Compressor refrigerator opinons

[sparkydave]

The wife and I are trading up from our trusty old 2004 Rockwood 1940LTD popup to a 2022 Wolf Pup 14CC. We're pretty excited, we went the the Cleveland RV show last weekend after browsing a bunch of small travel trailers, and we fell in love with this Wolf Pup. Got a good deal and a deposit on it, and the dealer called to say we can pick it up next weekend. I'll miss my old popup since it was my first camper and I've made a lot of improvements in it. I won't miss the set up and take down, and we won't miss the mad dash to the bath house when nature calls in the early AM.

I saw that it has a 12 volt compressor refrigerator (and a freezer!), are they good? I'm inclined to think they'll cool off a little faster than the absorption fridge, just wondering if there have been any teething difficulties since they seem to be a relatively new thing compared to the tried but true absorption refrigerators.

[hondapro]

We have the 12 volt compressor in our new rig, we love it it. We normally camp with hookups. It cools down a lot faster and it stays cold.

[JimK-NY]

I went to the Wolf Pup website but could find no information on either the compressor refrigerator choices or the solar panel packages. First thing I noticed was the very low cargo carrying capacity for all of the model choices. I would look at that very carefully since CCC is using based on minimal options. At a minimum with a compressor refrigerator, you will need to add a larger than standard battery bank and numerous solar panels and a generator with fuel.

Anyway get the specs and do the math. A small compressor unit is likely to pull at least 5 amps. You need to plan for use in warmer weather, opening and closing the door and perhaps also adding room temperature drinks and food. I would figure at least 80% running. Hence, around 100 AH/day power consumption. That means a battery bank of at least 200 AH just to run the unit for one day. I would at least double that to 400 AH of battery bank; i.e., at least a half dozen car sized batteries. You will need quite a few solar panels totaling hundreds of watts to power the unit. How many depends on your camping style. If you camp in cloudy, rainy weather or in the woods, or in the Fall-Spring season when the sun is low, then solar will do little or nowhere near enough and you will need to run the generator for hours a day.

Another downside is the construction of the RV. Mine was setup at the factory for a compressor unit so I cannot convert without plumbing for propane and cutting vent holes in the siding and roof.

On the positive side if you camp almost exclusively in RV parks with power, a compressor unit will work better and cool down faster.

[sparkydave]

Thanks all, didn't know they have been around that long. We're looking forward to having a much larger one with a freezer that won't require cranking up the roof, sliding the bunk out, and folding the galley up if we want to load it or unload it! 😄

[theoldwizard1]

In general, they are much better at keeping things cool and frozen items frozen. Quality varies from manufacturer to manufacturer like any appliance.

If you boondoggle you are going to need a lot more battery or LiFePO4. I also strongly suggest a DC-DC battery charger to make sure the batteries get fully charged while driving.

[wa8yxm]

sparkydave wrote:


I saw that it has a 12 volt compressor refrigerator (and a freezer!), are they good? I'm inclined to think they'll cool off a little faster than the absorption fridge, just wondering if there have been any teething difficulties since they seem to be a relatively new thing compared to the tried but true absorption refrigerators.

Ok, when I got my Motor home I picked up a 12/120 volt Compressor type Refrigerator/Freezer (you turned the knob to one or the other temps) chest type.. IT was small cost less than 1,000 lasted 16 years. and ( now have a new one of the same type here in the apartment.

They work very very well and draw less than 50 watts door closed (Seems strange to have to say Door Closed. but hey that light bulb.. if it's not an LED 20-25 watts)

I would seriously consider one if I got a new RV.> heck I would like to have one in a Residential model (Imagine less than 1/4 the power consumption, over time that adds up)

[pianotuna]

sparkydave,

The 12 volt compressor fridge has been around in RV's as early as 1991.

I think they are a factor of 10 better than an absorption unit.

[Lwiddis]

With ample batteries and solar recharging, you’ll be in great shape. Congratulations on the new rig.

[valhalla360]

It's not new technology. 12v compressor fridges are industry standard in the boating world for decades...of course, that doesn't mean they put a quality unit in an RV.

We have one in our 2021 Gray Wolf 22RR. Everchill is the brand. So far with around 18 months of use (full time usage except for 7 months last winter), it has worked well. It has pros and cons:

Cons:
- If you are off grid, you will need to upgrade the battery bank and solar (or plan to run the generator a fair bit).
- Ours came with a 50w solar panel from the factory. It's not enough for off grid camping. It does sound like they may have upgraded on newer units to 100-150w which may be enough if you keep your other consumption down. (the single stock battery is still likely not enough)

Pros:
- The mechanicals are drastically smaller, with the net result that for the same cabinet space, you get around 50% more storage space.
- Yes, it cools faster.
- If you have a seasonal site where you pay for electricity used, it only pulls about 50w when running vs 300-400w for an absorption fridge on electric.
- No roof or wall penetrations needed, so reduces chances for water damage.

For camping with shorepower, it's a nice option.
For off grid camping, you need to plan at least on upgrading the battery bank and preferably the solar (if it's a shady site, expect you may still need to run the generator)

Overall, we are happy with it so far.

[nickthehunter]

It should work better than an absorption fridge does and just about as good as the one in your house.