residential refrigerator vs traditional lp model

[jasin1]

been looking at new fifth wheels and noticed the trend for residential refrigeration in many models…although some of the newer ones offer a 12 volt compressor ..anyway being in the hvac industry i’m a little concerned with running a residential refrigerator while driving down the road.

know what i do about refrigeration it doesn’t seem like a good idea to have the compressor running while bouncing down the road…oil in the compressor will get jostled and pumped thru the system possibly restricting the metering device and starving the compressor of oil and causing it to operate under extreme conditions.

picture shaking up a liter of pepsi and opening the cap

i feel like the optimum procedure would be to turn on and get cold a few days before..stock it up and then turn it off right before you travel….turn it back on after an hour wait at the new campground for maximum longevity

the best way is to wait 8 hours or more at new campground but that probably isn’t practical


saw a youtube video ( surprise!) where the rv couple went thru 4 whirlpool refrigerators since 2019…they blamed whirlpool..but i think it’s the environment it’s operating in

i’ve been happy with my norcold but even that probably shouldn’t be used while being violently shaken up

[dutchmensport]

My 3 previous travel trailers all had RV gas/electric refrigerators. My current Montana has a Samsung residential refrigerator. We've had this Montana fifth wheel for over 4 years now and it's traveled thousands and thousands of miles now. We've not had a single issue or problem with the refrigerator (that is.... after I figured out how to finally turn on the ice maker... yea! That was frustrating).... But that was the only issue.

When traveling, the refrigerator is powered by the house batter, via the inverter. We've traveled 16 hours (straight traveling) before and the refrigerator did just fine. It continued to run, the battery did not run down (as it also gets a trickle charge from the tow vehicle) and everything stayed nice and cold.

I've read on this and other forums about people having problems with their Samsung refrigerators and other brands also. Mostly the problems are reported ice build up on the cooling fins and such. Sometimes, they simply stop getting cold. The biggest problem seems to be some refrigerators demand air circulation behind them and when shoved into a slide out, they are not vented in any way. This causes problems.

All I know is, today's refrigerators are much more robust than yesterday's versions. We had a new GE delivered to the house a couple years ago. The delivery people had the thing tilted on it's side. Finally got it inside the door, upright again, plugged in and viola! It worked. And it's run flawless ever since.

The idea of letting them sit for 8 hours before turning them on is simply not so any more. Another thing you mentioned that is absolutely not true with a residential refrigerator is the amount of time it takes to cool them down ....

Yes, an RV refrigerator can take up to 18 hours to full cool down. A residential refrigerator can be producing ice in as short as 2 hours.

If you do decide to go with a residential refrigerator, it will work perfectly fine off the camper's inverter while you travel. In fact, if it has an ice maker and you leave your water pump turned on with water in your fresh water tank, it will continue to make ice also! Sweet!

[notanlines]

We're going to side with Dutch on this discussion. While we've had no problems with our dual power fridges over the years, we like the residential the best. And it will literally make ice in an hour and a half after having sat warm.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

My 3 previous travel trailers all had RV gas/electric refrigerators. My current Montana has a Samsung residential refrigerator. We've had this Montana fifth wheel for over 4 years now and it's traveled thousands and thousands of miles now. We've not had a single issue or problem with the refrigerator (that is.... after I figured out how to finally turn on the ice maker... yea! That was frustrating).... But that was the only issue.

When traveling, the refrigerator is powered by the house batter, via the inverter. We've traveled 16 hours (straight traveling) before and the refrigerator did just fine. It continued to run, the battery did not run down (as it also gets a trickle charge from the tow vehicle) and everything stayed nice and cold.

I've read on this and other forums about people having problems with their Samsung refrigerators and other brands also. Mostly the problems are reported ice build up on the cooling fins and such. Sometimes, they simply stop getting cold. The biggest problem seems to be some refrigerators demand air circulation behind them and when shoved into a slide out, they are not vented in any way. This causes problems.

All I know is, today's refrigerators are much more robust than yesterday's versions. We had a new GE delivered to the house a couple years ago. The delivery people had the thing tilted on it's side. Finally got it inside the door, upright again, plugged in and viola! It worked. And it's run flawless ever since.

The idea of letting them sit for 8 hours before turning them on is simply not so any more. Another thing you mentioned that is absolutely not true with a residential refrigerator is the amount of time it takes to cool them down ....

Yes, an RV refrigerator can take up to 18 hours to full cool down. A residential refrigerator can be producing ice in as short as 2 hours.

If you do decide to go with a residential refrigerator, it will work perfectly fine off the camper's inverter while you travel. In fact, if it has an ice maker and you leave your water pump turned on with water in your fresh water tank, it will continue to make ice also! Sweet!

you misunderstood me …i never said the amount of time it takes to cool down…i said load it up two days before as convenience for preparing for a trip…i always expect 24 hours for complete cooling on an empty refrigerator…a lot less for a fully stocked refrigerator where your transferring all the cold stuff from one refigerator to another…

i also beg to differ on the new ones being more robust…..if anything the more complicated the new refrigerators are the more likely to have a problem.

your scenario where you plugged it in 4 years ago and viola! it’s perfect…talk to me in a few years for a longevity report lol..then i might put stock in your assessment.

i’ve been in the hvac buisness since 1984 and in buisness for over 20 years as a installer and technician…i’ve installed all sorts of systems , walk in box refrigeration systems and beer coolers etc …long term reliability is about preparation and doing things the proper way.

any hack can braze and install a system that might last five years but i do things to make sure they hopefully last 20+ years

a lot of people are going to say i’m wrong and they have had no problem with a residential refrigerator bouncing down the road while it being on but most people don’t keep their rig over 10 years to know if it’s a long term problem or not.


the fact is they were never designed for this application and i bet if you told the manufacturer they would deny the warranty

take two identical refrigerators and install one in your kitchen and one in your rv and see if they have the same service life

and ice makers can get cold faster as the air discharge happens in the freezer compartment at the ice maker location and air is passed over via a transfer duct into the refrigerator side…the temp setting usually just opens or closes a transfer opening in the passive duct.

the actual refrigerator section and freezer can take many hours to get fully cold to remove heat from warmer food items and condiments

[jasin1]

samsung apparently voids warranty for rv use https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-refriger...idential-unit/

[jasin1]

and with all due respect Dutchmansport …just because you own a product or purchased a product does not make you an expert on that product or even understand how it actually works…

it’s like saying “i’ve owned a ford truck for four years and i put fuel in it and change the oil therefore i’m an expert and you sir (ford certified tech) don’t know what your talking about”

and i have a refigerator in my apt above my garage going on 40+years old so there is that for robust

EDIT if you do turn on your refrigerator ahead of time you should also have either the furnace or ac running as the residential unit wasn’t designed to operate in extreme temps either hot or cold. below say 50 and above 90 give or take

[chuckster57]

FWIW, every time we needed a residential fridge worked on, the appliance repair company required it to be removed from the RV.

[bsmith0404]

Sounds like you answered your own question. If you don’t think they should be used that way, don’t buy one. I was in RV sales for over 4 years and sold many with res fridges, only know of one person who had a problem and that one was set up on a perm site. If you’re worried about 10 years vs 20 years longevity, I don’t think you’ll find that info for a few more years yet. The trend towards res fridges is probably only been in the past 5-7 years with the big move in number probably the last 3-5 years.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

Sounds like you answered your own question. If you don’t think they should be used that way, don’t buy one. I was in RV sales for over 4 years and sold many with res fridges, only know of one person who had a problem and that one was set up on a perm site. If you’re worried about 10 years vs 20 years longevity, I don’t think you’ll find that info for a few more years yet. The trend towards res fridges is probably only been in the past 5-7 years with the big move in number probably the last 3-5 years.

yeah shouldn’t have posed it as a question …more of an observation based on my experience with refrigeration systems.

gonna look hard at the 12 volt systems…my refrigerator in my boat finally died after 20 years and that was a leak in the evaporator and that’s a norcold 12/120

[chuckster57]

12V compressor style seems to be gaining market share.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

12V compressor style seems to be gaining market share.

my marine unit worked flawlessly ..i’m going with a vitrifigo replacement only because the norcold won’t fit thru my door without removing bulkheads and my sliding door.. i can’t take the norcold apart without breaking into the refrigerant lines unfortunately

[flybouy]

Don't own a compressor driven fridge but if I were considering it I'd lean towards a 12xdc unit. Why? For the simple fact that transferring energy in both voltage and current (going from DC to ac) is less efficient for low amperage applications. JMHO

[sourdough]

Probably shouldn't but here's my 2 cents; this is our first res fridge and it will be the only type of fridge we will own going forward. We've only had it a little over 2 1/2 years but if it failed tomorrow I would buy another one. Why? We've always had gas absorption and they worked pretty good but always take a good while to cool down, ice up, temps fluctuate in 100+ temps etc. Res fridge just goes and doesn't look back - no issues, quick cool down, stable and much colder temps. And....much larger and still dependable. At 18 c.f. it works like a fridge in the house with the same reliability. I've read of story after story about large gas absorption fridges that cannot maintain temps etc., they're just too big for that type of cooling it appears. 12vdc units? They're starting to come on board but that is a big draw to put on your batteries/converter 24/7 and I would end up with a big bank of 6vdc batteries because I'd always be worried.

Maintenance on the Samsung res might be problematic...I don't know. Talked to the guy (owner) that sold me our home Samsung fridge and he said he would work on it. Told him it was probably bolted in and would have to be pulled out into the floor - he said no problem we'd work it out. Again I just don't see that as an issue. If it had to come out all you have to do is remove the doors. Bottom line to me is that it works flawlessly with fewer issues, or possible issues, than the other types. JMO/YMMV I'm sure.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Probably shouldn't but here's my 2 cents; this is our first res fridge and it will be the only type of fridge we will own going forward. We've only had it a little over 2 1/2 years but if it failed tomorrow I would buy another one. Why? We've always had gas absorption and they worked pretty good but always take a good while to cool down, ice up, temps fluctuate in 100+ temps etc. Res fridge just goes and doesn't look back - no issues, quick cool down, stable and much colder temps. And....much larger and still dependable. At 18 c.f. it works like a fridge in the house with the same reliability. I've read of story after story about large gas absorption fridges that cannot maintain temps etc., they're just too big for that type of cooling it appears. 12vdc units? They're starting to come on board but that is a big draw to put on your batteries/converter 24/7 and I would end up with a big bank of 6vdc batteries because I'd always be worried.

Maintenance on the Samsung res might be problematic...I don't know. Talked to the guy (owner) that sold me our home Samsung fridge and he said he would work on it. Told him it was probably bolted in and would have to be pulled out into the floor - he said no problem we'd work it out. Again I just don't see that as an issue. If it had to come out all you have to do is remove the doors. Bottom line to me is that it works flawlessly with fewer issues, or possible issues, than the other types. JMO/YMMV I'm sure.

i get the attraction with residential units …i guess they will work great until they don’t and just buy another one…i looked at solitudes a few weeks ago and asked the salesman if the refrigerator would fit out the front door and he said probably not…he said probably have to go thru a window opening…but then again he was a salesman. he knows how to sell rvs,vacuum cleaners and widgets…not so much how each thing works….i wouldn’t want his job and i’m sure he wouldn’t want mine…
my wife likes residential units but i don’t like having to perform surgery to remove them in some instances.

oh well i’m happy with my lp four door unit for now…oh and recpro sells 12 volt refrigerators and it’s a $40 option to buy a 110/ 12 volt converter when plugged into a house i guess..i believe the onboard rv converter would power the refrigerator on shore power at a campground…anyhoo that’s that

[sourdough]

FYI my door is just over 28" wide. The Samsung fridge is 24" without the doors and right at 27" with the doors on and no handles. I'm not seeing a problem with removal. Now if the Solitude had 24" doors there might be an issue but I believe they are 30" doors (memory from a year or two ago).

[peanut]

From my reading it seems that people either love or hate 120VAC/12VDC refrigerators. The biggest reason for hating them seems to be the hit the battery systems take. Of course, this only pertains if you dry camp. If you are always plugged in it wouldn't be a problem. Just cool it down before you begin the trip and add some ice if it will be a long drive day.

I have read many, many complaints from boondockers across many RV discussion groups about waking up to dead batteries every morning - - even those with solar installed, unless they have huge systems. That is a deal breaker for me. An absorption fridge was a must have for me but I had a hard time finding a 24RDS with one. Most all have the 12VDC version.

I know from experience that I can run an absorption fridge for weeks on less than one tank of propane. And I feel comfortable running it while driving so there is no messing around turning it into an ice chest for a long drive. For me, less stress and more longevity for the battery system is more important than the minor convenience of quicker cooling 12VDC. If you think differently, do what makes you feel good.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by sourdough

FYI my door is just over 28" wide. The Samsung fridge is 24" without the doors and right at 27" with the doors on and no handles. I'm not seeing a problem with removal. Now if the Solitude had 24" doors there might be an issue but I believe they are 30" doors (memory from a year or two ago).

yep the door was 30”. it seemed a little tight around the island and cabinets but probably was ok. i asked the salesman when i should have asked the service mgr

now watch after all this i will end up with a residential unit on my next rv lol

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by peanut

From my reading it seems that people either love or hate 120VAC/12VDC refrigerators. The biggest reason for hating them seems to be the hit the battery systems take. Of course, this only pertains if you dry camp. If you are always plugged in it wouldn't be a problem. Just cool it down before you begin the trip and add some ice if it will be a long drive day.

I have read many, many complaints from boondockers across many RV discussion groups about waking up to dead batteries every morning - - even those with solar installed, unless they have huge systems. That is a deal breaker for me. An absorption fridge was a must have for me but I had a hard time finding a 24RDS with one. Most all have the 12VDC version.

I know from experience that I can run an absorption fridge for weeks on less than one tank of propane. And I feel comfortable running it while driving so there is no messing around turning it into an ice chest for a long drive. For me, less stress and more longevity for the battery system is more important than the minor convenience of quicker cooling 12VDC. If you think differently, do what makes you feel good.

how is the battery draw any different for a residential unit on an inverter vs a 12 volt unit while boon docking as far as battery drain? i know your comparing lp units but my argument was between 12 volt and res units mostly

i read a guy that advocates shutting power off the a residential unit at night to conserve batteries while boondocking.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by peanut

From my reading it seems that people either love or hate 120VAC/12VDC refrigerators. The biggest reason for hating them seems to be the hit the battery systems take. Of course, this only pertains if you dry camp. If you are always plugged in it wouldn't be a problem. Just cool it down before you begin the trip and add some ice if it will be a long drive day.

I have read many, many complaints from boondockers across many RV discussion groups about waking up to dead batteries every morning - - even those with solar installed, unless they have huge systems. That is a deal breaker for me. An absorption fridge was a must have for me but I had a hard time finding a 24RDS with one. Most all have the 12VDC version.

I know from experience that I can run an absorption fridge for weeks on less than one tank of propane. And I feel comfortable running it while driving so there is no messing around turning it into an ice chest for a long drive. For me, less stress and more longevity for the battery system is more important than the minor convenience of quicker cooling 12VDC. If you think differently, do what makes you feel good.

You are right. If I boondocked like I used to the only thing to have is a gas absorption fridge. Since we no longer do that the res works fine. If using the res or 12vdc units to boondock one would need that big battery bank I referred to - or run a generator or both.

[bsmith0404]

Inverters draw more than a dual fridge so they will drain the battery faster, but never heard of them draining overnight unless the furnace is also running.

The dealership I worked at had a lot more repairs on LP vs Residential refrigerators. As I mentioned earlier, I’m only aware of one that ever had a problem. One other issue that did come up for a customer that also had theirs on a perm site wasn’t a fridge problem, but it related. The power at the park had a problem and the EMS shut the power to the RV down. They came back two weeks later to a bunch of spoiled food and rotted meat. They didn’t have the inverter on, but even if they did, after two weeks they would have come back to the same thing with dead batteries. I guess with an LP fridge and two weeks, they probably would have come back to the same thing with empty tanks, but probably would have made it through a week.

If I was. It in gone today, it’d be a residential. If the dual fridge in my Alpine (well when, not if) goes out, I’ll probably replace it with a residential.