Compressor Refrigerator opt 12v?

We have a T-42 Tundra also, it is over 10 years old, still cools very
well, I notice it draws about .75 Amp more than when it was new, perhaps
the compressor is on the way out?

They are very simple, we like the fact that we never check anything
regarding level, just stop and jump in the camper...

Using 200 watts MPPT solar and 3 12VDC cheap Walmart Deep Cycle flooded Type 27 batteries.

We had a 7.5 cuft NovaKool 12/120V compressor fridge for 5 years in our Outfitter TC. Dry camped almost exclusively. Carried the Honda 2000W invertor gennie but used it only a few times. 330W solar and 4 6V AGM batteries was the answer.

Cools quickly, don't have to be level, has much more volume than a similar sized 2 way absorbtion fridge, uses 1/3rd the energy, fire danger negligible, can legally be operating all the time refuelling, travelling on ferries, through tunnels when propane is restricted.

These have been used on yachts for many years and have been pounded by wave action so the compressor can take some abuse from rough roads in RV's which is why these units are getting more popular with the TC/B class crowd who seem to be a little more adventurous than your average RVer.

We never had any problems in the time we had our fridge and our camping style was never curtailled by the batteries being run down at any time.

Dave

996Pilot wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:


Nice alternative (I looked). I have to ask, how much? and, I presume it fits nicely...

It was $950 from Great Water Marine Systems. Not much different than a 3-way fridge cost of the same size. I had some minor issues installing (operator error) and called Indel Webasto Marine (Florida) service and they were extremely helpful (although they kept asking me what boat it was installed in). West Marine sells them (and I have a West Marine less than a mile from my house) but they mark them up pretty steeply. It was cheaper to order from Great Water in MA and have them ship it 3000 miles to my house.

Oh yeah - fit -- slid right in to the other opening.
Click For Full-Size Image.

In the grand scheme of things, thats cheaper than a new ammonia fridge costs. I'm going to reference this post so when my ammonis fridge pukes, I'll get one.

DWeikert wrote:
I'll just chime in and say I bought my Northstar with the Dometic 12v compressor fridge from the factory. Absolutely no regrets. You will need solar to maintain your batteries unless you plan to drive every day. My primary reason for getting it was I didn't want to have to find someplace level any time I wanted to pull over and fish for a few hours.

I have your issue (the level part) when parked in the woods. Woodses ain't level.....

Really depends on where you go camping too. I was camping this weekend off highway 20 by Concrete WA. Solar panel did absolutely nothing over the weekend - which is pretty much the story here in Western WA over the winter. We simply can not rely on solar in the winter.

brholt wrote:
Really depends on where you go camping too. I was camping this weekend off highway 20 by Concrete WA. Solar panel did absolutely nothing over the weekend - which is pretty much the story here in Western WA over the winter. We simply can not rely on solar in the winter.

I'm pretty dumb when it comes to solar power and while I read posts on here, I get confused anyway but I have read that a partially shaded panel is basically useless and where I primarily camp, it's just that shady as in forest canopy overhead sop I just use my little genny for a couple hours every day to charge the batteries back up and all is good.

I have a direct charge port on my unit that bypasses the converter and I can direct charge them.

There is no "one idea fits all" in RV.
I do have solar panel that is turning 20 years, yet never installed it while camping in CA. We went to the woods and park in deep shade, so no AC needed and spending night at campfire batteries would last for 3 days without generator.
For long stays I had 50' extension cord and I would move the solar to exposed locations
Manu fact, years ago - having 27' ClassA I removed the 600lb generator from it, as I had no use for it and made very nice storage.
The generator got stolen from my storage and witnesses say it took 3 men to load it on flatbed.
Now I moved to NV and camping mostly in AZ, finding ANY shade seems impossible, so installing solar on the roof is my winter project.

It would be great if more truck camper builders would include this as an option. It seems Northstar offers it and that is about it.

Include the option to delete the roof vent and shrink or eliminate the outside wall vents if going with a compressor fridge.

I've been running a Waeco 140 litre compressor fridge for 6 years.

When the compressor runs (cuts in and out depending upon the temperature) it draws about 6 amps (at 12v). In hot weather it could be running 50% of the time or more. When I have hookup the fridge will switch to running off mains instead to preserve battery power.

I love that I can park anywhere however unlevel and the fridge will work. E.g. when hiking in the hills and mountains we rarely find anywhere level to park.
I also like that it gets down to temperature quickly and stays there.

I have 160w of solar and 1 AGM battery. I recommend at least 2 batteries. With a compress fridge you need to keep an eye on your battery usage. Remember that even with solar your fridge is draining your battery over night or when parked in the shade or on cloudy days since there will be no appreciable power coming from the solar panels.

If you want to stay camping in one location for several days without hookup, a generator or plenty of direct sunshine on solar panels, you will need to be pretty careful about monitoring battery state.

Other things to consider: Being that it has a compressor we can just about hear ours running over night. It doesn't disturb me, but I am aware of it.

Steve.

I have a Northstar with a compressor refrigerator. When I bought the camper it came with a large unit, about 7 cu ft. The wiring was not done correctly. The refrigerator was on the other side of the unit from the batteries so the wiring length was pretty long. Northstar used 12 gauge wiring which barely worked. When the battery drained slightly, the drop in voltage due to the undersized wiring was enough that the refrigerator shut down. Next Northstar failed to provide adequate ventilation. There was some intake under the unit but the exhaust was merely a 3" diameter hole. Very substantial ventilation is required for a 7 cuft refrigerator. In addition is probably pulled about 6 amps. I replaced with 12 gauge with 6 gauge wiring, put in a lot of ventilation and then gave up on the large unit. I replaced the Waeco with a small 4 cuft NovaKool. Power consumption dropped to about 3 amps. I also added a second 135 watt solar panel and 300 AH of AGM batteries. The upgrades cost me about $1000 for the NovaKool, another $500 or so for the solar panels and installation and $800 for the batteries.

As I mentioned the NovaKool pulls about 3 amps. In cool weather, say 70 degrees, it only runs about 30 percent of the time for about 20 amp hours. In the summer when temperatures often exceed 80 degrees, the unit runs almost constantly and by 85-90 it does run constantly for a consumption of about 70 AH. On average I probably need to replace about 50 AHs per day. My wife also uses a CPAP that pulls another 30 AH. Charging computers and camera batteries and minimal use of the water pump and LED lights can easily add another 20, 30 or more AH. I routinely use 100 AH per day. I just completed a 3 month trip. At this time of year in most latitudes, the solar panels cannot possibly keep up with the consumption. I avoid shade, hate cloudy days and am constantly paying attention so I park for maximum solar gain. Virtually every day for the past 3 months of travel I had to run the generator for an hour or two in the attempt to break even and avoid shortening the life of my batteries.

Would I get a compressor refrigerator again? Absolutely not. I am even thinking of cutting holes into the side of my camper so I can install a propane unit. If you think I am negative about compressor refrigerators, read this story about trying to deal with a compressor refrigerator in hot weather:

https://www.exploroz.com/members/145028.75/1/2009/queensland_adventures_winter_2008.aspx?p=%2fblogs%2fdefault.aspx