BNG Trust wrote:
Dilemma: My gas frig (Dometic Side-by-Side, NDR1292) is shot and it will take $3,000+ to replace. So maybe now is a good time to switch to a regular 10cu-ft Vissani or Whirlpool Brand house refrigerator you can buy at Home Depot/Lowes for just $300-$450? So I'm wondering what the pro vs cons are?
My situation/use requirements: I'm just an average RV'r that goes out on 2-3 week trips and ends up in an RV park 75% of the time.
Relative questions:
1) Can 4 deep cycle house batteries and a 3000W inverter handle this job?
2) Do I need a "line conditioner" or some other gizmo to protect against low and high voltage spikes?
3) Is there any advantage to adding a separate "Pure Sine Wave" inverter just for the refrigerator?
4) Will a store bought refrigerator handle the vibration and work while I am driving?
Thank you for your replies and advice. This really should not be such a contested issue unless we are talking about a revolutionary change that is coming to the RV industry and people are just fighting change. Or are there real concerns and/or reliability issues? ...because one thing is certain: A residential refrigerator is not a fire hazard like the Ammonia gas burner refrigerator is and it's so much cheaper!
I did the switch several years ago. I will address each point you presented
1. yes. I had that set up for the first year but I dry camp often so I added two 120Watt solar panels and added two more batteries. If you are plugged into shore power or running off your generator the batteries are not an issue since they will not be the source of power.
2 and 3. 3000 modified sine wave is generally not the best for any high draw electronics. I switched over to a 3000 Pure sine wave. Nothing special needed for spikes if you have a surge protector. If you do not have one get one asap.
4. I made my own door locks using 30lb closet door/drawer locks. Works great, just do not store heavy items in the door while on the road. You will need to turn on your inverter (or generator) while driving for the fridge to work.
Reduce resale value? Yes if the buyer is a newbie, no if they are a veteran of the RV lifestyle.
