If the days are getting shorter, the Camper to rest. The memory of refreshing drinks at the beach pales, if at all, is now the focus rather of the heater in the motorhome. On the other hand, the Feast of the gifts of the seam, since it would be bad to have some new equipment to treat yourself. So the Mrs was in the summer with a cool Box in the Van on the road, had to replace a built-in Cabinet, and when she came back, she was full of praise. In fact, this design has some advantages: the boxes are portable, although not exactly handy, and you don’t open the freezer up so the cold falls out of the open door. The better copies are also well insulated, which saves electricity.
Luke Weber
editor in the Department “technology and Motor”.
F. A. Z.
there are many models, but this tried and tested is a brand of the Camping outfitter, Fritz Berger, and has a special feature: The B is 40 baptized Box for just under 300 Euro a Hybrid. You can be in one of two Ways operated as a compressor as in a refrigerator at home with 230 Volt Schuko-socket outlet with 12 Volt in the car – then it works according to the thermoelectric principle with a Peltier Element.
Both has its pros and cons. In the compressor operation, the Box lowers fully turned on, radically change the temperature, it is then suitable for deep-cooling operation; a promise minus 15 degrees, we measured up to minus 17. Due to their construction, there is only one cooling zone, so that you will not use often, if the Box is not to good in addition to the existing fridge for frozen. But it is reassuring to know that for every outside temperature in reserve, so that there is no food and not a drug, it must spoil.
The electric compressor is listening to
Once started, cooled for test purposes empty Box down rapidly. From 27 degrees output temperature after 90 minutes of seven, the Freezing threshold was reached, a quarter of an hour later. As the power consumption, we measured 60 to 90 watts when the selected temperature is reached, switches off the compressor. A comparison of energy consumption of 99 kWh in a year shall be concluded according to the data sheet, as the energy efficiency class of A+ is given. However, the electric compressor is to be heard – with 46 dB, this is more of a Whisper, sensitive minds can disturb at night, but it. Then the Box from the trailer is transported into the car.
Or you can cool off day with the compressor and switches the hybrid on operation with 12 volts. The thermo-electric Element is, as soon as DC current is flowing through it, on one side cold and the other hot, that is why some of the boxes that operate according to this principle can be used by reversing the polarity to the Heat. They run silently, and only a small fan dissipates the heat.
A disadvantage is that such elements consume a relatively large amount of current, the specified 47 watts to charge the vehicle’s battery. And that the efficiency is limited, so you need to work often to keep the temperature. Providers of such boxes promise up to 20 degrees below ambient temperature, which is reached after our experience with multiple models only under the happiest of circumstances. Realistic half is rather, the effect is sufficient but in order to keep the cold until the Morning, or to travel to some extent.
