12 volt Refrigerator

[jimla]

A friend of mine just bought a new TT and has a 12 volt only frig. in it. I haven't seen any post about them. Does anyone have one and are they working ok. And yes it only works on 12 volts. No gas.

[formerFR]

whats the make and model of the trailer?
what is the make and model of the fridge?

are you sure it's only '12v', and not a residential 120v(plugged in) fridge running off of an inverter or shore power?

[Bama Rambler]

There have been a couple of threads about them.
I think they're Ever(something) and they are 12 volts only.

[Flybob]

WOW. True 12V fridges I have seen are either thermo-electric or compressor driven. Both have some limitations for RV use. The thermo-electric ones usually only cool 30-40 degrees below ambient making them of little use in hot climates. The compressor driven units cool Ok, but use a considerable amount of current. They will put added strain on the converter.

[jimla]

I was surprised when I saw it. TT only has 1 battery. It had a big ticker on it taughting boondocking.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by formerFR

whats the make and model of the trailer?
what is the make and model of the fridge?

are you sure it's only '12v', and not a residential 120v(plugged in) fridge running off of an inverter or shore power?

Yep, I think the OP misunderstood.
The only RVs that have 12v fridges, are generally folding trailers and truck campers. And those fridges are 3-way and also operate on 110v AC and propane.

[rockfordroo]

I've seen some of those teardrop style campers that come with one of those 12VDC style "coolers," like this:



While looking for the pic above, I found this one that looks more like a "fridge."

[Carvercamper]

My Shasta 32DS came with a 12v only Residential fridge. Its a Ever Chill

[formerFR]

yep, apparently most of us have missed the RVs with 12v only fridge, though it's not too 'normal' of a thing... I guess you just miss the ability to run on propane, but most folks probably would get rid of propane if they could, anyway - don't shoot me...maybe that should be changed to 'some folks' : )

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Carvercamper

My Shasta 32DS came with a 12v only Residential fridge. Its a Ever Chill

From what info I could find, your Ever Chill is a residential fridge that is 120v AC, that runs on 12v battery power through an inverter.

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by Flybob

WOW. True 12V fridges I have seen are either thermo-electric or compressor driven. Both have some limitations for RV use. The thermo-electric ones usually only cool 30-40 degrees below ambient making them of little use in hot climates. The compressor driven units cool Ok, but use a considerable amount of current. They will put added strain on the converter.

The compressor driven versions have been tried and retried on boats where propane doesn't work - not level enough, and propane is considered a significant explosiong hazard.

The best and smallest compressor fridges draw about 5 amps on 12v. Some can be more efficient than a household compressor fridge because of the availability of water cooling. With a 50% duty cycle, you are still using 60AH per day on the small units. 60AH per day is not totally unreasonable, but it is not simple, either.

My father-in-law used of these air-cooled 12V units to convert an ice box in an older travel trailer he had. Worked pretty well as long as he didn't dry camp for more than a day.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[JLeising]

Danfoss 12 volt “low power” compressor based refrigerators, apparently popular with long haul truckers:
http://www.truckcamperadventure.com/...nd-a-few-tips/

Apparently use about 50 amp-hours per day, “typically”. Much less than a residential with an inverter, but a lot more electric power than an absorption type on propane.

[Flybob]

Makes sense as long haul truckers have an abundance of 12V power, but not practical for small TT with only one battery.

[Carvercamper]

Originally Posted by bikendan

From what info I could find, your Ever Chill is a residential fridge that is 120v AC, that runs on 12v battery power through an inverter.

I will check but we have had the camper for a year now and I have never seen an inverter. When we switch from shore power to battery I don't have to do anything.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Carvercamper

I will check but we have had the camper for a year now and I have never seen an inverter. When we switch from shore power to battery I don't have to do anything.

That's probably because the inverter is always drawing from the battery and on shore power, your converter is simply feeding the battery.

[Carvercamper]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

That's probably because the inverter is always drawing from the battery and on shore power, your converter is simply feeding the battery.

This is the spec for my fridge

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Carvercamper

This is the spec for my fridge

I guess we all stand corrected.

11 amps! Wow! Make sure you've got it cooled down before you disconnect shore power!

[formerFR]

he doesn't have an Inverter, the fridge is purely a 12v device, just like the lights...no inverter required, hence why it's ONLY a 12v fridge.... but, it also runs on 120v simply because the onboard CONVERTER makes that happen, just like the lights and all other 12v items when plugged into shore power.

the only difference in this unit and any other 'more common' RV fridge is that it does not require or use Propane, only 12v, or 120v via the Converter.

So, when you are plugged in a the park or campground, everything works off of 120v shore power. When you unplug and head home, the battery(s) continue providing 12v to the fridge, just like all other 12v lights and/or items. Since the travel time is limited, it's doubtful that the battery can not handle the fridge during that time, especially since it's 12v unit and not a full 120v compressor type.

[formerFR]

note: the 11amps referred to is at 12v, not at 120volts, so the draw on the battery(s) is much less than a typical fridge would be. But, it might also be true that it takes much longer to initially cool down from ambient temperature before a trip...probably take all night to get down to your desired temp.

[Carvercamper]

The fridge works great in our 2018 Shasta. It only takes a few hours to cool. I can only set it on 2 1/2 if I go higher thing freeze in the fridge.