Electric only refrigerator

[Uturn]

My 2018 Outlaw has an electric only fridge. With the power of and just the inverter from solar on the lights are off in the fridge. Does this mean the fridge is off. And is there an upgrade available for a dual fuel fridge?

[Bob Nodine]

Originally Posted by Uturn

My 2018 Outlaw has an electric only fridge. With the power of and just the inverter from solar on the lights are off in the fridge. Does this mean the fridge is off. And is there an upgrade available for a dual fuel fridge?

We have a 2022 JM31 Quantum with a residential fridge (110 VAC only) and because of that Thor installed a 2000 watt inverter. The fridge is always on. Not only are the batteries charged by shore power, they are charged by the alternator when the engine is running. So as long as the coach is plugged into shore power or the engine is running, the fridge stays powered by either shore power or the inverter. In addition to those two sources of power Thor installed an Automatic Generator Start device that will start the generator if the battery voltage drops to low. If the coach is parked the AGS will start the generator and recharge the batteries. If you are storing your motorhome for an extended period you should empty the fridge and turn it off.

[RACarvalho]

In our rig, for the Fridge to be on, the inverter needs to be on.
The inverter will draw energy from the batteries when not plugged to shore power or when the generator is off.
If plugged to shore power or the generator is on, the inverter will by itself bypass and use the shore / generator power.
You can turn off the fridge but if you leave the inverter on, it will drain the batteries if the coach is not plugged to shore because it draws some energy for itself.
Depending how much solar you have, it is not enough to run the fridge alone, not considering other items.
I have "100W" solar and my fridge uses 80W when running but the best I saw from the solar panel was 50W for a few seconds....

It is possible to change the fridge to dual source but it is expensive and will require running a propane line to the back of the fridge location.

If I had the choice I would have specked my RIG with a dual source fridge but I find it is too much of a trouble to do that for use we make of it.

[Travelin' Texans]

Originally Posted by Uturn

My 2018 Outlaw has an electric only fridge. With the power of and just the inverter from solar on the lights are off in the fridge. Does this mean the fridge is off. And is there an upgrade available for a dual fuel fridge?

Sounds like dead batteries!
Depending on the type of batteries the dealer installed, usually the cheapest marine hybrid cranking batteries available & their condition & you're parked or stored with no external power source other than a little dab of solar your batteries won't last long running the fridge along with a few parasitic drains that will kill the batteries in about a week in storage.

[Bob Denman]

First: which model 2018 Outlaw?

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Uturn

My 2018 Outlaw has an electric only fridge. With the power of and just the inverter from solar on the lights are off in the fridge. Does this mean the fridge is off. And is there an upgrade available for a dual fuel fridge?

Your inverter runs off the house batteries and not solar in the Class A Outlaw. Solar charges the house batteries.

When you are off shore or generagor power, the refrigerator will run off the inverter if it is turned on and there is enough charges in the batteries. If the light is not on in the fridge, check to make sure the inverter is turned on.

You can replace the residential fridge with an adsorption (propane) fridge. You will need to run a propane line to the new fridge. You also probably won’t have a light bulb inside and there are other downsides as well.

I have a residential fridge and once it is cooled down, it does not use much power via the inverter if the door is kept close. But if the coach is not being used for a length of time, there is no reason to have it on.

[Chance]

The biggest problem I see is not running a propane gas line, but rather venting the refrigerator to outside in order to properly vent and keep cool. That will require significantly more planning, work and risk since something may not come out right.

Since you already have an electric fridge, I would figure out what is causing problem and fix it. If nothing else, you can buy a ton of extra battery capacity for the amount you would spend, particularly if you have to pay others for the conversion.

Also keep in mind that propane refrigerators of equal physical size typically have less food storage volume, require RV to be level (though you’d probably be level enough anyway), and often don’t keep food as cold as electric (residential) options.

Just my biased 2 cents since I don’t want to own another propane absorption fridge again. Unless RVer is going to boondock for days at a time on a regular basis, electric makes more sense to me. Easier to fix problem and or upgrade battery capacity than replace a fridge unless it’s just junk and you want to replace regardless.

[Tearstone]

The inverter needs to be on to keep the fridge running when you are not on shore power.

[Johng]

what about adding another battery to assist? if not that then a stand alone battery with its own plug for fridge as needed. another thought would be a state of the art cooler to keep things cold for days on a small amount of ice

[Soarer]

Originally Posted by Uturn

My 2018 Outlaw has an electric only fridge. With the power of and just the inverter from solar on the lights are off in the fridge. Does this mean the fridge is off. And is there an upgrade available for a dual fuel fridge?

You should check out 12-volt off-grid refrigerators such as the Unique UGP290L1B. You might be able to find one that is of a similar size to your current frig.

BTW our 2023 Thor Compass came with a Norcold 12-volt only compressor frig. It reportedly requires about one-third of the electrical energy of an equivalent absorption refrigerator that is running on 12 volts. So far, the performance of the Norcold has been impressive.

Happy Trails,
Jim

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Soarer

You should check out 12-volt off-grid refrigerators such as the Unique UGP290L1B. You might be able to find one that is of a similar size to your current frig.

BTW our 2023 Thor Compass came with a Norcold 12-volt only compressor frig. It reportedly requires about one-third of the electrical energy of an equivalent absorption refrigerator that is running on 12 volts. So far, the performance of the Norcold has been impressive.

Happy Trails,
Jim

Jim, always good to hear and learn about products people are happy with. Would you mind posting which fridge model Thor installed in your motorhome? Also, if you know the wattage or current specs listed on nameplate, will you share that as well? It is often on inside of fridge.

Please let us know what impresses you most. Does cool well, is it quiet, uses little power, etc.?

I like concept of 12V compressor fridge as long as built with quality components, and expect Norcold would not build crap like some off-brand units advertised on web.



P.S. — For what it’s worth, absorption refrigeration cycle requires a lot of heat to work, and while providing heat with propane is practical, using 12V electricity to make heat is not very efficient at all. On average I expect a 12V compressor fridge will use less than 1/3 the energy of similar-size absorption fridge running on 12V.

[Miramar Owner]

I have had many RVs over the years but my 2016 Miramar is my first with a residential refrigerator. I can't imagine ever going back for my kind of camping. I appreciate not having to worry about being completely level and the fact it doesn't require outside venting.

I have 4-6 volt batteries and find my coach works well for about 36 hours before needing to run the generator, if I'm not hooked up to electricity.

Bottom line is I'd never got back. [emoji4]

[Soarer]

Originally Posted by Chance

Jim, always good to hear and learn about products people are happy with. Would you mind posting which fridge model Thor installed in your motorhome? Also, if you know the wattage or current specs listed on nameplate, will you share that as well? It is often on inside of fridge.

Please let us know what impresses you most. Does cool well, is it quiet, uses little power, etc.?

The fridge model in our Compass 23TW is a Norcold N2175 which has 6.1 total cubic feet including a 1.2 cu ft freezer with a drawer on the bottom. It has a climate class of SN-T which means it is designed to work in an ambient temperature of 50 to 110°F.

The spec says its energy consumption is 0.56 kWh/24h measured according to IEC62552. (0.56 kWh/24h is equal to an average usage of 23 Watts). A 12v 100 Ah battery has just over 1.2 kWh of energy so slightly less than 50% of one battery's capacity would be used up in 24 hours assuming no other loads.

The refrigerator section and the freezer section have independent thermostats. When the freezer is on "high" the temperature is "around 0°F" per the manual which makes it suitable for ice cream albeit at a slightly higher energy usage.

We have been pleased with the size and cooling performance. The noise level is similar to that of the AC-to-DC converter. It has a "Night Mode" which makes it even quieter. With respect to energy usage, we have not yet camped in hot weather but so far I have no reason to question the factory spec.

As they say, "your mileage may vary" but put me in the camp of those who will never go back to an absorption refrigerator.

Happy Trails,
Jim

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Johng

what about adding another battery to assist? if not that then a stand alone battery with its own plug for fridge as needed. another thought would be a state of the art cooler to keep things cold for days on a small amount of ice

I’d love to know what “state of the art” cooler will really keep ice for up to 5 days. Not Yeti. Not Rtic. Not Magellan. Not Coleman. Not Igloo. I’ve yet to find one that works.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Jimbo56

I’d love to know what “state of the art” cooler will really keep ice for up to 5 days. Not Yeti. Not Rtic. Not Magellan. Not Coleman. Not Igloo. I’ve yet to find one that works.

You're obviously not testing in the right environment. My Styrofoam cooler will keep ice for over a week in Grand Rapids, Michigan:

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Soarer

The fridge model in our Compass 23TW is a Norcold N2175 which has 6.1 total cubic feet including a 1.2 cu ft freezer with a drawer on the bottom. It has a climate class of SN-T which means it is designed to work in an ambient temperature of 50 to 110°F.

The spec says its energy consumption is 0.56 kWh/24h measured according to IEC62552. (0.56 kWh/24h is equal to an average usage of 23 Watts). A 12v 100 Ah battery has just over 1.2 kWh of energy so slightly less than 50% of one battery's capacity would be used up in 24 hours assuming no other loads.

The refrigerator section and the freezer section have independent thermostats. When the freezer is on "high" the temperature is "around 0°F" per the manual which makes it suitable for ice cream albeit at a slightly higher energy usage.

We have been pleased with the size and cooling performance. The noise level is similar to that of the AC-to-DC converter. It has a "Night Mode" which makes it even quieter. With respect to energy usage, we have not yet camped in hot weather but so far I have no reason to question the factory spec.

As they say, "your mileage may vary" but put me in the camp of those who will never go back to an absorption refrigerator.

Happy Trails,
Jim

Thanks Jim, that’s great information. The low energy consumption is excellent, and well within what can be produced by a modest solar system. Even without solar, fridge should run for days on a couple of large batteries.

Absorption refrigerators that size often consume +/- 300 Watts when on electricity, so your compressor unit is roughly an order of magnitude more efficient; and probably while doing a superior job at cooling.

Compared to 115 VAC residential refrigerators, a 12V compressor may also allow keeping the inverter off much of the time, which can consume that much power on its own.

[Bob Nodine]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

You're obviously not testing in the right environment. My Styrofoam cooler will keep ice for over a week in Grand Rapids, Michigan:

If you run out of propane you could just leave the ice on the kitchen counter!