Refrigerator Question

[Mike & Molly]

New to Rv.
Will be Rving for the first time next week.
My question is:
Can you run the refrigerator while driving the Rv.
If so which is better to use the electric or propane.
Thanks

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Indro

New to Rv.
Will be Rving for the first time next week.
My question is:
Can you run the refrigerator while driving the Rv.
If so which is better to use the electric or propane.
Thanks

I have mine on while traveling.
You can only use propane while doing so.


Turbs

[Dave_Monica]

Welcome to the forum!

The fridge is commonly on using propane while travelling. You should have it off when re-fuelling though probably most don't.

I've never noticed a difference in it's operation between propane or electric...I use the electricity as it paid for with the site fee.

Dave

[bikendan]

since you don't mention what type of RV or model, don't know if you have an onboard generator.
if you do, then you can run it on electric but it's slower cooling than propane.

if you don't, then propane is the only way to run it, while traveling.
your propane question, is a hot topic on all RV forums.
the majority of RV'ers have not problems running theirs on propane, while traveling, me being one of them.

only a few tunnels on the East Coast, have a no-propane policy when traveling through them.

[RoadTrip]

I hate to disagree, and I'm probably wrong given my minute amount of experience - but we run our fridge on battery while on the road.

It's a class C Motorhome, so maybe that's the difference, but I turn on the fridge, keep the gas off and away we go. My understanding is that the fridge is running off battery as we go down the road, but the battery is being recharged by the engine as we drive.

[Triguy]

To the OP, as others have said, you can run the fridge while driving. If your fridge is a two-way, than AC and GAS operation is available, but only propane while driving.

Dometic makes three-way models that can run off of DC, AC and gas. But, even with those, 12VDC will quickly drain the battery unless the house battery is being charged.

Roadtrip, I didn't think they used three-way outside of popups so you have me curious what is in your Class C. Can you get the model number of the fridge by any chance?

[RoadTrip]

Originally Posted by Triguy

To the OP, as others have said, you can run the fridge while driving. If your fridge is a two-way, than AC and GAS operation is available, but only propane while driving.

Dometic makes three-way models that can run off of DC, AC and gas. But, even with those, 12VDC will quickly drain the battery unless the house battery is being charged.

Roadtrip, I didn't think they used three-way outside of popups so you have me curious what is in your Class C. Can you get the model number of the fridge by any chance?

will do when I get home. Where do I look?

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by RoadTrip

will do when I get home. Where do I look?

That's great. There should be a sticker inside the fridge door.

[RoadTrip]

Originally Posted by Triguy

That's great. There should be a sticker inside the fridge door.

ok- - but if my wife asks, tell her this was official camper business. She just rolled her eyes this weekend when I said I was trying this new polymer wax "some of the guys were talking about"

[georgew48]

I have a 23CF residential refer in my Cardinal 3800FL and it runs only on electric. 110 when pluged in and 12 through an inverter while traveling. works great. It will run for up to 36 hours off the battery only if not connected to the tow vehicle. When connected to the tow vehicle the battery is getting charge from the truck alt and then powers the refer through the inverter. No more having to turn off the gas when refueling.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by RoadTrip

ok- - but if my wife asks, tell her this was official camper business. She just rolled her eyes this weekend when I said I was trying this new polymer wax "some of the guys were talking about"

You betcha!

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by georgew48

I have a 23CF residential refer in my Cardinal 3800FL and it runs only on electric. 110 when pluged in and 12 through an inverter while traveling. works great. It will run for up to 36 hours off the battery only if not connected to the tow vehicle. When connected to the tow vehicle the battery is getting charge from the truck alt and then powers the refer through the inverter. No more having to turn off the gas when refueling.

That's what I am thinking now that I've considered it. It's the only way that Roadtrip could be running off the battery (via an inverter).

[RoadTrip]

Originally Posted by Triguy

Roadtrip, I didn't think they used three-way outside of popups so you have me curious what is in your Class C. Can you get the model number of the fridge by any chance?

Got it (sorry for the delay - late nights at work)

Dometic model DM 2652. Manufactured 2007.

[RoadTrip]

Many thanks to Triguy, who helped me offline (or rather away from the forum) to track down what in fact my fridge is doing.

It is NOT cooling on battery. The battery is only running the lights (and some background stuff).

We tracked everything down - well he did, and I did the legwork, and turns out you can't run a fridge on a battery!