Refrigerator decision

[Treeview]

The next big ticket purchase for the ToyBox will be a fridge. Sooo many variables...

12v/120v/gas???

12v/120v???

120v apartment sized fridge???

After picking out bits and bobs from previous discussions it seems like the three way unit can be problematic. There are plenty of 3 ways in use so this might be just a myth or irrational fear.

I don't have an issue with running off the deep cycle battery and recharging when needed.

There seems to be an issue with apartment sized fridges not keeping up when ambient temps are 'warm'...but what does that mean?

What sort of insights can I get from more experienced fridge users?

Thanks,

Tom

[Tabazooron]

We have a 3-way in our T@B and because we usually camp with electricity, have only used the lp a couple of times.
It really depends how & where you camp.
It gets cold enough to freeze things that are next to the plates of the cooling unit.

[linuxmanxxx]

I'm of the mind if you usually are at power or have a generator to run everything, why pay so much more for what you'll never hardly use and is 4 times the cost of a conventional one. If you get one of the larger mini fridges they will work just fine but won't be powered while in transit. Then during transit just switch it all over to a coleman thermoelectric cooler and it's only 85 at wally world and you are still way ahead of purchasing the tri fuel versions.

[GPW]

A quick read on some of the RV forums will confirm all the problems with the standard RV reefer (Notcold) .. not to mention the fires... They’re Not made like they used to be ... all the ones still working are the Old ones ... Read it for yourself ...

[Martiangod]

Rv fridge if installed correctly, but they are expensive, but the best option if you have the $$$, room to mount and plan on dry camping. 12 volt option is useless
Bar fridge if always at electric sites.
Now the long winded Fridge spiel I give customers when they buy a trailer from us
The biggest issues for RV fridges come from installation, if installed correctly, proper clearances, proper venting they are a great option, and fires are not an issue, but the things you need to know to make them work properly is if its a newer unit with electronics, don't reley on a converter for the 12 volt supply, the electronics are very tempermental to sine waves, always have a battery in the 12 volt system to filter the sine waves. Norcolds are more suseptable to sine waves then Dometic,
They MUST be level side to side to operate correctly.
A small 6" spirit level placed in the freezer to check side to side of the fridge when leveling the trailer. The fridge is criticle, the trailer is not, if the fridge is level, the trailer will be comfortable level.
What most don't understand is the operation, they can only think compressor, which an rv fridge does not have.
It relies on a heat source heating the boiler, be that gas flame, 12 volt heating element or 110 volt heating element, the amonia solution then rises in the boiler tube by convection, it then enters the evaporator and and as is begins to cool, it goes through a series of tubes which are sized to provide the proper rate of decent for the cooling amonia solution, as the solution cools it draws heat out of the fridge compartment, hence the process is called heat absorbtion.
If the fridge is run out of level, the rate of fall of the solution can be too fast...poor efficiency, or if out of level the other way will cause the solution to stall, and over cook and burn out the solution.
NOw if the fridge is used in transit, level is no important as the constant motion of the trailer will prevent fluid stall. But if the fridge is precooled and what is being put in the fridge is precooled, it will hold cold for many hours without being run, rv fridges are built like coolers for insulation
But properly used I have seen rv fridges run for 40 years or longer, The one I just installed in my trailer is at least 30 years old and works like a charm, ignition is by a flint...lol
I wouldn't have a towable trailer without a gas fridge, too limiting to have to have electricity.
Now for a trailer that is strictly a weekender, you can go off grid with a 12 volt compressor fridge, they are small but do work well, boaters have to use them and they are also used exclusivly in the trucking industry in bunks, still expensive but cheaper then a Gas fridge

[Treeview]

Tonight the ToyBox is parked in a national forest near Ranger,TN

Free camping...self contained...and I can have a campfire!

Martian God...as usual you come through! I always appreciate your in depth answers to complex questions. I learn a lot.

I'm an arborist so I always offer to 'payback' the knowledge with knowledge.


Time for the campfire

Tom

[48Rob]

But properly used I have seen rv fridges run for 40 years or longer, The one I just installed in my trailer is at least 30 years old and works like a charm, ignition is by a flint...lol

Chris,

Are you suggesting that buying an older fridge is a good option, or just that you happened upon a good "old one"?
If so, the question "how do you tell if an old one is good" must be asked...

I'll soon be in the market for a gas fridge.
All the advice I've gotten from people in the RV sector has thus far been to get gas only, not a two or three way with circuit boards.
I'm not aware of many new fridges that do not require 12 volts to operate the board.
This is the one I've been considering,

http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Norcol ... _4047.html

It appears to run in gas mode without 12 volt input, and correct me if I'm wrong, but since I have power where it will be stored, pre cooling with 120, then using gas only while camping seems like a reasonable plan?

Rob

[Martiangod]

An old fridge can be a good option if you find the right one for the right price and can test it before you buy. There is always the chance it will die a timley death, which can be anytime, it is old after all.
I lucked out getting all the mechanicals from a truck camper for $50.00
SOmeone who had big plans to build a small trailer, but then never went through with it and got tired of looking at the stuff
The one you linked to is a great buy, that fridge would be almost $900 up here in the land of polar bears and igloos.
Still by all means expensive, but the convenience of have refridgeration while drycamping is worth it in my opinion
The fact that it is non-electronic is the biggest plus, if I hadn't of lucked out, and purchased new, the N260 would have been the one I would have chose, Its small, but they don't waste space putting in a useless tiny freezer.

And with that fridge, I would have let my wife bring along 6 cans of soup so as to not take up valuble beer space with pointless food
And remember, canned beer takes less space then bottles

The new ones, as far as not having as thick of tubing as the old ones work just fine,
pay attention to proper installation ie: venting and clearances
and proper operating ie: leveling during operation
Should provide many years of service, will the new ones last 40 years, doubt it but possible, but I don't think 10 - 15 years is unreasonable
One way that may extend the life of a fridge would be to pull it every couple years and put a fresh coat of heat paint on the tubing to slow or prevent them from rusting, just don't scrape rust off for risk of damaging the cooling unit, just paint over, thin coat though to not hinder its efficiency

[Martiangod]

Tonight the ToyBox is parked in a national forest near Ranger,TN

Free camping...self contained...and I can have a campfire!

Time for the campfire

Tom

Bummer ...

I'm not there

[chorizon]

Our frig is visible in the back of the truck.

It is a "dorm frig".

I got it for free from a buddy that didn't need it anymore; not an uncommon occurrence.

We have the frig plugged in the night before we go somewhere and load it with our food so everyhting is nice and cold.

The day we are traveling the food stays cold even though the frig isn't plugged in (we never open the door until arriving at the campsite and plugging the frig back in).

[bdosborn]

Now for a trailer that is strictly a weekender, you can go off grid with a 12 volt compressor fridge, they are small but do work well, boaters have to use them and they are also used exclusivly in the trucking industry in bunks, still expensive but cheaper then a Gas fridge

I replaced our absorption fridge with a marine 12V compressor fridge; I couldn't get the absorption fridge to cool well. Installation/venting is everything when it comes to those. The compressor fridge has worked out much better for us but I wouldn't get one without investing in a PV panel. One good thing about the compressor fridge is you don't have to worry about POC or keeping the fridge level. I shopped the net for quite awhile and finally found a good sale on a Tundra fridge (and it was still expensive). It has more interior space than the same size absorption fridge did.





However, a *functioning* absorption fridge is hard to beat when it comes to long term boondocking. Here's a link to my page where I measured the energy usage of the Tundra

Fridge Linky

Bruce

P.S. I've got a Dometic fridge for sale.

[Shadow Catcher]

We went with a Waeco 12V 120V AC refrigerator. It rides in the TV when traveling and uses relatively little power (can easily be powered by the solar panel). Any time you have a refrigerator that is front opening, you lose you cool ever time you open it. In this picture you can see it to the left of CR. Nancy was initially upset with the cost but has rapidly come around after not having to fish around in melt water.



And in reply to Martingod this works very well and will easily get below freezing. One of the things we like about it is that it can be loaded the night before we leave and put into the TV when we are ready to go. One of the concerns we had this year was bears and what to do with the refrigerator when we are not in camp, It can go in a bear box with an extension cord (not ideal) if provided or can be inside the tear and powered internally.

[8ball_99]

Like others said it depends on where and how you camp. 3 way fridges do work pretty dern good though if installed right. There is a reason why they are the standard in RVs.. If you plan on boon docking much a gas fridge is really hard to beat. With mine I leave it on all the time. I keep it loaded so when we decide to go thats one less thing I have to pack.. I run it on 110 at the house. Switch it to 12v for the drive. Then I'll either run it on 110 if we have power at the site. If not I run it on gas. It gets run on gas quite a bit. Just a small note on 3 ways though.. The 12v part is really only for the drive down or I guess for when your plugged into shore power also.. Even the smaller 3 ways pull a decent amount of power. Not something you would want to run off a single battery for very long with out that battery being charged. I also would say stick to the manual ones. The less electronics the better. I mean how hard is it to flip a switch on the fridge to change modes anyway? Or click a button to light the gas. Thats the only advantage to the electronic ones.. They switch modes automatically.

12v Compressor fridge is also not a bad option. I considered one of those for a while.. I got my 3 way for around 450 though. So it wasn't anymore expensive infact cheaper then most of the compressor fridges. And a little more flexible. If you have a solar set up though and park in the open where the panels can get sun a compressor fridge could be pretty boon dock friendly. They do use less power then a 3 way. I'm happy with my 3 way just for the fact I can park anywhere in any weather and not worry about the fridge pulling power. It uses very little gas. Just a pilot light infact. Like everything I guess everything has its upsides and downsides.

[bobhenry]

Here is my 120v and LP unit. It came with the free trailer maybe I should give it a try before I toss it !

[Martiangod]

Might be a good little fridge, and no electronics on the one...