I use solar in my van in extended staying...Like when we bolt out of the
Pacific Northwest and go camp in the desert SW for a few months.   Mine
charges and runs my laptop and smartphone, it powers my Sirrius sat radio,
the only dependable source of news when the internet is coming thru my
Verizon...I also charge some battery powered tools with it and my bicycle
computers...I 'fridge' with the propane Dometic...mine works fine....   I
use duplicate batteries...starting batteries that fit well and don't really
have a lot of capacity...but it works for me..
   Before the Vanagon and the desert, it was a 4x4 diesel with an Alaskan
Camper in Baja...same time period, same stuff, but no internet or phone
when we were traveling there...If you are going to be somewhere for a
while, or camp close to civilization where all your necessary driving is of
short duration...solar is good....If you want TV and stuff, get big
batteries and solar..

On Tue, Jun 23, 2015 at 9:16 PM, Neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:

> cold beer.
>
> I too have pondered the usefulness of a solar setup as
> (more or less) a life support system for a fridge.
>
> Recently, I purchased a "step up" cooler and used that in my '88
> Westy. It worked quite
> well with block ice. But. It takes up room. Fitting
> something that size in the fridge area does not seem
> easily feasible.
>
> Neil.
>
> On 6/23/15, Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@mymts.net> wrote:
>
> > ....  What is the power used for?
>
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
>
> 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
>
> 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
>
> Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
>