One thing has become very clear to me from all the pro/con discussions about the absorptions. They vary wildly in efficiency, probably due to the way they were installed and how much air movement they have at the back.
Refrigerator habits may also play a role. People who are constantly getting into their fridges for every cold drink they want in hot weather are not going to see good results as a door the size of the whole fridge is opened and closed; pushing a large amount of cold air out each time.
I actually use BOTH in my rig. I use the 6cu/ft absorption for the food and the frozen section. Even in 85-95 degree heat, I cant turn mine up past 2-3 during the day and always return it to 1 (warmest interior setting) at night.
I use my Norcold 45 quart compressor for ALL the drinks: milk, juice, wine, beer, everything. As it is a swing compressor, it does get a little loud for sleeping............so for this year, I tried turning it off at night. Besides the quiet, it also isnt running when the solar panel is inactive. I found that it only came up 4-6 degrees overnight and it made that up in less than an hour the next morning. More than acceptable.
In two years of living out of my Lance 1030 for 2.5 months/year, I have not had to buy ice once. Nice not having to deal with ice bags. We just keep a gallon ziplock of cubes we make in the freezer and make more when we need it, overnight.
For me, having BOTH types of fridges is ideal. But I have a good, working absorption fridge.
