Residential fridges are compressor type machines. If I had a choice, I would prefer to run my genset in the AM when your batteries will take the largest chunk of current and let the solar top them off throughout the day. Compressor Refrigerator Although some folks have told us they run their residential fridge while driving, our particular unit has let us know that it doesn’t like that*. For simplicity, I’ll just refer to all these as “2-way” fridges. Learn more here. By A 3-way fridge has the added capability of using battery power for the heat (12V DC). So from a dry-camping perspective, a 2-way fridge is effectively a propane appliance. Your link has been automatically embedded. There’s still debate among RV owners if boondocking is practical when not using a propane-powered unit. Some RV’ers wanted more. Did some reading about using a timer and don't have a warm fuzzy about the timer. They run for a little while until they reach the right temperature inside, and then their built-in controllers turn them off. I’m going to try to figure out if its possible, with a reasonable RV Solar system, to run a residential refrigerator on solar power. Pun!) For us if we urn it off at 10PM and back on at 8am we loose about 5 degree's this time of year. Since a residential refrigerator takes more energy to run than a regular RV fridge, this can be an issue. Of course, the selection of RV refrigerators hasn’t been as broad as standard residential units. Of course I have a gen set which allows me to charge when necessary (don’t have solar charging). I run a small standard compressor refrigerator/freezer (~3.5 cu.ft.) We do have a monitor system so that is all good. Started December 1, 2020, Boondocking with a Residential Refrigerator, http://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Refrigerator-Freezer-Wireless-Thermometer/dp/B004QJVU78. But the move away from 2-way and 3-way fridges is exciting to boondockers like us, too. I run 2 large TV's, DirecTV DVR's, two computers, phone chargers, and a myriad of other devices. Want to go ahead and make the switch to a residential camper fridge despite the lack of a propane setting? into a simple explanation that still makes sense. Installing residential refrigerator in RV needs few considerations. As of this writing, we've only had the new Phaeton for 10 weeks, but … Posted on January 21, 2019 April 3, 2019 by kbonner. At some point, we may integrate in a smaller inverter just for our computers… and only using the big inverter when we need to cook or run an A/C. View the responses. The solar will do little-to-nothing to help. The abundance of shore power is just taken for granted when running 2-way fridges on electricity, but these fridges would crash a boondockers’ battery bank in no time if run on AC. If it's the only thing running overnight (no furnace, water heater, etc) then you should be able to leave it on as long as your running your generator every day. Two-way and three-way refrigerators require the least amount of power and are better suited for boondocking. Since we boondock (dry-camp - no utility hook-ups) many times, sometimes for a month or two during the winter, we were concerned about getting a residential refrigerator in our new Tiffin Phaeton motorhome. But some may consider this a hassle. Replacing an RV Propane Refrigerator with a Residential Refrigerator. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Of course I have a gen set which allows me to charge when necessary (don’t have solar charging). As for batteries and charging, I have 900 AH of batteries and 800 watts of solar. We use this wireless thermometer to monitor the fridge and freezer sections - http://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Refrigerator-Freezer-Wireless-Thermometer/dp/B004QJVU78. Chuck, I disagree with you about the residential refrigerator not allowing boondocking. The power consumption of a gas absorption-style refrigerator versus a residential RV refrigerator are so similar that most RVers say they don’t notice the difference. High temps in low 90's, low temps in low 70's. So if you’re looking to buy an RV with a residential refrigerator, just know that boondocking will be challenging. It’s less scientifically elegant than absorption, kind of a brute-force approach. Here is a great hack for dry camping with a residential refrigerator, including a must-have RV gadget great for those days away from the campground. So we had the … This includes other electrical equipment in the MH. Dry (desert) climate. 264Ah / 3 days = 88Ah battery capacity per day in mild weather. When one is boondocking, you would be using battery to power not only refrigerator but also other … 1) Should we turn off the refrig. Multiplying these two numbers tells you how many watts your refrigerator uses -- in this case, 747.5 watts. What are the 12-volt DC requirements for the propane-free fridges? There are many ways to make the most of your RV boondocking adventure. Residential refrigerators have started to be added to most of the larger Class A Motorhomes and 5th wheels. All you have to know is that they use a heat source to get this done. The glass shelves are undamaged so far, even though we have hit some major bumps that completely tossed the inside of the trailer, but they may break if we’re careless. If that is an issue for you, you may consider installing solar panels as well. I have 450 amp hours of battery bank and 750 watts of solar. Wrknrvr 85W typical power consumption when running, 5520Wh / 0.85 (inverter efficiency) = 6494Wh. Ice cream! After receiving our new motorhome, we REALLY did like the large fridge. When attempting to find spots to stay in, check out the satellite view on Google Maps. What are the new propane-free refrigerators? These 12V refrigerators will pull a minimal amount of power and can run off propane when boondocking. Display as a link instead, × These numbers make intuitive sense; the fridge is 1/3 the volume and consumes 1/3 the electricity. This is true with 2-way fridges, too -- the controller will turn off the gas when it's cold enough inside, and then spark the flame back on when it's time to run again. Smaller inverters will draw power from the battery to run the TV and DVD player. Energy usage is a big factor, but there are many less-quantifiable aspects. If needed I can always top things up with an hour of generator run time in the evening. And, you will need to use generator more often and even the battery would drain faster. One or twice a day fire up your generator and … You should be able to run the genset per "schedule". at night? Running while underway: On a long drive, a 2-way fridge can run on propane and keep the contents cold for as long as it takes to get to camp (assuming the trailer rides pretty level). Your primary concern while boondocking will be energy consumption. I will need to look around for a timer. Yes, if your system is suitable. 03-12-2017, 06:26 PM #2: Rich.M. Or if your solar setup is robust enough, you can go residential without even owning a generator (we don’t). The best thing to do is as you suggest. You'll NEVER see that in a RV fridge! It is the size and form factor of an ice chest and we had food for eight days. This is where deciding between an RV with a conventional absorption refrigerator and an all-electric model really starts to matter. Clear editor. Now that you know the basics of boondocking, we’re going to share some of our favorite RV boondocking tips and tricks to help ensure your first boondocking adventure goes off without a hitch.. Use Satellite View. Choosing the Right RV Refrigerator: Propane vs Electric Propane vs. Electric RV Refrigerators. Category: Boondocking/Dry Camping. The primary issue for boondocking is almost always energy consumption. Inverter: A 2-way fridge doesn’t require that you have any inverter at all, but you must have one to run a residential fridge off-grid. Some RV’ers wanted more. Since we fulltime we were sick of throwing out spoiled food. You are not plugged into water, sewer or power. Afraid to leave the campground because of your residential fridge? Excellent for monitoring temps from the TV when in transit, but that would depend on your rig and distances. Camping away from home may be a … If you’re a fan of that dessert, this might be the only reason you need…. Of course, the selection of RV refrigerators hasn’t been as broad as standard residential units. I have seen a few models of travel trailers that have also been included in the list of units that the non-propane electric-only refrigerator is the main option for off-grid refrigeration. If you do a lot of boondocking (dry camping) and you have very little or no solar, RV Propane Electric Refrigerators are going ...Read More. However, if you have a bigger power supply and you go on your trip prepared there’s no reason that you couldn’t go boondocking with a residential fridge. The most obvious disadvantage of a residential refrigerator is that it always needs electricity to run. I would not do this without verifying it will not heat up enough. The compressor motor in a residential fridge wants pure-sine power. How to tell? Our fridge apparently runs on a 45% duty cycle in mild conditions, meaning it’s on for about 27 minutes out of every hour. This is more efficient, but it makes it hard to estimate the energy a fridge will use. It takes boondocking to an entirely new level. While it certainly does make off-grid camping more difficult, making this switch does not have to mean giving up boondocking completely. Our refrigerator is a 21 cu. BUT I don’t think it’s a good idea to do this regularly. I don't know what your daily energy requirements are or what generator or charger you have so I can't recommend how long to run your genset. We have a wireless thermometer installed even without the boondocking. I don’t have any explanation for this. A lot of the small inverter types have no problem running dry, but the larger diesel variety don't like that too much. Your most important measurement will be depth with the … See the discussion and add your thoughts. So these are (duh) electrical-only appliances. We have a reg frig in our 5er. Yes, residential refrigerators do require shore power, or a reasonable facsimile. Very hard to get a good indicator of battery charge levels without one. If the generator has a "quiet time" setting then it has an auto gen start, and likely also has a programmable setting where you can set the times that it will run. When we started boondocking, our original coach batteries were extremely inefficient. NAME NEWEST. Some RVers and RV manufacturers use that term to refer to the design, and others to mean a refrigerator that was designed for use in a fixed residence. I did some extensive research into overnight power usage and temperature drop a few years back. If you have any other questions, feel free to send them our way! If your motorhome is equipped with an RV-type refrigerator, you may be wishing for something with more residential features that’s less expensive to replace. Below are our favorite boondocking travel trailer and motorhome options, as well as what you should look for when shopping for a boondocking camper. Measure Twice, Cut Once . We're driving a large fifth wheel (43 feet) with a large residential refrigerator (whirlpool, if that maters). Manufacturers started getting the idea that residential units might be of interest to RV’ers. In a 24-hour period, that fridge would consume a minimum* of 14Ah of electricity. By It really depends on your situation. In contrast, residential fridges operate solely on AC power – but they use it far more efficiently. 2017 Update: Added summer performance numbers for our fridge. The 2008 Tiffin Phaeton in this article originally came with a Norcold 1200-Series four-door refrigerator that could be operated on propane or 110-volt AC power. No restrooms, showers, or sewage? Most residential refrigerators have fairly good sized freezers. at night?". There are three types of RV refrigerators commonly available: two-way, which works on propane and 120v AC electricity, three-way which work on propane, 120v and 12v DC electricity, and finally, residential refrigerators, which only work on 120v AC electric. Also, this means that while EnergyGuide numbers are a good starting point when shopping, if you are trying to size a carefully-balanced solar setup to run your fridge, you need more complete info. We’re told that the freezers in 2-way fridges just don’t get cold enough to keep ice cream properly frozen. The best travel trailer for boondocking is a compact trailer that can be pulled by a smaller SUV. It competes with the water heater, space heater, and stove/oven for resources. What would be the most cost effective way to equip our RV to boondocks for at least 48 hours. Whether this is good or bad depends on your perspective: Propane can be easily refilled at a nominal cost, but if your rig has adequate solar, electricity might be totally free. Boondocking is a fantastic resource that has provided me with some amazing experiences. Running while slanted might deprive the compressor of adequate lubrication and shorten its lifespan – plus the condensate tray may overflow (ask us how we know). Remove the residential refrigerator and replace it with a 3-way refrigerator that uses propane gas, then design a system that can operate most everything in your RV while boondocking (except the refrigerator and AC unit. For those who predominantly hang their hats in RV parks with shore power available, power isn’t a problem. Started 15 hours ago, By Easy Sustainable Camping Practices . I might give in on a residential refrigerator, they are becoming much more energy efficient, and solar panels have come way down in price. You are working off of your fresh tank, water pump, and waste tanks. With a generator and a moderate battery bank, you can convert to a residential fridge with no solar at all. New 2-way fridges easily cost over $1000, so if yours needs replacement, you can definitely save money on a residential unit. The RV manufacturers have a clear refrigeration strategy: Electric on shore power, propane when boondocking. There are three types of refrigerators commonly found in RVs: two-way (also referred to as an absorption fridge), three-way (also referred to as a compressor fridge), and residential. 541Ah / 4 days = 135Ah battery capacity per day in hot weather. And, you will need to use generator more often and even the battery would drain faster. It draws about 3.5 amps at 12 volts DC thru the inverter. Most modern fridges have auto defrost but there’s no way to control it or really even tell when it’s running. The process is really interesting to learn about in detail, but hard to condense (Ha! But it’s by far the more common technology – at small, residential scales – than absorption technology, and that turns out to be pretty important. Residential doors will swing open while you drive unless you rig up something to hold them shut. Your previous content has been restored. There are three types of RV refrigerators commonly available: two-way, which works on propane and 120v AC electricity, three-way which work on propane, 120v and 12v DC electricity, and finally, residential refrigerators, which only work on 120v AC electric. It's duty cycle is about … Energy consumption during auto-defrost cycles is a bit higher, but not terribly so (I have been able to tell when ours is defrosting by watching the Wattage obsessively). Senior Member . The fridge is now kept at 36F and the freezer is at -1F degrees. Residential refrigerator should also be secured properly else you may face issues with door opening and vibrations. It’s indispensible for us to meet our goal of eliminating fossil fuels from our lives. Started Thursday at 02:08 PM, By So it would seem that you have the issue solved to some extent. You are reliant on everything contained within your RV. Plus when we run the fridge off the inverter only, we still have outlets to plug other stuff in, like chargers, laptops, etc. We'd … Determine if an outside access door opening can be cut in the side wall and access door installed (if your coach was offered with either an absorption or residential refrigerator, this is very likely). oldjohnt Our generator has something called "quiet time"(or something like that). in addition to the gas absorption refer in my coach. That could be lessened by the use of the generator, of course. The residential refrigerator in 24 hrs uses 151 Ah from the battery bank (6.3 A * 24 h) ... Boondocking with a Residential Refrigerator: jrpend: Winnebago Industries Owner's Forum: 4: 01-24-2015 08:44 AM: Residential fridge & boondocking: bluegrassrv: RV Systems & Appliances: 22: 01-09-2014 09:38 AM: boondocking with residential refrigerator: az bound: … How the gaseous refrigerant gets turned back into liquid is where the two types of fridge differ. The biggest problem for boondocking almost always comes from energy consumption. I also have a Bogart Engineering battery monitor so I can easily see how the batteries are doing. Adventure Outdoors; and Boondocking/Dry Camping; and Preparation & Readiness; January 3, 2021. 4-5 hours is no problem if we don’t open the door; we haven’t spoiled any food yet. We use adhesive baby-proofing latches; cheap and effective but not very classy. However, while this gave us about 400 amp … So if you’re looking to buy an RV with a residential refrigerator, just know that boondocking will be challenging. Good idea to try turning the refrig off while in controlled(have electricity) conditions and see what happens. A refrigerator with an icemaker usually uses 12-volt power to heat the tray before ejecting the cubes. This includes other electrical equipment in the MH. No problem! It needs about 1 amp of 120v to run with a 7 amp kick when the compressor starts. now it is important to know that when you get rid of the propane option on your refrigerator … We make all our meals at home and are heavy snackers, so the fridge gets opened about 20 times each day, and the freezer 3 or 4 times. 4 batteries and 3 panels would probably do.) 2 hours 'may' be sufficient in conjunction with your solar. I will say that 160 watts of solar is not much. What would be the most cost effective way to equip … Even though 2-way refrigerators rely on propane to do all the refrigeration work while dry camping, they still require 12V DC power at all times to run their controller circuit board which monitors the interior temperature, and controls the propane valves and ignition. Using a residential refrigerator in an RV has some limitations, but more advantages. Temperature control: Residential fridges usually have an indexed knob, which isn’t great but beats the hell out of sliding a thermistor up and down to keep your eggs from freezing. But 2-way fridges are still going to be the preferred solution for a lot of boondockers, since a full-size 2-way fridge will use 26 times less electricity than even a mini-size residential one (so long as you keep feeding it propane). Finally, there’s the issue of leveling, which is a weak point for both types. Choosing the Right RV Refrigerator: Propane vs Electric Propane vs. Electric RV Refrigerators. The Energyguide rating is inexplicably higher than the one for our much larger fridge, and completely out of line with the measured numbers. I'm less concerned about air conditioning or microwave, btw, than keeping the refrigerator … 2) We have a 160w solar panel to charge the batteries during the day plus we will be able to run the generator for 2 hours each evening. But there's definitely an investment up front before you can do it. Although we load the fridge carefully and wrap large glass bottles in bubble-wrap, after one year a plastic organizer inside the door has cracked. Join us on our adventures as we boondock with a Residential Refrigerator and Solar Power They work really well … But it works! If you’d like to add anything, or have questions, put them in the comments below so others can benefit! I use the same one myself and wouldn't be without it. This is where deciding between an RV with a conventional absorption refrigerator and an all-electric model really starts to matter. If that is an issue for you, you may consider installing solar panels as well. Its door opening side, size (height, width) should also match. Road Map to RVing => Boondocking . Our fridge, like many residential units, has tempered-glass shelves and plastic organizers in the door. Also, residential refrigerators don’t suffer from the potential fire-hazard issues of the ammonia-based cooling units in RV-specific refrigerators. Anyone have any experience boondocking with a residential refrigerator? So we turn it off before driving, and let it settle for about 10 minutes before turning it back on once we’re parked. Do not take from or change your surroundings. This means that when they’re not actively running, they consume zero electricity. Try it and see the results. Evaluate difficulty of running propane to the refrigerator location (if your coach was offered with either an absorption or residential refrigerator, this may already be done). SunELec.com I would also say … At some point, we may integrate in a smaller inverter just for our computers… and only using the big inverter when we need to cook or run an A/C. "Should we turn off the refrig. With residential refrigerator, boondocking with shore power will be difficult. 5) We are not going to get another solar panel so don't suggest it. Which we didn’t figure out until the frozen blueberries started melting, and stained everything indigo…. We have never had a residential refrig before and are planning to boondock. We’re very happy with ours, and it’s easy to live with. When we started boondocking, our original coach batteries were extremely inefficient. 82W typical power consumption when running. If you’re considering changing your rig over to a residential fridge, I hope the information above helped clarify your choice a little. Boondocking is using your rig completely off the grid. I solved that by putting the refer on a 24 hour timer that shuts it off around bedtime but turns it on again for a half hour during the middle of the night. Their unit is about 10 years old, and looks to be about 7 cubic feet, although I don’t expect power consumption varies much between different size fridges (the control board does the same work regardless of size). It’s hard to say one type of refrigerator is clearly better than the other. Having a number of batteries totaling more than 800 amp hours can help in boondocking. ft Whirlpool that is not energy star rated. Although a 3-way fridge could run directly from the house batteries without requiring an inverter, 12V DC power is so inefficient at heating that this is barely an option. My (very unscientific) measurements imply that you can multiply the EnergyGuide numbers by 150% to estimate hot-weather energy demand, but i personally suggest buying the fridge and running it on a. Traditional RV refrigerators (2-way or 3-way) are absorption units. Before you head out for dry camping put a few blocks of ice in your freezer. Yes, be sure to do a test of how much the temp rises on your refer. Heating with electricity, however, is not as easy. Hopefully that will create a meaningful reference: Using our Kill-a-Watt meter, I've measured energy consumption of our fridge in different weather conditions. Meanwhile, some recreational vehicle owners get tempted to use residential refrigerators rather than RV refrigerators without thinking of the pros and cons of both.