mowermech
Billings, MT
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"Second - your question about refrigerators - most RV refrigerators are still gas - they are three-way and run on propane, battery and electricity. There are RV refrigerators that are condenser refrigerators just like in your house and these run on battery or AC (two-way). The RV needs to be relatively level to run the gas fridge efficiently and without damaging the system. The condenser fridge does not have to be kept level. I have a condenser fridge in my small RV and it cools quickly and has not put any strain on my coach batteries. It is all a matter of preference - but the gas unit is what you will find included most of the time."
I have seen VERY few "three-way" RV refrigerators in the past few years. Nearly all are "two-way", gas or 110VAC operation. The gas units still require 12VDC to run the control board.
I am not familiar with a "condenser" type refrigerator in an RV. How does it work... Ah, yes, "google" IS your friend! The regular old compressor/condenser frig, often referred to as "household" frig. Most run on 110VAC, so require an inverter. Some will run on 12VDC, but are often energy hogs. With only two 6V batteries in my rig, such a frig is not for me! I would have to run the generator too much during a long stay!
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi mowermech,
The Danfoss compressor fridges draw 2 to 3 amps. They run a scant 5 to 6 hours per day. I don't consider that "energy hog" level at all. Not compared to a pair of 1141 light bulbs.
SunDanzer 5.8 cubic-foot freezer
22.6 amp-hour/day load at 70° F
36.7 amp-hour/day load at 90° F
Source:
fridge and freezers
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bikendan
Napa, Cal.
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mowermech is right. about the only RV that has a 3-way fridge anymore, are popups or A-frames. they are small and the 12v option can keep up with it.
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dryadsdad
Albuquerque, NM
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I thought these RV's used generators for power in instances where shore power or whatever it's called in the RV world isn't available. I used a Balmar alternator which puts out enough power to easily run my refrigerator:
http://www.pyacht.com/Balmar-604-Series-Specs.pdf
I'm very much looking forward to learning the tech of these RV's. Clearly I was wrong in assuming that these were land boats using similar tech as boats.
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mowermech
Billings, MT
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pianotuna wrote:Hi mowermech,
The Danfoss compressor fridges draw 2 to 3 amps. They run a scant 5 to 6 hours per day. I don't consider that "energy hog" level at all. Not compared to a pair of 1141 light bulbs.
SunDanzer 5.8 cubic-foot freezer
22.6 amp-hour/day load at 70° F
36.7 amp-hour/day load at 90° F
Source:
fridge and freezers
Impressive numbers, especially if they hold true in "real world" use.
I still don't want one. Some of those things are HEAVY!
My propane/110VAC unit does the job just fine.
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1775
NY
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dryadsdad wrote:
Both of us have spent years living on boats. We use a cold plate refrigeration system on boats which essentially stores cold (OK, I took Physics and a I know that's not reality but conceptual). These are often engine or shorepower driven. They take a good deal of power but only need to cycle for about 45 minutes every few days. I"m a bit surprised that RV's, with their large engines, haven't adopted this tech, but perhaps it's not needed. We use cold plate on boats because nothing else seems equally practical.
There is a two way condenser fridge that uses a cold plate as you describe - there is a steel plate inside the fridge that gets cold and reduces the time needed to run the compressor which saves on battery power when running on 12volt only. The unit is sold for both boats and RVs. I don't recall the name but it is one of the more popular makes of RV condenser fridges. It does allow you to get more from your batteries when dry camping/boondocking as the fridge does not need to cycle on as often to maintain the temperature. I did not choose this because at the time I was deciding I did not really understand the purpose of the cold plate technology and went with the more conventional condenser.
As to the comments about no three way fridges any more - well, many Class B's (and this is what I have) come with 3 ways standard - propane/12volt/110volt.
And as to comments about the two way being a powerhog - my coach batteries are two 6 volt AGM batteries and I have no problem running the condenser fridge for a few days on 12 volt mode starting with the batteries at full charge.
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mike4947
N. Syracuse, NY
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The majority of three way fridges are at or below 6 cubic foot. They do draw an incredible amount of amps. Our 3 cu ft fridge draws 12 amps @ 12 volt and is rated at only 1/2 the BTU's of the same fridge at 120 volt or propane.
Your average 10 cu ft RV fridge we found would draw between 18-25 amps @ 12 volts. Not to mention the 1/2 the BTU's of propane or 120 volt.
These smaller 3 way fridges are actually designed to only use 12 volt when traveling where a good 12 volt conection to the TV electrical system can supply enough amps to hold the fridges' temp.
They also for the most part do NOT have a thermostatic control so do not use 12 volt when on propane or 120 volt.
It's amazing sometimes to me the turns these threads take from the original posts. LOL
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dryadsdad
Albuquerque, NM
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yeah, if a thread didn't drift, it'd not be the Internet. My bad on this one, I"m afraid. Sorry OP.
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LLeopold
Camarillo, CA USA
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Let's try to bring this thread back.
If there is interest in the topic, I suggest creating a new thread on refrigerators and provide a link to that in this thread.
Any subsequent posts off-topic will be deleted.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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LLeopold
Camarillo, CA USA
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Now, I'll post my own opinion on non-reservation check-ins.
If I have a defined "Home to Destination," I tend to plan the trip out in advance by using a tool such as the Good Sam Trip Planner. Now, you do have to be a Good Sam member to use the on-line tool, or a CD containing a program and travel planner can be purchased. After plugging in the my average speed and travel criteria (I use a rule-of-thumb of an average of 50 MPH regardless of the actual speed limits only because of stops and potential traffic areas, and I don't want to be stressed in transit when towing). If the distance requires more than one day, I try to get plan to be off the road around 4PM so that I have plenty of daylight left to set up and have time to make dinner and shake off the road before retiring for the night. I try to get back on the road around 7:00am and stop after an hour for breakfast, than continue on from there.
If I am on the "open road" and have no real schedule to keep, then I'll tend to be a bit more flexible. In this instance, around 2PM, I will start looking at the RV road atlas or CD-based travel planner and estimate where I will be around 4PM. I will then call ahead to one or more RV parks in that area to make a reservation. If the first one called is full, I'll call the next on the list. I've yet to have not allocate a site (sometimes due to a cancellation), although there was one time on my way to The Rally in 2007, on the final leg, when I did find that all the RV parks on route were booked. I was able to park overnight in an Indian casino parking lot, along with a number of other RVers. The price was right (free, just needed to register the truck and FW for security), but I made it a point to eat at the buffet and drop a couple of dollars in the slots as a token of my appreciation.
The bottom line is to either plan ahead, as you would in booking a hotel or motel room, or be flexible in your travel plans where you can stop earlier before the crowds come in the early evening.
Hope this helps.
Lou Leopold
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel Quad, SWB, 3.55:1, Rhino Lining
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