Quote:
Originally Posted by Signal
Well I just connected my new light bar and man that thing is bright. Here is what I will be adding. Winch, which will be connected to the stock battery, A extreme led x6s light bar which I don't mind connecting to the stock battery since I will only be using it when the Runner is running, and a fridge, which is where I get lost, I don't mind using solar for the fridge but I have no clue what to look for or where to start.
Also the fridge runs non stop right, I am new to this? I know the SS3's are plug and play so that's good, and I don't plan on adding any lights except for maybe some rear lights or lights on the Prinsu for some side camp lights. So I guess I really only need a solution for the fridge, I plan on upgrading the battery when it starts to go, it's a 19 to a optima battery or one of those others like a amg or whatever class you guys are talking about in this thread.
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What size fridge (and brand) do you have? Try to see if there is real world data on consumption that you can use to estimate your needs. Better still, try to measure its draw in the real world. I have a 52 L National Luna and some vehicle camp lights. I planned my bank assuming that on average I would be using 1.5A - 2A per hour or 36-48 Ah over a 24-hour timespan. My LiFePO4 is 50 Ah and I have 100 Watt of fixed and 60 watt of portable solar on hand.
Fridges do not run all the time. They cycle - a few minutes on to keep the temp and the compressor shuts down. The duty cycle will vary depending on a number of things - how you've packed it (empty fridge will cycle more often), ambient temperature, how often you open it, how well it is insulated, etc etc.
At the end of the day, if you are basically in need of a overnight camping setup where you are never stationary for more than 12 hours or so then you can probably just get away with a larger starter battery and a portable solar panel. A Group 27F is more than enough for that if you pair it with a 100 watt portable solar panel. You can carry a jump pack as an insurance. If, on the other hand, you want to camp a couple of days, then you are better off investing in a second battery with a DC-DC charger and some solar as a second source. With the cycle-life, and cost per cycle of a LiFePO4, I don't see any reason (unless its location, extreme cold/hot weather, etc) why one would want an AGM unless they want to install it in an engine bay setting.
