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 Topic: Air tent electric pump
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19/7/2023 at 12:46pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 19/7/2023
we just use our 12v one and take it to about 80% with that then finnish off with the hand pump, never had a problem with the 12volt one being too powerful tho, as we use that to inflate our kayaks and anything else inflatable too, we just dont leave it unattended.
Think you've missed the point entirely there Marg6, think what Ails81 is saying is the electric demand of the tent pump is too high for the coolbox mains adaptor to cope with, which is almost certainly correct!
Think I have seen mains powered pumps for air tents/awnings in the past but a quick Google didn't find any!
If you've got a Kampa tent, chances are you've got their Gale 12v pump too, now I've got one of those for my air awning and it most certainly does draw far too much current (nudging 10A) for your typical coolbox mains adaptor (usually rated up to about 5A, and pretty stressed by that in some cases!).
Air tent/awning pumps differ from most other kinds of pump in that they deliver a moderately high pressure (up to maybe 15PSI) AND high volume, whereas airbed/inflatable toys types deliver high volumes at hardly any pressure, and tyre type pumps are the exact opposite with high pressure (up to 250PSI maybe) but at very low volume, neither are suitable substitutes.
Failing finding a mains powered pump, an alternative is maybe a suitably large capacity 12v powerpack to power your existing 12v pump. Now it gets tricky trying to estimate just how large 'suitably large' is! You'd need to know how long the pump needs to run for to inflate your tent, AND the current consumption of your pump (the Gale pump was a guess!) to calculate the capacity required. Decent capacity power packs aren't cheap (probably more than a new mains pump!), and a under capacity one could be just a waste of money.
I've inflated my air awning with the supplied hand pump, it's doable without killing myself (and I'm no spring chicken and all sorts of bits hurt!), but it wasn't fun! - so the electric pump was purchased! I sympathise with your reluctance to hand pump!
Slightly off topic, watch your mains adaptor when powering the coolbox, they often run pretty warm, and the ambient in a tent can get quite high (40 odd degrees C, or more!) which may prove too much for it, ensure it is well ventilated and not buried under anything that would encourage overheating. Typical coolboxes don't have any thermostats, so they run continuously on full power demand, which pushes often only just adequate power supply's hard!
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19/7/2023 at 4:57pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Quote: Originally posted by Ails81 on 19/7/2023
....
Also monty regards the cooler I was concerned about that so I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a mains powered cool box and take the adaptor out of the situation altogether. By time I've bought that and a cool box it's not much cheaper than just buying a mains powered one.
Thanks everyone!
TBH, if you haven't already got the coolbox, I'd maybe think again. They are no substitute for a proper fridge, usually only cooling to 16-18 degrees C below ambient under their own power, which is no where near cool enough for perishable foods (should be stored at 0-5 degrees C), given that inside a tent is usually pretty toasty (>45 degress C in the sun!) they deceive about their worth! Sometimes more effective to buy a REALLY good (Icytek, Igloo etc.) conventional coolbox and keep it stocked with ice (from a supermarket) or Iceblocks (many camp sites offer a freezing service). The endless whirr of the fan on an electric coolbox can also be annoying in a tent if you can't keep it far enough away when sleeping!
No two ways about it, proper camping fridges are expensive, but oh so worth it if your budget stretches! I've got a 3 way (gas/mains/12v) fridge (for when no EHU - but never use on gas inside an enclosed tent! - OK in vented porch separate from main compartment), and a 240v/12v compressor fridge/freezer, and they've transformed our camping from the days where we struggled to keep stuff in coolboxes. About the cheapest compressor fridge/freezer I know of is the Outwell one from Halfords (https://www.halfords.com/camping/coolboxes/outwell-deep-chill-38l-compressor-coolb........). 3 way fridges are a bit 'old tech' these days, but the option to run on gas is their saving grace, and the fact that they are silent! Wouldn't get rid of mine even though I've got the more powerful compressor fridge/freezer for use on EHU. Getting rarer and the price is rising accordingly, around £250 upwards. Plenty of s/h ones on ebay and the like though and sub £100 not too difficult to find.
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21/7/2023 at 11:07am
Location: London
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Quote: Originally posted by urbster on 20/7/2023
Going back to the Coolbox I’m afraid I will have to disagree with Monty.
Our Outwell Eco Cool kept everything nicely chilled during two family camps last year and in hot weather.
It was running all day via the mains ( EHU ) and kept inside the tent were it got extremely hot as we were out for most of the day, no its not the same as a home fridge but like I said everything was nice and chilled at all times.
One trick we have found helps is to place some ice blocks or freeze a couple of bottles of juice and place them in the box so that it’s all ready chilled when you get to your campsite.
Btw …We saw a couple with a full sized home fridge freezer last year on one of our campsites ..Couldn’t believe our eyes 😱
Anyone for tennis? - suspect we may bat this one back and forth a while! 
Two things with your comment, firstly the Outwell is a much higher performance unit than the majority on the market (AND near twice the price!), cooling to 25C below ambient compared to typical 16C! Secondly, you appear to have enhanced it's performance with frozen items! I was describing 'typical' electric coolboxes working on their own (which is a great many people's expectation when choosing) - I've got TWO, one a relatively expensive Coleman, so know from experience their limitations, and I have technical knowledge of the themoelectric devices that cool/heat the boxes and their serious limitations!
Did you put a thermometer in the coolbox to check the actual temperature? - the sensation of 'cool' is a relative thing, yes it will likely be cooler than ambient, but the critical point is, is it cool enough if you wish to store perishables SAFELY!
The better quality passive coolboxes with ice packs outperform the majority of electric coolboxes because they have far superior insulation.
Best use of an electric coolbox is to give a little boost to icepacks/bags of ice and prolong the thawing of them for a few hours. But that leaves the question of is the cost of an electric coolbox AND it's rather high power demands and the consequences of that (you cant run them in a car with the engine off, or from a solo leisure battery etc.!) best use of your funds, or is it better to invest in a really good passive box, or put the funds towards a far superior proper fridge!
As with all coolboxes, they work best when ALL contents are pre-chilled (or even frozen) before placing in the box, as soon as you restock with ambient temp stuff, they struggle! At least with a proper fridge you can restock with ambient temp stuff with the sure knowledge it WILL chill down.
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via mobile 19/7/2023 at 9:11am
