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blackwolfmt
Senior Nomad
Posts: 802
Registered: 1-18-2014
Location: On The Beach With A Blackwolf
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Mood: dreamin of Riden out a hurricane in Baja
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Truck camper fridge questions
Ok so I got a truck camper what is the most efficient way to run the fridge gas or electric as in 12 volt battery ? for the longest time, use the
battery and a solar maintainer ?? all opinions welcome
[Edited on 4-26-2017 by blackwolfmt]
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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Howard
Super Nomad
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Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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I have had different types of class "A" campers and now have a dual slide on a F350 dually and by far the electric plug in gets it colder faster,
keeps it colder and is cheaper if at an RV park. ( or at a friends  )
Sorry for the hijack but I will be putting my rig up for sale soon if anyone might be interested. U2U me so this does not get hijacked.
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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chuckie
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Location: Kansas Prairies
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Electric to get it cooled down and gas to maintain it is what I do..
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blackwolfmt
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No prob Howard anytime, Once I thought about it plugged in would be No prob,, I was lkn for battery 12 volt times frames with a 12 v maintainer solar
charger vs propane
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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blackwolfmt
Senior Nomad
Posts: 802
Registered: 1-18-2014
Location: On The Beach With A Blackwolf
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Mood: dreamin of Riden out a hurricane in Baja
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Thanks Chuckie
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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Paco Facullo
Super Nomad
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Mood: Abiding ..........
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I have an ARB 12v fridge. And love it. It protects your battery from getting too discharged as it will shut down before. Also draws little so a solar
backup is a great way to go.
Not cheap BUT quality.
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BooJumMan
Senior Nomad
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Location: San Diego
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Newer style 12v fridges are very efficient. ARB, Engel, Dometic, Edgestar...many others... They run about 60w or less. A 100-200w solar panel is
sufficient to keeping the battery topped off during good weather. A 3 way style with propane/gas is always nice if planning on staying put for a very
long time, but I think these days, the electric, low draw 12v Danfoss swing compressors are the best.
In that pre-Google Earth and social media epoch, The Code was adhered to. It was based on a simple verity: if a locale had been transformational for
you, and you had put the hard yards in to get there and to learn it, to know it, why in god�s name would you broadcast the news, thus ruining the
future experience not only for yourself, but for future adventurers?
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msteve1014
Senior Nomad
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Quote: Originally posted by blackwolfmt  | | No prob Howard anytime, Once I thought about it plugged in would be No prob,, I was lkn for battery 12 volt times frames with a 12 v maintainer solar
charger vs propane |
You will need more than a battery maintainer to keep up with the heater in the frig on 12 volts. I believe it is to keep the frig cool while you are
driving from one place to the next, then you change to gas, or 120ac.
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BFS
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 9-28-2006
Location: Todos Santos
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If you have a 3 way camper fridge you will most likely drain the battery pretty quick if using it exclusively while camping. Gas will last much
longer. As someone mentioned above, the most efficient way is to plug it into your house the night before you leave, then in the morning move the
setting to your battery while driving, then turn on the gas while camping.
Have fun!
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8knots
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My truck camper has the typical 3 way fridge. If you are cooling it down before a trip using the propane it takes a good overnight to get cold. I
never thought about using electric to chill quicker. That being said....these refers are so efficient on propane it is crazy good. Just got back from
5 days remote camping and I never worried about running out of propane. You can go a really long time without refill as long as you have 20 or 30 lb
propane tank.
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mtnpop
Senior Nomad
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Location: Colorado/mulege
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Dealers always told us to stay away from using the 12v with the fridge.. use the gas and 110v when avail.
Do not remember what the explanation was unless it really wipes out your battery faster.... you can travel with the gas on....
This was from Lance camper dealers....
Always had really good luck with gas setting on ours....
have fun
Common sense is a flower that doesn\'t grow in everyone\'s garden.....
A wise man once spoke nothing.....
Never kick a cow chip on a hot day!!
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chuckie
Elite Nomad
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Location: Kansas Prairies
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I should have said, use the 110 to cool it down and then switch to propane..Propane lasts a long time...
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blackwolfmt
Senior Nomad
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Mood: dreamin of Riden out a hurricane in Baja
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mucho gracias for the great info fellow Nomads
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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hermosok123
Nomad
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Registered: 12-11-2016
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I keep a big 5th wheel with a Dometic 3 way in Gonzaga. In the hotter months when it gets above 90f it begins to loose efficiency and when it humid.
They sell these small solar powered fans that help lift the hot or warm air out the exhaust stack. My fridge runs 10 degrees cooler with it
operating. I have no experience with the newer models but will look into them. I learned this trick; if you want to freeze all the stuff in a fridge
just take the access door off of the freezer compartment. For long off grid trips we use a portable propane cooler and rotate food from the now
freezer.
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surfhat
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Registered: 6-4-2012
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After using 3 way propane fridges in the past decades, and now have a Dometic 12v only, there is no comparison. No need to level the vehicle, no need
for carrying propane tanks.
The efficiency of these modern electric 12v compressor driven fridges is the cleanest way to go. That I have a couple of agm batteries to run it and a
pv panel on top, is a natural for unlimited refrigeration, or freezing, if that is desired.
With these current 12v compressor driven fridges and their efficiency, why would anyone cling to gas driven fridges ?, unless they don't have any 12v
batteries to run these systems endlessly without burning fossil fuels.
!2v electric is the way to go. These fridges in a top loading design are all the better for not letting the cold air fall out every time you open them
up.
The previous gas run fridge I had dumped out the cold air every time I opened it up . There is a better option and 12v top loading electric is it.
Thanks to all here.
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blackwolfmt
Senior Nomad
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Location: On The Beach With A Blackwolf
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Well I camped out at 8500 ft in the San Juans for 130 dys, June and july were pretty much blue sky with full sun everyday so my Solar panel kept the
battery 12.5 and I would use gas to really cool it down couple hrs a week 20lb tank would last around 5 wks. Then Aug and Sept cloudy rainy almost
every day plus el sol was getting lower in the sky and was behind some trees most of the day couldn't keep the charge up on the batt so started using
gas full time on the fridge gas would last around 15, 20 dys. Dometic fridge is very efficient would stay 40 on low setting,will always have gas
around for cooking and taking a hot shower and when it started gettin down to 25 the heater really came in handy
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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chrishaynesusa
Junior Nomad
Posts: 57
Registered: 8-19-2017
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I run a set of ARB 50Liter Refrigerators and a dual battery setup(soon to be three)
One fridge for frozen food <32F
One for cold food. >32F
2 batteries for Refrigerators and one for starting.
all three can be slaved together for starting or winching.
And a 200 AMP Mean Green Alternator.
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nbentley1
Nomad
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Registered: 9-16-2016
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I have a 86Qt Edgestar that I've been running for a few years, connected to the truck / trailer when travelling and 160W folding solar set up when
stopped for anything longer than an overnight. Set up works great.
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
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BTW, No mater how you manage the power for you electric frig/freezer please get a jump start device for backup. If you are alone and have dead battery
it is not a good thing.
Your experience will vary and solar is good as is dual batteries. It all comes down to what if?
The cost for the top power units go from $160+ down to 67+. Compare the battery power of the Lithium Ion battery and get one with that has the best
power to dollar ratio. Forget about options like reserve power like Consumer Reports likes to rate highly. All you want is max cranking power.
Very good insurance for back country use.
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aguachico
Senior Nomad
Posts: 602
Registered: 3-23-2007
Location: tijuana
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Mood: logic cannot get thru to the illogical
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Running house devices off of starter battery is a bad idea, period. Deep cycle batts are cheap, charging them is very easy and cheap.
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