Portable freezer experience needed

[TUFFD40]

Hi guys, just opening up a gift from my partner, she got me a Techni Ice portable 60L fridge/ freezer, and we are leaving in 2 days for a 2 week south eastern Australia road trip... I had a couple questions regarding this item...

I gave it a pre run for the first time today, In my living room which is cool, the maximum temperature I can set it to is -20, but the unit will only get as cool as -13 So I filled it up with stuff and this actually helped it reach -17 but that's it. If I Leave it set to -20 it seems as if I can hear a non stop fan trying to make it reach -20 but if I drop the set temperature to -17 the unit seems to stay stable at -17/-16 and the fan stops...

What I described above does this seem normal? Or when I get back from my trip should I take it back?
What temperature do you guys have your portable freezers set to?

I might just be paranoid but I am Just not sure... Thanks in advance.

 

[Old.Tony]

Most portable fridges can only cool up to a certain amount below ambient temperature. Peltier coolers are typically around 30C below ambient, Sawafuji/Danfoss both around 45C below ambient. Tropical-rated 3-way fridges usually 43-45C below ambient. In practice these ideals are not always reached.

It's cool in the room where I am - 26C right now - and 40C below that is -14C. Yours might be performing perfectly.

If I was relying on it to freeze, I'd move it into the cabin. It has reached 65C in my canopy in the outback - and I'm sure it could go higher. And that reminds me, I want a third temp sensor - maybe one for the fridge too (to display the temperature on the dash).

 

[TUFFD40]

Thanks for your great advice as always Old Tony cheers...

 

[fourocker]

I'd say it's working fine, my fridge/freezer (60 l) starts to freeze the milk at 0 to + 1 so anything minus will be frozen, an insulated travel bag will help plenty if you can get one for it.

 

[terryc]

If it is compressor fridge, then that sounds fine.
Our Evakool 70L runs similar; aka runs full time on max and duty cycle drops as you lower the setting.
For longer trips, we use ours as half ice maker/half freezer, so it keeps frozen stuff fine and freezes water in softdrink/milk containers into blocks of ice to go into the ice box to keep the veges and stuff cool.

All running off the solar panels (2x120W) atm as I haven't had time to install the alternator feed.

 

[flashum1]

I have a 45lt chillstar, from what I have been told they are identical to techniice. -15 is the best I have been able to achieve in back of ute. I am using supplied travel bag and all canopy windows have silver insulation on them. I find it can take some time to completely freeze new contents, sometimes still not completely frozen overnight but this depends on how full the freezer is and how much unfrozen product is added. They can be quite power hungry when running so much, I have 3x 35ah agm batteries in ute and only get a couple of days if not driven. I was using an Andersen lead to link 105ah in van to batteries in back of ute so I could utilise solar to recharge, I could get 4 days this way but only having one panel wouldn't recharge enough to get through the night. I now have a 130w solar panel on the roof of the car and freezer set on -10, touch wood this is performing faultlessly.
Sounds like yours is working fine, just be mindful, keep area ventilated, keep freezer insulated and lid closed, keep out of direct sunlight, depending on how much driving you are doing each day and what dual battery system you are using you may need to look into other ways to keep auxiliary battery charged.
All the best and enjoy traveling.