Question about replacing fridge

Samsung RF18, sealed both vents. Works great, best thing I have done.

"Look for a fridge that uses less than two amps at 120 volts. Ours is a 22 cubic foot and uses less than 1.5 amps. It cycles on about one third of the time. Modern fridges are easy to supply with a reasonable solar array"

Good to know,,,thanks. Could be another justification for solar someday.

Matt_Colie wrote:
There are two major issues with this plan. (Where's my BTDT hat?)

First is that most residential reefers use the sides as the cooler. This means that you need that side clearance for it to work at all. It needs to be an inch or more, but it will be in the documentation. You will not need as much ventilation as was required with the gas powered unit, but you will still need to get the heat out of the box.

Second is that you will need to supply it with 120V 60Hz at about ~7amps (+/-) peak for the compressor start. This also takes a lot of battery. This is only essential if you dry camp at all or plan to be on the road more than 4 hours. (if those two are non-issues, then go on to the next paragraph.) The power can be supplied (if you have a 200Ah house bank) with a cheapo inverter. You have to set it up for the peak. I used a 750/1500 MSW from Harbor Fright. The cooling fans in these go out regularly, so I carry a spare onboard. Catch them on sale or use the 20% off. Second year, buy the spare. It will need to be as close to the house bank as it can be and still by out of the weather.

All that said, my house bank is a pair of GC2s and we can dry camp for a day and an half at a July music festive (90~100°) on the house bank before I need to run the generator to recover the bank.

Benefit of this plan. You have to install that huge inverter (not very large item) so you will have lots of 120VAC to charge phones and run a TV.

Some secondary considerations that you should include in your plan:
*These units are not designed to be installed in a vehicle and it may take some creativity to secure the unit adequately for being in a moving vehicle.
*These units do not include an adequate door locking system. You will have to build that into your plan and consider it when shopping.

One final consideration. The cost for us to replace the reefer was ~1200$us. The total cost of the little dorm reefer, the inverter wire and a 200 amp breaker was still less than 200$.

Matt

Look for a fridge that uses less than two amps at 120 volts. Ours is a 22 cubic foot and uses less than 1.5 amps. It cycles on about one third of the time. Modern fridges are easy to supply with a reasonable solar array.

I did it to an old trailer back in the 90's. I didn't do anything with the vents, left them as they were.

Thanks for all the suggestions and info. Will look closely at how they all operate and not just whether they fit.

As far as boondocking, I plan to invest in a nice Yeti cooler (~$800) which will let me boondock for at least a few days before needing to replenish the ice. I don't have a generator or solar so if no hookups, then I either use a cooler or eat out :)

A cooler and a new fridge, it's all about half the cost of the PITA absorption fridge.

Going to try and leave the vents in place but seal them in such a way that I can still remove them if need be to access the back of the fridge.

Hopefully I can find a fridge that vents to the inside and doesn't require the vents to be open.

Thanks again everyone for your input. This is one project I'm actually looking forward to!

I have a Whirlpool 18ATM that sits in a cabinet (box) that is about 5 inches above the floor. It doesn't have any outside vents. Came with the 5th wheel from the factory.

If you are going to install a residential refrigerator in a rv there are a few things you will have to keep in mind.

1st don't use one that uses the case for condenser, it's the type that the case gets warm when running. In most cases there isn't enough free air movement to cool the unit.

2nd If you use one with a external condenser up the back it will need air movement in the summer by keeping the external vents open but in extremely cold weather they will have to be blocked off.

3rd If you use the type that has the condenser under the unit with a blower motor to draw room air into the condenser and exhausts it back into the room just block off both vents. This is the type that is used when you order a rv with a residential frig.

Denny

There are two major issues with this plan. (Where's my BTDT hat?)

First is that most residential reefers use the sides as the cooler. This means that you need that side clearance for it to work at all. It needs to be an inch or more, but it will be in the documentation. You will not need as much ventilation as was required with the gas powered unit, but you will still need to get the heat out of the box.

Second is that you will need to supply it with 120V 60Hz at about ~7amps (+/-) peak for the compressor start. This also takes a lot of battery. This is only essential if you dry camp at all or plan to be on the road more than 4 hours. (if those two are non-issues, then go on to the next paragraph.) The power can be supplied (if you have a 200Ah house bank) with a cheapo inverter. You have to set it up for the peak. I used a 750/1500 MSW from Harbor Fright. The cooling fans in these go out regularly, so I carry a spare onboard. Catch them on sale or use the 20% off. Second year, buy the spare. It will need to be as close to the house bank as it can be and still by out of the weather.

All that said, my house bank is a pair of GC2s and we can dry camp for a day and an half at a July music festive (90~100°) on the house bank before I need to run the generator to recover the bank.

Benefit of this plan. You have to install that huge inverter (not very large item) so you will have lots of 120VAC to charge phones and run a TV.

Some secondary considerations that you should include in your plan:
*These units are not designed to be installed in a vehicle and it may take some creativity to secure the unit adequately for being in a moving vehicle.
*These units do not include an adequate door locking system. You will have to build that into your plan and consider it when shopping.

One final consideration. The cost for us to replace the reefer was ~1200$us. The total cost of the little dorm reefer, the inverter wire and a 200 amp breaker was still less than 200$.

Matt

The easiest way to seal the vents may well be to remove the outside and vent assembly and cut a piece of think plywood or paneling and install it and install the vent OVER it.. Personally I'd make it so you can open and close the vents if you wish In the summer it may work better with vents open.. Or not

You can also lay foam insulation on the inside of the ply. Like foam rubber or styrafoam.

I used expanding foam on the inside of the vent as I camp in cold weather and also wanted that area to be insulated for the outside cold. I left the roof vent open (not in a slide). If you go this route, just seal up the vent from the outside with tape and foam it from the inside so you get a couple of inches of foam. Once it sets you can remove the tape from the outside and be good to go.