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Old 01-19-2017, 07:05 AM   #1
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Residential Fridge vs Absorption Fridge

We are currently shopping for a new Class C and were curious which fridge would be better? We currently have a small fridge in our TT that runs on electric or propane, works great if we dry camp or just pull over for the night on propane. Wife likes the size of the residential fridges and I like the convenience of using propane or electric with the auto setting. Just curious if the residential is worth using. Some forum post say it is harder to find a tech to work on the residential ones.....Thoughts and thanks in advance.
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Old 01-19-2017, 07:14 AM   #2
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We find the use of a propane/AC unit the best as you can camp without a power pole for days (months) on end.

Most RV have pretty small batts , which will be almost dead after a single night if powering the fridge.

Look at the fridge makers ,like Dometic site , there are large home sized RV units available.

Some are so large the windshield needs to be removed to get it aboard.

To function well the venting guides from the fridge mfg. MUST be observed.
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Old 01-19-2017, 07:27 AM   #3
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FFred is pretty much right on target. I have had both adsorption units and currently have a residential unit. A lot depends on your style of camping. If you are generally in a park and connected to AC, residential units work very well. If you spend a lot of your time boondocking, you might not want to manage the power demands of a residential unit. In my case it changed the way I operate. I dumped my stove top coffee maker since I have to run the genny in the morning anyway so I might as well use the rest of the power to make coffee, run the microwave, etc. With residential you will need to run a generator for a few hours daily or drive for an equivalent amount of time (RVs not TTs)

There are big adsorption units that rival residential reefers, but there have also been a lot of problems with these units as they often require addition fans and very well designed ventilation in order to dump the significant amount of waste heat that big adsorption units generate.

If you are looking at a TT, and spend any significant amount of time away from a power pole, you will definitely need a generator with a residential unit, but a class C or class A is pretty easy to manage (and carry the batteries that are required for the inverter.)
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Old 01-19-2017, 07:31 AM   #4
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Even if you don't dry camp or boondock, absorption fridges will keep your food cold while on the road. I used mine once as a place to keep my house food refrigerated during a power failure.
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Old 01-19-2017, 07:41 AM   #5
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I am not sure who is even offering a residential fridge in a class C unless you get into a super C like Dynamax. With a C your weight carrying capacity is already limited and adding the extra batteries required to use an inverter will reduce that even further.

We have the Dometic 12 cu ft 4 door absorption fridge w/ice maker in ours and love it. Only thing you must be careful of is to be sure it is level when you are set up and camping or you can cause permanent damage.
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Old 01-19-2017, 07:45 AM   #6
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I am not sure who is even offering a residential fridge in a class C unless you get into a super C like Dynamax. With a C your weight carrying capacity is already limited and adding the extra batteries required to use an inverter will reduce that even further.

We have the Dometic 12 cu ft 4 door evaporation fridge w/ice maker in ours and love it. Only thing you must be careful of is to be sure it is level or you can cause permanent damage when parked.
Clarification:

If the fridge is turned off, no damage will occur if the RV is off level provided that you level it before turning it on again.
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Old 01-19-2017, 07:49 AM   #7
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Thanks for the clarification. I see where it may have been confusing. Edited.
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Old 01-19-2017, 07:58 AM   #8
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Maybe they are absorbtion, we were looking at Sunseekers that advertised them as residential.
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Old 01-19-2017, 08:01 AM   #9
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Maybe they are absorbtion, we were looking at Sunseekers that advertised them as residential.
Residential usually means a standard 120VAC fridge.
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Old 01-19-2017, 08:29 AM   #10
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Cyberdude, we went with a 2017 SunSeeker 3010DS specifically because it offered the 4 door 12 cu/ft fridge with icemaker. It is dual propane/120. We wanted enough fridge when we take our grown children and grands with us and it has worked out great. The ice maker is very handy. Forester has this too.


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Old 01-19-2017, 09:10 AM   #11
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Sounds good Gary, does it have the auto setting on the fridge for switching power source? We are looking at the 3071ds.
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Old 01-19-2017, 09:14 AM   #12
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As far as I know sunseeker only offers an absorption fridge. Some units have the 4 door 12cu/ft model which I have seen marketed as a residential SIZE refrigerator.

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Old 01-19-2017, 09:27 AM   #13
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Just found a file I had previously downloaded on a Coachmen Leprechaun 311FS and the floorplan does show a residential fridge and an option for a washer and dryer. Here is the link if anybody is interested

Leprechaun Class C Motorhomes by Coachmen RV
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Old 01-19-2017, 10:02 AM   #14
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Cyber, yes. It has auto that will switch to/from 120 when it comes on line or drops off. 3170 is a nice floor plan.
There are just two of us most times and we wanted recliners. When we take people with us, we wanted the option of putting an adult on the dinette and the "U" dinette makes a longer bed. Also, the wide living room floor has been used several times this year with blow-up child beds for toddler grands. When everyone gets up in the morning, the blow-ups stow in the cab overhead until the next night.


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Old 01-19-2017, 12:36 PM   #15
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Back 25 years ago getting a fridge super level was gospel.

Today it is recommended but basically if you are not falling out of bed , you are fine , BUT out of level does eat more propane.

Since the fridge does best level our technique is to stick a bubble level on the fridge working surface , and then level the RV to a "perfect bubble".

Then move and install the bubble level where the driver can see it and use wedges or shims to get it "perfect".

Now as the driver pulls into the campsite simply watching the bubble frequently allows perfection , just by pulling up or back to level the rig , which levels the fridge..

A bubble level is only as big as a half dollar coin , so not a big deal on the dash or engine cover.

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Old 01-19-2017, 02:06 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timfromma View Post
Even if you don't dry camp or boondock, absorption fridges will keep your food cold while on the road. I used mine once as a place to keep my house food refrigerated during a power failure.
I have a residential and the come with 1000 watt inverter that I turn on when driving a long distance that keeps everything frozen mine is a Whirlpool it stays cold for without inverter on for about 6hrs. I never dry camp per the wife. Love the residential!
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Old 01-19-2017, 03:02 PM   #17
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Cyberdude, we went with a 2017 SunSeeker 3010DS specifically because it offered the 4 door 12 cu/ft fridge with icemaker. It is dual propane/120. We wanted enough fridge when we take our grown children and grands with us and it has worked out great. The ice maker is very handy. Forester has this too.

Gary
Dual 120v/propane fridge would be an absorption fridge, not a "residential".
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Old 01-19-2017, 04:14 PM   #18
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I have a residential refrigerator and they are nice, DW loves it. It's not for everyone. I have a inverter and four six volt batteries, the refrigerator will run about four days without power. We don't dry camp much


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Old 01-19-2017, 06:02 PM   #19
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My 2015 Dynamax DX3-37RB Super-C came with a 23 cubic foot residential fridge as OEM (which I'm generally happy with). Some knucklehead at the factory decided that two 12VDC house batteries would be sufficient. Definitely NOT the case. Starting with fully charged house batteries (powering only the fridge), those two 12VDC batteries wouldn't last 12 hours! I had to be either 1: running the diesel engine (alternator keeping the batteries charged), 2: running the diesel generator (transfer switch providing 110VAC power) or 3: plugged into shore power. I switched to six 6VDC batteries. Starting with a full charge, I can now get 2 days on batteries only. A "regular" C-Class RV leaves the factory very close to its' maximum GVWR so, adding/upgrading batteries might not be possible. I suspect in your case, it would probably be better to stay with an absorption RV fridge which basically sips propane and, sips 12VDC power (to run the circuit board) when not plugged into shore power.
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Old 01-19-2017, 06:33 PM   #20
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As mentioned above, residential refrigerators are almost invariably compressor types, designed to run off 120 volts AC. Now, you can buy RV designed house type fridges designed to run off 120 volts or propane plus 12 volts for control, which may render at least my contribution to this thread a case of history... Before buying our first fifth wheeler, we had bus conversions (highway, not school)and the favorite there was the Norcold AC/DC models, designed expressly for RVs. They had a high efficiency (for the time at least)swing motor compressor, and a built in inverter which automatically switched over. They worked very well, but in our first coach we had two 8D batteries as house batteries, then later, in the Eagle we had eight golf cart batteries. This worked out well for us, at least. Used a Heart Interface inverter with built in battery charger.

Compressor type refrigerators by the way, need not be even nearly level, except for the obvious comfort factor. It won't hurt the compressor if it is close to right side up. The absorption fridges on the other hand, need to be pretty level to work well, but also work well going down the road. They are designed for gravity circulation, as compared to the compressor (pump) in the ones using refrigerant...used to be R-12, and now is R-134a. Absorption units use R-717 which is ammonia.
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