DrewE wrote:
NoVa RT wrote:
I run the fridge off the battery when traveling, after cooling it down while plugged in at home before leaving. I don't get the preference for propane. Sure, you don't use that much, but you don't use any off the 12V. I figure I'll just use the propane when I run the furnace (mostly cook on an outside grill) and it'll last a very long time.
A large part of the preference comes from the many two-way fridges that don't have a 12V element. The choices are propane or 120VAC power--and if you aren't running the generator while traveling for other reasons such as running an air conditioner, and don't care to buy and install an inverter for fridge use.
In many cases where there is three way power, the 12V element is also significantly less powerful than the burner or the 120V element, so there is less cooling available when running on 12V power. On hot days, that can be an important consideration--you might not be able to maintain sufficiently cool temperatures.
I didn't even know they put three-way refrigerators in motorhomes. I never saw one in the MH's I looked at. Mine is two-way. I have a onboard 2000 watt inverter in my motorhome and the only things not even plugged into that inverter are the A/C's and the Frig. I'm assuming that the reason for this is that National RV decided that the frig was a lot more efficient (?) using propane when 120 volt a/c wasn't available.
