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Old 10-22-2013, 10:47 AM   #1
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12 volt refrigerator?

Anyone install a 12 v fridge? How is it working for you? Do you use solar panels?
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Old 10-22-2013, 11:04 AM   #2
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I don't have a 12V unit but I can tell you that it really sucks up the 12VDC.
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Old 10-22-2013, 12:18 PM   #3
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I guess they would, and they don't even have a little freezer. There is about a $600-700 difference in price between a 12v and a 3-way Dometic.
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Old 10-22-2013, 12:19 PM   #4
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I have the three way which comes with my Scamp. FWICT it uses about 100 W regardless of source. That equates to 8.4 amps. It does not appear to cycle as do the compressor types so that is 8.4 amps continuously. That's a lot of current.
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Old 10-22-2013, 02:04 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Lorelei L View Post
Anyone install a 12 v fridge? How is it working for you? Do you use solar panels?
There are several different types of 12vdc fridges so it will pay to do some research and understand the options,really!

The standard RV units that are only 12vdc seem sort of silly to me,why not be able to use more than just 12vdc if this is the type used?

Then there are 12vdc Peltier Junction units that both heat and cool and though they work fairly well they will not freeze while maintaining warmer than freezing in another spot and they do hog the current.
They are cheap though and handy and I have used one a lot during power outages and would buy another if mine died for sure.

Then there are the more modern and much less utilized so far Danfoss 12vdc compressor units which are very good at the job,sip the power and can be pricey too.

This is the type that I would think you are asking about?

Worth looking into for sure from what I have read.
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Old 10-22-2013, 02:31 PM   #6
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Ours is a 120VAC and Propane. We and have it loaded and run the 120VAC for 2 days B-4 departing. We freeze water bottles and put them inside on day of departure and it seams to work out well. Have always had AC Power at camp grounds. Have never used the propane function but would if we boondocked.
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Old 10-22-2013, 03:10 PM   #7
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We like to stay in national parks and forests and with our old camper we have a larger 3way with a decent sized freezer that we used with propane. Now that we are looking for an egg, refrigeration is a concern. I know how fast you can go thru ice! I just don't want to have to spend another $1000 having a new 3way installed.
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Old 10-22-2013, 03:37 PM   #8
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There are several different types of 12vdc fridges so it will pay to do some research and understand the options,really!

The standard RV units that are only 12vdc seem sort of silly to me,why not be able to use more than just 12vdc if this is the type used?

Then there are 12vdc Peltier Junction units that both heat and cool and though they work fairly well they will not freeze while maintaining warmer than freezing in another spot and they do hog the current.
They are cheap though and handy and I have used one a lot during power outages and would buy another if mine died for sure.

Then there are the more modern and much less utilized so far Danfoss 12vdc compressor units which are very good at the job,sip the power and can be pricey too.

This is the type that I would think you are asking about?

Worth looking into for sure from what I have read.
Volume vs volume - Ammonia absorption vs Peltier power required. In my observations and uses of both ammonia absorption is a lot less power hungry.
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Old 10-22-2013, 03:53 PM   #9
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The Danfoss/Secop compressor fridges are mucho expensive. Weight and expense of onboard batteries and genset and/or solar recharging are also not negligible.

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Old 10-22-2013, 03:56 PM   #10
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Lorelei said: I know how fast you can go thru ice!

What about a portable ice maker?
Magic Chef MCIM22TW Portable Ice Maker - Walmart.com
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Old 10-22-2013, 04:12 PM   #11
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About ice. We use a small 3 way fridge for long stays and a Coleman Extreme cooler for road trips. Block ice lasts far longer than bags of cubes. Fishing tackle shops often carry it for the fishermen to preserve their catch. If you have to use cubes find the most solid bag you can find and put it in your cooler whole if possible. Try not to drain the water. You'll get an extra day or more. Raz
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Old 10-22-2013, 07:13 PM   #12
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Re: Byron: I am not familiar with the finer details of refrigeration. I would be grateful if you could tell me about the difference between ammonia and Peltier.
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Old 10-22-2013, 07:29 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Darwin Maring View Post
Lorelei said: I know how fast you can go thru ice!

What about a portable ice maker?
Magic Chef MCIM22TW Portable Ice Maker - Walmart.com

I have a portable ice maker.....they are good and do come in handy...but don't count on one to make enough ice to fill your ice chest. I know you will read reviews that say they keep their ice chest filled with one,,,,and you can IF you stay on top of your icemaker & empty the basket every 15 minutes when it fills and if you spend all day on the ice empty job.I have spent time at home making ice & store it in my freezer at home until time to go camping then add to ice chest.Now if you like to have ice in your coke or tea or adult beverage while camping then the portable ice maker is the way to go.
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Old 10-22-2013, 08:16 PM   #14
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Darwin, I'm talking about going off the grid for a week or 2. Portable ice makers are strictly party fare. They don't even store and they are ac.
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Old 10-22-2013, 08:26 PM   #15
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Danforth 12 volt compressor refrigerators are no more expensive than a new 3-way ammonia type frig and are far more efficient. You can buy a 2.4cf for $639 + shipping here: Nova Kool R2600 68L Single Door Refrigerator (R2600) DC Only

This frig is pretty much a direct physical size replacement for the old Dometic rm211.

Since there is a compressor, they work much better than ammonia technology and you don't need propane or large vents on the side of your trailer. Only uses 3 amp when running. Easily can run a long time with only solar to replenish your battery.

If you have a generator to recharge you're golden. On shore power, if you have a converter, it only takes a 3 amp circuit to make it work.

Just more food for thought!

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Old 10-22-2013, 09:49 PM   #16
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12v fridge

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Anyone install a 12 v fridge? How is it working for you? Do you use solar panels?
I have a 12 volt. Norcold fridge in my Eggcamper, as suggested when I bought it new in 2007. It operates straight from the battery. Battery recharging takes place thru my power converter. It will operate about 3 days off a fully charged battery, if the battery is not getting recharged.
It is small, and actually has a small freezer. It does a great job for what I need and have had no issues with it Model is norcold DC40 or something like that. Manufacturer says direct battery connection for power, not thru one of the 12 volt outputs on the converter. Supposedly a cleaner 12 volt source to the unit. They are a bit pricey.
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Old 10-22-2013, 11:19 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Spanke View Post
Danforth 12 volt compressor refrigerators are no more expensive than a new 3-way ammonia type frig and are far more efficient. You can buy a 2.4cf for $639 + shipping here: Nova Kool R2600 68L Single Door Refrigerator (R2600) DC Only

This frig is pretty much a direct physical size replacement for the old Dometic rm211.

Since there is a compressor, they work much better than ammonia technology and you don't need propane or large vents on the side of your trailer. Only uses 3 amp when running. Easily can run a long time with only solar to replenish your battery.

If you have a generator to recharge you're golden. On shore power, if you have a converter, it only takes a 3 amp circuit to make it work.

Just more food for thought!

Spanke

I have a NovaKool Danfoss 12 volt only compressor style refrigerator/freezer in our 13' Scamp. It has more interior capacity than the Dometic 3 way it replaced. We use it off the grid almost exclusively for 8 weeks at a time. The unit was less than $700.00, and a 100 watt Ramsond Solar Panel (less than a generator, & made in the USA) to keep our single group 27 battery charged. I plan to purchase a new fiberglass trailer in the future and will insist that it will have this technology in it.
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Old 10-23-2013, 08:00 AM   #18
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A 12VDC / 120VAC compressor fridge is what you are looking for. They are expensive, but they have many of the advantages of a regular house fridge, because they work the same way. Specifically they make cold fast in comparison to the absorption fridges, (more ice). They also require much less power then either the Peltier or the absorption fridges.

The three technologies are very different.

Absorption fridges:
These are the mainstay of the RV world. This is because almost everyone carries propane on their RV. On a 20lb bottle, some have told me that they can go for two weeks. The technology is difficult to explain. The process has many stages. It runs at a very high pressure as well. What is important to understand is that a little heat can make cold, even Ice. Making heat with propane is not too hard, with 12 VDC, it sucks up the power. Three way fridges have three heat supplies, propane, a 12 VDC resistance heater, and a 120 VAC resistance heater.

Peltier Coolers:
These use a solid state cooling unit. They are typically low efficiency, so will drain you battery quickly. I can't say I understand the physics, but it is kinda like a thermocouple in reverse. Instead of heat making a little electricity, what happens is electricity makes a little cold. They typically have a 20°C heat differential. That is they can cool ~20°C below ambient temp. If it is 30°C out, then the cooler is 10°C inside.
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Old 10-23-2013, 09:12 AM   #19
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Thanks for all the info! I have some real direction for research now. Dave & Paula: nice solar setup!
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Old 10-23-2013, 09:35 AM   #20
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We like to stay in national parks and forests and with our old camper we have a larger 3way with a decent sized freezer that we used with propane. Now that we are looking for an egg, refrigeration is a concern. I know how fast you can go thru ice! I just don't want to have to spend another $1000 having a new 3way installed.
Here is my casual observation on the topic of do you spend the dollars up front on a 3 way Fridge or go with a newer 12 VDC fridge that sips power.

I also camp off the grid and have a 3 way which I never run on DC - in part due to it being an older fridge that sucks back DC - battery would be dead in less than a day, so I use propane when off the grid. Doesnt eat much propane so I am good for the long haul. I have a very small (inexpensive) solar system to keep my battery topped up due to my other light power usage when dry camping - have LED lights, water pump, furnace or FF fan and some phone and camera recharging.

I also camp with two parties with newer trailers (none fiberglass trailers) that have Norcold 12 VDC fridges - they are actually a bit smaller fridges than mine and I believe they are much like the 2.7 cubic foot marine style ones that Norcold sells (actually may well be those ones) - they sell for about $700 if I am not mistaken. Problem is that although they use far less DC than my old fridge by the end of 2 days of dry camping they are starting to worry about their batteries as they are either at or getting close to 50% - although they have both gone to the expense of switched to using 2 6 volt batteries to try and help out with that. As well as all LED lights in the trailer and being very careful with power usage. As a result both have had to invest in fairly large solar systems (at least compared to my set up) to deal with that. Which work if we are camping out in a sunny location but dont work so well on bad weather days or when camping under heavy tree canopy. Now after a couple of years of dealing with this issue and not overly successfully (having run batteries dead a few times and having to replace batteries due to that) they are looking at replacing the fridges with 3 ways or buying a generator. REALLY hoping as I camp near them they just replace them with a 3 way fridge and forget the generator!

I suspect that although $1000 sounds like a lot to pay for a fridge - if you add up the cost of a decent 12 VDC Fridge and the cost of solar that you will need to keep it running (assuming you have sun) for more than 3 days &/or the cost of a generator to stay off the grid for more than a few days, it may well be cheaper to just pay for the 3 way fridge up front and know you are going to be fine regardless of the weather.
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