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Old 09-19-2017, 08:54 AM   #1
EdB
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Refrigerator Mod

Hello, I have been doing some reading on traveling with the refrigerator running on propane. It seems to be a 50/50 debate. I understand the reasons against it but as my traveling is getting longer and longer I would like to keep my food cool. What my question to the group is... Has anyone added a 12v heater to the refrigerator making it a 3 way fridge.

Thanks in advance

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Old 09-19-2017, 08:58 AM   #2
Tbos
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Years ago, and I am talking a long time ago, they used to make them 3 way. I don't know why they stopped.


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Old 09-19-2017, 09:05 AM   #3
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I used to work on the 3 way refrigerators, I don't remember them working all that well on 12V...

Living and traveling where I do, I just run the fridge on propane while on the road.. but we don't have restricted bridges and tunnels..
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Old 09-19-2017, 09:11 AM   #4
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Years ago, and I am talking a long time ago, they used to make them 3 way. I don't know why they stopped.


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Yep, our long gone '74 Kountry Aire's Dometic fridge was 3 way as was the HW heater. I found that both were virtually useless as 12VDC just wasn't enough on the RV battery (sucked it dead in an hour) and the TV's alternator would need to be in the 100 amp up range vs common 65-85 amp on gas vehicles(diesels have bigger alternators).

OP - not sure how you could do a 12VDC heater mod on one of today's Dometic or NorCold fridges, especially one of their 12 cu ft units, but if you can find a '70s vintage Dometic IB and parts list, you may be able to make the mod.
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Old 09-19-2017, 10:49 AM   #5
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Dometic still makes a 3 way refer. Only ones I see are very small for van conversions.
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Old 09-19-2017, 12:39 PM   #6
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No, regularly travel with propane on.
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Old 09-19-2017, 02:43 PM   #7
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I've always run the LP while traveling also! I usually set frig to auto mode so when it gets power it switches to elec, otherwise it runs on LP.
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Old 09-19-2017, 03:59 PM   #8
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The biggest disadvantage to the 12 VDC heater circuit in the older 3 way Dometic refrigerators was power use. We had one in a cabover camper that would kill the batteries in the truck during a "lunch break at McD's. If the truck is operating, it's possible to maintain enough power from the alternator, but if parked, even for an hour or so, make sure you've got a set of jumper cables or you'll be calling for a jumpstart.

Believe it or not, you can operate the Samsung 18cuft "residential refrigerator" on the inverter/single battery for a longer time than you can operate a Dometic 4.5 cuft 12 volt absorption system.
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Old 09-20-2017, 01:59 AM   #9
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Ed, I'll be blunt. You're putting too much thought into this thing. Run with the propane on. Take ten minutes and do a search on this site for comments on who does and who does not run with propane on. 50/50 won't be close. I'm betting it is closer to 80/20. By the way, how many times in your life have you picked up the paper and seen headlines concerning "RV burns to ground because of refrigerator fire.....?"
And, yes, we also had a three-way Dometic in our Hi-Lo. It would have taken four 6 volt golf cart batteries to keep up with that thing.
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Old 09-20-2017, 05:14 AM   #10
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Ed, I'll be blunt. You're putting too much thought into this thing. Run with the propane on. Take ten minutes and do a search on this site for comments on who does and who does not run with propane on. 50/50 won't be close. I'm betting it is closer to 80/20. By the way, how many times in your life have you picked up the paper and seen headlines concerning "RV burns to ground because of refrigerator fire.....?"
And, yes, we also had a three-way Dometic in our Hi-Lo. It would have taken four 6 volt golf cart batteries to keep up with that thing.
Precisely!

The cost to CORRECTLY add a 12vdc heater to an existing fridge would far outweigh any imagined benefit.

The electric consumption alone suggests it's a bad idea.

I had a 3-way in my '76 Prowler. The 12vdc side never worked that well anyway.
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Old 09-20-2017, 10:29 AM   #11
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Anything over a couple of hours and I use LP.
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Old 09-22-2017, 10:07 PM   #12
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Propane here too while rolling. Of the flame blows out the system will try to relight it a couple of times and if it can't the gas flow will be cut off.

I tried 12V once in my old pop-up. Killed the pop-up's battery within an hour. Didn't have a feed from the TV in those days.

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