New camper without 12 volt fridge

Grit dog wrote:
That’s really sad if LP fired camper fridges are now in short supply.

Do you remember the oven shortage back around '04 or '05?

One factory in China manufactured an orifice used by RV ovens and the factory went out of business. That was the end of RV ovens for many years. The marketing spin from the industry was "who needs an oven anyway?" and "everyone knows that convection microwaves are better than LP ovens".

It took a lot of doing, but I found an oven and put it under the tree for my wife for Christmas that year. She used the heck out of that oven and she uses the oven in our newer rig too.

The market has to bob and weave with shortages, but it doesn't make it a logical choice or a preference. It's just dealing with the current market conditions.

Hopefully the OP can put a fridge under the tree for his wife (or just himself) next year.

Reisender wrote:
Adda about 400 watts of solar (2 panels) and some additional battery capacity and you’ll be happy with the compressor unit. They are a better fridge and will keep things cooler in hot weather.

solar is fine IF you are either parked in the sun or have portable panels in the sun or have electric hookup. A stretch of cloudy days dry camping....... another story.

yes, the do cool faster, and keep stuff colder in hot weather IF you have power for them. There are days camping where a compressor fridge would have been fine, but there have also been time camping in constant cloudy weather where compressor fridge would have meant running a generator even with all the solar we have.

You just can't beat the energy density in BTU/lb of propane with current alternatives. Weeks of fridge running on a gallon of propane.

dedmiston wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
That’s really sad if LP fired camper fridges are now in short supply.

Do you remember the oven shortage back around '04 or '05?

One factory in China manufactured an orifice used by RV ovens and the factory went out of business. That was the end of RV ovens for many years. The marketing spin from the industry was "who needs an oven anyway?" and "everyone knows that convection microwaves are better than LP ovens".

It took a lot of doing, but I found an oven and put it under the tree for my wife for Christmas that year. She used the heck out of that oven and she uses the oven in our newer rig too.

The market has to bob and weave with shortages, but it doesn't make it a logical choice or a preference. It's just dealing with the current market conditions.

Hopefully the OP can put a fridge under the tree for his wife (or just himself) next year.

No I don’t remember. In 2005 our camper was made by Kelty. (A tent, lol)
I may have phrased it wrong but I meant that campers are being offered with different features now and not with LP fridges. But icbw.

ktmrfs wrote:

Reisender wrote:
Adda about 400 watts of solar (2 panels) and some additional battery capacity and you’ll be happy with the compressor unit. They are a better fridge and will keep things cooler in hot weather.

solar is fine IF you are either parked in the sun or have portable panels in the sun or have electric hookup. A stretch of cloudy days dry camping....... another story.

yes, the do cool faster, and keep stuff colder in hot weather IF you have power for them. There are days camping where a compressor fridge would have been fine, but there have also been time camping in constant cloudy weather where compressor fridge would have meant running a generator even with all the solar we have.

You just can't beat the energy density in BTU/lb of propane with current alternatives. Weeks of fridge running on a gallon of propane.

Yah I hear ya. But with 400 watts of solar and a corresponding battery back even under cloudy skys you would probably be fine for a few days.

Anyway. Hope you find a solution. Happy camping and safe travels.

John.

Grit dog wrote:
No I don’t remember. In 2005 our camper was made by Kelty. (A tent, lol)

Awesome. I gave my girlfriend (now wife) a tent for Christmas the first year we were dating.

Reisender wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:

Reisender wrote:
Adda about 400 watts of solar (2 panels) and some additional battery capacity and you’ll be happy with the compressor unit. They are a better fridge and will keep things cooler in hot weather.

solar is fine IF you are either parked in the sun or have portable panels in the sun or have electric hookup. A stretch of cloudy days dry camping....... another story.

yes, the do cool faster, and keep stuff colder in hot weather IF you have power for them. There are days camping where a compressor fridge would have been fine, but there have also been time camping in constant cloudy weather where compressor fridge would have meant running a generator even with all the solar we have.

You just can't beat the energy density in BTU/lb of propane with current alternatives. Weeks of fridge running on a gallon of propane.

Yah I hear ya. But with 400 watts of solar and a corresponding battery back even under cloudy skys you would probably be fine for a few days.

Anyway. Hope you find a solution. Happy camping and safe travels.

John.

on a cloudy day that "400 watts of solar" is down to 100W or so, even less in heavy clouds. And if your in the northern US, in fall or spring not that many decent hours for solar "harvesting".

Yes it may be good for a day or two, but we often dry camp for a week or more and currently with a propane fridge even in cloudy days we don't need the generator. Comparing to my small trailer with a compressor fridge, I'd be running the generator every few days, PITA.

Just bought a brand new Northern Lite camper with a three way fridge. So if you are into truck campers, they are available. -Mark.

Ktmrfs wrote
"on a cloudy day that "400 watts of solar" is down to 100W or so, even less in heavy clouds. And if your in the northern US, in fall or spring not that many decent hours for solar "harvesting".

Yes it may be good for a day or two, but we often dry camp for a week or more and currently with a propane fridge even in cloudy days we don't need the generator. Comparing to my small trailer with a compressor fridge, I'd be running the generator every few days, PITA"

I agree with solar and more batteries. As far as the generator goes, MOST people that dry camp or boondock have a generator for those occasional times that solar is not ideal. Key word is occasional.

Cptnvideo wrote:
Ktmrfs wrote
"on a cloudy day that "400 watts of solar" is down to 100W or so, even less in heavy clouds. And if your in the northern US, in fall or spring not that many decent hours for solar "harvesting".

Yes it may be good for a day or two, but we often dry camp for a week or more and currently with a propane fridge even in cloudy days we don't need the generator. Comparing to my small trailer with a compressor fridge, I'd be running the generator every few days, PITA"

I agree with solar and more batteries. As far as the generator goes, MOST people that dry camp or boondock have a generator for those occasional times that solar is not ideal. Key word is occasional.

yes, occasional generator use does cover it IF you also have a decent charger. The WFCO's charge with such a low current it takes a LONG time to get a decent charge into the batteries when they are low, and seldom do people know how bad a charger they are for boondocking.

we have a honda generator, however since we added solar and have a propane fridge the ONLY time I've needed the generator is when it is hot enough to need to run the AC. We camp in some remote camgrounds with sites far apart, but even then when someone starts up a generator, we can hear it, More and more campers are adding solar, last trip probably 30% had portable panels out, very few generators starting, really nice and peaceful.

dedmiston wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
No I don’t remember. In 2005 our camper was made by Kelty. (A tent, lol)

Awesome. I gave my girlfriend (now wife) a tent for Christmas the first year we were dating.

Lol
When I got married I had to begin convincing my wife that “roughing it” didn’t mean having to stay at the Super 8 vs the Marriot!

We tent camped until moving to AK. (When I joined Rvnet). She drew the line at Grizzly bears. Funny story, our first night across the border driving up there with the first TC on the the ole pickemup, seen a grizz about 1/2 mile from where we broke camp in the morning….lol