Comment: Portable Fridges

Park it in the shade with the windows down when possible.

Yes, window screens or tinting will help.

With the windows closed and the car parked...The air inside can quickly get hot enough to cause blistering burns. Most at risk is throat and nose if you happen to just open the door and get in. Your skin takes a little longing to actually burn, but the lining of your throat and nose is thin and just one breath can cause burns and blisters.

I take it that your question is how to keep the temp down enough for the Engels to work OK in the closed up car ? In air temps hot enough to roast a chicken ?

The short answer is, you can't really. There are things you can do to help. Tinted windows. Only park in shade. Use travel bags or make your own extra thick foam boxes to keep the Engels in. You could try those window mounted fans or maybe even a small evaporative cooler...But at the end of the day, it's the tropics. It is hot. To keep those fridges running 24/7 in that part of the world, you will need some serious battery power.

On the bright side. You are going at the best time of year and you will absolutely love it !

I use the Solarscreen product on the 6 rear windows of a Troopy and find them quiet effective when the vehicle is stationary. Never performed tests with a thermometer.

Paul C7
For the vehicle I made a screen which fixed to a slightly lowered window, complete with computer fan and flex ducting direct to the condenser of the fridges, Two side by side.
The fan could be switched on or off but in hot ambient it ran most of the time to get rid of the heat soak effect inside a vehicle. Dual batteries with solar ran the fan and was the backup for the fridge power when stopped.

This system collected air when moving and also changed the air in the vehicle when stopped and a window vent on the opposite side will allow the rising heat to escape with the slight positive pressure of the fan. Fan sze? Just choose your weapon. Usually around 100 to 150ma.

Cheers
Ross M

For some scientific data on temperature increase in a vehicle and some suggested methods to reduce heat buildup google "Temperature Variations in a Parked Car" for a report done by some UWA students. It's a very interesting read. Direct link to report pdf

Paul,

If you want to keep the vehicle cool, then you will need to let the heat from the fridges escape, while keeping the Pathfinder in a cool position. Not all trees are branch dropping red gums either.

What about 1 or 2 awnings, so that the windows are shaded, or perhaps a 20' x 10' tarp, that goes right over the vehicle, and shades the roof and sides ie windows.Ross' idea with the fans is a good one because the freezer will run almost continuously, and produce a fair bit of cabin heat.

Solarscreens are good, though I believe they don't recommend their use on after market window tint. I'd be placing one on the windscreen too, while ever you're parked up.

Bob.

Paul,
Have you heard of "Window Socks"?
They are similar to shadecloth only much finer and softer to the hand.
They slip over the top of the door so that there are layers of dark mesh both inside and outside the window.
They are reputed to lower the inside temp by several degrees.
This may be worth following up.

Google "Window Socks" for more info.

Hope this helps.

Disco.

Hi Paul

Yes! the solar screens will make a difference in the temp on the inside of you vehicle.

I have made my own "solar screens" for all the windows of my 105 LC.

Bit of a long reply, but it may help you or someone else.

I used insulated foil covered bubble wrap from Bunnings. Made templates from paper, cut out the 'bubble wrap' and stitched some black tape to the edges. This stopped the two sides of the foil from separating and filled in any gaps between the trim and the screen.

DON'T use suction caps on the tint long term - it will cause it to bubble and lift. I learnt the hard way.

To keep my screens in place, I stitched some narrow strips of thin clear plastic (I used overhead transparencies - 'cause I'm a teacher but think along the lines of the type of plastic you get on the front cover of a spiral bound book) and tuck this behind the trim.

On the side windows I have window socks and the screen slips up behind these and are held in place. For the front windows, I have made them slightly shorter (about 10 mm) and wind the windows down a bit and use a tiny folding bull dog clip to keep them up. The wind deflectors hide the fact that the windows are slightly open and it allows the hot air to get out. I use a normal windscreen solar screen for the front windscreen. 100% coverage - lower temp and people can' t see what is in the car.

I travel with the rear ones in place all the time and sometimes with the passenger ones if I have no passengers or the kids want to watch a DVD during he "boring bits". They stay in place well. The ones I am currently using are now 6 1/2 years old and the foil part is like new but the plastic strips have hardened and yellowed with exposure to the heat and light. I will replace them before we head of around Oz next year.

Hope this s of use to you or someone else.

Cheers

Anthony