How to power your camping refrigerator for longer

Update:02-12-2021
Summary:Cool down before you leaveMost refrigerators can operate at 240V (this is a feature you should look for when buying a re...
Cool down before you leave
Most refrigerators can operate at 240V (this is a feature you should look for when buying a refrigerator).

Before you start traveling, run Portable Fridge and Freezer the refrigerator at 240V and cool it at home. Most of the electricity will be consumed when cooling the inside of the refrigerator, so before placing the refrigerator at 12V, use 240V at home to lower the temperature.

Fill your refrigerator with cold food and drinks
Make sure that the food and drinks in the camping refrigerator are cold. If you put a warm drink in the refrigerator, it will consume a lot of electricity to cool the drink to temperature, and then start the cycle.
Use frozen bricks
When preparing to cool the refrigerator at 240V, let your refrigerator freeze and place a few freezer bricks (-15 degrees). Make sure to put the refrigerator in the freezer a few days in advance to let it freeze normally. This will ensure that the inside of your refrigerator is both beautiful and cool.

If you have enough space to put the food in the freezer brick, please leave 1 or 2 inches when packing the food, and then adjust the temperature of the refrigerator back to 2 degrees. During the first part of your trip, the refrigerator will work like esky, and may not even open automatically for a few days to keep it cold!

Get an insulating cover
Almost all refrigerators can benefit from a heat shield by preventing the enclosure from heating up. This is a bit like putting esky in a soft cold storage bag. By adding extra insulation to the refrigerator, it will stay cool for a longer period of time, which means it will use less electricity!
Upgrade to heavy-duty 12V wiring
The heavy-duty wiring from the 12V battery to the refrigerator will not make the refrigerator consume less power, but it will help you make the most of the battery.

Many standard vehicle settings have fine wire looms due to voltage drops. This means that when your battery reads 12.5V, only 12V reaches your refrigerator. In addition, if your refrigerator is equipped with a battery protection device, it may shut itself down even if your battery has sufficient power remaining.

Avoid direct sunlight
This sounds like common sense, but I saw many refrigerators placed in the sun at the campsite. I even had a customer complaint that the lid of their Waeco CF50 would warp when exposed to direct sunlight in hot weather. What does it do in the sun on a hot day?

Obviously, your refrigerator works better in the shade and outside the hot car. If it is in the trunk and your car is in the sun, your refrigerator will struggle with high ambient temperatures and may drain your battery twice as fast.
Adequate ventilation
The compressor in the refrigerator generates heat, which is a by-product of lowering the temperature in the cabinet. It is important to leave enough space for the heat to escape from the refrigerator. More ventilation leads to higher efficiency.

Keep the lid closed
Finally, try to keep the lid closed. Every time the refrigerator is opened, cold air is discharged, which means that the refrigerator must cool all the new air entering the refrigerator.

Limit the time or frequency of opening the refrigerator to prevent the internal temperature from rising.