Kings Dual Zone Fridge Freezer - Advice Needed

vegemite2008 on 14/06/2024 - 16:25

Kings Dual zone fridge freezer - advice needed.

I am very close to buy one but need some advice first :-)

We are planning to use both the freezer and fridge zones (when driving) - connected to the 12v.

We will be driving for app. 6-8 hours every day. We will open the fridge a few times during the trip for drinks and food.

Would the food remain frozen if we leave the fridge/freezer in the car for app. 12 hours (not connected to the battery power) and then plug it in the next day?

Or do we need to bring it inside and connect it to a power point?

Electrical & Electronics Portable Refrigerator

Comments

  • serideth on 14/06/2024 - 16:40

    Depends on ambient temperature.
    You would most likely need to bring it in or get a 12v battery to power the fridge at night to maintain the freezer temps.

  • pharkurnell on 14/06/2024 - 16:49
    +1

    Would the food remain frozen if we leave the fridge/freezer in the car for app. 12 hours (not connected to the battery power)

    Depends where you are… Victoria at moment yes… somewhere with warm temps probably not.
    If you have access to power, use it.

  • rtnicho on 14/06/2024 - 17:46
    +2

    As noted, it depends on the ambient temp. I don't know about the Kings fridge you are looking at, but many modern portable fridges have battery protection. As such, (assuming you can keep getting 12v power when your ignition is turned off) you can leave it connected to the 12v overnight and choose the point of car battery (dis)charge at which the fridge will cut out (e.g., low, medium high). This will enable you to run the fridge for at least some (possibly all) the night and still be able to start the car in the morning. Obviously, it would be preferable to run it off 240v overnight if possible.

    Also, always run the fridge for 24 hours on 240v before you leave for your trip to get it really cold.

    A word of warning. I presume you are planning to use the cigarette lighter plug to power the fridge. These are notoriously unreliable and commonly become disconnected during normal use, due to bumps in the road. This leaves your fridge without power while you are driving, and the food rapidly thaws/goes off. Best option is to hard wire an Anderson plug setup to a power source that stays on regardless of ignition status.

    • geekcohen on 14/06/2024 - 17:50

      A word of warning. I presume you are planning to use the cigarette lighter plug to power the fridge. These are notoriously unreliable and commonly become disconnected during normal use, due to bumps in the road

      This, happens in my wife's car. The boot 12v port is awful and so annoying.

  • geekcohen on 14/06/2024 - 17:47
    +2

    Depends if you have a cover for it or not. I bought a 60L single zone with a cover and it is very efficient (I just use it as a fridge)

    If overnight temps aren't high, then yes some things might stay frozen (maybe not ice creams, but frozen veggies).

    If you are staying somewhere, just run a power lead out to the car and plug it in. Thats what I would be do if I had access to 240v mains, its even what I do now. Have 240v hanging from the roof, reverse the car in, pop the canopy side window and plug in my 240v cables.

  • nicktork on 14/06/2024 - 18:44

    Maybe consider getting one of these to see it through the night. It might just have enough juice, depending on ambient temperature and how cold you set the fridge. You can recharge that as you drive. https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/24ah-lithium-portable-power…

    • vegemite2008 on 14/06/2024 - 23:53

      Thanks. Looks very good. Will that keep it going over night?

      • nicktork on 15/06/2024 - 01:04

        If the fridge is huge and you set your temperatures really low, no it won't. But if the fridge is a reasonable size and you go for -10°C freezer and +3°C fridge then yes it will. Unless you're in the NT or FNQ where it's very hot. Look at the specs for the fridge, it should say how many amps per hour it typically uses. Worst case, it will gets you part-way through the night before food starts to defrost.

      • brad1-8tsi on 16/06/2024 - 09:50

        I had a 26ah power station and it would only last 3 hours with the fridge on "eco".
        Then you have to recharge it which can take quite a few hours.

    • inertia8 on 23/06/2024 - 09:53

      Please note that whilst this is a good unit and reviews show they do have the claimed capacity, their charging circuitry is limited to the region of 45-48w.. hence you will have to charge it for a good 10+ hrs back to full.

      Another thing to be aware of is that the indicator LEDs are inaccurate and reflect full charge way too early, atleast 5hrs early in my case, as using a watt meter it was accepting a charge at the full wattage of my charger for this long past the fourth led going solid.

      You can actually charge it faster using the cigarette lighter sockets instead of the USB C or plug pack inputs but this no doubt does not charge via the BMS and just directly feeds back thru the hardwired connection to the cells.

      I think this is a good unit for camping and other activities but not to be relied on for supplying a fridge for multiple nights and recharging during the day, due to the inability to fast charge it safely to restore capacity during the day.

  • jv on 14/06/2024 - 20:09
    -3

    Kings Dual Zone Fridge Freezer - Advice Needed

    Camilla likes it.

  • brad1-8tsi on 16/06/2024 - 09:45

    It depends on the ambient temperature and the interior temperature of the vehicle.

    I had a dual zone OzTrail for my half lap and it worked fine at home but wouldn't get below 8c if the ambient was 30c+. The battery pack I bought would only power it for a few hours despite the seller saying it would go "all night". (I got refunds on both.)
    We started getting powered campsites and running an extension lead to the car as a full fridge weighs about the same as a full size bag of cement.

    I haven't used Kings but assume they are similar to OzTrail. Do yourself a favour and buy an entry level Brass Monkey. Mine is great. Much better than the OzTrail.
    Also, insulate the back windows with corflute or recycled food delivery insulating bags

    • vegemite2008 on 16/06/2024 - 11:29

      Thank you

    • inertia8 on 23/06/2024 - 09:55

      Was looking closely at the brass monkey 36L that has the internal divider to convert half to freezer. Reviews on shocking power consumption have dissuaded me for now.

      What's your experience been?

      • brad1-8tsi on 23/06/2024 - 13:15

        I've only used the Brass Monkey 3 (??) times and they've all been weekend camps where I pre-cooled and ran it off the car 12v outlet prior to parking. Haven't powered it off a stand-alone battery yet so can't comment about consumption. I'm currently assembling the parts for a 2nd battery with DC:DC charger.

        Our last Sat-Mon camp was a heatwave and we weren't allowed to idle the vehicle (Golden Plains festival) so we just bought a $5 bag of ice and threw it on top each afternoon. All we had to chill was milk & yoghurt for breakfast, drinks and some salad stuff for lunch.

        I think it's inevitable that if you buy an entry level unit there will be some shortcomings.

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