Too Many Windows

[BrianW]

We rented a cab over truck camper this summer with a huge 3-way frig and a FREEZER you could actually use! Wow, that was great! Totally spoiled us being able to bring along ice cream, frozen pizzas and the like. Propane lasted us nearly two weeks on one 20lb tank. For a trip with lots of remote stretches (Seattle to Alaska) it was great. I can definitely see the appeal of a good-sized propane frig.

[shadetreevanman]

We each have different wants and needs from our vans. We have a window van with bed and cabinets built in. With the windows I had 3 choices. Build around them. Black some of them out and build over them. Or do something drastic and remove them. I chose to build around them as we like the wide open feel of lots of windows. And we use our van for transporting the grandkids places and wanted them to be able to see out.

I purchased an Engel 12V Freezer Fridge, 42 Quart for the build. The Engel uses max 2.7 amps, quite often less. In our case we have 220AH of batteries under the van, and 100W of Solar on the roof. With this setup living under the SoCal sun, I have left the fridge on 24/7 for weeks on end. We've camped for 4 days under the heavy tree cover with no problems. I do plan on adding a second 100W Solar Panel as I do some other upgrades soon, as we tend to run LED lighting and a few electronics as well. The second panel will give us quicker recovery times.

Good luck with your build. Whatever you do, post lots of pictures. Quite a few of us are always interested how others modify their vans.

[jage]

In some previously windowed work vans, in the rear, I've seen panels put in that look like they're riveted all around the panel, inside the window cutout. My guess would be they are sandwiched metal cut to the shape and then riveted or bolted together. The goal for work vans is to obscure contents and provide security, but something along these lines would allow you to cut a hole in your new window and give a more or less professional look without learning to tig weld.

Otherwise go with the 12v as others have said.

[jage]

Originally Posted by BrianW

with a huge 3-way frig and a FREEZER you could actually use! Wow, that was great! Totally spoiled us being able to bring along ice cream, frozen pizzas and the like.

Solar lasts "forever" though LOL. And the freezer is totally an artifact of the size of the fridge, not the type. My 4L norcold has a proper freezer and I always pack frozen stuff, even ice cream. It, however, will not make ice from boiling water in the hottest part of a death valley summer, and that's something I've always wanted in a fridge (in practical terms if you load it with mostly warm beer it will cease to keep things properly cool, you have to feed your beverages 1-2 at a time with most of the contents already at temp.)

I suspect this is a factor of the brand (garbage) and age (less advanced) but also one area in which I think a 3 way would excel.

Oh another plus to the 12v, you don't have to be level or even near it.

[Orv]

My experience with 3-way fridges in Westfalias was that they took at least overnight to start chilling, never got much below 50 degrees F, and it was hard to determine if they were actually working or not. On 12V they worked so poorly I usually just drove with the propane lit and hoped the pilot light didn't blow out. They were extremely difficult to light due to poor draft (the intake and exhaust came down two concentric tubes, from the same vent.) On the whole they didn't seem worth the trouble, and I'm glad my SMB has a 12V compressor fridge, even if it is a little noisy.

Those units were all at least 20 years old when I had them, though, so it's possible new ones are better.