Workin on my model for the competition. Even if I don't win I like making these models. Your videos are helpful. Gotta take notes on some of this stuff. Keep up the awesome work LaMar
Hey LaMar, we have the exact same freezer, our system is small, our inverter only goes up to 9 amps, when that freezer/fridge conversion kicks on, it it takes it up to near maximum then goes right back down to about an amp and a half, certainly less than 2 amps. My inverter has no problems with that even if there are other things running as long as it's small stuff. So that freezer/fridge unit isn't surging up to 12 amps otherwise we wouldn't be able to use it. One thing I highly recommend, we discovered this recently, cut a piece of 1 inch PVC pipe about a foot long, drop the probe into the pipe, then insert that into the box, otherwise the probe may touch the side of the inside of the box which will cause it to short cycle. :) Once we inserted the pipe, it runs for about 8 minutes on and 28 minutes off during hot days. We have four 6 volt golf cart batteries hooked together to make a 12 volt system, each one is 220 amp hours. Good video!
solarcabin Yeah, cool spots right now are far and few between :) We are in our hottest month, it's the only time I wish I had a air conditioner or swamp cooler, then we have our rainy season and it cools off... fortunately it usually cools off greatly overnight.
Great video.. thats the exact system i use here... 5 cubic ft. freezer and a johnson external thermostat .. i use a 1250 watt inverter .. worked flawless for the last seven years.. freeze stuff in the bottom and milk at other stuff up top in the basket ..
Hi LaMar. Good to see you. I saw a video from another off girder. He had a chest style freezer. But it took a lot of power at start up. So he used a charger capacitor. I think that is it like a relay Anyway when it starts up it pulls the power from the relay. Then switch to. pull from the solar setup. The relay chargers from the solar setup.
I wish it was like it back in the day, You claim it and it is yours(provide you stay 1 yr and build a dwelling on it. Nothing fancy. Because of greed we have Landlords and renters. There is enough land on earth for everyone to have one acre.
I was so hopeful until you said the price...then my heart sank,lol. I've been off grid for right at 1 year 2 month's and refrigeration still remains my biggest challenge/hardship. I'm tired of getting ice, draining the cooler and such, especially during the hot months like now. Thanks for the info though man.
If you need to store quite a bit of food I would look at the chest freezer conversion. It will run off a small system and would be less expensive. The ARB company needs to come down in price for us off-gridders lol!
solarcabin Yes they do need to lower that price! I don't really need to store a large quantity of food, just need the low current & amp draw and insulating factors of the ARB...That's why they can get the big bucks for them I guess. I'd pay half that but just can't see $800. Sure hope it lasts lol! When I get time I will look at your videos you mentioned and do some further research. I have some refrigeration/or modifications I've been dabbling with in my head to play with one day. Thanks again man.
They are expensive and need to come down in price but if you need a fridge that is built tough and you will be taking it off road or camping it is designed for that and I use it camping and in my cabin.
ARB is known for quality, I havent heard anything bad about there products before(Im into offroading and know a few people with ARB accessories). If you can afford it I would highly recommend anything from ARB
Very nice review & i'm your newest Subscriber, thank you for the information on the ARB, im currently trying to make up my mind on a few different selections IE - ARB, Engel, Edgestar & I just recently stumbled upon a Isotherm Cruise 65? So many choices, lol.
How is your ARB fridge holding up? I'm not sure I would be to confident having frozen food in there, even if it is 10 degrees off on the temp reading at 19 degrees and what it is inside your food still didn't look frozen at 29 degrees, and 32 is freezing. For over $800 to me that is not acceptable, It should be accurate.
Thanks- if you do a lot of camping and boating the ARB are great because they can be taken with you. For a home fridge the chest freezers are probably the best option for off-grid.
thanks for great video 2 questions can you run the chest freezer as a refrigerator on 400 watts of solar panels and two six volt batteries wired up for 12 volts or would you need more batteries and Solar panels how's the ARB unit doing I'm thinking about buying one of those too as well if I can't afford to run the chest freezer as a refrigerator I may try to get 2 ARB units one for refrigeration 1 for freezer I'm new to Solar right now I have 400 watts Renorgy Solar panels 4 100 watt panels and a Morningstar PWm charge controller I want to engineer a second system for 24 volts to run more stuff and get a MPPT charge controller like you've got
Liked. Really like the subject. Appreciate your approach. It did leave me wondering how adding 800 dollars worth of solar and battery storage might compare to the ARB expenditure. I'm thinking of the appliance not for it's total watts but rather it's "fraction" of the total system. It seems it's fraction would really be the most important thing. The smaller percentage your appliance needs of your system per day the better. Your thoughts? I'm looking forward to your video on your new setup and hope you don't stay in hiding too long.
great video! Just got these two freezers, and the thought was to convert one to a 2nd refrigerator, but may look around for another small one. Also, something I found on the chest freezers, you have to look around if buying new, some of the ones that the nasty big box stores sell are the most inefficient models available.. chinamart sells one that is a huge energy hog for a tiny freezer... we have a local home brew store that sells the thermostats to convert a freezer into a beer keg refrigerator, same as what you show and they also have the digital ones like we use on our wood stove. my question would be how do you know where you can safely drill a hole for the probe???? the digital is a thin cable where as the metal thermostats are the copper semi rigid probe lead.
Thanks Fritze, you can sometimes drape the thermostat over the door lip or the chest may have a drain hole you can use for the thermostat. I would avoid drilling if possible.
I'm not sure how they route the tubing inside the walls, that would be my only concern. now down where the compressor is (the raised area inside in a corner) might be safe, think that is just metal isn't it?? I would think breaking that seal with a wire/lead running over it might not be a good idea for efficiency?? just my thinking... cloudy as it is.
Hey LaMar, I believe I will be securing some land late this summer, early fall. I plan on building your cabin from your eBook. I bought it from you last winter but my PC crashed :( So I will need to purchase it again, or I might just do the actual book so I can take it to the property site. Hoping to start building next year if all goes well!
Hi Chris, contact me through email with your receipt and I will get you another copy of the ebook. I recommend the ebook because it is full color with links.
Here is something you may find interesting. It is the plans on how to convert an enclosed 5x8 trailer into a walk in cooler using a air conditioner and a controller. If you Google "PACK ‘N COOL CONSTRUCTION SUMMARY" you will find it. It is designed by the N.C. State University's Plants for Human Health Institute
Hi LaMar. I went to his site and video., The one I was talking about is Solar Freezer Fridge Capacitor Inverter . Check it out he his a cool dude. Ill catch you latter.
It was used only at start up. it took a lot at start up.like yours.s But after that almost nothing to run.may be I can tell you who it is and look up some of his newer video. It was not to long ago.
