Quote:
Originally Posted by Gleam B
I don't know anything about 12v refrigerators, but would like to learn about them for future consideration. Any info on brands and where one could purchase these would be appreciated. The wooden backing for the light over the bed was both glued and screwed. I have used 1/2" screws in other remodel applications with no problems. Just be careful!!! BTW... how long would such a refer run without draining the battery. I am considering adding another deep cycle marine type battery to supplement the one we have. Any suggestions??? Thanks
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Here's a link
http://www.truckfridge.com/tf130.html to a 4.4 cu ft model with a danfoss compressor selling for $600. There are marine models in more sizes with the same compressor for more money.
I have the std 3.6 cu ft dorm size
fridge, two 6v, 220 ah batteries and a 600w true sine wave inverter. The
fridge ran on the fully charged batteries for 48 hours over two 85 degree days with the trailer in the full sun and the
windows open.
The problem with the inverter is it is expensive plus uses some energy whenever it is turned on, even with no load, and has less than perfect efficiency when using 12v to support a 120v AC load. The
fridge is the only significant 120v load in the trailer that is practical to support with batteries.
Cooking, heating and hot water take too much current. Cell phone and computer charging are very small loads that can run with a very small inverter and those devices can often be charged directly from 12v if you have the adapter that plugs into a cigarette lighter socket.
A 12v fridge eliminates the high power inverter and would be more efficient, so would run on the same
battery bank longer. When you are plugged into shore power the battery charger keeps the batteries topped up, no matter how much current you draw, up to the capacity of the charge of course.
We haven't dry camped hardly at all but use the fridge on battery power whenever we are on the road. If you drive all day you need the fridge to be working or anything frozen will thaw and the cold items will get too warm.
A lesson I learned the hard way about inverters: they draw lots of current - 600 w is 50 amps at 12v. You need fat wire, short runs and solid connections to keep the voltage at the inverter input terminals to stay high enough to not trigger it's under-voltage safety cutout.