12 volt refrigerator nova cool skinny big fridge's

dave17352 wrote:

c.traveler2 wrote:

dave17352 wrote:
c.traveler2

Have you used yours in the summer heat? Also, your the one that got me thinking this about this again. I watched you video on your install. I am looking at 8220 and it actually vents all on the inside. Top and bottom. On that one it might be better to seal the outside vents. I am going to give them a call and check it out.

Dave

Answer to that is yes, the performance of my Domentic CR1110 is outstanding.Yes in hotter weather is will run a lot and you'll need plenty of battery backup, my second battery is a Interstate 4D RV/Marine unit with plenty of kick to it.

What's not in the video I did is the charging wire upgrade I did later. I installed 4 gauge from the truck all the way to the 4D battery and set up a switch so I could bypass the battery isolator in my camper to keep that 4D battery charged.

Just remember the hotter it get outside the longer the compressor will run, but the results of having cold food to me is well worth what needs to be done to run a compressor refrigerator.

Ctraveler did you have the 8 gauge wire in your lance plug in. That is what I have. I would think that would give a pretty good charge to a couple batteries while traveling. When your ignition is on the batteries where charging all the time before you put in the 4 gauge wire right? So are you using your trucks batteries also to run the fridge when the ignition is off?

The truck batteries get isolated when the truck engine isn't running. 4 gauge wire is to insure that plenty of amps get to that 4D battery when needed. I didn't have a portable generator till our Alaskan trip. The only thing that my Lance plug does anymore is for the camper clearage lights

c.traveler2 wrote:

dave17352 wrote:
c.traveler2

Have you used yours in the summer heat? Also, your the one that got me thinking this about this again. I watched you video on your install. I am looking at 8220 and it actually vents all on the inside. Top and bottom. On that one it might be better to seal the outside vents. I am going to give them a call and check it out.

Dave

Answer to that is yes, the performance of my Domentic CR1110 is outstanding.Yes in hotter weather is will run a lot and you'll need plenty of battery backup, my second battery is a Interstate 4D RV/Marine unit with plenty of kick to it.

What's not in the video I did is the charging wire upgrade I did later. I installed 4 gauge from the truck all the way to the 4D battery and set up a switch so I could bypass the battery isolator in my camper to keep that 4D battery charged.

Just remember the hotter it get outside the longer the compressor will run, but the results of having cold food to me is well worth what needs to be done to run a compressor refrigerator.

Ctraveler did you have the 8 gauge wire in your lance plug in. That is what I have. I would think that would give a pretty good charge to a couple batteries while traveling. When your ignition is on the batteries where charging all the time before you put in the 4 gauge wire right? So are you using your trucks batteries also to run the fridge when the ignition is off?

We are creature comfort campers. We usually have electric hookup. If no electricity (and don't scold me to much) We use our honda eu3000 to keep the batteries up and to run the AC. When I change the batteries on my pickup I may go 2 agm batteries as big as I can fit. Then I may let them draw down in the summer. It doesn't take near as much power to start a diesel in the summer. I also have plenty of room for a extra battery or two where the on board propane generator use to be. So do you all think that is a crazy idea!?
I do keep a good jump starter with me when traveling.

Our travels are not to extremely remote areas by any means as of now. But when more time becomes available, I may put on my big boy pants and go on some more adventurous trips. You folks that do make me jealous!

I am with everybody else as far as not dealing with the propane fridges. They are just to much of a hassle for me. With the leveling and all the other issues, like not keeping up in temps over 90 very well. For now I fill a third of the fridge with frozen freezer packs so it will keep up in the heat!

I know many are happy with propane and more power to them. But not me. I have all ready installed a inverter and residential fridge in the 5th wheel.

Okay sorry I got on a rant:(

Thanks for all the replies!

dave17352 wrote:
c.traveler2

Have you used yours in the summer heat? Also, your the one that got me thinking this about this again. I watched you video on your install. I am looking at 8220 and it actually vents all on the inside. Top and bottom. On that one it might be better to seal the outside vents. I am going to give them a call and check it out.

Dave

Answer to that is yes, the performance of my Domentic CR1110 is outstanding.Yes in hotter weather is will run a lot and you'll need plenty of battery backup, my second battery is a Interstate 4D RV/Marine unit with plenty of kick to it.

What's not in the video I did is the charging wire upgrade I did later. I installed 4 gauge from the truck all the way to the 4D battery and set up a switch so I could bypass the battery isolator in my camper to keep that 4D battery charged.

Just remember the hotter it get outside the longer the compressor will run, but the results of having cold food to me is well worth what needs to be done to run a compressor refrigerator.

I have a Novacool that I installed in place of th Dometic 3 way. its the 4500 model and fit fine. It ran for 4 months straight through Mexico and Central America, the high heat but mostly humidity meant it was running more than I would like, but I didn't have time to insulate around it before I left and didn't defrost as much as I should have. I would never go back to a 3 way fridge.

Somewhere on the NovaKool website under installation instructions, they say that their units do not need to be vented to the outside. On my TC, there is an upper and lower vent. When Camping in cooler conditions, I cover the vents with closed cell insulation cut exactly to fit. In warm weather, I leave the vents open. No issues so far.

I have a 7.5 cuft NovaKool which uses the equivalent of a 60w light bulb when cycling(4.4A). That works out to anywhere from 20 to 65A/HR per day depending on many factors.

400 A/Hr batteries, 330w solar keep up easily and we dry camp almost exclusively.

Dave

Most RV fridges are just under 24" wide, you might want to measure yours.

I have a R5810 model. I was a little shorter than the propane unit so I added a board on top to fill in the hole. My camper door is 22" wide, but removing the frame allowed the new unit to JUST make it in.

I didn't change anything for venting (from the propane unit) and it has been working fine for 2 years.

Summer heat? How about 3 days in June on the White Rim Trail with daytime temps 100+? I've got one of the old (2007) Tundra models, and it worked fine for me - 0 in the freezer, ~45 in the frig. And yes, it runs a lot under those conditions. However, I have a large battery bank (540AH), 110w solar, and a 2 gauge alternator charge circuit.
I would never go back to a propane frig.

c.traveler2

Have you used yours in the summer heat? Also, your the one that got me thinking this about this again. I watched you video on your install. I am looking at 8220 and it actually vents all on the inside. Top and bottom. On that one it might be better to seal the out side vents. I am going to give them a call and check it out.

Dave

question ,won,t a 12v unit eat up a lot amps? I think it would run a battery down real quick. if boone docking

For a small 4 cu ft fridge with ambient temperature about 70*, the fridge will use about 20-25 A/hr per day. This is very doable if you have two batteries and at lest 100 watt of solar power.

The solar power or generator and two batteries is the minimum you should have if you plan on dry camping with a DC compressor fridge.