Yes Davydd. Everything you say is true about absorption fridges but in the event of one part not working, you have two other options to get by. If the compressor goes you're dead in the water. For a little back ground: I have a little Dometic compressor fridge that has been running constantly for a year and a half on solar and battery power. It is awesome. But in the same van is a Dometic gas fridge that is only a fridge. It is also awesome but has not run for a year and a half straight. It is a three way and must be run on dc while driving but the rest of the time it runs on gas because as you say the 12 volt will kill the batteries.