"Residential fridge" and boondocking...

I have a single group 31 optima AGM battery and a 42+ year old 3-way dometic fridge. I can go 9 days with the fridge and water heater on propane and the water pump "on" the entire time and still have a full charge on the battery. No solar, no generator, no hookups.

I don't use the furnace - the fan will eat up your battery power. I have good bedding that keeps me warm at night and a little buddy to take the chill off when needed.

I like the simplicity of my setup. It works well for dry camping and I don't have to deal with the expense of the generator, generator fuel, and/or solar setup.

For the price of a honda generator, you've paid for a propane fridge.

Gdetrailer wrote:

K3WE wrote:
To us, "boondocking" is 2 to 5 days with no generator or solar and maybe even wimpy old batteries.

I'm thinking the fancy "residential refrigerators" (with dedicated converter) are a bad idea for this type of use pattern.

(Yeah, often times the furnace is involved).

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks.

But from the tone of your post, it looks like you have a chip on your shoulder against folks using home fridges..

Why such hate?

I don't have anything against you or others wasting your money on RV fridges that are many times more expensive and less reliable (IE fancy control boards and kludgy, flammable cooling units) and STILL require a 12V battery to power the electronics.. You are more than welcome to continue on with what you have.

Wow, I would like some of those drugs you are using. :B

Resi- boondock 2018
pros-cons v. gas2016

resi Feb 2016


older stuff:
household refer and inverter2009
residential fridge- boondocking 09

K3WE wrote:
To us, "boondocking" is 2 to 5 days with no generator or solar and maybe even wimpy old batteries.

I'm thinking the fancy "residential refrigerators" (with dedicated converter) are a bad idea for this type of use pattern.

(Yeah, often times the furnace is involved).

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks.

I can easily operate my 10 cu ft home fridge from one pair of 6V GC batts, plus run the furnace, plus some lighting and some entertainment for 24 hrs before needing to recharge.

I would have no issue camping for two days without recharging with 2 pairs of GC batts, no gen or solar.. I could add 300W-400W worth of solar panels and be able to camp nearly a week with on two pairs of GC batts. If I used a gen it could be nearly indefinite depending on how much spare gas I wanted to take.

Home fridges ARE far more energy efficient now days, ones like mine use a whopping 90W while running and run 20 minutes per hr, inverter I use also has a sleep mode, shuts down the output section and goes into a sleep mode when no 120V load is attached.. So when the compressor shuts down so does the inverter. Really does not add all that much to the 12V load.

And my home fridge is not anywhere "fancy", it is a CHEAP $300 Haier brand.

If anything, a propane fired fridge is "fancy" based on price alone..

To replace my $300 home fridge with a RV fridge would cost $1800 plus shipping now days..

But from the tone of your post, it looks like you have a chip on your shoulder against folks using home fridges..

Why such hate?

I don't have anything against you or others wasting your money on RV fridges that are many times more expensive and less reliable (IE fancy control boards and kludgy, flammable cooling units) and STILL require a 12V battery to power the electronics.. You are more than welcome to continue on with what you have.

I could not justify spending nearly $2000 for a RV fridge for a trailer that was worth $700..

Need batteries any way and a inverter does add some convenience so really was a low cost solution to fix my TT instead of scrapping the TT.

Not to mention, I can easily replace my home fridge anywhere at any non RV store if it failed ( didn't build it in so it has an open space to allow for different fridge sizes).

RV fridges, not so much, have to run to a dealer, have them order one, then wait.. And HOPE you can get the same model which fits.. Nine times out of ten the model you have was discontinued and you WILL have to make modifications to your cabinets..

Ditto

We do have a residential reefer, it is even a dorm version selected for minimum power drain and a pair of good GC2s will barely make 2 days in moderate weather. Before the AC/DC Norcold died, it didn't do much better.

Matt

Second Chance wrote:
A single wet cell house battery will often last only one cold night running the furnace fan alone.

Anyone have a rule of thumb/experience for the refrigerator?

K3WE wrote:
To us, "boondocking" is 2 to 5 days with no generator or solar and maybe even wimpy old batteries.

With those self-imposed (I assume) restrictions, there will be a LOT of things that you can't do; a "residential" fridge is just one.

In your case I would have a propane fridge.

It is!

IF you want to do it without a generator or significant solar power and a good battery bank, yes - a residential frig is a bad idea. A single wet cell house battery will often last only one cold night running the furnace fan alone.

Rob