Charging battery from Generator
I plan on a three day trip where I will not have hook ups. I will conserve power because I do not use the TV/DVD, seldom use the lights. The only draw on the new 12 volt battery will be the refriger...
Forum Discussion
lthrneck689 wrote:
I'm brand spanking new to RV'ng, but have been a boater for many years, spending a lot of time on the hook or a mooring. Conservation is key. It was always the fridge that sucked up battery power. An additional house battery will do great if you have the space, but you always have to use diligence when dry camping. Luxury items such as ice cream may suffer when conserving power, but most food that requires refrigeration does very well if you utilize power conservatively. Of course, a cooler filled with ice will keep that beer cold!
Did the boats have absorption fridges that used propane (or some other fuel), or were they purely electric? I would generally expect that they're not using the same refrigeration technology.
Propane RV fridges do not use a lot of battery power. Mine uses around half an amp when it's cooling and less than that when it's not cooling. It's on the low side, admittedly, as it doesn't have any fans etc. operating as some models do. The secret, if you want to call it that, to the low power usage is that the actual cooling unit is powered by the propane burner, not by battery power, so the electrical usage is only for the controls.
Some RVs do have residential-style refrigerators with electrically powered compressors, and those naturally use a whole lot more battery power.
