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Old 01-15-2022, 03:34 PM   #1
DavidAndDonna
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Smile Adding a small refrigerator

we have a residential fridge in our 5th wheel and plan on doing some boondocking this coming year.
I don't want to install a hefty solar system and was thinking in terms of a LP frig with ac/dc.
we also have a Honda 2200 gen and running it is a definite option however, no one wants to hear a gen run 12 hrs. a day.

So, is there a lp frig that will work properly in our garage? or will venting be a problem? We also have room for a fridge in the washer/dryer closet.

Anyone else running a small frig?

I figure we'll be boondocking 3-4 days at various REMOTE locations, town could be quite a distance.

We welcome ideas and suggestions!
thx
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Old 01-15-2022, 03:45 PM   #2
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LP fridges are required to be sealed off from any living area, so it would have to be installed in a sealed area, venting would be needed for intake and heat escape. Your looking at a daunting task to install an LP refer. I have seen 12V fridges in new trailers, but you’ll need something to keep the battery(s) charged.
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Old 01-15-2022, 04:46 PM   #3
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Keep it in the back of your pickup and you'll survive, otherwise it pretty much is exactly what Chuckster said.
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Old 01-16-2022, 02:08 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57 View Post
LP fridges are required to be sealed off from any living area, so it would have to be installed in a sealed area, venting would be needed for intake and heat escape. Your looking at a daunting task to install an LP refer. I have seen 12V fridges in new trailers, but you’ll need something to keep the battery(s) charged.

I figured venting would be a problem.
So the next question would be how long would 2 batteries last before a re-charge is needed?
And then we have 100 questions, size, outside temps, additional drain on batteries, etc.?
I guess the thing to do is buy a small 12v fridge wire it up and test that sucker. Then I'll know for sure how long it runs and how long to re-charge.
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Old 01-16-2022, 02:12 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by notanlines View Post
Keep it in the back of your pickup and you'll survive, otherwise it pretty much is exactly what Chuckster said.
I guess one could have a quick dis-connect and set the fridge under a shade tree.
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Old 01-16-2022, 04:29 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidAndDonna View Post
I figured venting would be a problem.
So the next question would be how long would 2 batteries last before a re-charge is needed?
And then we have 100 questions, size, outside temps, additional drain on batteries, etc.?
I guess the thing to do is buy a small 12v fridge wire it up and test that sucker. Then I'll know for sure how long it runs and how long to re-charge.
How long it would last is an equation with a bunch of unknown variables. What type and capacity batteries? What size fridge? What model (type) 12vdc fridge? What tnvironment, i.e. in a hot toy hualer garage, or under a shade tree or...? How it will be used, i.e. loaded with warm beer and other other warm drinks, and opened every 5 min for 30 or 40 seconds at a time? Or used to store nearly frozen meats in and opened once every 4 hours or so for 5 to 10 seconds? As for purchasing one to test, well check out the prices, could be an expensive test.
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Old 01-16-2022, 04:35 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
How long it would last is an equation with a bunch of unknown variables. What type and capacity batteries? What size fridge? What model (type) 12vdc fridge? What tnvironment, i.e. in a hot toy hualer garage, or under a shade tree or...? How it will be used, i.e. loaded with warm beer and other other warm drinks, and opened every 5 min for 30 or 40 seconds at a time? Or used to store nearly frozen meats in and opened once every 4 hours or so for 5 to 10 seconds? As for purchasing one to test, well check out the prices, could be an expensive test.
yeah, i know there's a 100 variables, i'm not feeling much love with this residential fridge
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Old 01-16-2022, 05:13 AM   #8
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The price of solar is comming down, it could be a viable alterative.
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Old 01-16-2022, 05:26 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by DavidAndDonna View Post
yeah, i know there's a 100 variables, i'm not feeling much love with this residential fridge
Residential refrigerators are great (for what they are) but a "dismal failure" for other types of RVing. (note, I didn't call it "camping")...

If your "RV style" is to set up your RV in a campground with hookups, only use battery power while towing from one campground to another, with virtually no "off hookups time" then a residential refrigerator can work fairly well and is, in some situations, even more convenient than a LPG absorption refrigerator.

On the other hand, if your "RV style" is to set up the trailer in a remote area, enjoy being "as far away from campgrounds and all their problems" and to enjoy the solitude of being alone in the wilderness, then a residential refrigerator is not the best choice.

Can it be done? Certainly, yes. Is it as simple as taking one of today's RV's with a residential refrigerator and towing to the middle of a wilderness area and set up camp? Certainly, no.....

Just as electric vehicles are in their "infancy" with loads of potential, that potential has not yet been developed. It's the same with "electric RV's"... The industry is "in their infancy" with lots of potential that's yet to be developed. Right now, all we have in the form of "residential refrigerators" are "residential refrigerators that fit in an RV" and the initial design for 12 volt compressor refrigerators. They are, essentially, just a "dorm refrigerator with a different compressor"... Lots of improvements, not only in compressor efficiency, need to be made, but insulation, recovery, dissipation of heat, all are problems that are yet to be solved.

Will it happen? Probably. Will we have compressor driven, all electric refrigerators that are capable of "week long dry camping trips" ??? Who knows. Right now, the industry has not yet even addressed all the alternatives. If you remember back a couple of years, you could buy a "solid state cooler" that used a "peltier device" to absorb heat, or you would flip a switch and it became a warmer. That technology has not yet been "fully explored for RV use" and may not pan out, but may lead to a new invention in RV food storage....

We're in a constant state of change and the RV manufacturers keep using "what they can afford to put in RV's and still make a profit"... If they can't make a profit, they can't stay in business and until the industry either "invents a new product" or "modifies an existing product" that meets all the requirements for "extended dry camping", then we'll be, for the most part, "tied to an electric outlet"...

If you look at today's solar systems, expensive battery technology, it's similar to the "muscle car MPG/small tank" issues that Marshall commented on. Today's "technology" is to build a bigger recovery system to run the refrigerator. The solution may be to build a better, more efficient refrigerator system and use the existing or a different energy source to power it longer on the same amount of stored energy.

We're in the "discovery phase" of finding better ways to replace LPG absorption refrigeration, we're not yet in the "refinement phase" of improving the best choices.....

For now, we're using "make do appliances" and "work around sources of replaceable energy"... We have a long, LONG way to go before all electric food storage comes to the best alternative for dry camping.
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Old 01-16-2022, 05:27 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
The price of solar is comming down, it could be a viable alterative.
then we have the 100 variables again, what size solar would work? I've seen a couple write ups where they said 400-600 watts of solar would work for a residential fridge. but who knows?

i wrote Keystone, see what they say when they reply
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Old 01-16-2022, 05:32 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Residential refrigerators are great (for what they are) but a "dismal failure" for other types of RVing. (note, I didn't call it "camping")...

If your "RV style" is to set up your RV in a campground with hookups, only use battery power while towing from one campground to another, with virtually no "off hookups time" then a residential refrigerator can work fairly well and is, in some situations, even more convenient than a LPG absorption refrigerator.

On the other hand, if your "RV style" is to set up the trailer in a remote area, enjoy being "as far away from campgrounds and all their problems" and to enjoy the solitude of being alone in the wilderness, then a residential refrigerator is not the best choice.

Can it be done? Certainly, yes. Is it as simple as taking one of today's RV's with a residential refrigerator and towing to the middle of a wilderness area and set up camp? Certainly, no.....

Just as electric vehicles are in their "infancy" with loads of potential, that potential has not yet been developed. It's the same with "electric RV's"... The industry is "in their infancy" with lots of potential that's yet to be developed. Right now, all we have in the form of "residential refrigerators" are "residential refrigerators that fit in an RV" and the initial design for 12 volt compressor refrigerators. They are, essentially, just a "dorm refrigerator with a different compressor"... Lots of improvements, not only in compressor efficiency, need to be made, but insulation, recovery, dissipation of heat, all are problems that are yet to be solved.

Will it happen? Probably. Will we have compressor driven, all electric refrigerators that are capable of "week long dry camping trips" ??? Who knows. Right now, the industry has not yet even addressed all the alternatives. If you remember back a couple of years, you could buy a "solid state cooler" that used a "peltier device" to absorb heat, or you would flip a switch and it became a warmer. That technology has not yet been "fully explored for RV use" and may not pan out, but may lead to a new invention in RV food storage....

We're in a constant state of change and the RV manufacturers keep using "what they can afford to put in RV's and still make a profit"... If they can't make a profit, they can't stay in business and until the industry either "invents a new product" or "modifies an existing product" that meets all the requirements for "extended dry camping", then we'll be, for the most part, "tied to an electric outlet"...

If you look at today's solar systems, expensive battery technology, it's similar to the "muscle car MPG/small tank" issues that Marshall commented on. Today's "technology" is to build a bigger recovery system to run the refrigerator. The solution may be to build a better, more efficient refrigerator system and use the existing or a different energy source to power it longer on the same amount of stored energy.

We're in the "discovery phase" of finding better ways to replace LPG absorption refrigeration, we're not yet in the "refinement phase" of improving the best choices.....

For now, we're using "make do appliances" and "work around sources of replaceable energy"... We have a long, LONG way to go before all electric food storage comes to the best alternative for dry camping.
here's what I like to do
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Old 01-16-2022, 05:54 AM   #12
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here's what I like to do
With that type "dry camping" until the season changes, just hang the smoked ham out on that pine tree, next to the deer and the pheasant that's "curing", well above the reach of wolves and carve off what you need for supper.... Now, when spring comes, Hmmmmmm
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Old 01-16-2022, 08:04 AM   #13
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yeah, i know there's a 100 variables, i'm not feeling much love with this residential fridge

The residential fridge is not cut out for boondocking, camping off grid etc. For those types of situations, or even if you just do them regularly interspersed with RV park camping, the LP/elec. fridge is head and shoulders better unless you're going to carry a small generating station with you.

We went with a res fridge in this one as a "we want it" type of option because we had decided we would not camp anywhere but an improved RV park again in the trailer. We've been in this trailer off an on for approx. 12mos. since we bought it in Mar. '20 and we are totally sold on the res fridge - but it's in its element.

As you explore options for boondocking something you might consider are the ARB line of fridge/freezers. Don't know if they provide what you want but they were sure handy when we ran off road and boondocked;

https://arbusa.com/portable-fridge-freezers/
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Old 01-16-2022, 02:19 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
The residential fridge is not cut out for boondocking, camping off grid etc. For those types of situations, or even if you just do them regularly interspersed with RV park camping, the LP/elec. fridge is head and shoulders better unless you're going to carry a small generating station with you.

We went with a res fridge in this one as a "we want it" type of option because we had decided we would not camp anywhere but an improved RV park again in the trailer. We've been in this trailer off an on for approx. 12mos. since we bought it in Mar. '20 and we are totally sold on the res fridge - but it's in its element.

As you explore options for boondocking something you might consider are the ARB line of fridge/freezers. Don't know if they provide what you want but they were sure handy when we ran off road and boondocked;

https://arbusa.com/portable-fridge-freezers/
our last two campers had traditional rv fridge with lp/ac/dc but were just a tad on the small side.
anyway, i'm weighing options right now. We'll be doing some boondocking for 3-5 days at a time and we have a Honda 2200 gen so it's not like we're exactly stranded.
heck a block of ice and a GOOD ice chest used to run me for 4-5 days hunting before ice melted. A stand alone 12v fridge may be the ticket, won't be used that much.
We'll do some practice runs here close and work the bugs out and refine this new rv.
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Old 01-16-2022, 02:43 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by DavidAndDonna View Post
our last two campers had traditional rv fridge with lp/ac/dc but were just a tad on the small side.
anyway, i'm weighing options right now. We'll be doing some boondocking for 3-5 days at a time and we have a Honda 2200 gen so it's not like we're exactly stranded.
heck a block of ice and a GOOD ice chest used to run me for 4-5 days hunting before ice melted. A stand alone 12v fridge may be the ticket, won't be used that much.
We'll do some practice runs here close and work the bugs out and refine this new rv.

My Fuzion has a mini fridge in the outdoor kitchen. I run it easily with 300W solar panel and 2 6V batteries. The mini fridge only pulls 60w when the compressor kicks on.


If you want to go on the cheap, you can get a couple 100w panels from Harbor Freight and a HF charge controller. Connect the panels directly to your battery. Then get a true sine wave inverter (also HF) and run an extension cord to your mini fridge.
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Old 01-16-2022, 04:26 PM   #16
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I have a 110/ 12 volt norcold refrigerator on my boat.
I leave it plugged in at the pier all the time and when we are underway it automatically switches to 12 volt…when we anchor out over the weekend it does just fine and doesn’t run the batteries down too much.

We start the generator in the morning to make breakfast and charge up the batteries. It’s been an excellent refrigerator for almost 20 years Finally died this summer

I’d imagine if you got a nice big yeti cooler with a block of ice for beverages and had a smaller norcold and a little bit of solar with a generator to recharge the batteries you’d be set
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Old 01-20-2022, 09:31 AM   #17
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2 way LP/AC or 3 way LP/AC/DC
You don’t use allot of LP running those small fridges. DC in my opinion draws more power away from other DC devices like fans, lights, etc.

I’ll believe my brothers teardrop build has a SMAD or SMETA brand 3way. His just is a fridge, but they do have them with small freezer compartments. They are about 2.1 - 3.1 cu ft.
Yes you have to have some sort of vent to the outside for LP.
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Old 01-20-2022, 10:25 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by rlh1957 View Post
2 way LP/AC or 3 way LP/AC/DC
You don’t use allot of LP running those small fridges. DC in my opinion draws more power away from other DC devices like fans, lights, etc.

I’ll believe my brothers teardrop build has a SMAD or SMETA brand 3way. His just is a fridge, but they do have them with small freezer compartments. They are about 2.1 - 3.1 cu ft.
Yes you have to have some sort of vent to the outside for LP.
And the cabinet that is in has to be sealed from the living area, that’s what makes it a very difficult project.
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Old 01-24-2022, 05:29 AM   #19
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And the cabinet that is in has to be sealed from the living area, that’s what makes it a very difficult project.
after weighing all the options, and researching installation etc. we've opted to install a Dometic RM 1350 and get back to the simplistic LP go camping and be done with it.
Most people are upgrading to residential and finding an ALMOST new fridge is very easy.
The 1350 gives us plenty of fridge space and is an upgrade in size from our previous 5ver.
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Old 01-24-2022, 05:39 AM   #20
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Are you replacing the residential one? If so still somewhat of a project but doable.
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