Traveling with a Residential Fridge?

schlep1967 wrote:
So we currently have an RV fridge that runs on propane when we are traveling. A lot of the new RV's offer the residential style fridge or the RV style.

My questions:
How do you keep the residential fridge cold when traveling?
If you are going to travel a good bit, as opposed to sitting in a park for 6 months, is the RV version better?

During summer we quite/most often run the generator while traveling so no problem with total electric. On inverter with 4 t105 house batteries the fridge should operate for quite some time. I'm sure the figures are out there. Find the draw of the fridge and the capacity of your batteries and divide. Add a cushion of perhaps 20% so you don't overdraw the batteries.

Our Class A has an onboard 1800W inverter, 4 house batteries, and a 5500W generator.

When the inverter is powered up, the fridge runs from that source exclusively. When we travel, this is the mode we choose.

We also run the generator while driving since it's hot here in FL. It also powers the battery charger, replenishing any energy used by the house batteries that are being used to power the inverter.

If the generator quits, or we stop and power down the generator, the fridge is already running from the inverter. Nothing needs to be done. It will run all day on battery power.

Once we arrive at the campground, and connect to shore power, only then do I switch off the inverter, allowing it to run from that source.

Without the inverter setup, the fridge would only run while the generator is running, and when connected to shore power.

Having used absorption style fridges for decades, I much prefer the residential style since with don't boondock for extended periods. This fridge is MUCH larger, and I don't have to manually defrost it monthly.

Many of us with residential fridges have an inverter that runs the fridge while underway or boondocking. Factory installs usually have a larger battery bank to handle the inverter load, but retrofitted units like ours may need to add one or two more batteries. Another option for typical travel days between powered campsites is just to limit opening the fridge when unpowered. Most residential fridges will hold safe temperatures for at least 6-8 hours. For onboard generator equipped motorhomes, the generator can also be run from time to time while underway to bring the fridge temps back in line for longer days. Residential fridges take a little different power management than absorption fridges, but most of us find the trade off well worth the minor learning curve.