Why consider 12v fridge for boondocking?
So I want to offer up this question out about 12v compressor refrigerators. I'm going to post this on other forums too, so your "forum tramps"(like me)may see this spread around some other pages. Not...
Forum Discussion
One misconception is that you need gobs of solar and LiFePO4 batteries to run a 12V 10 cu.ft compressor fridge.
I have 400W of solar (Grape Solar $), 4-6V Interstate GC batteries running through a Victron MPPT controller.
I park my TT at my house. In the spring, summer and fall with just the fridge running and whatever parasitic devices the batteries never drop below around 12.41. They bulk every morning and by noon-ish they're in absorption mode until they hit float. I never ever need to plug in to 120V at my house as the fridge will batteries will cycle like that day in day out. Even on cloudy no sun days the batteries never dip below 12V with just the fridge and other parasitic stuff running.
Out camping we run the 2000W inverter 24/7 so we can keep our Dish sat locked in along with other items. We watch some TV in the mornings and evenings. Maybe 6 hours total throughout the whole day/night. After 3 days we need to run the gen for 3-4 hours. This is all with limited sun as we're in the mountains and even though the day is sunny to partly cloudy we don't get full sun concentration on the panels due to the tree height and the suns arc.
If we we're in full sun on the panels from dawn to dusk I could go much longer without the gen. And if we didn't do the Dish/TV stuff I could easily go longer than my water would last which is 5 nights.
!2V fridges aren't perfect but if I were buying a new RV and knowing what I know now I'd still get a 12V fridge. You get a much better interior design, more cu.ft than an absorption and I don't have to deal with propane. I can use my propane for the furnace and cooking.
When driving out on the open road the solar's charging the batteries on route to another CG spot. When I plug into shore power I get the same benefits of an absorption fridge plus the added features of a 12V fridge.
IMO if you hardly dry camp and don't want to do the solar stuff then go 12V compressor style. You'll be on 120V most of the time and get the added amenities of a larger fridge. If you do dry camp for a night or two then 200W would do the trick if you conserve some other 12V usage.
FWIW I had absorption fridges in my previous 3 RV's. Prior to the current TT the Norcold in our 5er was flawless for 6 years. Bought a new TT in April of 2019. By August of 2020 the new TT's Norcold tanked. Out of warranty and already having solar and 4 batteries it was a no brainer to go 12V compressor. $950 plus a 3 year warranty vs $1500 +/- for a new Norcold that could have the same issues again. IMO the newer RV products just aren't as good as in years past.
I have 400W of solar (Grape Solar $), 4-6V Interstate GC batteries running through a Victron MPPT controller.
I park my TT at my house. In the spring, summer and fall with just the fridge running and whatever parasitic devices the batteries never drop below around 12.41. They bulk every morning and by noon-ish they're in absorption mode until they hit float. I never ever need to plug in to 120V at my house as the fridge will batteries will cycle like that day in day out. Even on cloudy no sun days the batteries never dip below 12V with just the fridge and other parasitic stuff running.
Out camping we run the 2000W inverter 24/7 so we can keep our Dish sat locked in along with other items. We watch some TV in the mornings and evenings. Maybe 6 hours total throughout the whole day/night. After 3 days we need to run the gen for 3-4 hours. This is all with limited sun as we're in the mountains and even though the day is sunny to partly cloudy we don't get full sun concentration on the panels due to the tree height and the suns arc.
If we we're in full sun on the panels from dawn to dusk I could go much longer without the gen. And if we didn't do the Dish/TV stuff I could easily go longer than my water would last which is 5 nights.
!2V fridges aren't perfect but if I were buying a new RV and knowing what I know now I'd still get a 12V fridge. You get a much better interior design, more cu.ft than an absorption and I don't have to deal with propane. I can use my propane for the furnace and cooking.
When driving out on the open road the solar's charging the batteries on route to another CG spot. When I plug into shore power I get the same benefits of an absorption fridge plus the added features of a 12V fridge.
IMO if you hardly dry camp and don't want to do the solar stuff then go 12V compressor style. You'll be on 120V most of the time and get the added amenities of a larger fridge. If you do dry camp for a night or two then 200W would do the trick if you conserve some other 12V usage.
FWIW I had absorption fridges in my previous 3 RV's. Prior to the current TT the Norcold in our 5er was flawless for 6 years. Bought a new TT in April of 2019. By August of 2020 the new TT's Norcold tanked. Out of warranty and already having solar and 4 batteries it was a no brainer to go 12V compressor. $950 plus a 3 year warranty vs $1500 +/- for a new Norcold that could have the same issues again. IMO the newer RV products just aren't as good as in years past.
