Day Van Solar recommendations

[Spencer54]

So what’s my best bet, this van is set up as a multi role day van, Shuttle, or stripped out for carrying stuff.

Currently it has some of its Shuttle seats fitted and a Slidepod, the idea being it can changed easily to suit whatever I’m doing.

The bit I’m missing is powering the cool box for the weekend. Nothing too serious just to keep the milk cool and the odd can of coke.

Im torn between buying one of the Dokio folders, and adding a leisure battery under the passenger seat. Others are fitting a flexible to the roof and running to a removable battery in a box at the back.
Or similar with a fixed solar panel bolted to roof bars.

I’d quite like to trickle charge the starter when the van is doing nothing on the drive. Which is leading me to a fixed solution, but the Dokio could be shoved in the windscreen just more of a day to day faff.

any help appreciated...

 

[Phil_G]

Peltier cool boxes are incredibly inefficient, greedy on current and rarely have a thermostat so its a constant, heavy drain - you'd need a large solar setup to compensate. I would suggest a compressor coolbox/fridge - they're better insulated, properly temperature controlled and 'freewheel' once down to temperature. Whilst the compressor is running they take half the current of a Peltier but run something like a 4:1 off/on cycle so average current is a fraction.
With this setup a modest 100w panel will probably suffice.
Cheers
Phil

 

[Spencer54]

The one I have says it 4amp - and I need it to run Friday night to Sunday morning.
I have been using it with ice successfully as its a decent Igloo one, so it works well, but like you say can kill a battery in no time.
Currently I only plug it in as I'm driving then relying on its insulation for the rest of the time.

I dont have the space for the compressor fridge and I need it all to be easily removable.

Would a 100w solar panel and a 110ah battery be enough to run this for a couple of days?

 

[Phil_G]

This is ours, its a compressor-coolbox. Its very economical to run and will optionally freeze.
Its easily removed, and easy to carry just like any coolbox:

Unlike a compressor coolbox, your Peltier will pull a constant 4 amps all the time. Over 36 hours thats 144 Ah which isnt feasible with your battery - without a charge input from solar or whatever you'd be lucky to get 13-14 hours as theres very little solar gain this time of year
In brighter conditions, to compensate for this inefficiency you'd need a big solar setup, whereas a compressor will run indefinitely from a smaller panel, many use a 100w panel but a lot depends on the weather of course - right now solar is pretty useless
Cheers
Phil

 

[Spencer54]

That’s pretty reasonable for a cool box, that might be the solution longer term.

I think I’ll get the best battery I can and 150w solar.
Then in the summer upgrade the igloo to that or similar.

 

[Phil_G]

Theres a current ebay listing:

Portable 25 Litre Camping Compressor Fridge Freezer 12v/24v DC 240v AC | eBay

25 Litre Capacity. · The Explore More fridge/freezer can be operated from12 or 24V DC as well as from 100~ 240V AC so whatever your power source even solar your Explore More Fridge Freezer can you're your food and drink Cool or frozen.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[jimc91]

Have a read of this thread if choosing a cool box - very happy with mine 35L (link in the thread) and you can see how much/little it draws from the LB using the BM2 monitor, as @Phil G says a compressor one is the way to go

https://www.t6forum.com/threads/fridge-or-cool-box.12395/