Voxon post 8561 Re - paint and temperatures

Hey guys,
Used my Waeco 80 ltr for the first time last week.
It was in the car for 4 days. I had it set at half way on the green lights as i havent used it before. The freezer is just that, a bloody freezer. And with the hot weather we encountered over the 4 days, those coke cans were bloody marvelous iced cold. Im not knocking the Engel's ok, just wanted to share the fridge story with you all...oh and by the way....

Not 1 once of battery problems either. I am impressed...although, i did park the car on a slope just incase they did die...and NO i dont mean asian.I love it when you talk DIRTY !

could probably do without the racist slur thanks cokeaddict...

G'day Voxson, I thought it was worthy of discussion when you first brought it up. When I was in South Aussie before Christmas in the warm and the placement of the temperature probe meant such a difference to the temperature reading in the fridge.

I just think we probably have to apply a bit more thought to our selection, and Engel too perhaps for their colours.

Thanks for the comment to make us think. I reckon mine will be cooler now with a roof rack full. Regards

JohnR - Not enough of the right travelling, some here..... some over there.......

Andrew, some good points there, but the point on the paint is the one I was trying to draw attention to. In the case above of my Engel in South Aussie the fridge was by a tinted window but in a camper box I thought it would be more likely to get ambient heat than the radiant from the glass.

In another post Michelle drew attention to putting a tea towel over the top of the fridge to dry and also to act as a Coolgardie safe as the water evaporated. I think it would also help the insulation against the radiant heat. Any towel over the top would be useful.

With my camper box there is absolutely no insulation. The point on safari roofs is valid too. Tent flys too, as far as that is concerned. It is also interesting to feel tinted glass absorbing heat and energy, I don't know how much is radiated but the energy is reduced to the skin I have felt.

The post further above about visibility is valid too but not one I was concerned with in the thoughts here for the time being.

I would be interested in further information from Voxson or anyone else about the colour temperature linkages, including white/silver/gold!Regards

JohnR - Not enough of the right travelling, some here..... some over there.......

I think i will take that challenge.............___________________________________
Simpson trip 05/04 then turn left at Birdsville to Darwin via Lawn Hill etc
___________________________________

Solar reflective films reflect solar but increase thermal heat gains.

Cant beat good insulation ... 40 mm is a minimum starting point...just llok at domestic fridges....the manufacturers have made this decision based on cost to make v running costs.

However more is better ...hence tha ozzie standards are increasing for minimum insulation requirements to houses.

Heat load calculations tell us this also.

Fridges (car ones too) like cool air for condensing so try to keep the car as cool as possible during warm to hot days. Compressors do not like running at high ambient such as 45 or more. They become very less efficient when temps start to climb. Remember at an outside temp of 35 could mean the inside of car could be 45+ (which is the ambient for the fridge)

Also a dark coloured vehicle on the move is not a big heat gain to the interior. The heat is removed by the increased air speed over the panels. Most gains/losses come from glass and infiltration (small gaps that allow outside air in). (Being Stationary Is Another Story But!) Wow! am I cute
If yer ain't fishing, Yer ain't livin
Richard

Colin, won't comment on Ford generalisations or Colin ones either but would be interested in any measured responses to how big the 'huge' defference was.

Not that I don't believe you, would be interesting too whether it is the foam or the foil that made the greater difference. I may ultimately go the same way with the fridge;-)Regards

JohnR - Not enough of the right travelling, some here..... some over there.......

JohnR
Sorry - no measured responses in regard to the foam/foil change.
I didn't take any measurements but the cooling element inside the frig now frosts up on 12v - it only ever got cold to touch before the changes.

I have to admit that this change was part of '3 way' changes I made to the frig.
1. the foil
2. changed to power supply to heavy wire direct from battery
3. added a computer fan to rear

So the drop in temperature was from a combination of changes but the added insulation/reflection (doubled the thickness) I believe would have had the most effect ?? The colour must make a difference as well - just feel the difference in temp when touching the outside of a white and a dark coloured car. I also have window film on this car - you can feel the extra heat when you wind down the window in full sun.

So the the answer is - all these changes help.

Subaru Forester
"size isn't everything"