Update: I have not turned off the fridge in about 2 weeks. I used the camper while racing last weekend and got the batteries down to about 80%. I came home and parked the truck and left the fridge going. Yesterday I was only up to 94%, so at this point, even with good sun, the 200 Watts of panels are not enough to recover from the weekend (even with the fridge as the only load).
While the compressor might only draw 2.2 Amps, I’m seeing closer to a 3 Amp draw when the fridge is running. Apparently, they don’t include the current drawn by the fan that blows on the compressor. This is important information and should be provided by Novacool. My laser pointer IR thermometer shows the compressor running around 113 F. Not sure at what temperature that fan kicks off, but it was pretty much running whenever the compressor was running.
I had the truck parked such that the fridge side was in the sun. It would likely help to have that side in the shade. I also have brown fridge vent covers. I think changing them to white will reflect the heat and help the situation.
The IR thermometer also shows that the temperature inside the box varies. When the top shelf shows low 30’s I can see 10 degrees higher on the door and lower shelves. Knowing this, I was able to adjust the temperature control a little higher and still have the top shelf around 35 F.
At this point, I’m borderline at best for long term boondocking. But I’m more than fine for a few days between plug ins. I’m hoping some more tweaks will get me power positive, but eventually I may have to add another panel.
