How long does a fridge take to cool down and how long can I run on leisure battery?

[DOMINICGG1234]

Hi all

Sorry for a the questions - newbie here! I’ve found the forum so useful so thanks.
Want to chill the fridge before setting off. How long does it take to chill down and how long can I run it off the leisure battery?

I’m assuming once travelling I can leave it on and it will run off the main battery?

Thanks in advance

 

[Californication69]

Hi all

Sorry for a the questions - newbie here! I’ve found the forum so useful so thanks.
Want to chill the fridge before setting off. How long does it take to chill down and how long can I run it off the leisure battery?

I’m assuming once travelling I can leave it on and it will run off the main battery?

Thanks in advance

Welcome to the club.
Some light bedtime reading.

Cube fuse & Leisure batterys & Solar

I’ve been experiencing strange issues with my Lesuire batterys, Solar, starter motor battery and fridge. Going to document my investigation as I go. Found so much information from this forum, so thanks to all. I’ve removed all USB cables from front USB. No 12v plugs occupied. Solar is removed...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

There is a search function at the top right of the forum and that is a great tool to find the answers to your questions.
There’s over 15 years of information on this site and has proved invaluable over the last 3 years of ownership.

Also change your profile “looking to buy” to which model of Campervan you have.
Then members can help you with your questions.
Enjoy!

 

[DOMINICGG1234]

Welcome to the club.
Some light bedtime reading.

Cube fuse & Leisure batterys & Solar

I’ve been experiencing strange issues with my Lesuire batterys, Solar, starter motor battery and fridge. Going to document my investigation as I go. Found so much information from this forum, so thanks to all. I’ve removed all USB cables from front USB. No 12v plugs occupied. Solar is removed...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

There is a search function at the top right of the forum and that is a great tool to find the answers to your questions.
There’s over 15 years of information on this site and has proved invaluable over the last 3 years of ownership.

Also change your profile “looking to buy” to which model of Campervan you have.
Then members can help you with your questions.
Enjoy!

Great thanks I’ll change my status and also have a quick search

 

[Californication69]

Great thanks I’ll change my status and also have a quick search

What vehicle is it? Ocean?

 

[DOMINICGG1234]

It’s a 2012 SE

 

[Californication69]

It’s a 2012 SE

Aha, no idea then sorry.
My only knowledge is Oceans, with x2 Lesuire batteries.
Good luck, if the search function doesn’t throw up any info, then someone with knowledge will help you.
The basics are to pop a couple of ice blocks in first, then switch on, so it helps cool the air inside first.
Hot air roses, so leave the fridge slightly open for 30 minutes with ice blocks in.
No idea if you have a Lesuire battery or the state of health if it.
If you have a Lesuire battery, that’s what will run the fridge. I think !

 

[DOMINICGG1234]

Aha, no idea then sorry.
My only knowledge is Oceans, with x2 Lesuire batteries.
Good luck, if the search function doesn’t throw up any info, then someone with knowledge will help you.
The basics are to pop a couple of ice blocks in first, then switch on, so it helps cool the air inside first.
Hot air roses, so leave the fridge slightly open for 30 minutes with ice blocks in.
No idea if you have a Lesuire battery or the state of health if it.
If you have a Lesuire battery, that’s what will run the fridge. I think !

Ok great thanks I’ll have another search

 

[WelshGas]

Aha, no idea then sorry.
My only knowledge is Oceans, with x2 Lesuire batteries.
Good luck, if the search function doesn’t throw up any info, then someone with knowledge will help you.
The basics are to pop a couple of ice blocks in first, then switch on, so it helps cool the air inside first.
Hot air roses, so leave the fridge slightly open for 30 minutes with ice blocks in.
No idea if you have a Lesuire battery or the state of health if it.
If you have a Lesuire battery, that’s what will run the fridge. I think !

The SE is the T5/5.1 equivalent of the T6/6.1 Ocean.

 

[WelshGas]

Ok great thanks I’ll have another search

I would put the fridge on at least 12 hrs before leaving, preferably 24hrs on EHU at home if you can.
Load it with pre-chilled food from home fridge.
Be aware the coldest section is the rear wall. Anything touching that may freeze. Best to put the alcohol next to rear wall.
Run on Level 5 when travelling and 4/3 when camping.
With good leisure batteries it should run for 4-5 days with no driving or forever when plugged into EHU.
Ignore the Battery % reading on the Control Panel, it is very iffy. The voltage is accurate. If the voltage drops to 11.5v at any time the fridge and/or Parking Heater will shut down.
Leisure Batteries should not be run below 50% , see chart, for any significant amount of time.

 

[DOMINICGG1234]

I would put the fridge on at least 12 hrs before leaving, preferably 24hrs on EHU at home if you can.
Load it with pre-chilled food from home fridge.
Be aware the coldest section is the rear wall. Anything touching that may freeze. Best to put the alcohol next to rear wall.
Run on Level 5 when travelling and 4/3 when camping.
With good leisure batteries it should run for 4-5 days with no driving or forever when plugged into EHU.
Ignore the Battery % reading on the Control Panel, it is very iffy. The voltage is accurate. If the voltage drops to 11.5v at any time the fridge and/or Parking Heater will shut down.
Leisure Batteries should not be run below 50% , see chart, for any significant amount of time.

View attachment 110747

Thanks Welshgas that’s really useful. Sadly I don’t have the luxury of plug in at home, so will get it chilling down well in advance of setting off. I’m guessing once it’s plugged into hook up the leisure battery will recharge?

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks Welshgas that’s really useful. Sadly I don’t have the luxury of plug in at home, so will get it chilling down well in advance of setting off. I’m guessing once it’s plugged into hook up the leisure battery will recharge?

Correct.

Use some freezer blocks to help the cooling process and remove before leaving replacing with your chilled food/drinks.

 

[66tim99]

I just switch the fridge on level 3 when I start packing the van, and fill it with cold food and drink as I pack, just before I leave.
No need to pre-chill it, or use ice packs. The cold food and drink do that.

 

[Californication69]

I just switch the fridge on level 3 when I start packing the van, and fill it with cold food and drink as I pack, just before I leave.
No need to pre-chill it, or use ice packs. The cold food and drink do that.

If it’s cool enough ambient temperature that’s a good plan.
But like yesterday, I went inside the Cali, and the inside temp was 35, as it was 29 degrees outside, then it’s going to take a while for the fridge to lower temp.
And if your taking meat (especially chicken, I had a very bad experience with a chicken sandwich 30 years ago) in the fridge, I wouldn’t want it growing bacteria…

 

[dspuk]

Thanks Welshgas that’s really useful. Sadly I don’t have the luxury of plug in at home, so will get it chilling down well in advance of setting off. I’m guessing once it’s plugged into hook up the leisure battery will recharge?

Just buy the 3 pin adaptor for your EHU cable. Unless your house has no plug sockets?

 

[Steve1]

Hi all

Sorry for a the questions - newbie here! I’ve found the forum so useful so thanks.
Want to chill the fridge before setting off. How long does it take to chill down and how long can I run it off the leisure battery?

I’m assuming once travelling I can leave it on and it will run off the main battery?

Thanks in advance

I use setting 5 on my one to keep a temperature of 2c - 6c so average 4C, because we take meat with us. I have a thermometer inside of the fridge to check. I would say that my empty fridge cools in 4 hours. Then I add food from my fridge at home into it and it perhaps takes another couple of hours to stabilise the temperature of the food with the fridge. After that it goes into a regular cycle of cool to 2C, off until 6C, then repeat which seems good to me. The only difference I would say to others experience is that when set to this setting I only get about 2.5 days on battery before they reach 11.9 / 12.0 (which is about the recommended minimum voltage) and I need to recharge by starting the van or plugging into hookup. As you said it will recharge while driving too. I have to admit though I usually slip a few unchilled cans into the fridge before bed if I have drunk some and that does make the fridge work hard to cool them so might use extra battery.

 

[66tim99]

If it’s cool enough ambient temperature that’s a good plan.
But like yesterday, I went inside the Cali, and the inside temp was 35, as it was 29 degrees outside, then it’s going to take a while for the fridge to lower temp.
And if your taking meat (especially chicken, I had a very bad experience with a chicken sandwich 30 years ago) in the fridge, I wouldn’t want it growing bacteria…

I do take meat sometimes, and have frozen it in the past and put that in the fridge first. But the 6.1 fridge seems so effective I don’t feel it necessary as long as the meat is well refrigerated and placed at the bottom.

 

[dspuk]

We put our fridge on the night before we go away and just leave it to cool down. No idea how long it takes but overnight is more than enough. The drive to wherever is usually enough to top the batteries back up again from a night of cooling and then std rules apply - 3 - 5 days depending what else you use. Less in winter, more in summer, heater, lights and phone charging effect overall numbers.

We also have a 100W panel on the roof, so in winter 5 days off EHU is easily achievable, in summer, technically, indefinite.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Did a bit of shopping in Asda yesterday and it was quite warm inside the van. Put the fridge on max and by the time we got home a couple of hours later you could feel a noticeable difference in what we put in. The packets were quite cool.
When we go away anywhere on hols we normally put the fridge on the night before on 4 or 5 but all depends on what food were are putting in. If there is frozen stuff we want to keep frozen I put it on max.

 

[Cali Phillip]

I use setting 5 on my one to keep a temperature of 2c - 6c so average 4C, because we take meat with us. I have a thermometer inside of the fridge to check. I would say that my empty fridge cools in 4 hours. Then I add food from my fridge at home into it and it perhaps takes another couple of hours to stabilise the temperature of the food with the fridge. After that it goes into a regular cycle of cool to 2C, off until 6C, then repeat which seems good to me. The only difference I would say to others experience is that when set to this setting I only get about 2.5 days on battery before they reach 11.9 / 12.0 (which is about the recommended minimum voltage) and I need to recharge by starting the van or plugging into hookup. As you said it will recharge while driving too. I have to admit though I usually slip a few unchilled cans into the fridge before bed if I have drunk some and that does make the fridge work hard to cool them so might use extra battery.

Similar experience, setting on 5 keeps the fridge centre 2-6c, although have seen round 0C when the fridge side of the van is in the strong sun. Get some solar 200W and hook up unless in mid winter is not necessary. In June our fridge was on for 16 days no hook up and minimum driving.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

We have solar panels fitted, fridge runs 24/7 365 days a year, has never required electric hookup. Fridge (Dometic CFX 35) has an accurate digital temp display, current & Historical temps can also be checked via a Bluetooth app.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I find any more than setting 3 and ice forms on the fridge back then melts creating water at the bottom. It works great on 3. We go away for 17 nights and it works fine.

 

[66tim99]

We put our fridge on the night before we go away and just leave it to cool down. No idea how long it takes but overnight is more than enough. The drive to wherever is usually enough to top the batteries back up again from a night of cooling and then std rules apply - 3 - 5 days depending what else you use. Less in winter, more in summer, heater, lights and phone charging effect overall numbers.

We also have a 100W panel on the roof, so in winter 5 days off EHU is easily achievable, in summer, technically, indefinite.

It’s a nice feature that you can set the fridge to come on at a certain time too

 

[DOMINICGG1234]

Just buy the 3 pin adaptor for your EHU cable. Unless your house has no plug sockets?

I le not had e parking on the road and the cable would need to go over the pavement so a bit if a non starter

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I le not had e parking on the road and the cable would need to go over the pavement so a bit if a non starter

Fit some solar panels on the van roof, then you never need to worry.

 

[andyinluton]

I le not had e parking on the road and the cable would need to go over the pavement so a bit if a non starter

Our council will put in ( for a small fee) a cable Chanel across the footpath, designed for E-vehicles but useful for a cali!