The fridge in my bus suddenly stopped working. It happened in the middle of summer on a very hot day. I realized it when I saw water on the floor. I immediately knew something was wrong. The small freezer compartment had leaked and there was water everywhere on the floor. I immediately grabbed some towels to wipe up the mess. Fortunately, there was no damage to the floor. You have to act quickly when this kind of problem happens! A water leak in your van can turn into a nightmare very quickly.
We lost some food in the fridge and had to get rid of it. The mayonnaise, ketchup and butter had not survived. Luckily there wasn't much food in the fridge when it stopped working.
The last time our refrigerator stopped working was during our road trip in Beauce. We had broken down and left our converted school bus in a garage parking lot for a few weeks. The parts needed to repair our campervan were not available at the time.
My girlfriend and I decided to go back home and wait for our bus to be ready to hit the road again. During this time, there were many cloudy and rainy days. There wasn't enough solar power to recharge the batteries and our electrical system ran out of power. Unfortunately, the refrigerator turned off for a couple of hours. When the sun was out again, it restarted automatically without any problem.
This time, the problem was much more serious. I had tried everything to fix the fridge but nothing worked. After replacing the fuses and trying to diagnose the problem by myself, I called an appliance repair service technician to give me a hand. He found the part that no longer worked and I decided to buy it. After replacing the part, my refrigerator still didn't work. This fridge didn't have a great value and I had no intention of spending more money trying to repair it.
At that point, I made the decision to get a new refrigerator. In my opinion, this is one of the most important accessories in a van conversion. It's convenient to be able to bring fresh food with us on our adventures. I love cooking simple and delicious recipes in my bus. I need fresh ingredients to be able to prepare good comforting meals. Since I like having lots of space to keep food cold, I'm looking for a large refrigerator. It's important to maximize my time on the road and avoid going to the grocery store too often.
Ideally, the new refrigerator will take up exactly the same space as the old one. I love my current bus configuration and don't want to change it. What I love most about a skoolie is the extra space that makes it feel like home. These vehicles are wider than other vans that we see on the road.
In my school bus, it is very easy to move from one end to the other without bumping into each other. There is also plenty of light coming in through the multiple windows. Also, an upright fridge makes me feel even more at home. By opening the door I can easily see everything inside and the food is easily accessible. This type of refrigerator is very convenient and it is a good choice for vanlife.
There are several types of refrigerators for vanlife. Every van layout is different and you need to choose what works best for you.
The upright fridge is ideal for van life. By opening the door, you can see everything inside and the food is easily accessible. Personally, this is what I prefer the most.
A chest style refrigerator opens from the top like a cooler. You have to fill it from the top and it's harder to access what's at the bottom. The chest fridge is very easy to install and does not take up a lot of space in your van. You can mount it on heavy duty drawer slides or purchase a slider for a specific model. This type of fridge is available in single zone or dual zone. The dual zone chest fridge has a freezer compartment. There are several sizes of chest refrigerators and they are very appreciated by the vanlife community. They are small, versatile and portable. However, this type of fridge is not the most practical option.
There are also drawer refrigerators. This can be a great option for your van conversion. They look like upright refrigerators but open from the front like a drawer. This is a slightly more luxurious choice that gives a modern look to your layout.
There is a new type of upright fridge that has been available on the market for a while and conversion companies have started installing this model in vans. It's a much bigger fridge that takes up almost the entire height of the van.
Nova Kool RFU7300D 6.8 cubic foot
Price: $2,799.99 CAD
Nova Kool RFU8220 7.3 cubic foot
Price: $2,049.99 CAD
I find these refrigerators very interesting because they allow you to store even more food inside. However, installing this type of fridge in my bus will involve deleting one of the windows. Since I want to keep as much light as possible in my bus, I am going to buy a lower and smaller refrigerator.
Small AC 110V residential refrigerators are not expensive but they consume a lot of energy. To make them work, your inverter will have to run constantly and this will drain the van's batteries quickly. This is why a 12 volt refrigerator is a better option. These devices are energy efficient, they don't take up a lot of space in your van and they don't use a lot of electricity. On the other hand, they are more expensive. It is better to spend more money to save on energy consumption in the long run. A 12 volt fridge is ideal for a van conversion. It is easy to install on your electrical system and you can power it with solar panels.
If you want to install a 110 volt AC residential refrigerator in your van, you will need to upgrade your electrical system accordingly. You will need more batteries and more solar panels. This configuration will add extra weight to your campervan and this will increase your gas or diesel consumption.
A propane fridge is also an option. To power it, you will need to carry a propane tank and refill it very often. The propane tank must be installed outside, either at the rear or below the vehicle. This option is more difficult to install and is more expensive in the long run.
The new refrigerator that will be installed in my bus will be the Nova Kool R4500. It has a capacity of 4.3 cubic feet which equals approximately 121 liters. I believe that a fridge of around 130 liters is perfect for van conversion. This appliance has enough space to allow me to cook for several days without going to the grocery store.
Happy travels and see you on the road!
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November 20, 2024
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