Battery or 110v?

[Steve_B_]

I'll be at a campsite for a few nights with only 15 amp. service. I have a small 3-way fridge, and just will run a couple of lights (12v), maybe computer. Wondering if it makes a difference to run fridge on battery or not - is there a difference in the power draw? I'm not sure how many amps a small fridge draws. I could also run off propane if necessary.

[BFL13]

Steve B. wrote:
I found the tag for the fridge and it says it is 1,05 amp on 110v. Yes, a comma. Not sure what that means in electrical terms but if it's only drawing just over 1 amp, I'm not going to worry at all about this. DC was 9, something. So, makes more sense to run on 110. Looks like I'm good to go. I don't have a microwave, no hair dryer needed ( no hair anymore) so I should be fine. I have an AC/Heat pump (KoolKat) that requires 20 amps but I won't be needing that. I probably could just run the fan on it and be fine. Thanks to all that responded, this forum is amazing! What a great community!

Those French guys in Quebec use commas instead of dots for that. Maybe you were reading the French label instead of the English label.

Those Mainlanders in Vancouver don't have a clue anyway. Visit the Island if you RV this way for some common sense 🙂

[Dutch_12078]

To give you a little perspective, we're currently parked at our base cottage, and due to the current remodeling project, I couldn't plug the coach into the 30 amp RV outlet as usual, so it's plugged into a 15 amp breakered outlet instead. We currently have our 8 cu.ft. fridge running on electric, as well as two laptop pc's, two tablets and two cell phones on charge, a 27" LCD TV, the converter, and earlier today, one of the two A/C's. The microwave has also been used several times, although not at the same time as the A/C. So far, the only time the breaker has popped is when my wife accidentally turned on her hair dryer while the microwave was running.

[Steve_B_]

I found the tag for the fridge and it says it is 1,05 amp on 110v. Yes, a comma. Not sure what that means in electrical terms but if it's only drawing just over 1 amp, I'm not going to worry at all about this. DC was 9, something. So, makes more sense to run on 110. Looks like I'm good to go. I don't have a microwave, no hair dryer needed ( no hair anymore) so I should be fine. I have an AC/Heat pump (KoolKat) that requires 20 amps but I won't be needing that. I probably could just run the fan on it and be fine. Thanks to all that responded, this forum is amazing! What a great community!

[red31]

I read that article the other day "It’s lacking the distinct smell of a propane-fired lamp as used in many early trailers" 😉

Beauty!

Find any specs on the fridge?

[Steve_B_]

Bryan, My trailer was built out in Vancouver by a now extinct company called Fifties Trailers. It is a repro of a '57 Shasta, or that era. They did everything right - custom built birds-eye maple cabinets and birch interior, period countertops and fabrics. People think it is one I restored. It is very comfortable for one, doable for two for short trips. It gets a lot of attention and I've met a lot of people that stop by to see it. My trailer was featured in Trailer Life, I think Dec. of '00. Had to have it so it was shipped to me in NYS. They only built about 25 of them, and they are scattered. I think it cost them so much to custom build them that they couldn't make enough on them. Too bad as I think there was a market but the guys building them didn't have marketing experience. Glad I got one.

[RJsfishin]

Big difference tween a 12v 3 way fridge, and a 12v 120v 2 way fridge.
The 3 way uses a 12v heating element, the 2 way uses a 12v motor driven compressor for AC and DC, drawing only about 5 amps on DC.

[mchero]

My bad, I thought that the one poster stated 1 to 2 apms on 12VDC.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

3 amps (360 watts) on 120 volts = about 30 amps on 12 volts. Do the math.

The OP is asking about a 15 amp shore power connection. That will easily run a three way fridge on the 120 volt setting, with LOTS of power to spare.

mchero wrote:

2 or 3 AMPS....NOT

When I first aquired my Pace Arrow I could not figure out why my inverter sucked the batteries down in under 45 minutes....

Found that one of the outlets on the inverter was connected to the fridge. I know from experience that when the fridge is on the inverter is drains the batteries QUICK.

I'll have to check the draw and get back to this post.

My Suggestion, Inverter for a few lights, NOT the fridge, leave it on gas.

RM



Thnaks

[Tango__AE7UI]

Our old Lance camper had a 3-way reefer.
We only used the 12v when on the road with the truck running.
One battery was not really enough and no room to add any additional batteries.
Had good luck with both 120vac and gas.

[Atlee]

I would try to run the fridge on 120VAC since I presume electricity is part of the camping fee. If electric should be separate, or if your fridge and other appliances are too much for the 15AMP 120VAC, then I'd switch the fridge to gas.

Gas use by a small 3-way is really very little. And I think those refrigerators are a little more efficent on gas.

What you do not want to do is try to cool your fridge using DC current. 1) it's very inefficent, doesn't cool well, and 2) it'll burn through one of your batteries in 2-3 hours.

Steve B. wrote:
I'll be at a campsite for a few nights with only 15 amp. service. I have a small 3-way fridge, and just will run a couple of lights (12v), maybe computer. Wondering if it makes a difference to run fridge on battery or not - is there a difference in the power draw? I'm not sure how many amps a small fridge draws. I could also run off propane if necessary.

[hershey]

You would be fine with either elec or gas. Gas is the most efficient and will leave you a lot of room for hiccups like someone plugging in a hair curler etc.
Like many have said above, the 12 volt option is the most inefficient way to go....it will drain a battery(s) very quickly.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The best I ever got out of 12 volts on a three way fridge was to cool it was down on AC or gas, switch to 12 volts for the road and watch the temperature slowly but surely rise to beyond safe limits to preserve food.

[red31]

Steve

More interested in your newish canned ham, your small profile pic does not do it justice 😉

[wolfe10]

wa8yxm wrote:
Most RV fridges draw about 350 watts.

Now on AC that's about 3 amps

On DC, that's 30

Many however have smaller DC heat elements and do not work as well on DC

YUP, a lot of the confusion is whether amps of 12 VDC or amps of 120 VAC are being discussed. OVER 10X difference, particularly when using an inverter, since they are NOT 100% efficient.