Thor Forums

[TurnerFam]

any drycamping involves some 'compromise' compared to 'normal' household life, such as the fridge being 'on' 24/7, or even having incoming power 24/7...

your inverter and auto start generator are your best friends - the inverter will run the fridge as long as the batteries allow it, and the generator will recharge those batteries when needed. If you can't run the generator overnight, then you have to manage whether the fridge can, or will need, to run. Remember that the fridge does not run constantly anyway, it comes ON as needed, when the temp inside rises beyond your setting.

some options:
- when you arrive and have setup, turn the fridge setting to a higher number, it will still keep the food 'cold' but not use as much power as it will not need to run as often, especially if you don't open the door very often. You can also do this specifically at the start of the overnight hours to minimize it's run time.
- or turn the fridge cooling OFF during the overnight hours, the food will survive til the morning.
- set your AGS(Automatic Generator Starter) to run the generator when the batteries fall below a certain level, such as 12.0 volts. This keeps you from having to be concerned about the level of the batteries. You can also tell the generator how LONG to run, and you might want it to be short runs, such as 30mins... it's enough to recharge the batteries for a long time before it needs to run again.
- if local camp or park rules prohibit 'overnight' generator usage, you can also set the AGS to not operate during specific hours, such as between 10pm and 7am. That's when you want to more closely manage your fridge power needs, or even turn it off.