Converting to dc fridge
Ok, been perusing the threads on this topic but want to toss this out to the group to see if there is anything I have missed. All thoughts welcome...
Backstory.. our 5 year old dometic reefer has slowly lost its ability to keep our food cold. Fridge temps now go into the 50° F range which is unacceptable. I have cleaned the coils, added fans, straightened up the ductwork, and while all this originally helped, the fridge IMHO has failed. We have looked at rebuilding the ammonia system (between $400 and $700) to full fridge replacement which can go up to $2000 depending on the system. I am strongly leaning towards a dc based system as it does not have to be level, reduced fire hazard, and we never go off grid. Last time we boondocked was in our last camper almost 10 years ago. Even if we did, I can tie in a second group 31 battery backed up by a 2000 wt genset. I am reading between the lines that my truck will be able to carry the load when driving. I found a company that makes a compressor rebuild that replaces the ammonia system completely and draws less than 1 amp. I love the idea that it is the old fridge where I don’t have to rebuild my kitchen. The cost is almost exactly what it would be to rebuild the ammonia system. To me this looks absolutely perfect.
What if anything am I missing? Fire away!!!
Thank you for your reading this and your potential input.
Scooter
Backstory.. our 5 year old dometic reefer has slowly lost its ability to keep our food cold. Fridge temps now go into the 50° F range which is unacceptable. I have cleaned the coils, added fans, straightened up the ductwork, and while all this originally helped, the fridge IMHO has failed. We have looked at rebuilding the ammonia system (between $400 and $700) to full fridge replacement which can go up to $2000 depending on the system. I am strongly leaning towards a dc based system as it does not have to be level, reduced fire hazard, and we never go off grid. Last time we boondocked was in our last camper almost 10 years ago. Even if we did, I can tie in a second group 31 battery backed up by a 2000 wt genset. I am reading between the lines that my truck will be able to carry the load when driving. I found a company that makes a compressor rebuild that replaces the ammonia system completely and draws less than 1 amp. I love the idea that it is the old fridge where I don’t have to rebuild my kitchen. The cost is almost exactly what it would be to rebuild the ammonia system. To me this looks absolutely perfect.
What if anything am I missing? Fire away!!!
Thank you for your reading this and your potential input.
Scooter
