If you have optimized idle, you can leave your fridge on. Just turn off Interior Comfort and it won’t run much. That way, your Fireball stays nice and chilled for when you start up again!
It is. That’s why they invented optimized idle.
Your heat/air runs on the battery until they get low. Then it cranks over the engine and builds the battery back up. My engine typically kicks on after about nine hours.
Man, fuck that company if you can’t even use optimized idle. They can afford an hour of idling. Truck driving jobs are a dime a dozen. I don’t want to hear that engine running either, but I’ll be dammed if I’ll be uncomfortable sleeping.
I’ve seen a few, people buy the flexible solar panels and use a very strong adhesive to attach them to the roof and a small charge controller gets connects to the battery
Pro tip, enough strips of the wide velcro tape hold them on well and allows easy removal and replacement. I've put many on boats that cruise above highway speeds, and the one on my boat holds on fine towing behind my truck.
I think they mean the fridge door. But yes we need to start selling your company $1750 mini fridges we shall rule the mini fridge world! And get filthy rich. Lol
That’s what my father does when he’s at home for longer than a night, we’ll take the food out turn it off and then prop the fridge door open with a paper towel to get any water from the freezer when the ice melts, not to save the fridge but the truck batteries
People with reefer trucks know to shut them off as soon as the box is empty of anything needing refrigeration. The message would say something more like "we don't want to burn 50 gallons of diesel to keep an empty box cold" if that's what they were talking about. They mean the fridge in the cab.
When I read that part it made me think even more so that it was referencing the refrigerator on the front of the trailer, but I know nothing about prices surrounding truckers and their jobs so I can imagine they would cost much much more than that.
Looks like we're gonna be competing with each other. I'm gonna be selling mine for $1650 including install and if you buy it on my birthday I'll throw in a case of fireball.
I actually do this all the time. If you don’t, it will drain the trucks batteries and you won’t be able to turn on the truck. Also, the fridge will smell really bad if you don’t leave the fridge door open.
Yeah I think these guys don't realize we're talking factory fridges that fit into the cabinet stack not some fridge you got at Walmart that just sits on the floor.
I’ll go home for 68hrs and still have 12.3-12.5 left in my batteries. How are people using up their batteries for their fridge on a 34? Do they live in literal hell?
I only really give a shit about once a month when I want to defrost the damn mini freezer cubby.
I dunno I also have a APU and solar panel on my shit, I literally park at home the APU won't even kick in for the first 2-3 days.. fridge stays on the whole time
I first thought they meant the fridge/freezer on the reefer and I was like “damn just 1800$?!!!” Then I found out it’s just a mini fridge!!! 😂😂😂 I can find them used for 50$.. 200$ new I’m sure. But I’m sure the size is little bigger than a mini mini but still! 500$ at the most I would think 🤔 damn what a fridge!!! Does it make you ice cream cones too?!
Regular mini fridges will not last in a truck. The ride and vibrations are too rough on the compressors. You need to have a fridge specific to a truck/rv and the manufacturers take advantage of that fact and charge an arm and a leg.
I order all our parts and it's insane from truck manufactures, the OEM mattresses are 900 fucking dollars for our Western stars, I said fuck that and went to a mattress store and bought some super twins that were way nicer for 150 bucks.
Anything that has to do with any truck has like a 1000% mark up
One piece of a mirror broke, I called all over, even tried scrap yards, no one sells pieces, you have to order a whole mirror assembly for 1800 dollars and it took 9 months to get. Ended up fixing the truck mirror with hose clamps and scrap metal and traded that bitch in
You know I bought a 12-volt fridge freezer for 400 bucks that out performs the one in the truck by so many degrees and all I have to do is unplug it and I can carry it home?
For that matter, I previously bought a. 110 from Best buy for $300 strapped it to the top bunk just turned it off when I went home and it outperformed the one that was in the truck.
Where the fuck does 1800 come from?
I turn off power to the truck when I leave it for any period. And yeah, leaving the fridge door open is good practice...
But damn, how much!!?? You know what? I'm not hungry. Ever.
I think they mean the fridge door. But yes we need to start selling your company $1750 mini fridges we shall rule the mini fridge world! And get filthy rich. Lol
I'll throw the perishable stuff in the fridge out. But if it is in the freezer or a condiment i leave it in and fridge running. Idk about cost but its the one from the factory. Not the one you add yourself.
By the time you factor the cost of the fridge and the labor to replace it could very well reach that nowadays. They're not just a basic mini fridge from Walmart, they're built to fit the truck and you need to order them thru the dealer...
Volvo mini fridges ain’t cheap 💁♂️ Im a truck and coach tech in Ontario. Have priced them out before jaws dropped. Got passed around the shop actually no one could believe it. We ended out ripping out the cupboard + fridge and losing the pull out table behind the driver but got way more space out of it with a regular old beer fridge
I'm so glad the newer cascadias just gave you an open spot on the floor for a fridge rather than include one of those expensive ass 12v fridges. $120 and it's 3 times the size of a regular $1,000+ truck fridge.
Always stocked. Idgaf how many times the APU cycles on over the weekend to keep it running.
I just had my company install a better inverter and plugged in my own mini fridge. It takes up a lot of space but it's worth it to avoid those plug in coolers. They suck.
Crazy. I thought I was the only one who put tape over the round home button. I think its hard on batteries too.. I do not like when companies start to dictate every little thing or worse be abusive ... sucks.
Last time I bought one was for $300 and that was a specific 12v truck fridge that $1200 is probably what they think they can charge the driver for a new one because after all they got to make money to
Um. Dometic is the most common fridge found in sleepers.
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/outdoor/boat/boat-refrigerators/dometic-crx-110e-56279
$1864
They have cheaper models, but this one looks a hell of a lot like the fridges I’ve had in trucks.
I still remember my first truck, started at swift (don't judge) and they gave me a used up freightshaker with no ac, fridge, apu, inverter or working 12v in it. Wouldn't fix any of it as "it's non essential".
Yeah, i was young and didn't know any better. they had me trapped for a bit, ended up working there a year to pay off the contract.. when they started tacking on charges to the loan over random shit I finally bailed.
This isn't a big deal. They're asking for a driver to take care of something. If they don't, eventually no one will have a built in fridge and you'll have to buy your own or an iceless cooler
.
A simple 400w solar panel paired to a charge controller, battery and inverter keeps these things running 24/7 with zero fuel burn or risk of a dead battery, and all of that costs a whole lot less than $1800 — even including the mini-fridge itself.
You can order two of [these](https://x.alibaba.com/Aw5v85?ck=pdp) flexible, 200 watt, 22-volt ones — they are stocked in the USA. Join them in series and you’ll have a maximum of 44 volts and 400 watts under desert sunlight. Run that into a 40 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller, set the float voltage to 14v and hook it up to a 12v 100AH LiFePO4 battery. If the fridge is 12v capable, you just hook the fridge right up to the battery, otherwise you’ll also need a 12v inverter to kick the battery voltage up to 120v. If you get an inverter, get one that can handle the Fridge’s maximum load, can run constantly and also is quiet.
Excellent.
I already have a charger/inverter with built-in solar charge controller.
I also have a 24v 240aH Lifepo4 that I charge while driving..
The only puzzle was how to charge it when parked (other than idling the truck for a few hours)
I'll look into it as suggested above. Thx
/Edit: the link above has a min of 5 panels 😭
Or the wrong company. I turn my battery box off when I leave the truck for a 34 on home time. And instead of leaving a door open, why not just Crack the windows? Or if you have em the sleeper windows or sleeper vents? That's just weird man.
Op that's not a mini fridge they bought at Walmart for 150 bucks. Call up a truck dealer and get a price on a truck fridge specifically designed for that truck and you will see 1800 bucks is not that out of line.
I do the same thing... cut the power to the truck and own the die on the fridge so it doesn't mold. Or... plug a battery charger into the truck and leave it run.
That's odd, my 2023 Cascadia has a massive main switch right by the door under my seat.
But I also never touch it and never shut down power to my truck, even when I'm home.
I always do this anyway. who the hell leaves food in the fridge over the weekend? plus I'd rather not deal with a dead battery coming back to work
If you have optimized idle, you can leave your fridge on. Just turn off Interior Comfort and it won’t run much. That way, your Fireball stays nice and chilled for when you start up again!
The real LPT are in the comments
Omg u made me fucking laugh out loud. Id throw up if I drank that shit after one shot. Fireball is for real mfs
Or an APu with the battery tender mode.
Oh man the fireball references never get old.
I'm not allowed to use optimized idle 😒
What? Why not? The prefer you to idle the engine?
I'm not allowed to use it or idle the truck unless it's under 10 degrees or above 70. They said it's a waste of fuel.
It is. That’s why they invented optimized idle. Your heat/air runs on the battery until they get low. Then it cranks over the engine and builds the battery back up. My engine typically kicks on after about nine hours. Man, fuck that company if you can’t even use optimized idle. They can afford an hour of idling. Truck driving jobs are a dime a dozen. I don’t want to hear that engine running either, but I’ll be dammed if I’ll be uncomfortable sleeping.
Yeah that works if you go home for the weekend not if you’re spending the weekend in the truck doing a 34 hour reset
Sorry, if your batteries can't handle that fridge, they are bad fucking batteries. It's a weekend.
Yep I park mine for 4-5 days with fridge on but always make sure the truck is well charged.
Had a guy, he did 3 times in a row, had to fire him. Dead battery, downtime…
Solar panel...
How do you do this exactly. Sounds genius.
Attach solar panel Wire solar panel to charge controller Park in moderate sun Enjoy no dead batteries
I’ve seen a few, people buy the flexible solar panels and use a very strong adhesive to attach them to the roof and a small charge controller gets connects to the battery
Pro tip, enough strips of the wide velcro tape hold them on well and allows easy removal and replacement. I've put many on boats that cruise above highway speeds, and the one on my boat holds on fine towing behind my truck.
Why? Have you never had a truck equipped with an APU? Literally no reason to do this. A properly functioning APU will never let your battery die.
I would give you an award if I still had any.
I think they mean the fridge door. But yes we need to start selling your company $1750 mini fridges we shall rule the mini fridge world! And get filthy rich. Lol
I don’t know. A dometic 140s is listed for $1489. You could easily get to 1800 bucks with install.
But it isn't MY mini-fridge, which is DOT certified or something, idk probably the CEO's relative sells the mini-fridges to the company so.
Wait do they have to be dot certified? I have mine ratchet strapped to the top bunk lol
Idk, I'm just trying to tell this CEO that they should buy MY mini fridge for just 1799.99 because mines better
I just paid $600 to install a $10 "O" ring.🤔
Did you get it from MY mechanic shop? (I don't own a mini fridge store or a mechanic shop)
That’s what my father does when he’s at home for longer than a night, we’ll take the food out turn it off and then prop the fridge door open with a paper towel to get any water from the freezer when the ice melts, not to save the fridge but the truck batteries
Yes, this is what we all do and for the same reason as your esteemed dad. Except some of us use a dish towel/hand towel.
Whichever works the best for ya it don’t matter
I heard you guys use socks for mop up.
its all a scam. Big mini fridge wants you to think your fridge will kill your battery.
Big mini fridge😭😭
Mini Big fridge?
Do you mean the notice was not in reference to the refrigerator trucks? That's how I took it. Turn off the reefer and open the cargo doors.
People with reefer trucks know to shut them off as soon as the box is empty of anything needing refrigeration. The message would say something more like "we don't want to burn 50 gallons of diesel to keep an empty box cold" if that's what they were talking about. They mean the fridge in the cab.
Thanks! That clears up my fuzzy thoughts.
Also you wouldn't need to prop open your trailer doors for any reason. Any defrosting will just drain through the holes in the bottom of the trailer.
I also thought they were talking about a refrigerated trailer.
Same
I thought so too until I read the $1800 part.
When I read that part it made me think even more so that it was referencing the refrigerator on the front of the trailer, but I know nothing about prices surrounding truckers and their jobs so I can imagine they would cost much much more than that.
Maybe a unit on a small box truck, but even then it seems low. On a 53 foot reefer trailer the reefer units run well into 5 figures for a new unit
[https://www.4statetrucks.com/black-three-drawer-cabinet-with-refrigerator-01-1540042?srsltid=AfmBOooIRiJ3nSc\_1MlgZxnC2DyAUUt5Ss5banYQ6qmG5CofMfE4ILSnSQ8](https://www.4statetrucks.com/black-three-drawer-cabinet-with-refrigerator-01-1540042?srsltid=AfmBOooIRiJ3nSc_1MlgZxnC2DyAUUt5Ss5banYQ6qmG5CofMfE4ILSnSQ8) $1,969.99
I'm going to do the world a favour and make a fridge that only costs $1700
Looks like we're gonna be competing with each other. I'm gonna be selling mine for $1650 including install and if you buy it on my birthday I'll throw in a case of fireball.
The person that installs mine will be a hooker AND will do the ping pong trick with KFC popcorn chicken.
New fridge, dinner and a show? I think you’re leaving money on the table here.
Can't argue with the hooker
middle square upbeat marry terrific squeeze weary sip stupendous meeting *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I actually do this all the time. If you don’t, it will drain the trucks batteries and you won’t be able to turn on the truck. Also, the fridge will smell really bad if you don’t leave the fridge door open.
Yeah let put my mayonnaise and my bacon in my pocket
Back in my day the mini-refrigerator was a Igloo Playmate.
Haha my company just upgraded us from the igloo.
Before that it was a block of ice.
Freightliner fridges used to be $1800, probably still are. I don't blame them.
They used to be $1800, they still are... but they used to be too.
The truck fridges do cost around that, anything truck specific is immediately 4x more expensive than it should be
Sounds like dumb ass bean counters where I'm at
I’ve bought three fridges so far during my career and none of them were over $350
Oh dude I work at a shop and depending on where you’re at a fridge to fit in a Kenworth or Peterbilt from the OE can cost you over $1,000 bucks
Yeah I think these guys don't realize we're talking factory fridges that fit into the cabinet stack not some fridge you got at Walmart that just sits on the floor.
I’ll go home for 68hrs and still have 12.3-12.5 left in my batteries. How are people using up their batteries for their fridge on a 34? Do they live in literal hell? I only really give a shit about once a month when I want to defrost the damn mini freezer cubby.
I dunno I also have a APU and solar panel on my shit, I literally park at home the APU won't even kick in for the first 2-3 days.. fridge stays on the whole time
I'll leave my fridge on a low setting as long as it's under 50 for highs, even after 3 days at home it isn't drained the batteries dead.
Yeah, gotta be hell. I never had my fridge kill my battery on a reset.
I do this all the time. What’s the issue?
The ones that went in the Mack Pinnacle super sleeper/condo (double bunks) were like $1,300 5 years ago. Can only imagine they are more now.
Dometic fridges cost all the money.
Always crack the fridge door and spray w Lysol at the end of every week
I first thought they meant the fridge/freezer on the reefer and I was like “damn just 1800$?!!!” Then I found out it’s just a mini fridge!!! 😂😂😂 I can find them used for 50$.. 200$ new I’m sure. But I’m sure the size is little bigger than a mini mini but still! 500$ at the most I would think 🤔 damn what a fridge!!! Does it make you ice cream cones too?!
Regular mini fridges will not last in a truck. The ride and vibrations are too rough on the compressors. You need to have a fridge specific to a truck/rv and the manufacturers take advantage of that fact and charge an arm and a leg.
Meh, the brand name ones will last surprisingly long. Cheapies not so much.
If your home on weekends you don’t need to keep things in the fridge anyway…
$100 for the fridge, $100 parts markup, $1600 for union labor to install it
I order all our parts and it's insane from truck manufactures, the OEM mattresses are 900 fucking dollars for our Western stars, I said fuck that and went to a mattress store and bought some super twins that were way nicer for 150 bucks. Anything that has to do with any truck has like a 1000% mark up One piece of a mirror broke, I called all over, even tried scrap yards, no one sells pieces, you have to order a whole mirror assembly for 1800 dollars and it took 9 months to get. Ended up fixing the truck mirror with hose clamps and scrap metal and traded that bitch in
Your truck sounds like a boat.
You know I bought a 12-volt fridge freezer for 400 bucks that out performs the one in the truck by so many degrees and all I have to do is unplug it and I can carry it home? For that matter, I previously bought a. 110 from Best buy for $300 strapped it to the top bunk just turned it off when I went home and it outperformed the one that was in the truck. Where the fuck does 1800 come from?
I leave my optiidle on and my refrigerator on.
I turn off power to the truck when I leave it for any period. And yeah, leaving the fridge door open is good practice... But damn, how much!!?? You know what? I'm not hungry. Ever.
Maybe you're getting fired and they want you to get all your shit out of the fridge before they repo your truck.
Here my dumbass thought they meant the reefer, and I was like, how the fuck are those that cheap to replace?
I thought it was referring to Refer trailers. Here's me being a city driver and not even thinking about sleeper compartments.
I work at a freightliner dealership and the fridges we sell typically cost more than that lol
Freightliner Fridges are around 1700 out the door. Can get a panapacific aftermarket for around 1000. Either way, they are in fact overly expensive.
I thought they meant your reefer 😅
you have 1 hour and 48 minutes of remaining drive time
The brother in law kind of fridge.
I think they mean the fridge door. But yes we need to start selling your company $1750 mini fridges we shall rule the mini fridge world! And get filthy rich. Lol
Ideally you’d eat all or most of your food before and can take some of it home if needed. But if your shit is packed. Then yeah. That’s another story.
Actually that's a legitimate request get the refrigerator unit defrosted out and dried out.
How many trucks does your company have? Maybe it's 1800 to replace the fridges in all the trucks.
That’s sound advice actually. And yes they do cost that much especially from a dealership. Do as your told, it’s their equipment not yours.
Iirc the factory built in fridges on those trucks can run between 1200 and 2400, I am not even kidding. Especially if you buy it from a dealership
Volvo oe fridge for my 780 was like 1200
lol everyone’s trying to save money I’d not say a thing and do as I please
I'll throw the perishable stuff in the fridge out. But if it is in the freezer or a condiment i leave it in and fridge running. Idk about cost but its the one from the factory. Not the one you add yourself.
Cost plus install
Camper fridges cost more than that with an install
I think the ones that fit in the cabinet of the truck are around $500
https://youtu.be/oy0hETaNgpM?feature=shared I'm a local driver my company won't fix my refrigerator so I ended up getting this
2022 Volvo VNL 860 fridge was out when I got the truck.. cost $2,200 to replace (just the part) our shop did the work
That's how much paccars fridges cost, which at least the ones in KW die way more often that other OEMs I've seen.
also who doesn't leave their fridge running???
My first thought was "turn off the thing keeping the trailer full of produce from spoiling?" I wouldn't last a day lol.
My buddy runs an RV repair business, they cost about 1800 dollars from the factory
By the time you factor the cost of the fridge and the labor to replace it could very well reach that nowadays. They're not just a basic mini fridge from Walmart, they're built to fit the truck and you need to order them thru the dealer...
Go find yourself a Tanker job.
Dealership fridges are that expensive.
1800? 😂😂😂 definitely on sale weekly at Walmart for no more than 130
Volvo mini fridges ain’t cheap 💁♂️ Im a truck and coach tech in Ontario. Have priced them out before jaws dropped. Got passed around the shop actually no one could believe it. We ended out ripping out the cupboard + fridge and losing the pull out table behind the driver but got way more space out of it with a regular old beer fridge
You type pretty well for a truck, just saying.
I'm so glad the newer cascadias just gave you an open spot on the floor for a fridge rather than include one of those expensive ass 12v fridges. $120 and it's 3 times the size of a regular $1,000+ truck fridge. Always stocked. Idgaf how many times the APU cycles on over the weekend to keep it running.
I should be driving where now? 😅
You sure they’re not talking about the reefer trailers?
Is the truck Empty of goods? Then yeah, turn it off.
Wow you have a refrigerator? We had to go buy a plug in cooler for my husband - company to cheap to provide one !!
I just had my company install a better inverter and plugged in my own mini fridge. It takes up a lot of space but it's worth it to avoid those plug in coolers. They suck.
One from the manufacturer especially start talking kenworth and Pete because of the shape.
I guess I'm spoiled because my employer has shore power for all the trucks?
You get the weekend off?
must be swift
If they are anything like an RV fridge. The dual voltage (12v/120v) really are that expensive. I paid $1,200 for an ICE CO a few years ago.
Awful ELD tablet, who is still using Omnitracs these days? Anyone used Platform Science or Motive ELD yet?
Crazy. I thought I was the only one who put tape over the round home button. I think its hard on batteries too.. I do not like when companies start to dictate every little thing or worse be abusive ... sucks.
Bruh, even the fancy dometic fridges don't cost that
Last time I bought one was for $300 and that was a specific 12v truck fridge that $1200 is probably what they think they can charge the driver for a new one because after all they got to make money to
yall have weekends off? O_o
Um. Dometic is the most common fridge found in sleepers. https://www.dometic.com/en-us/outdoor/boat/boat-refrigerators/dometic-crx-110e-56279 $1864 They have cheaper models, but this one looks a hell of a lot like the fridges I’ve had in trucks.
I have bougeRV mini fridge for $250 and it's all I need. It's lasted 3yrs already... I ain't paying $1800 for a fridge ....hell naaah 😂
Whats an apu unit?
The difference between camping in a truck and living comfortably, or as most companies say.. unnecessary
>unnecessary Combined with an idle shutdown timer is a sure sign they dgaf about you.
I still remember my first truck, started at swift (don't judge) and they gave me a used up freightshaker with no ac, fridge, apu, inverter or working 12v in it. Wouldn't fix any of it as "it's non essential".
Did you do their CDL school or something? I'd have walked immediately and laughed.
Yeah, i was young and didn't know any better. they had me trapped for a bit, ended up working there a year to pay off the contract.. when they started tacking on charges to the loan over random shit I finally bailed.
If a company doesn’t have an APU I won’t work for them
Go to Walmart buy one for 100 dollars
This isn't a big deal. They're asking for a driver to take care of something. If they don't, eventually no one will have a built in fridge and you'll have to buy your own or an iceless cooler .
They don't give a shit, not their $
I know and it's sad there is no professional courtesy left in this industry.
A simple 400w solar panel paired to a charge controller, battery and inverter keeps these things running 24/7 with zero fuel burn or risk of a dead battery, and all of that costs a whole lot less than $1800 — even including the mini-fridge itself.
Serious question: where do I find a good flexible solar panel for the truck? I went to an RV place and they don't do solar stuff.
You can order two of [these](https://x.alibaba.com/Aw5v85?ck=pdp) flexible, 200 watt, 22-volt ones — they are stocked in the USA. Join them in series and you’ll have a maximum of 44 volts and 400 watts under desert sunlight. Run that into a 40 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller, set the float voltage to 14v and hook it up to a 12v 100AH LiFePO4 battery. If the fridge is 12v capable, you just hook the fridge right up to the battery, otherwise you’ll also need a 12v inverter to kick the battery voltage up to 120v. If you get an inverter, get one that can handle the Fridge’s maximum load, can run constantly and also is quiet.
Excellent. I already have a charger/inverter with built-in solar charge controller. I also have a 24v 240aH Lifepo4 that I charge while driving.. The only puzzle was how to charge it when parked (other than idling the truck for a few hours) I'll look into it as suggested above. Thx /Edit: the link above has a min of 5 panels 😭
I’ll see if I can find one with a smaller minimum order
Or the wrong company. I turn my battery box off when I leave the truck for a 34 on home time. And instead of leaving a door open, why not just Crack the windows? Or if you have em the sleeper windows or sleeper vents? That's just weird man.
It’s talking about the fridge door goober.
Whoops. Tired brain. Had just woke up
Op that's not a mini fridge they bought at Walmart for 150 bucks. Call up a truck dealer and get a price on a truck fridge specifically designed for that truck and you will see 1800 bucks is not that out of line. I do the same thing... cut the power to the truck and own the die on the fridge so it doesn't mold. Or... plug a battery charger into the truck and leave it run.
I'm confused....who doesn't kill the main switch when leaving a truck?
All of us who don't have main switches, my 2023 Cascadia doesn't have one
That's odd, my 2023 Cascadia has a massive main switch right by the door under my seat. But I also never touch it and never shut down power to my truck, even when I'm home.
It's an optional thing I believe
If it cost them a dollar they will tell you its gold. Continue to not give a fuck