12 volt Refrigerators
Have any thoughts on the new 12 volt Refrigerators? So far I am impressed with the 10 Q ft. Not much of a amp draw
Forum Discussion
Gdetrailer wrote:
Often 10 cu ft "apartment size" are good choice because they typically have the lowest draw and best insulation.. The one I have has a name plate draw of 1.1A for the compressor and 1.6A defrost draw.
That's 1.1a @ 120v...at 12v that's 11a. My old 3-way absorption fridge used about 15a on 12v for the heating element. One of the reasons I replaced it with a 2-way that I just run on propane.
The new 12v compressor fridges are good for some applications, but are still challenging for boondocking without a generator. just like a 120v residential fridge. Solar is great, but you're dependent on the weather, a cloudy day will kill your production. In my TC, there's just isn't enough real estate on the roof for 400w of panels.
I believe that eventually absorption fridges will become obsolete but the tech just isn't there yet.
Remember that marine is not apples-to-apples....1) propane is not allowed below deck; 2) any boat big enough to have a fridge has a generator; and 3) you don't stay in one spot on the water like you do in a CG.
