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03-17-2017, 10:38 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 8
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Residential refrigerator
We are looking to buy a new 5th wheel and would like to get a gas/electric refrigerator as we like to boondock occasionally. But it seems they are phasing out gas/electric refrigerators. Can you boondock with an residential refrigerator without running your generator for long periods of time?
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Larry & Janice
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03-17-2017, 10:49 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Waynesville
Posts: 14,428
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Unless you have "Several Big Batteries" or a Huge Solar system the answer is No! Youroo!!
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03-17-2017, 10:51 AM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 8
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Thanks!
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Larry & Janice
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03-17-2017, 10:54 AM
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#4
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
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Quote:
Originally Posted by youroo
Unless you have "Several Big Batteries" or a Huge Solar system the answer is No! Youroo!!
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I'll second that!
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2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2017 Ford F-Series SCREW 4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=64
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03-17-2017, 11:58 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Northwest Florida
Posts: 287
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But when you are not Boondocking they are soooooo great.
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2016 Ram 3500HD 6.7L CTD 4x4 CCSB
2017 CC 34RL2 Hathaway Edition
Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel Hitch
Nights Camped: 2017=61
Nights Camped: 2018=25
Nights Camped: 2019=12 | Booked=6
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03-17-2017, 12:46 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 370
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Biggest advantage is they stay so much cooler than a gas/electric. Moved to residential and never looked back.
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03-17-2017, 12:52 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Whereever our Berkshire is Parked!
Posts: 7,082
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ttanous
Biggest advantage is they stay so much cooler than a gas/electric. Moved to residential and never looked back.
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Next best thing is it is one less fire hazard in the coach!
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Bob & Anne-Marie [BamaBob & 6 Actual]
| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego Bikes |
Nights Camped: 2013 - 24 • 2014 - 42 • 2015 - 56 • Jul 2016 - Fulltime •
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03-17-2017, 01:13 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 60
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I would love to replace our Dometic with a residential fridge!! We never boondock . Our coach is pretty new though so hubby won't let me .
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03-17-2017, 01:23 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NC
Posts: 477
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Residential refrigerators rock!
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2017 Surveyor 33RETS with Residential Refrigerator and Inverter
2005 Ford Excursion 6.0L 2WD
Nights Camped 2016 27, 2017 29
2018 25 2019 25
2020 24 2021 28 2022 302023 30
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03-17-2017, 01:49 PM
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#10
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coolharts
Residential refrigerators rock!
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I agree, as long as you have electric.
No sun, no generator, no hook-ups.... no refrigerator.
They may be few... but there are times when nothing but a propane refrigerator will keep your stuff cold.
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2017 Ford F-Series SCREW 4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=64
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03-17-2017, 03:08 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NC
Posts: 477
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 5picker
I agree, as long as you have electric.
No sun, no generator, no hook-ups.... no refrigerator.
They may be few... but there are times when nothing but a propane refrigerator will keep your stuff cold.
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My DW won't boondock, she needs her hair dryer and A/C.
__________________
2017 Surveyor 33RETS with Residential Refrigerator and Inverter
2005 Ford Excursion 6.0L 2WD
Nights Camped 2016 27, 2017 29
2018 25 2019 25
2020 24 2021 28 2022 302023 30
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03-17-2017, 06:01 PM
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#12
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coolharts
My DW won't boondock, she needs her hair dryer and A/C.
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Roger that!
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2017 Ford F-Series SCREW 4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=64
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03-17-2017, 06:05 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Kalamazoo
Posts: 2,139
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No one has mentioned Solar or running a generator to recharge the batteries. Would not be impossible, but would prob require a generator.
Must people boon docking would have one of those anyways.
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03-17-2017, 07:04 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Warsaw,NC
Posts: 7,184
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Janice48
We are looking to buy a new 5th wheel and would like to get a gas/electric refrigerator as we like to boondock occasionally. But it seems they are phasing out gas/electric refrigerators. Can you boondock with an residential refrigerator without running your generator for long periods of time?
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I have a residential refrigerator and I have four six volt Trojans T-105. I tried them out last year and they would run the refrigerator for four days. Now that's with all that was running was the refrigerator. I have all led lights. I dry camped last year and it wasn't all that bad. I run the hot water heater on gas, cook on gas or outside. My refrigerator gets ice cream colder that the one does at my home plus with a residential refrigerator I have a ice maker. You don't have to worry about camper being level. I have two Honda's but I only use both if I need a/c, just running one a few hours a day will keep my batteries charged up enough. How many batteries came with your camper?
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03-18-2017, 03:37 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Waynesville
Posts: 14,428
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimber45
No one has mentioned Solar or running a generator to recharge the batteries. Would not be impossible, but would prob require a generator.
Must people boon docking would have one of those anyways.
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Read Post # 2! Youroo!!
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03-19-2017, 09:44 PM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 176
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I would go with Residential for sure. I figure you can always keep your batteries conditioned with a small portable solar set-up and a small inverter generator like a Honda 2000 watt inverter generator.
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03-19-2017, 09:57 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 2,024
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I'll be the dissenter in this thread. I boondock all the time, usually in the woods or off road and I'll take a 3 way fridge over a compressor unit anytime.
If it's set up properly (level in 2 axis) and the evaporator has adequate air flow across it (I run 2 computer fans sucking air across mine and exhausting) it, an evaporator fridge is perfectly acceptable. Mine does rock hard ice cream in the middle of the summer, keeps ice, ice and the fridge compartment will stay wherever I set it plus it's a heck of a lot less energy dependent.
Far as a fire hazard, I believe that was related to older model Norcold's, not Dometic.
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03-19-2017, 10:05 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1,363
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SidecarFlip
I'll be the dissenter in this thread. I boondock all the time, usually in the woods or off road and I'll take a 3 way fridge over a compressor unit anytime.
If it's set up properly (level in 2 axis) and the evaporator has adequate air flow across it (I run 2 computer fans sucking air across mine and exhausting) it, an evaporator fridge is perfectly acceptable. Mine does rock hard ice cream in the middle of the summer, keeps ice, ice and the fridge compartment will stay wherever I set it plus it's a heck of a lot less energy dependent.
Far as a fire hazard, I believe that was related to older model Norcold's, not Dometic.
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I really need to investigate your fan upgrade. My fridge is less than exciting and I think it is because of stagnant air (across evaporator, not inside fridge). My fridge in in a slide-out and the exhaust is on the side and not the top (as is the intake).
I have been wanting to install fans, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
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03-19-2017, 10:27 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 2,024
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 325BH
I really need to investigate your fan upgrade. My fridge is less than exciting and I think it is because of stagnant air (across evaporator, not inside fridge). My fridge in in a slide-out and the exhaust is on the side and not the top (as is the intake).
I have been wanting to install fans, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
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That is exactly your issue. No chimney effect. Back in the day, evaporator fridges were installed with the air intake at the bottom and the exhaust vent on the roof, creating a natural draft to pull heat out.
When the manufacturers started sticking them in slide outs, in popup tent campers and the like, the roof vent wasn't doable, so they added a vertical vent up high. Thats no good because the heat from the boiler (the tiny propane flame that is heating your amonia and the heat from the high mounted evaporator is collecting at the top of the fridge cavity with no place to go so your fridge cannot operate efficiently because the evaporator requires a constant flow of air across it to produce the refrigeration cycle.
The answer is one or two computer 12 volt muffin fans mounted where they will suck the air across the evaporator and exhaust it out the upper vent.
Works like a charm. You'd think the RV manufacturers would have the smarts enough to do that from the factory but I guess I'm giving the too much credit.
Anyway it's a cheap and easy fix. The fans are available on Flea Bay for less than 15 bucks each (Amazon too). some scrap sheet metal for a fan mount and pick up a 12 volt hot wire and a switch and you are in business.
My Dometic 3 way fridge works as well as the one here at home and uses a lot less power.
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03-19-2017, 10:47 PM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spock123
I have a residential refrigerator and I have four six volt Trojans T-105. I tried them out last year and they would run the refrigerator for four days. Now that's with all that was running was the refrigerator. I have all led lights. I dry camped last year and it wasn't all that bad. I run the hot water heater on gas, cook on gas or outside. My refrigerator gets ice cream colder that the one does at my home plus with a residential refrigerator I have a ice maker. You don't have to worry about camper being level. I have two Honda's but I only use both if I need a/c, just running one a few hours a day will keep my batteries charged up enough. How many batteries came with your camper?
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Thanks! We haven't bought our new trailer yet. Looking at the 38flx. Thanks for your help!
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Larry & Janice
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