New fifth wheel refrigerators

Arizcowboy wrote:
Looking at the new fifth wheels . They are now using residential refrigerators in them 120 ac . Dealers claim that they are so effective that they can stay cold for three days off of the invertor . Has anyone had experience with this set up ?

We just bought into that set-up earlier this year. When we were at the RV show here in Milwaukee we were told that SAME story. I had my doubts but we loved how much more space the residential fridge gave us. Campinghut is very close to right. Three days?? Umm Not!

For us though we do more full hook up camping so it didn't matter too much. You have to know what works for YOU. We LOVE our fridge but that's just us.

Good luck with your decision.

Dan

Halmfamily wrote:
We looked at the option of having a residential fridge in our new fiver but couldn't justify the $2000 upgrade. The units would come with a 1200 watt inverter and two batteries per Forest River.

As for staying cold for three days with no power to it there's no way. If you pack it full of ice I could see that. This is another reason I don't shop with a sales person I can't believe half of what they're saying.

Go luck and happy shopping.

. Halmfamily do you have the forest river 360 that is the model that I'm looking at . With the residential frig the 2015 came with only one battery . And if I wanted more I had to install . Thanks for everyone's input

OK, let's just say that a inverter with 4 batteries will run a fridge for 3 days. What about other 12 volt use--lights, TV, radio, water pump, furnace? And have enough juice left over to get the slides in and hooked up?

Better have a generator around.

What is the time that a gas/elec will last when plugged in all the time except when traveling and occasional boondock...for a night or so.....running on gas..is level all the time.....just curious if anyone has met above criteria...I know ones that are not level...have short lifespan.......temp in trailer runs 45-80 95% or more of the time.....

We looked at the option of having a residential fridge in our new fiver but couldn't justify the $2000 upgrade. The units would come with a 1200 watt inverter and two batteries per Forest River.

As for staying cold for three days with no power to it there's no way. If you pack it full of ice I could see that. This is another reason I don't shop with a sales person I can't believe half of what they're saying.

Go luck and happy shopping.

goducks10 wrote:

Arizcowboy wrote:
That's what my concerns were, all the new fifth wheels are starting to use this set up and it's great if your plugged in all the time but I felt the invertor couldn't keep up . I looked up the specs and they will draw 15 Amps . So I'm guess I will have the factory put in a dual control one instead whe I still have this option

I wouldn't say all. Just some of the high end units.

Agreed, and my guess is that many of these high end units are usually at sites where they have electric.

Arizcowboy wrote:
That's what my concerns were, all the new fifth wheels are starting to use this set up and it's great if your plugged in all the time but I felt the invertor couldn't keep up . I looked up the specs and they will draw 15 Amps . So I'm guess I will have the factory put in a dual control one instead whe I still have this option

I wouldn't say all. Just some of the high end units.

It should go without saying but don't believe everything the dealer tells you.
Under normal ambient conditions, a refrigerator is designed to run 50% of the time.
It wouldn't run that often if it didn't need to.

Brockinfla wrote:

It's a simple residential 110 volt fridge. Not a magical cold box. Unplug your home fridge and watch and record how long it stays cold inside.

Now they you go confusing things with a 'voice of reason' :B


Residential fridges will work even when boondocking........just have to have the additional battery bank, the inverter, the solar for maintaining batteries and if not enough a generator.
Keep that battery bank charged and that residential will run and run and run.

Both types (absorption/compressor) have pros/cons.
What are your requirements....pick.

That's what my concerns were, all the new fifth wheels are starting to use this set up and it's great if your plugged in all the time but I felt the invertor couldn't keep up . I looked up the specs and they will draw 15 Amps . So I'm guess I will have the factory put in a dual control one instead whe I still have this option