Residentail refrigerators in motorhomes

John S. wrote:
I am goingto run my genset for the coffee maker and the microwave anyway so it will bulk charge the batteries then. I have friends who have put up soar and do not need to run the genset much at all. It is there and simple so I run it when it needs to be run. This coach does not have the same soar setup I ad on my last coach but my next coach will be designed with it in mind and will not require any real genset run time other tan baking in the microwave or the washing machine.

I run my gen sometimes for coffee and microwave. Maybe 15 min max. Doesn't seem be enough enough time to bring batteries to full charge. I have using dometic reefers for 8 years with no problems and complete independence from the grid and no p o neighbors. I don't get it?

Don McL wrote:
Jack Mayer has a spreadsheet on his site with different examples.

scroll down to Residential Refrigerators to download the spreadsheet

After reading this summary, it appears that residential fridges @ 100ah are a stretch for those who don't like running a generator or lack an array of batteries with solar panels. I understand that many take great pride in their generator, so I can see how a residential fridge is virtually a 'must have'.

A viable alternative is a small 'beer fridge' for items that are not suitable for a gas fridge (can't think what those are but I gather they are common). These fridges consume as little as 20ah. But where's the fun in that? LOL.

Our Samlex G4 says our whirlpool draws around 1 amp when it's running and it runs about 20 to 25 minutes out of the hour.

I am goingto run my genset for the coffee maker and the microwave anyway so it will bulk charge the batteries then. I have friends who have put up soar and do not need to run the genset much at all. It is there and simple so I run it when it needs to be run. This coach does not have the same soar setup I ad on my last coach but my next coach will be designed with it in mind and will not require any real genset run time other tan baking in the microwave or the washing machine.

Jack Mayer has a spreadsheet on his site with different examples.

scroll down to Residential Refrigerators to download the spreadsheet

don

My electrical math may not be accurate and I may be messing up, but the RF197 18 cubic foot model has a 3 amp max per hour. My EMS says it's using 2 amps an hour when running. A poster on another site said he tested his RF197 and it actually used somewhere around 1.8 amps an hour when running. Keep in mind that the 3 amp max is probably the compressors kicking on and the ice maker running all at the same time.

If it's using 2 amps per hour and it runs 50% of the time, that would be 100 amps a day. If two 100 watt solar panels are added, they may reasonably give you 5 amps times 8 hours a day, times two panels, for 80 amps. So on a good sunny day and not a lot of opening the refer, it could be a wash.

Someone correct me if my math is off. I agree the 24 cubic foot would draw more, but I believe their usage rating may be high.

lhatton wrote:

That said if you need to run the genny for an hour every day to dry camp, please don't park next to me.

Wow, I'm not even this bad! LOL!!

Just some quick math to keep the conversation honest.

24.0 Samsung residential fridge uses 560kWh annually.

That's 1534 Watt hours daily.

Divide that by 12V and you are using about 127Ah daily.

Most of the rigs we're talking about have a 60-150A charger so between two hours and 50 minutes of generator bulk charging just to power the fridge for a day. Longer if you are above 80% charged and in acceptance mode.

600 watts of solar would take care of it most places with as little as 50% of panel rating for 5 hours.

That said if you need to run the genny for an hour every day to dry camp, please don't park next to me.

I try to run no more than an hour every week when we're out in the boonies.

While I will consider the residential unit when mine dies, it pretty hard to beat filling the propane once or twice a year vs the cost ($2400 for the 24 Samsung + solar + batteries and installation)

BTW I'm on year 13 for my Dometic side by side. And yes my ice cream is as firm as in the stick house.

Les

RayChez......Just about everything can be overcome with some ingenuity. You don't seem interested in changing refers and I'm glad yours has worked for 10 years. I kept mine running for 8 years and sold it when I removed it because it was still running well.

With that said, I DOUBT you can be happy with the Norcold after driving 5-6 hours on a 100+ degree day or camping in 100+ weather. My Norcold would show that the interior air was 34-36 degrees because I did many things to make mine stay cool, but the food internal temperature was much warmer.

I've done a ton of mods to my coach to make it better and more comfortable. The refer has been the BEST mod I've done in 8 years. Everything is COLD!

Here's how I overcame the battery space. My coach had room for (4) six volt coach batteries and (2) 12 volt engine batteries. Since the 12 volt engine batteries are larger than the six volt batteries, they kept me from adding an additional two six volt batteries (there was only enough room for one).

I welded up a shelf and moved the engine batteries up on the shelf. This opened up enough floor space to add four more batteries. I added two for a total of six. I have room for eight now.

RayChez wrote:

chili's trip wrote:

northmeck0255 wrote:

ClassAGeek wrote:
I am always fascinated by these threads...

"We ONLY need to run the generator 4 hours a day since adding a residential fridge".

Isn't this a major disadvantage?

Full Disclosure: After 5 years of camping we finally past 10 hours on the generator this summer. That's 10 hours lifetime.

Having to run a generator daily would be enough for me to quit camping altogether. Am I the only one?

Yes. ;)

No!

NO! If I had to run the generator four hours a day, I think I would find another way rather then a residential type refrigerator.

If you are going to have full hook up's all your life, THEN! I can see a residential refrigerator. But if I was to dry camp a lot, THEN I would have to make a tough decision as to whether to invest on a costly venture of installing a pure sine inverter, adding two more batteries, modify the slot where the frig goes, also would have to find a place to install the extra two batteries because there is no more room in the compartment now. There are six batteries in there already. Two chassis and four house. Need a electrician to rewire all this changes, and a carpenter that would do a good job. You do not want a half a** job looking like an add on. But if you plan to be on a campground all the time with full hook ups, Then a residential is the way to go.

I guess I have been one of the lucky persons with the Norcold 1200LRIM because it has been a very good refrigerator for the last ten years whether in 120 degree weather in Laughlin, Nev. or cooler places in the pacific northwest. I just adjusted the thermistor up or down and can get it to cool a lot or not so much. The freezer has always kept the ice cream frozen solid and the steaks solid like a rock. So like I said, I must be one lucky guy.

But I still keep my eyes open on some of these articles (especially)the refrigerator that impresses me the most is the SamSung RF197 ACRS.

Ray brings up some valid points that can make or break a decision to go residential. If there is no additional room to put regular lead acid batteries (x 2) then a more expensive AGM may have to be used. Invereters are not that costly but if the residential you select requires a sine wave inverter (like ours) it gets pricier again. Solar is not pricey and always a good idea anyway. Bottom line is its not for everyone. A residential is considerably cheaper than an absorption so there is room for mitigation of cost but a lot needs to be taken into account. Having said all that I can not think of a single person that regrets going residential wether they are dry campers or not.

Happy trails all.