Compressor refrigerator opinons
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 s...
Forum Discussion
Skibane wrote:
Basically, you're trading one set of compromises for another set.
You gain faster cool-down and better hot weather cooling performance.
You lose the ability to boondock in shaded campsites or rainy weather without running a generator to keep your food from spoiling.
Cost considerations:
1. Cost of 12V compressor fridge
2. Cost of extra solar panels to run it
3. Cost of extra batteries to run it
4. Cost of generator and battery charger to keep it running under sunless conditions
There's also a convenience consideration: Whenever sunlight isn't available, you have to set aside some time to run the generator - You can't just leave it running unattended.
I think the reason you are seeing a shift is because solar systems have come down so much in cost.
20yrs ago a solar system that would handle a 12v fridge might have cost $800-1000 just in parts and realistically would have required a permanent installation that could add a few hundred more. Now you can get the parts for $200-300. If you don't want to do a permanent install, portable solar panels are easily obtained (which also negates a lot of the shading issues).
