Regular Mini Refrigerator Question

[lmckay]

I have a 2003 16' Scamp with an icebox but want to replace it with just a normal mini fridge. The prices of those 2 and 3 way ones are outrageous really. Is there just a normal fridge out there that is a good enough option to fit that space?

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by lmckay

I have a 2003 16' Scamp with an icebox but want to replace it with just a normal mini fridge. The prices of those 2 and 3 way ones are outrageous really. Is there just a normal fridge out there that is a good enough option to fit that space?

What is a "normal" fridge??

[Steve L.]

The answer is highly individualized, I think. Not in my opinion. However there are plenty of people who buy all electric trailers. You can always stay where there is electric, pack everything in coolers for longer driving trips, or buy your perishables once you arrive, or load up on batteries and an inverter and a high efficiency fridge ($$$), assuming you can find a fridge that fits your icebox area.

For my preferences, an icebox is better than a dorm fridge. In broad terms, if there were a good alternative for most people it would already be out there in trailers.

[Mike Magee]

I had a dorm fridge in a Burro. It would be close to room temp after 2 or 3 hours. And I needed velcro tokeep the door from popping open, btw. A plain cooler with ice works far better.

To keep it cool, you would need lots of battery power and a good inverter.

[lmckay]

"Normal" meaning all electric, nothing fancy.

[LyleB]

Make sure that you pay attention to the difference between a compressor refrigerator and a Thermoelectric or Semiconductor Refrigerator. They look very similar, but the latter two will not cool much below 30 degrees from room temperature. The result is that on a 90 degree day, the refrigerator will be at 60 degrees.

You need to get a true compressor refrigerator to maintain cold when the room temperature is high. They look very similar on the store shelves.

[ZachO]

Originally Posted by lmckay

I have a 2003 16' Scamp with an icebox but want to replace it with just a normal mini fridge. The prices of those 2 and 3 way ones are outrageous really. Is there just a normal fridge out there that is a good enough option to fit that space?

Yes, it just means you'll either need to always be plugged in, or only "boondock" for one night at a time, or have a large battery bank and solar array. But the easy answer is yes.

I've heard from people who make it work because they're either on the road or camped in a campground with electricity. If they don't camp in a campground, it's just for one night, max, on their way to the next campground. And their tow vehicle is charging the battery as they drive. It works great for them. But any more than one night or so drawing from the battery and you need a way to recharge it.

[Mike Magee]

The tow vehicle will add some charge, but it will not keep up with the fridge power draw.

[Dave Fish]

After a year and a half, we decided to take the dorm fridge out of our Campster. As stated, it can work depending on your camping style, but for us we still needed an ice chest. We have a couple of the thermoelectric coolers, which work ok most of the time in the Pacific Northwest. We will also add a blue ice pack when we start out but that only helps for a day or so.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by lmckay

"Normal" meaning all electric, nothing fancy.

but normal household fridges are AC only. not much use when you're driving, or otherwise not plugged in at an RV park. RV battery power is 12VDC

[Steve L.]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

but normal household fridges are AC only. not much use when you're driving, or otherwise not plugged in at an RV park. RV battery power is 12VDC

Yes, but... If one were to go all electric you would probably invest in an inverter which would allow you to run some 120vAC devices, for a little while anyhow. I suspect many/most tow vehicles would have trouble running a fridge via an inverter. There are things that can be done to facilitate this, assuming your tow alternator has enough excess capacity. Vehicles these days can provide a pretty heavy load all on their own.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Steve L.

...I suspect many/most tow vehicles would have trouble running a fridge via an inverter. ....

I tried that as an experiment with a 2-way fridge.
Hooked up the tug with charge line active and got a little over 2 amps going into the trailer battery.
Added a 400 peak, 200 watt continuous inverter to run the fridge on 120 volts (thats 120 at about one amp, or 120 watts).
120 Watts is roughly 10 amps at 12 volts, so as expected, the net charge / discharge to the trailer battery went from positive two to negative eight.
That is less than six hours until the trailer battery is a maximum safe discharge.
Sometimes you have to do an experiment to verify what you already know.

Originally Posted by lmckay

I have a 2003 16' Scamp with an icebox but want to replace it with just a normal mini fridge. The prices of those 2 and 3 way ones are outrageous really. Is there just a normal fridge out there that is a good enough option to fit that space?

Since you consider the price of 2 or 3 way (propane absorption model) fridges to be outrageous I will not suggest the Truck Fridge / Indel B fridges (with 12 volt Secop formally Danfoss compressors). They are expensive also but so are all fridges that operate off shore power as far as I know.


I just bought a portable type from Indel. It is only one cubic foot of food storage but I expect it will get me through days when I am on the road or stopped for only a few days without the need to use propane, instead using shore or solar. Still, even this small one uses about 240-760 watts a day (24 hours). Indel B is an Italian company but it seems that have have outsourced the manufacturing to China. From what reviews I have seen, this does not seem to affected the quality but there was a cosmetic flaw on my unit.

[Steve L.]

So did I. Two ways.


My battery monitor sums up amp-hours used as well what's going in and out of the trailer battery. It showed a net loss to the trailer battery. Later, as a winter project, I made up a test box that plugs in between the trailer and tow that tells me voltage and amperage passing over the 7 blade wire. (Shown at a fast idle and the fridge on DC.) As you mentined, the fridge wants about 10 aDC (120 watts), only about half of it (4.2aDC) is coming from the tow. But I left some wiggle-room in my response because the web likes to jump on exceptions.


There are aftermarket devices to isolate the trailer battery to fool the alternator into providing more current to the charge blade of the tow connector and some vehicles have tow modes that provide more current. My tow, although it has the manufacturer's tow package, has neither.

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by Steve L.

So did I. Two ways.


My battery monitor sums up amp-hours used as well what's going in and out of the trailer battery. It showed a net loss to the trailer battery. Later, as a winter project, I made up a test box that plugs in between the trailer and tow that tells me voltage and amperage passing over the 7 blade wire. (Shown at a fast idle and the fridge on DC.) As you mentined, the fridge wants about 10 aDC (120 watts), only about half of it (4.2aDC) is coming from the tow. But I left some wiggle-room in my response because the web likes to jump on exceptions.


There are aftermarket devices to isolate the trailer battery to fool the alternator into providing more current to the charge blade of the tow connector and some vehicles have tow modes that provide more current. My tow, although it has the manufacturer's tow package, has neither.

My Geek Brother🤡

[Jon in AZ]

Our Scamp has an icebox, too. Useless things, aren't they?

We take a few shorter trips of 3-5 days each year, so I am not interested in investing in an expensive 3-way or 12V/solar set-up. We generally camp without hook-ups, so a dorm fridge is out, too. In addition, with four people, anything that fits in that space is way too small for us.

Our solution is old-school: a $45 Coleman Xtreme 70 qt. ice chest. It cools much better than the icebox, which we now use for dry good storage, and has plenty of space. Costco sells 20# of cubes for less than $2, which lasts for 3-4 days, and we top off with a block or more cubes on longer trips. It's convenient because we cook outside. Keeping it in the shade is important.

One thing you haven't shared is how you camp- where and for how long. That makes a big difference. In general, the longer you stay out, the less you want to depend on ice, and the more you move around, the less you want to depend on shore power.

If you go the 120V dorm-fridge route, as others have done, consider ventilation. The back puts out heat, which you don't want building up in the cabinet. Also consider condensation- most fridges produce small quantities, and you don't want it dripping on the floor. Last, make sure the unit is well-secured and braced in the cabinet.

If you go with a 12V fridge, you have some homework to do. Not all 12V fridges are created equal, and you have to calculate amperage draw, recharging rate, etc. to make sure you're not going to be drawing your trailer battery below 50%. It may also need some ventilation.

If all this sounds complicated, you're right. There is no simple, inexpensive, reliable, energy-efficient, one-size-fits-all solution to refrigeration in RV's.

3-way absorption fridges have been the industry standard for decades, but they are inefficient and finicky. Expensive, as you have noted, and require those large, ugly vents.

12V volt compressor fridges combined with solar charging & high capacity batteries are rapidly catching up with the older technology. They're expensive, too, and battery technology remains the weak link.

Best wishes!

[Steve L.]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

My Geek Brother��

Geek brothers from different mothers!

[lmckay]

I haven't really gotten into some long haul camping trips just yet but I would hate to remove something that I wish I hadn't later on and regret it. So, I think I'll just use it as an airtight pantry of sorts for nowwhile I'm exploring my specific needs...Thanks again for all the feedback, you all are great!!!!!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by lmckay

...So, I think I'll just use it as an airtight pantry of sorts for now while I'm exploring my specific needs...

That's exactly what we do. Beware one thing: the drain tube. Ants got in once, attracted by a strawberry pie. It was a total loss. Plug the tube! (Just don't forget to unplug it if you decide to put ice in later...)

[ZachO]

As all of you who pay close attention to electrical usage know, an AC dorm fridge is much, much more efficient on electric than our 3-way absorption fridges. That's how people get away with using them.

But yes, unless you're always at a campground with electricity, it's a bit of a struggle, and the cost of solar and the battery bank to keep the "cheap" dorm fridge running if you boondock a lot will easily add up to what a 2 or 3-way rv fridge would cost.

I agree, use your camper for a bit and find out what you think you'll need. I can live out of a cooler, but don't prefer it. But I use my camper differently. If you really are in the "camping" mindset, a cooler works just fine, and saves you a lot of frustration and time that seems to come along with keeping the rv fridges running right.

[lmckay]

Thanks Jon, that is good advice to plug the tube! I had some Crows come and steal my bag of rolls off my picnic table last camping trip and I was really looking forward to a tomato and ham sandwich with those too... dang it