Forum Discussion

down_home's avatar
down_home
Explorer II
Jun 23, 2017

ReplacingAc/DC/propane Fridge/freezer with100% AC

This has been covered few times, but I've slept some since then.
I had our old unit repaired two or three years ago. I'm thinking now I should have replaced it with 100AC unit like home, and as others have done.
The space won't handle something the size of our home Samsung uni,t for sure.
The intake for one of the furnaces is under it, now.
It's four door freezer and refrigerator like most.
Someone here switched his out. He reports the all AC unit only uses one amp.
The one we have now uses 12 amps.
He still only has four deep cell batteries.
Would you have to leave the Inverter on all the time, like going down the road, or would you install a smaller independent inverter?
What units have secure doors that won't fly open on a big curve with a big bump?
Is there a specially designed unit(s) for MHs?

7 Replies

  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    In the summer we boondock/dry camp 5-6 days/week and before going residential we had to run our generator aprox 2 hours/day to keep our batteries up. Going residential has not changed that...if anything it's closer to 1.5 hours BUT it has its own power system with a 100A charger.
  • Let me just say this, once you experience a home/dorm fridge on your coach, you won't go back. I really really want to like RV fridges, I just don't anymore. The only virtue in them MAY be boondocking for extended periods. It's nice to have actual solid ice cream and frozen ice. What we do is freeze many ice packs before we hit the road and it always has kept things nice and cold while driving. Even freezer items stay fine.
  • If its working, I wouldn't replace it yet. Converting to a residential fridge can be a real pain.

    Your buddies uses 1 amp, but yours uses a lot less on propane!
  • 1 amp AC = about 10 to 12 amps in DC, could be wrong but I think I am close, so you are not really saving in battery usage by going to a AC fridg and you will need more batts to make it thru 1 day.

    And you also said your gas/elec fridg uses 12 amps, something must be wrong cause mine uses 3 amps, but its not the wide 4 door door type..
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Yes, my Whirlpool 21 cuft EnergyStar draws a little less than 1 amp AC or a measured 8 amps DC...96 watts on a 40 percent duty cycle. It came within 1/2" height of fitting perfectly. My biggest mistake was not replacing my NoCold 1200 sooner because of the fear of boondocking. Two additional batteries is all that's needed to make it match our other battery needs.

    You can find my DIY installation in the Feb 2016 link above. I installed a 1000 watt PSW inverter for the refrigerator and satellite/TiVo unit and it stays on 24/7 when not on shore power. I used child safety locks to hold the doors shut.

    While I never measured how many amps the two heating elements in a 1200 draws, I do not doubt the OP's 12amps. My electric bill this past winter was $20 less than previous years now that I have a residential refrigerator.,