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wrightwy · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

Hi Folks , Iam going to be looking for a fridge when I get out of school , Our trucks have generators and I think they will let me put a inverter in it . So what kind of fridge am I looking for ? where am I looking for it at and how much should I expect to pay . Thanks inadvance Andy

Uturn2001 · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject:

If you go with an actual fridge you will need at fairly large power inverter to run it. Yes, the actual amount of power it uses is low, but the startup surge is high, so you will need at least a 600 watt inverter if not more.

You can purchase a dorm fridge for under $100, and then you are looking at another $100-$300 for the inverter. This is assuming too that not only will the company allow the installlation of a hard wired inverter but that you also have the room.

There are 12v options as well. For around $80 you can get a 12v thermo-electric cooler. The also make 12v cooler sized fridges and freezers that plug into a 12v outlet. These typically run a few hundred to several hundred dollars.

Then you have actual 12v fridges that are hardwired into the truck batteries that will run $300-$1000 or more depending on brand and size.

wrightwy · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

Thanks for the info , The company Iam going to work for Have Volvo and frieghtliners Iam not even sure what size Iam looking for . Do most all otr trucks have ac/dc or are they all dc .

Rev.Vassago · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 4789 Location: Green Bay, WI

Uturn2001 wrote: If you go with an actual fridge you will need at fairly large power inverter to run it. Yes, the actual amount of power it uses is low, but the startup surge is high, so you will need at least a 600 watt inverter if not more.

A 600 watt inverter is small.

Quote: You can purchase a dorm fridge for under $100, and then you are looking at another $100-$300 for the inverter.

If you pay $100-$300 for a 600 watt inverter, you got hosed.

flood · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 514 Location: tennesse

wrightwy wrote: Hi Folks , Iam going to be looking for a fridge when I get out of school , Our trucks have generators and I think they will let me put a inverter in it . So what kind of fridge am I looking for ? where am I looking for it at and how much should I expect to pay . Thanks inadvance Andy

if the truck has a generator (as in apu) then you will have ac power to use if not will thay let you have an inverter...? if so you will need a 1000-1500 watt invertor, why so big will the fridge will need around 400 watts to run BUT it will need around 900 at startup plus tv, laptop, dvd player, micro.

you can get a roadpro 1500 watt invertor at pilot for $119 or so, it will do just fine ours ran everything for two years before the cooling fans died (my 1100 watt micro may have had something to do with that) it did still run the fridge until i could get a better invertor.

this is the fridge we have had for three years and it works just fine http://tinyurl.com/yfcyat

now with that said if you are going to driver a frieghtliner unless you are going to take apart the inside of the truck all you can use is a 12v cooler (we have used them and thay do a good job of keeping things COOL)
if you are going to be driving a volvo it will depend on what volvo you get 880,780,670 will all work for a fridge w/o mods all the rest will also need to have thing taken apart...! the one i posted a link to is 1/2" smaller than the dorm fridge's that most store sell and it will fit inside a volvo cabinet all you need to do is pop off the doors.

now after all that WAIT until you have been on the road for a few months with a 12v cooler and see IF 1st you like the job and 2nd if you NEED a fridge. after all you will be spending $350- $450 to have a fridge in the truck.

side note if you want to see a funny look on someone's face try sitting on I-10 in AZ sometime in July stuck waiting for three hours for them to clean up a rollover and when the family in the minvan next to you looks over and thay see you eating ICE CREAM.

Uturn2001 · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:03 am Post subject:

Quote: if the truck has a generator (as in apu) then you will have ac power to use if not will thay let you have an inverter

Which means nothing when you are running down the road unless you plan on leaving the APU run 24/7. You will still need an inverter to run a 110v fridge while the truck is running.

Quote: you can get a roadpro 1500 watt invertor at pilot for $119

All I can say about that is you get what you pay for.

Quote: now after all that WAIT until you have been on the road for a few months with a 12v cooler and see IF 1st you like the job and 2nd if you NEED a fridge.

Agree 100%

flood · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 514 Location: tennesse

Quote: Which means nothing when you are running down the road unless you plan on leaving the APU run 24/7. You will still need an inverter to run a 110v fridge while the truck is running
very true

Quote: All I can say about that is you get what you pay for.
also true but we are hard on invertors, the only reason the roadpro went out when it did was because i didn't unplug the fridge when using the micor "remember my micro is 1100 watt" and the roadpro still works but with the cooling fans out it will not run anything over 1000 watts.

we are hard on invertors because we cook in the truck fridge, micor, formam grill, Xpress 101 grill, slow cooker, sat tv w/dvr, lcd hd tv, dvd/vcr, playstation2

yes i could pay more ($300 plus) and get a better one but at this point a better one would have to run for 8 plus years just to break even.

wrightwy · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

Hey thanks for the info , some very good advice about waiting and trying a 12 volt cooler . and as far as an iverter I will see how that all comes about. And cross that bridge later . Thanks again Andy

headborg · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 957

In my 14 years of driving company equipment, I have collected and have working(in various stages of functionality) these inverters:

power-to-go 300watt cont/500watt peak pc300xt
Whistler 1000watt cont/1500 watt peak
Whistler 1500watt cont/3000 watt peak
Whistler 1200watt cont/ PI-1200W
Xantrex 1750watt cont
Xantrex 400 watt
Cobra 450 watt

and have managed( in 14years) to sell a total of 2 others( perfectly well working) to other truck drivers--- can't ever seem to find a truck driver willing to turn loose any dough- they all want you to give your stuff away.
Either that or they never have any money.

If you're only running a laptop- you could go with the Cobra 450- and use the 8guage wires to wire to the hot post at the fuse box or other place.
If you're running a Microwave- You must have at least 1000watt inverter( knowing that You might not get the full 1000watts out of it depending on the length and guage of wire you use to connect it.

If you buy a 600watt microwave(example) that's the OUTPUT/cooking Power of the microwave--- look on the back of the appliance for the INPUT
wattage or power. No electronic device runs 100% efficient or creates energy.

Also remember if you buy a Dorm Fridge(at wal-mart) and you remove a section of cabinet to put it in- if you tip the fridge on it's side --getting it crammed up over the passager seat to get it IN- you have to let it set 24hours before turning it on- otherwise You'll burn it out- pronto.
(been there-done that)

mikeymike · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 33 Location: Atl Ga.

I have been eyeing those thermo-electric coolers at Pilot. I have a lug up that i got from walmart that just slightly cools. I was wondering if the ones at Pilot work any better? Any help or info. would be greatly appreciated...

Uturn2001 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:52 am Post subject:

mikeymike wrote: I have been eyeing those thermo-electric coolers at Pilot. I have a lug up that i got from walmart that just slightly cools. I was wondering if the ones at Pilot work any better? Any help or info. would be greatly appreciated...

I have owned Coleman and Igloo 12v coolers and have never had a problem with either one cooling quite well.

I do not know where you have yours set up at, or exactly how you are using it but here are some tips/info:

If the items are warm or only slightly cool when you put them in your cooler, and if the cooler is shut off or has only been recently plugged in it can take 12+ hours to really cool those items down.

To get the best cooling the cooler should be kept out of direct sunlight and there needs to be at least `1 inch of air flow around it. Also make sure that there is not any heater ducts blowing on it. Remember that these 12v coolers will only cool 35-40 degrees below what it percieves as the surrounding air temp.

To help them cool faster and to stay cool longer when you unplug it and to be a bit colder when in use put a small (20 oz) bottle of water or use two or three ziplock sandwich bags, one inside the other, and fill with ice. I suggest the latter if you are on the road for more than a week at a time as you can refill the baggy.

I have actually frozen water in them several times.

headborg · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 957

another trick you can do-- if you want to make your therm-electric a freezer for a while is-- buy a bag of dry ice put in top--- it will drop the temp inside down to -30 degrees for 3-4 days. Best part is; the dry ice becomes co2- not water so it won't damage your cooler like ice would if the bag was ripped open-- you also can take one of those inside/outside digital ICE Warning therometers and run the wired prob down inside the cooler and have a current digital temp readout all the time. This way you will know When it's time to plug the cooler in. Not a good idea to run the cooler with the dry ice at sametime-- the air-flow makes your dry ice sublime faster.

HOTROD29335 · Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 118 Location: south carolina

i have on of the roadpro coolers with the glass door and it will freeze my drinks im mean solid ice other than that i love it had it about 6 months paid like 70 bucks for it

Uturn2001 · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:49 am Post subject:

Dry ice is really not a good idea to use in a cooler. It is toxic if ingested, also in a small enclosed area, such as a truck sleeper, the potential for creating high levels of carbon dioxide is there, which can be fatal or at the very least cause serious respiratory problems.

headborg · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 957

Uturn2001 wrote: Dry ice is really not a good idea to use in a cooler. It is toxic if ingested, also in a small enclosed area, such as a truck sleeper, the potential for creating high levels of carbon dioxide is there, which can be fatal or at the very least cause serious respiratory problems.

did it for years... works great.. you just have to be smart and not touch it with bare hands( unless you want to burn yourself/ cut the skin off with a razor) and you have to be intelligent enough not to stick you head down in the cooler and inhale deeply. Yes, dry ice does displace O2- this is why you don't stick your head in the cooler. We're only talking about a single bag of dry ice... not a truck load.

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