3 way fridge.(and best type of batterie).

[The Hobo]

The single door Dometic fridge that use the 120/12 volt heater.
If only used on 12 volt,do they drain the batterie very much,??

I just repaired the selector switch yesterday, and can now use the 12 volt option on the fridge.(thank God)..
I,m going to re-install everything back in the trailer today,now that I have everything working perfect.

Also, what is the very best deep cycle batterie I can buy,??

I also just purchased a 5.5 volt solar panel that I will be keeping in the storage compartment.

Thanks for the help.

[Coach George Jessup]

Pretty sure most of these answers are in here already. Try some searching. Some keyword combinations to search with that might get you more directly to where you want:

Battery fridge long
Battery refridgerator long

5.5 Solar


Also some folk will pop in and let you know what is at the top of their head.

[Daniel V.]

A 3-way fridge on 12V will kill your battery in no time. You should be able to find the amp rating and figure it out. Plus the 12V heating element often isn't as efficient for keeping your fridge cold, and depending on the model the thermostat is bypassed so the element stays on constantly. It can work OK when you're driving for keeping food that is already cold, but not for regular use.

DC fridges are a different story.

[The Hobo]

A 3-way fridge on 12V will kill your battery in no time. You should be able to find the amp rating and figure it out. Plus the 12V heating element often isn't as efficient for keeping your fridge cold, and depending on the model the thermostat is bypassed so the element stays on constantly. It can work OK when you're driving for keeping food that is already cold, but not for regular use.

DC fridges are a different story.

Thanks for the respond.
I,m just sooooooo exited that I actually repaired the 12 volt part of the switch,
and realize that I will probably only be able to use it while driving([b]and that's just wonderful).

We'll simply switch it to 120v,(if there's power where we Camp), or turn Off the 12V and go Propane.

Now, if only I could find some time to search the forums to find info about the best batterie ,
I should be looking to purchase.??? LOL

Thanks again for the info.

[SherryNPaul]

I understand that your solar panel is stored below, not constantly deployed on the roof. as ours is.
Our Norcold refrigerator draws around 14 , so we can only run the refrigerator on 12v when driving, with the solar panels adding to the charge from the TV. Even then, we disconnect the pigtail if we stop for more than gas and potty breaks, to be sure we don't run down the batteries in the trailer and TV.
This is, however, a nice alternative to driving with the propane running the refrigerator, from both an eco and safety standpoint. If you decide to try it while driving, make sure to disconnect the pigtail if you stop for lunch, and leave a note for yourself to reconnect before leaving. A friend of ours wound up with a low battery in the TV after spending a few hours in a CrackerBarrel on a Sunday morning with the pigtail attached and refrigerator on 12 volt. Jumping the TV battery spoiled the fun of stopping for breakfast.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Reefer on 12VDC while traveling is what sells the isolation kits that keep the TV's battery isolated from the egg system when the ignition is off. That's the big killer!

Generally speaking, the 12VDC mode is the least effective way to keep your reefer cold.

You have to define 'best' regarding deep cycle battery before your question can be answered -- Most Amp hours? Longest life (Discharge-recharge cycles)? Quickest recharge? Cost?

All of the batteries we discuss here have some of these features, but not all.