Residential fridge pros/cons

[Highway308]

We are in the process of ordering a fifth wheel. The model we are looking at features an upgraded/larger residential fridge. I anticipate that most camp sites that we will visit will be within a few hours but should I be concerned about this style of fridge? How long will it operate on it's batteries while parked and not plugged into anything?

[Glenn_West]

We are full time and have a residential fridge. Love it. Never an problem. Factory unit. Also have factory 2500 inverter 4 batteries

[hitchup]

We were pricing out switching our Dometic 13cf fridge for an inverter and residential fridge in our 5 year old Suite.

Trying to find one with the correct depth is the tricky part and narrows it down to fewer models. While Samsung is popular, DRV uses Whirlpools. Initially side-by-side, now they use the freezer drawer on bottom with ice maker and water in the door. Many 5ers have smaller refrigerators with top freezers, that they can buy from Home Depot.

After pricing the upgrades with a technician, we decided it was time to buy a whole new Suite.

Because we added the 6500w generator option, we decided to save money and didn't get the 1000w inverter. But do have the 2 batteries that it would need to work with if we added in the future.

The residential is great for daily use. Love having a working ice maker. Winter, we will turn the water off if we're stuck in the frozen tundra again. Our Dometic ice maker always leaked and bit the dust during the first 2 mos. Best thing, I'm not defrosting the freezer every 2-3 mos.

I noticed that because everything freezes solid, some of the items act like mini-ice packs. So even if we get a 4-hr power outage at the RV Park, we don't turn on the generator unless we need AC.

I keep a few Ice Packs in freezer for travel. We drive from 4-6 hrs and find the refrigerator and freezer are colder than the old Dometic ever were. Plus it takes less time to bring temps down once we're hooked up to shore power. If it's cold, it barely takes any time. If it's hot, takes a little longer.

[ddschuman]

smkettner wrote:

ddschuman wrote:
We have only one battery and can turn on inverter to run fridge the night before a trip with no problem. What we usually do is pack the 5er while connected to shore power in the driveway. This allows the fridge to start cooling and the slides can be opened without draining battery. After everything is packed (including fridge) we pull slides in, hook up to the truck, disconnect shore power and turn inverter on for the night. We are then ready to roll come morning. We have never had a problem with losing battery power doing this. The batteries are always fully charged when we turn inverter on

Have you run the fridge for an initial overnight cool down (18+ hours) on one battery or just the maintain cooling after being plugged in?

We always plug in to shore power at the house while we pack the camper. I like to do that to insure the battery is fully charged before leaving since we do run the inverter and refrigerator during travel and overnight. Our 5er is stored at a storage facility away from home and does not have access to electricity and even though we disconnect battery in storage, it is not always charged well when we get it. The refrigerator usually cools down pretty well for the short time (usually only plugged in a couple of hours) on shore power so I guess the use of inverter overnight really just maintains. We've used inverter overnight for about 10-12 hrs and battery will still be charged the next morning. This is without running anything else.

[time2roll]

ddschuman wrote:
We have only one battery and can turn on inverter to run fridge the night before a trip with no problem. What we usually do is pack the 5er while connected to shore power in the driveway. This allows the fridge to start cooling and the slides can be opened without draining battery. After everything is packed (including fridge) we pull slides in, hook up to the truck, disconnect shore power and turn inverter on for the night. We are then ready to roll come morning. We have never had a problem with losing battery power doing this. The batteries are always fully charged when we turn inverter on

Have you run the fridge for an initial overnight cool down (18+ hours) on one battery or just the maintain cooling after being plugged in?

[fly-boy]

I simply load the fridge and freezer with cold stuff it cools very quickly- I don't turn it on till I need it.

Try throwing a bag of ice in your freezer and then fire it up. You will find it not only cools very quickly but that the ice does not even have a chance to melt. (I am on So Cal and not Phoenix where it is quite a bit hotter) 🙂

[ddschuman]

We have only one battery and can turn on inverter to run fridge the night before a trip with no problem. What we usually do is pack the 5er while connected to shore power in the driveway. This allows the fridge to start cooling and the slides can be opened without draining battery. After everything is packed (including fridge) we pull slides in, hook up to the truck, disconnect shore power and turn inverter on for the night. We are then ready to roll come morning. We have never had a problem with losing battery power doing this. The batteries are always fully charged when we turn inverter on

[John___Angela]

austinjenna wrote:
How do you guys start up the fridge to let it pre-cool? Currently I fire up my fridge the night before we leave in the storage lot then bring it home before we leave and throw in the food. I would think a residential fridge would draw too much power to do that?

A couple of batteries will easily allow you to turn it on the day before. Via the inverter of course.

[austinjenna]

How do you guys start up the fridge to let it pre-cool? Currently I fire up my fridge the night before we leave in the storage lot then bring it home before we leave and throw in the food. I would think a residential fridge would draw too much power to do that?

[netjam]

fly-boy wrote:
I like this idea- did you guys hook up water to these so you can make ice?

The Norcold 1210 that I took out had a water line to it. You could just connect it to the residential fridge. I didn't as I got a Fisher & Paykel without an icemaker. Never used the icemaker in the Norcold so no need for it in the new one.

[John___Angela]

fly-boy wrote:
I like this idea- did you guys hook up water to these so you can make ice?

Yep

[fly-boy]

I like this idea- did you guys hook up water to these so you can make ice?

[sdetweil]

yamerhammer1 wrote:
Samsung has a new model that is the same specs as the 197. The model # is RF18HFENBBC/AA. I have about 9 months left on my warranty then I will sell my 1201 Norcold and get this samsung.

great info, thanks.. now I have to figure out where to get 7 vertical inches from. my Dometic 1350 is only 63inches tall. I have drawers underneath, but want to keep them for storage.

[netjam]

Winged One wrote:

netjam wrote:
I have thermometers in the fridge and freezer compartments....after travel Freezer is still in the high twenties...fridge in low fourties.

Really. Might want to take a look around the net.

Temps above 40 for more than 2 hours

Is it safe?

Exactly....that was why we changed to residential. Our RV fridge was in the low forties all the time and the freezer let ice cream melt. We travel with only condiments in the fridge (and beer & pop) and only ice in the freezer (which does not melt while traveling).

[yamerhammer1]

sdetweil wrote:

routemaster wrote:
We put a Samsung 197 in last year would not go back to the gas/elec.

Sadly the 197 is discontinued. The 217 is bigger

Samsung has a new model that is the same specs as the 197. The model # is RF18HFENBBC/AA. I have about 9 months left on my warranty then I will sell my 1201 Norcold and get this samsung.