Bongo Fury

Blueskai wrote:

mikexgough wrote:now if you had gone for the Waeco Compressor fridge.......

I did Mike, but it was enormous and so I sent it back. I would say, that it could cure the Bongo overheating problem. At the first signs of a rise in temperature, you could drive the Bongo into the coolbox and switch it on.

Wasn't that a 3 way dometic - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... ge#p421588 - completely different beast to the Waeco or any other compressor fridge.

My mistake as Dometic and Waeco are the same company. I am looking at the Waeco cdf-11 at the moment. It only has a draw of 2.5Amps which is a massive difference that the leisure battery could cope with.

I can't believe I have spent almost a whole day farting about with this KAMPA fridge and all its inadequacies.

I'm just wondering if it only draws 12.5A when used as a freezer maybe it's not so drastic when just used as a fridge.

It's a good point. Further reading says it can work from 10.5Amps, but this is still quite a lot.
It still seems pretty environmentally and leisure batterally-unfriendly. I've boxed it up for return and will opt for the Waeco CDF-11 after all.

Enough is enough!

The cTek chargers are excellent - you could use the 16A model in "supply" mode.

phedders wrote:The cTek chargers are excellent - you could use the 16A model in "supply" mode.

They are, I agree, but added to the cost of the Kampa fridge make it cheaper to get a Compressor fridge......
I think the cheaper Kampa Fridge fell quite a bit short of what they are described as.
Good call with the CTEK, but I think we were all trying to get a cheap power supply.......but to no avail

mikexgough wrote:

phedders wrote:The cTek chargers are excellent - you could use the 16A model in "supply" mode.

They are, I agree, but added to the cost of the Kampa fridge make it cheaper to get a Compressor fridge......
I think the cheaper Kampa Fridge fell quite a bit short of what they are described as.
Good call with the CTEK, but I think we were all trying to get a cheap power supply.......but to no avail

Yep - love my Waeco - especially now I've fixed it.

Long story short - we punctured the evapourator. Gah the magic got out. Bit of "metal/ally" epoxy to seal that hole after carefully grinding some paint off - not too hard.

The hard bit was getting more magic in there. I cut the end off the low pressure filler pipe and tried to braze on a car style LP filler port nicked from an old Rover at a scrappy. Couldnt get it to seal.

In the end I got a line tap valve (same LP port but it clamps onto a pipe and pierces within a sealing ring.) so I crimped and brazed the end of the filler pipe again and used an R134a can from Halfrauds. Worked a treat.

Then of course the problem was working out how much magic to put in. Learned a trick or two you see if you put too much in, then the coolant is still liquite after it comes through the evaporator plate and back into the compressor and that is a quick way to destroy the compressor seals and kill the compressor it seems. It's easy to spot because you get ice forming at the condensor feed from the compressor (theres some insulating foam there to stop it happenning normally.) So you have to fill slowly until ice forms there - then let a bit out.

Now it works better than ever - freezes really well and is very efficient.

(oops, did I get a bit off topic?)

Cooler number three.

The CDF-11. Compact, Silent, power friendly and, most importantly, cold. From ambient (19degrees) to zero in about 25minutes.

Lets hope I don't have a reason to send this one back.

Hi you could arrange for the cooler to run only when the alternator is running ie charging. Tow bars with twin sockets have a feed for a secondary battery and a fridge.
I reckon if you connect it using a relay such as the system which charges a liesure battery you will be OK while the motor is running, I believe the wiring to the cigar lighters is inadequate I used 25amp cable when I fitted and auxilliary supply for my three way fridge, I run it off gas, 240v or the alternator never ever the battery.