Why consider 12v fridge for boondocking?

valhalla360 wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
9 pages later, ^ here’s a good dose of common sense and truth.
Being more “efficient” in one way doesn’t necessarily mean less costly.
Sure both have different advantages and disadvantages but apples to apples, especially if considering replacing a perfectly good absorption fridge, it’s not even close.

If you are boondocking a lot with a single 12v starting battery and no solar, yeah, absorption is by far the better option but that's not a typical use pattern.

For those who do a lot of boondocking, most will be installing a larger battery bank and solar anyway. Up sizing it to accommodate the relatively modest requirements of the 12v fridge is easy and doesn't incur a major cost. The cost difference between installing a couple of 200w panels and a couple of 300w panels, is pretty minimal. A few seasons of reduced propane use will cover the cost. Manufacturers are still on the learning curve but they are starting to outfit RVs with solar options. Not just for the fridge but for other convienences.

your baking some pretty bold asumptions, I have four 6V batteries and 480 watts of solar on the 5th which cost me over 6K at the time (didnt realize how easy it was to install and save money, plus rices have realy dropped over the last 6 years but not to crazy) right now I could not support the extra 60+ AH/day a compressor fridge would add in my climate. ya I could go for a weekend maybe, but would drfinatly run out of power on the 3rd day. plus the extra deep cycling on the batteries would wear them out faster. I would have to replace my pannels with larger ones say 600 bucks there, a new solar controler 3-400, and a switch over to LFP batteries to get more usable panels. lets say I buy them and don't make them myself so it applies more to the average person and we will go middle price of 700 each X 4 is = 2800 bucks so thats an upgrade cost to me of 3800 bucks with me doing the instalations now days to do the system I have would be about 2000 doing the instalation yourself. so double the cost and power to support a compressor fridge. granted this is for the way I like it set up, which is I can stay out forever with out having to worry about power, but even so a few dark non solare days and you will be watching the remaining battery levels...

with a adsorbsion fridge I don't have to worry about my food spoiling if there is no sun, I just use the perculator instead of the keriug.

in adition to the bigger solar system, you might need a genny back up just for thoes dark days, personaly I hate gennys and am thankfull there are more restrictions being put on there use but a buit in one of thoes is what 6K? a deicent honda a couple k?

so assuming just cuz some one boon docks already they will be set up properly for a compressor fridge is a very bold asumption.