When I ordered my camper in November 2013 I decided to go with an icebox and even though it worked surprisingly well I saw the need on a recent trip to DVNP with a 1.5 year daughter (i.e. the Milk Hound) and our second due in September the need for an efficient refrigerator. So I did a ton of research on all the major brands: Dometic, Isotherm, TruckFridge, Norcold, Engle, etc. I called manufacturers to get more info on specific questions I had. Based on what I read and from folks I spoke with I decided on the Isotherm Cruise 80 to install in the camper. BTW, the TruckFridge brand refrig are re-branded Isotherm units.
http://www.indelwebastomarineusa.com/Products/us/html/8140.html
Isotherm's technical assistance was awesome to deal with when I gave them a call. I ordered the unit from West Marine, which had free shipping and ended up being the same price as the low priced places like Defender Marine, which estimated shipping at $250! I chose the 80 liter unit because the dimensions would allow me to install the unit and still keep most of the area above the refrig as storage space as it came from FWC.
One of the main issues I had to figure out was venting the unit. I was able to vent it into the camper, but would loose all of the storage in the space above the refrig. So I decided on venting it to the exterior. I then tried to build up the courage to cut the hole myself in the fiberglass siding and even bought a Norcold vent to do this. In the end I opted to have FWC do the vent install and drove up there last week to have it done. In the end I am so glad I did that and not attempted it myself. The vent they used was different then my vent (smaller) and the spot where the vent was installed required the removal of one of the aluminum cross members that form the various venting options in that area of the camper. It took them a bit to figure it out, but they had the luxury of having a schematic of the area of that wall during the build of my camper.
So back at home today I completed the install of the refrig. I started off by sealing all the seams on the refrig with duct sealing mastic tape and beefed up the protection of the wiring by putting it in a loom so the sharp ends of the cooling fins didn't wear a hole in the insulation. And, yes, that is about 4 inches of foam insulation on the lower back of the refrig. It was going to be a large air space and figured I could get rid of some old insulation I have around the house.
I then sealed the edges of the vent opening that FWC cut with the same stuff to ensure any water that may leak past the vent doesn't end up in the wall of the camper.
After that I insulated the opening with as much reflective bubble and foam insulation as I could pack into the area and still fit the refrig in. This picture doesn't show all the insulation that went into the space. The top and bottom of the refrig also got a layer of insulation.
I then installed a refrig exhaust vent fan to increase efficiency on those especially hot days. I had FWC install the switch for the fan when I was up there so I could do the fan install at home. The fan I used was a 140 mm computer cooling fan and from what I can tell so far it is inaudible when running due to the amount of foam I have around the refrig. The refrig also has a fan, so I installed the second fan to push air out of the space while the refrig's fan pulls air in. My thought was a loop of air flowing through the space and then back out.
http://www.mynewfan.com/140mm-25mm-new-case-fan-12v-dc-74-6cfm-cpu-computer-cooling-2wire-ball-bg-345a/
So far I'm happy with the final look of it installed. I did a test of the unit running off the solar panel and the camper's batteries for a few days before I installed it. Over the course of 24 hours it was using approximately 1.6-1.7 amps/hour and my 160 watt solar panel had no problem keeping up with the refrig and charging the batteries back to full from the refrig running the night before. I think with the insulation I have around the refrig I should be able to get it to about 1.4-1.5 amps/hour.
http://www.indelwebastomarineusa.com/Products/us/html/8140.html
Isotherm's technical assistance was awesome to deal with when I gave them a call. I ordered the unit from West Marine, which had free shipping and ended up being the same price as the low priced places like Defender Marine, which estimated shipping at $250! I chose the 80 liter unit because the dimensions would allow me to install the unit and still keep most of the area above the refrig as storage space as it came from FWC.
One of the main issues I had to figure out was venting the unit. I was able to vent it into the camper, but would loose all of the storage in the space above the refrig. So I decided on venting it to the exterior. I then tried to build up the courage to cut the hole myself in the fiberglass siding and even bought a Norcold vent to do this. In the end I opted to have FWC do the vent install and drove up there last week to have it done. In the end I am so glad I did that and not attempted it myself. The vent they used was different then my vent (smaller) and the spot where the vent was installed required the removal of one of the aluminum cross members that form the various venting options in that area of the camper. It took them a bit to figure it out, but they had the luxury of having a schematic of the area of that wall during the build of my camper.
So back at home today I completed the install of the refrig. I started off by sealing all the seams on the refrig with duct sealing mastic tape and beefed up the protection of the wiring by putting it in a loom so the sharp ends of the cooling fins didn't wear a hole in the insulation. And, yes, that is about 4 inches of foam insulation on the lower back of the refrig. It was going to be a large air space and figured I could get rid of some old insulation I have around the house.
I then sealed the edges of the vent opening that FWC cut with the same stuff to ensure any water that may leak past the vent doesn't end up in the wall of the camper.
After that I insulated the opening with as much reflective bubble and foam insulation as I could pack into the area and still fit the refrig in. This picture doesn't show all the insulation that went into the space. The top and bottom of the refrig also got a layer of insulation.
I then installed a refrig exhaust vent fan to increase efficiency on those especially hot days. I had FWC install the switch for the fan when I was up there so I could do the fan install at home. The fan I used was a 140 mm computer cooling fan and from what I can tell so far it is inaudible when running due to the amount of foam I have around the refrig. The refrig also has a fan, so I installed the second fan to push air out of the space while the refrig's fan pulls air in. My thought was a loop of air flowing through the space and then back out.
http://www.mynewfan.com/140mm-25mm-new-case-fan-12v-dc-74-6cfm-cpu-computer-cooling-2wire-ball-bg-345a/
So far I'm happy with the final look of it installed. I did a test of the unit running off the solar panel and the camper's batteries for a few days before I installed it. Over the course of 24 hours it was using approximately 1.6-1.7 amps/hour and my 160 watt solar panel had no problem keeping up with the refrig and charging the batteries back to full from the refrig running the night before. I think with the insulation I have around the refrig I should be able to get it to about 1.4-1.5 amps/hour.
