While I am awaiting parts which I hope are going to fix a particularly elusive fault on my existing three way fridge, my mind has been increasingly turning to the idea of replacing it altogether with a 12 volt compressor fridge.

I've been looking at Just Kampers JKF50 which would fit easily into the existing cabinetry and only uses 0.7Ah at 25 degrees ambient temperature once cold and set to eco mode. That would use approx. 17Ah in a 24 hour period.

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience of running a compressor fridge and what power I might need to comfortably power it off-grid for a week.

I have an Eriba 320 poptop van with a 115Ah battery which gives me a usable 57Ah, and I would need to upgrade my portable solar panels. I have insufficient space to fit them on the van, plus I'm very tight for weight.

From my experience of the 40W panels that I already have, I know I can expect around 15 to 75% of their rated value depending on the weather plus electrical losses. I use very little battery power as there is no TV or shower and all lights are LED.

Anyone have any thoughts as to the minimum size panel I could get by with?

I've run compressor fridges in two campervans. I think they're great with no messing with energy source, just turn on and go. However in a small van in the quiet of the dead of night the click purr and click off can sound like a gun shot. On a 95ah battery ours last he 36 hours before dropping below the operating voltage range. That was pre solar.

Thanks for you reply, I'm very encouraged to go that way. As a quick calculation I reckon that's about 1.3 amps/hour. So given the 0.7Ah I've been quoted on the little fridge I'm thinking of buying, if I add a 100 watt solar panel it should keep me going for well over a week, assuming 40% efficiency in average sunshine.