator's load and the charger's capacity as to whether or not it would keep things going.
Also, if using your vehicle, you would have to start it periodically to recharge the vehicle's battery.
Also, the refrigerator I have is not the best for DC power, but it is what I already had in the RV, so I made it work. I would look at a Dometic or ICECo DC fridge as they take less energy.
@@RVProject thanks. I don't exactly know how to set up a connection with the car alternator and battery but can it be done with a power station like the Jackery 1000 to keep the battery charged and running lights and a fridge 24/7?
@@ambassadorofjesuschrist351 The Jackery 1000 does come with a vehicle charging adapter that can use the cigarette-style connector from the vehicle.
That is all that is needed for charging the Jackery 1000 from the vehicle. Download the Jackery 1000 owner's manual for more information.
However, realize that use of the vehicle connection will result in discharging of the vehicle's battery. This may or may not be an issue.
If the recharge current is low, you may get by with starting the vehicle once-per-day to recharge it's battery.
But if the recharge current is high, then you may need to start the vehicle every few hours, or you will have a dead vehicle battery - not very practical.
So it is very important to select a refrigerator that does not result in a high discharge. This is why I cannot provide a direct answer. It all depends on the discharge rate of the refrigerator.
An alternative can be solar charging, but again - it all depends on the required recharge rate, and also for the solar panel, where you are on the planet, how much sunshine you get per day, the angle of the sun, and the number of hours sunshine is available to you.
You will have to do some research to determine what refrigerators have a low energy requirement, and which one will work best.
@@RVProject thanks. But I see that some people have acid batteries and their own made electrical systems running their van homes connected directly to the vehicles engine alternator recharging their batteries. I don't want to drain the vehicle battery. Is it possible to connect the jackery 1000 or some power station directly to the vehicle alternator to recharge it from that alternator motor so the vehicle battery remains it's strength?
I haven't had a car and I don't have any of this stuff. I'm trying to get another job and save up for it. I'm a young man. Thanks
@@ambassadorofjesuschrist351 The Van's alternator should already be connected to the Van's battery. But it can only keep the battery charged when the engine is running.
If you keep the Van's battery connected to the Jackery 1000, it will keep the Jackery charged until the Van's battery becomes depleted. You are simply moving what gets discharged from the Jackery battery to the Van's battery.
At some point, you need to fire up your engine to recharge the Van's battery.
If you disconnect the battery from the alternator, you will damage the alternator when the engine is running. An alternator does not like to run without a battery attached to it.
The only way you can ensure that the van's battery is not discharged when the vehicle is not running is to connect the Jackery's charging port (accessory/cigarette adapter) only when the van's engine is running.
When you turn the engine off, disconnect the Jackery from the van, and it won't discharge the van's battery.
The same inverter could probably run your RV refrigerator if it is also 120v...
$500 of propane would get a lot of cooling.
I dont like running propane when traveling. I know many people do, but I dont want to take that risk.