Our current refrigerator has to have 12 volts to power the control panel and direct spark to light the flame. Our last TT (2016 Wolf Pup) did not need power to operate on propane because you just turned on the lp and pushed a button to get the piezo sparker to ignite the gas and then you decided what flame level you needed for the current ambient temp. I liked the old one because you didn't need power but I like the fact that my food doesn't freeze. Both are nice for long duration camping and we REALLY like to eat well.