Harry Monk:
I find that if you leave a coolbox unplugged overnight, that it is nearly at ambient temperature in the morning. Even when it is running, it is not designed to keep food at a constant temperature, but simply to bring it a certain amount of degrees below ambient temperature. I wouldn’t personally use one to store meat or dairy products.
Most are designed to bring the box down to 10 degrees below the outside temp. So if its 20 in the cab, the box should be at a min temp of 10. Might take a while to get down to that though.
The proper compressor fridgers are better, but they cold more. At work we can get fridges in that work on 12V, 240V and also gas, im sure they are the proper compressor ones aswell, and im also sure that they are about £150, although i could be wrong and they could be about £350
if there waeco kompressor and cf35 upwards pm me ill have 1 for 150
I had a Halfords cool box, it was fine until, rushing, I forgot to check the voltage in a different unit I got that day and thought the brakes were smelling by the time I got to Taunton Deane…
I have a multimeter in the toolbox also !
As said above the ideal is 12-24/max 30v or remember to check the voltage if in a diff unit .
Halfords box was good eveen in France in the summer, I put really deep frozen stuff at the bottom in a layer before setting out for a week.
Stralis I have now has a freezer compartment as well as fridge and aircon
bubsy06:
I run a 12v coolbox and a 12v 300w inverter (which powers a 240v tv) from the 12v hella socket using one of these cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hella-type-Plug-T … 45ed9f7f50.
I always run the engine a few times in the evening if im watching tv to recharge the batteries, I switch them both off before I go to sleep, the coolbox manages to keep everything cool until I switch it back on in the morning.
when you run the engine in the evening will you be irritating drivers that are parked next to you trying to get some sleep? or are you parked on yer own cause running the engine on idle only keeps the status quo, in other words engine idle really only supplies enough power to run the engine and basic ancillaries it will not recharge you battery from draw taken whilst running fridge and telly when the engine is switched off, this recharge of the batteries takes place when your driving the next day. the trick is not to over draw on your batteries when parked up.
bubsy06:
I run a 12v coolbox and a 12v 300w inverter (which powers a 240v tv) from the 12v hella socket using one of these cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hella-type-Plug-T … 45ed9f7f50.
I always run the engine a few times in the evening if im watching tv to recharge the batteries, I switch them both off before I go to sleep, the coolbox manages to keep everything cool until I switch it back on in the morning.
when you run the engine in the evening will you be irritating drivers that are parked next to you trying to get some sleep? or are you parked on yer own cause running the engine on idle only keeps the status quo, in other words engine idle really only supplies enough power to run the engine and basic ancillaries it will not recharge you battery from draw taken whilst running fridge and telly when the engine is switched off, this recharge of the batteries takes place when your driving the next day. the trick is not to over draw on your batteries when parked up.
The truck i drive is fitted with a digital voltmeter, I keep an eye on it and when it reaches a certain voltage I run the engine for 10 mins this brings the voltage up by about 2.5 volts which will last for another 90minutes.
Does it matter where I park my truck and when I run my engine? no it ■■■■■■■ doesnt
bubsy06:
I run a 12v coolbox and a 12v 300w inverter (which powers a 240v tv) from the 12v hella socket using one of these cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hella-type-Plug-T … 45ed9f7f50.
I always run the engine a few times in the evening if im watching tv to recharge the batteries, I switch them both off before I go to sleep, the coolbox manages to keep everything cool until I switch it back on in the morning.
when you run the engine in the evening will you be irritating drivers that are parked next to you trying to get some sleep? or are you parked on yer own cause running the engine on idle only keeps the status quo, in other words engine idle really only supplies enough power to run the engine and basic ancillaries it will not recharge you battery from draw taken whilst running fridge and telly when the engine is switched off, this recharge of the batteries takes place when your driving the next day. the trick is not to over draw on your batteries when parked up.
WRONG when i’m stuck in euroland 4 weekend if i dont run engine for hour or 2 each day i WILL have flat batteries-i have fridge on 24hrs a day +tv on a lot.
jonnyenglishpants:
i bet you got a dog that barks in your yard, and when someone complains you say " i can’t hear it"
How do you cope when parked in a truckstop with lorries coming and going at all hours?
its a problem, and yes you will always get excessive noise so i try not to use them.
I dont use them for the same reason plus I would never pay to park my truck somewhere if there are free alternatives that are quieter and dont smell of ■■■■
Harry Monk:
I find that if you leave a coolbox unplugged overnight, that it is nearly at ambient temperature in the morning. Even when it is running, it is not designed to keep food at a constant temperature, but simply to bring it a certain amount of degrees below ambient temperature. I wouldn’t personally use one to store meat or dairy products.
Most are designed to bring the box down to 10 degrees below the outside temp. So if its 20 in the cab, the box should be at a min temp of 10. Might take a while to get down to that though.
The proper compressor fridgers are better, but they cold more. At work we can get fridges in that work on 12V, 240V and also gas, im sure they are the proper compressor ones aswell, and im also sure that they are about £150, although i could be wrong and they could be about £350
if there waeco kompressor and cf35 upwards pm me ill have 1 for 150
No, not Waeco.
Ill find the price out, i think they are Royal. Infact they are, and they are classed as absorption fridge’s. They are around the £150 aswell, and are much better then the cheapo cool boxes. Absorption ones will go 25 degrees below ambient. They are quite big aswell.
jonnyenglishpants:
i bet you got a dog that barks in your yard, and when someone complains you say " i can’t hear it"
How do you cope when parked in a truckstop with lorries coming and going at all hours?
its a problem, and yes you will always get excessive noise so i try not to use them.
I dont use them for the same reason plus I would never pay to park my truck somewhere if there are free alternatives that are quieter and dont smell of ■■■■
+1…
Why on earth does anyone ever park in an MSA or truckstop? As said, noisy, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■-infested, rip-off rat-holes, I suppose it is just the sheep mentality of the average trucker.
jonnyenglishpants:
i bet you got a dog that barks in your yard, and when someone complains you say " i can’t hear it"
How do you cope when parked in a truckstop with lorries coming and going at all hours?
its a problem, and yes you will always get excessive noise so i try not to use them.
I dont use them for the same reason plus I would never pay to park my truck somewhere if there are free alternatives that are quieter and dont smell of ■■■■
+1…
Why on earth does anyone ever park in an MSA or truckstop? As said, noisy, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■-infested, rip-off rat-holes, I suppose it is just the sheep mentality of the average trucker.
maybe its a good idea to list alternative parking on here if there isnt one already
jonnyenglishpants:
i bet you got a dog that barks in your yard, and when someone complains you say " i can’t hear it"
How do you cope when parked in a truckstop with lorries coming and going at all hours?
its a problem, and yes you will always get excessive noise so i try not to use them.
I dont use them for the same reason plus I would never pay to park my truck somewhere if there are free alternatives that are quieter and dont smell of ■■■■
+1…
Why on earth does anyone ever park in an MSA or truckstop? As said, noisy, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■-infested, rip-off rat-holes, I suppose it is just the sheep mentality of the average trucker.
if you have a high value load stobarts insist that you park safely, loose load loose job and quite right, even worse get jacked loose life.
jonnyenglishpants:
if you have a high value load stobarts insist that you park safely, loose load loose job and quite right, even worse get jacked loose life.
Well, the most unsafe place you can park is an MSA or truckstop, they ought to be re-named “tautliner curtain slashing zones”
Thats the other thing. Im supposed to park in secure parking when loaded high value or not god knows where those secure places are. I won’t have a clue come Monday 2nd August
joedwyer1:
Thats the other thing. Im supposed to park in secure parking when loaded high value or not god knows where those secure places are. I won’t have a clue come Monday 2nd August
They are all on the other side of the English Channel
Harry Monk:
Why on earth does anyone ever park in an MSA or truckstop? As said, noisy, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■-infested, rip-off rat-holes, I suppose it is just the sheep mentality of the average trucker.
Harry, I agree. Unless I have no option (time etc) I never use them. There are too many drivers who are ‘scared’ of looking elsewhere for a different place to park. I use my job as an excuse to go and explore new places. I only do a couple of nights out a week and in the last couple of weeks I’ve had a posh meal in a Glasgow restaurant followed by a couple of hours in a night club (while most other drivers are parked on Bothwell/Hamilton Services ?) and an evening wandering around a nice little village on the south coast plus pub grub etc.
I am not payed for 24 hrs so I am not a security guard for the truck. Obviously there are certain places I would not park or leave the truck but when you have the chance take it, enjoy the job for what it is.
I wouldn’t be able to do this if I was away all week as I’m not made of money but I’d still avoid the MSA’s.
