Hi everyone,I have a 3 way Dometic Americana 4.3cu.ft. refrigerator, with a small freezer section inside, as of now it's installed in its place but not hooked up yet.I'm looking into installing at least one 300w solar panel, maybe 2 (600w total)I heard that my 3 way is not a very good option for solar, so I looked into getting a power efficient 12v refrigerator that would work with solar.I'm not sure if I really need a freezer? I don't eat meat (please don't judge me)I really like the 12v refrigerator shaped like a cooler (top open) because they don't loose all the cold every time you open the door. My cabinets are already done so I wanted a 12v freezer that would fit.I found this model from Whynter (FM-951GW) 95quarts/3.2cu.ft. 70watts running power, but I havent found much info on it (nothing on this forum).What do you guys think? any other models would fit?https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WO43IMW/ref=asc_df_B00WO43IMW5435728?tag=cnet-us-genius-20&smid=A3K90JHFOGRITA&linkCode=df0&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B00WO43IMW&ascsubtag=f1ccd160-3dbf-11e8-a943-85496de1b7a6https://www.whynter.com/product/whynter-95-quart-portable-wheeled-freezer-door-alert-12v-option-gray/#prettyPhotohttps://www.whynter.com/wp-content/uploads/FM-951-Comsumption-Chart-2018.pdf

Nothing will beat the efficiency of a fridge running on propane.

A 300 watt solar panel? What are the dimensions? You must have lots of roof real estate.X2, Pauldub.

pauldub wrote:Nothing will beat the efficiency of a fridge running on propane.True....But like my whynter 86 quart......its portable, it runs on 120v, 12v, 24v, auto switches over.It cools down to freezing in 30 minutes not 7 hours.You set the exact temp , digital.Chest means less cold loss when open.

It looks deep. If you use it as a refrigerator the items you want will always be on the bottom of the fridge, so you will have to remove all the items piled on top of the desired item, and then replace them all.With a regular fridge, everything is on shelves, so easy to see what there is. And there is no danger of your fruit and veggies being squashed and flattened on the bottom.I like having a freezer, so we can carry frozen meats, but also bread, ice cream, ice cubes, and other frozen treats. Freezer may not come into play for weekends, but if you do a week or month long trip, then it may be nice to have the option.If you add solar , don't forget to add enough battery storage to get through the night as well, unless you will always have 120v to keep things cold.

pauldub wrote:Nothing will beat the efficiency of a fridge running on propane.Do you know by any chance how much propane would my 4.3cu.ft. fridge use, let say in a week of boondocking?

Whynter 12v refrigerator vs 3 way refrigerator | Good Sam Community

16 Replies

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Apr 11, 2018
Little propane use, very little. And propane is cheap and available. Fridge alone on a 20 pound bottle of propane..two, three weeks.
evy
Explorer
Apr 11, 2018
pauldub wrote:
Nothing will beat the efficiency of a fridge running on propane.

Do you know by any chance how much propane would my 4.3cu.ft. fridge use, let say in a week of boondocking?
Yeti_plus
Explorer
Apr 11, 2018
It looks deep. If you use it as a refrigerator the items you want will always be on the bottom of the fridge, so you will have to remove all the items piled on top of the desired item, and then replace them all.
With a regular fridge, everything is on shelves, so easy to see what there is. And there is no danger of your fruit and veggies being squashed and flattened on the bottom.
I like having a freezer, so we can carry frozen meats, but also bread, ice cream, ice cubes, and other frozen treats.
Freezer may not come into play for weekends, but if you do a week or month long trip, then it may be nice to have the option.
If you add solar , don't forget to add enough battery storage to get through the night as well, unless you will always have 120v to keep things cold.
marcsbigfoot20b
Explorer
Apr 11, 2018
pauldub wrote:
Nothing will beat the efficiency of a fridge running on propane.

True....
But like my whynter 86 quart......its portable, it runs on 120v, 12v, 24v, auto switches over.
It cools down to freezing in 30 minutes not 7 hours.
You set the exact temp , digital.
Chest means less cold loss when open.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Apr 11, 2018
A 300 watt solar panel? What are the dimensions? You must have lots of roof real estate.

X2, Pauldub.
pauldub
Explorer
Apr 11, 2018
Nothing will beat the efficiency of a fridge running on propane.

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Whynter 12v refrigerator vs 3 way refrigerator

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