residential refrigerator vs rv gas/electric refrigerator?

We replaced our failing Norcold fridge with a residential fridge a couple of years ago. There's no way we would want to go back to an RV absorption fridge now. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for us on a new RV, but at the first sign of trouble, I wouldn't hesitate to go right back to a residential fridge. On the other hand, we don't boondock much any more, and I can understand why those that do would want the flexibility of electric or LP cooling.

We have already had to replace the Dometic 13cu' fridge, at no small expense. The Dometic was as much as more than 3 Samsung domestic fridges that would fit.

Nothing wrong with a domestic fridge provided you have the pure sinewave inverter & the battery capacity to power it. The inverter is a one time cost. Increasing battery bank size & somewhere to put it is another matter.
food does not instantly thaw & spoil the moment power is taken from the fridge. Keep the door closed & it can go for hours without risk of spoilage.

Builders, particularly those building big up market units, are installing residential fridges & pitifully small water tanks in trailers they think their owners will never dry camp in. They will hop from one FHU resort to another.

Sorry, some of us like to dry camp in comfort. That comfort includes a big fridge, big battery bank & big water capacity.

Two way for us too and here's why; Our last RV had a two way that worked flawlessly for it's entire 13 years. I even tossed out the temp gauge I had in it because I just never needed to do anything with it.
That and the fact that resi fridges have a life span of 10~12 years these days. It's shamefull but true.
I can rebuild my RV fridge for ever but replacing a resi fridge can be a huge job.
I also want to leave open the posibility of dry camping on rare occasions and I don't want to load up hundreds of pounds of extra batteries or invest in solar that I otherwise dont need, just in case I boondock.
So our choice is a RV fridge.
YNMMV.

rockhillmanor wrote:
...My friends replaced their fridge with a residential one simply because of the cost vs replacing the RV fridge. They REGRET doing it. AND I when we travel together I have to carry their food in 'my' RV until we get to a place with power. :R

then your friends didn't also install an inverter with a properly sized battery bank or they're not using it. we spend between 4-6 months on the road and love our resi fridge. our 2000-watt inverter and battery bank easily handles the fridge while on the road.

"If you boon docked would the batteries need to be charged daily?"

Yes, Oasisbob, or you will significantly reduce your house batteries' life. A generator is the quick, old fashioned answer but solar is the easiest, cheapest answer but I do have a small backup inverter...unused except for 4 five minute exercise session in the last 60 days of camping.

Two way propane/electric fridge for me. We camp without hook ups half the time. Am I to understand the alternator on the tow vehicle would keep batteries charged while driving thus keep the fridge going? If you boon docked would the batteries need to be charged daily? I know they are cheaper initially.

I think you hit the nail right on the head there Bob!

If you have constant electric power (however that is supplied), then residential is OK.
If not, then propane is the answer.

Bob Vaughn wrote:
If given a choice of the residential refrigerator or an rv gas/electric refrigerator which would you choose?

It seems like all the new 5th wheels come with the residential model.

I suppose if you never drive more than 5-6 hours and never dry camp then the residential would be ok...but if you make long drives and dry camp or boon dock then the rv refrigerator would be the logical choice....

Wow, I didn't know that they started putting residential fridge's in the new RV's??

IMHO that would suck. If you RV a lot IMHO, there would be no way I would want a residential fridge in my RV. You will find more often than not real quick how much you need a fridge that can run off of propane.

My friends replaced their fridge with a residential one simply because of the cost vs replacing the RV fridge. They REGRET doing it.

AND I when we travel together I have to carry their food in 'my' RV until we get to a place with power. :R

Bob Vaughn wrote:
If given a choice of the residential refrigerator or an rv gas/electric refrigerator which would you choose? It seems like all the new 5th wheels come with the residential model. I suppose if you never drive more than 5-6 hours and never dry camp then the residential would be ok...but if you make long drives and dry camp or boon dock then the rv refrigerator would be the logical choice....

we chose residential because after 30-years I was tired of fighting with and stressing over the RV type. with the proper battery bank and inverter you can drive a lot farther than 5-6 hours (although we don't but not because of the resi fridge). you're on the right track with your boondocking comment but for us those days are mostly in the rear view mirror.