Milford Cubicle II
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Out there.
Any 12 volt fridge I've seen (ARB, Engel, etc.) is craaaazy expensive and I'm wondering why. I realize that they tend to have more insulation, for fairly obvious reasons; to keep the power consumption low. Also they tend to be "rugged," whatever that means. But the refrigeration system is exactly the same as any other AC or household refrigerator. Hell, I can pick up a good mini fridge for well under a hundred bucks. So why is it that when it comes to portable 12 volt refrigerator, the price goes through the roof? You'd be hard pressed to find one for under $500, which IMO is ridiculous.
And no, I'm not including those thermoelectric BS jobs that you can get from Target for 30 bucks, I'm talking about actual refrigerators.
The compressor, which is the heart of a refrigerant system, is driven by an electric motor. Electric motors are by nature, DC devices, not AC. So it seems to me that it would cost more to make an AC compressor than a DC compressor. But in reality it seems to be the other way around. Good quality DC motors are a dime a dozen, and all a DC refrigeration system is, is a DC motor instead of an AC motor. Am I missing something? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? :soapbox:
And no, I'm not including those thermoelectric BS jobs that you can get from Target for 30 bucks, I'm talking about actual refrigerators.
The compressor, which is the heart of a refrigerant system, is driven by an electric motor. Electric motors are by nature, DC devices, not AC. So it seems to me that it would cost more to make an AC compressor than a DC compressor. But in reality it seems to be the other way around. Good quality DC motors are a dime a dozen, and all a DC refrigeration system is, is a DC motor instead of an AC motor. Am I missing something? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? :soapbox: