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07-21-2019, 08:54 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 44
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Isata 5 36DS - Can the fridge be made to run thru inverter?
I have the Dometic fridge (non-residential) in our RV. Currently, it isn't wired thru the inverter. However, I recently replaced the AGM batteries with 660AH of lithium batteries. I also have 500W of roof mounted solar panels and 460W of portable panels. I'd like to have the fridge run off the inverter while we're boon docking. It came with a 2800W inverter. Looking at our usual electrical loads, it seems like there's plenty of capacity in the inverter. Is this an easy project? Thanks in advance!
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2019 Dynamax Isata 5 36 DS 4X4
2010 Jeep Wrangler
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07-22-2019, 06:40 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: IL
Posts: 1,295
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Hi,
I have 600 watts of solar and a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter. I can, and have briefly as an experiment, operated my Dometic refer on 120 while boondocking in Quartzsite. Never did it for a full day to get better informed about total energy consumption. But what I recall seeing on my Trimetric monitor in the short term was a pretty high current demand.
It works, of course. But as a rule I don't do it because the battery drain is pretty high, and the way I see it propane is just not that expensive. My operational theory starts with "why cycle the batteries any more deeply than necessary?"
FWIW.
Rich Phillips
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Rich Phillips
2019 K-2500 Duramax Crew Cab
2014 Silverback 33RL
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07-22-2019, 08:36 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 850
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It would be nice to select it to run on 12 volts inverted while driving, like the 3-ways were.
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07-22-2019, 08:51 AM
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#4
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,878
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I sort of thought, though I'd have to check, that pretty much all the outlets on the Isata 5 were inverted. We run an Inverter/Charger as opposed to a standard converter. Have you tried setting it for "electric only" yet to test? I can't remember how the "auto" works. If that is LP only or auto...or if you can select electric only.
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07-22-2019, 09:02 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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An RV reefer draws about 600 watts on AC. That would be at least 50 amps of 12 volt! It also runs on a pretty high duty factor.
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2015 335DS
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07-22-2019, 09:06 AM
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#6
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,878
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But it also has a 110V connection when on shore power.
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07-22-2019, 09:13 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,564
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I think the problem with the 12 volt fridge on AC is you are just heating the ammonia with a large electric element not unlike on a toaster or hair dryer. It will work but you are really burning up lots of AMPS compared to a residential fridge. Don't know the AMP draw but you could easily measure it and I think it's constant, always on. I would guess in this application with all the extra solar and batteries a residential fridge would be more efficient. The advantage of the RV fridge is of course it'll run on propane.
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Old Navy Chief
2019 Isata 5 36' DS 4x4
2015 Jeep Rubicon Toad
Days camped 2021 = 25
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07-22-2019, 09:24 AM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 44
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Thanks all for the input! The way it operates (pretty sure) is it uses 12v for the control boards and 110v for the compressor when on electric/auto. So, when we're on shore power, it runs from that. I saw about 8 amps draw from a quick look last week via the multiplex while I was on 30a service. It switches to LP with no shore power. Would the generator provide power if it was running...just wondering? I thought I'd run a quick and easy experiment and plug the 110 power cord for the fridge into one of inverted outlets and double check the draw/load. That's a lot less than the 50a mentioned previously. I'll keep you guys posted when I get some real world numbers. BTW, is there a single line diagram available for the electric on the 36DS? Thanks again!
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2019 Dynamax Isata 5 36 DS 4X4
2010 Jeep Wrangler
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07-22-2019, 09:30 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedSteelManUSA
Thanks all for the input! The way it operates (pretty sure) is it uses 12v for the control boards and 110v for the compressor when on electric/auto. So, when we're on shore power, it runs from that. I saw about 8 amps draw from a quick look last week via the multiplex while I was on 30a service. It switches to LP with no shore power. Would the generator provide power if it was running...just wondering? I thought I'd run a quick and easy experiment and plug the 110 power cord for the fridge into one of inverted outlets and double check the draw/load. That's a lot less than the 50a mentioned previously. I'll keep you guys posted when I get some real world numbers. BTW, is there a single line diagram available for the electric on the 36DS? Thanks again!
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If it drew 8 amps when on 110 volt shore power it will draw 80 amps when on 12 volts with an inverter. RV adsorption reefers do not use a compressor when running on AC but rather a great, big, 600 watt resistive heating element.
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2015 335DS
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07-22-2019, 10:20 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: IL
Posts: 1,295
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Hi,
These 50-80 DC amp numbers are the kind of load I vaguely recall when I did my little experiments.
It wouldn't be a constant drawdown on the batteries, of course. But even with the panels and storage the OP mentioned, I'd bet this would not be a long term operational option.
FWIW.
Rich Phillips
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Rich Phillips
2019 K-2500 Duramax Crew Cab
2014 Silverback 33RL
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07-22-2019, 10:29 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 5
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My new trailer has a domestic fridge only. I have a 1000 watt inverter and 3 12 volt batteries. As a test I disconnected from shore power and ran the fridge for 9 hours off of the inverter. At the end my batteries were still over 12 volts
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07-22-2019, 01:09 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,413
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Easy to measure
Easy to measure. Just put this device
https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-SP0F000...8-75d51cd19f4a
in line with the 12v connection to the inverter.
__________________
Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
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07-22-2019, 01:32 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,413
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Huh?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein
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Huh?
I was pointing to a $13.94 product and you thought a $152 product was cheaper?
__________________
Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
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07-22-2019, 01:33 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: IL
Posts: 1,295
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Hi,
Dittos on getting the Trimetric equipment, or at least its real equivalent. If you are serious about such things, that level of sophistication is absolutely vital in knowing what is really going on with your system.
Rich
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Rich Phillips
2019 K-2500 Duramax Crew Cab
2014 Silverback 33RL
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07-22-2019, 01:35 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry-NC
Huh?
I was pointing to a $13.94 product and you thought a $152 product was cheaper?
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Nope, the $152 product is far more useful...forever and really should be standard equipment on any boondocking RV anyway.
I am amazed that they still make d'arsonval meter movements. Dating myself.
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2015 335DS
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07-22-2019, 01:41 PM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 44
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My lithium batteries allow me to connect via bluetooth and monitor draw on them. It should be pretty accurate and reliable.
__________________
2019 Dynamax Isata 5 36 DS 4X4
2010 Jeep Wrangler
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07-22-2019, 02:04 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Southeast
Posts: 1,047
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LP is cheap and usually performs better at cooling an RV fridge than when on electric. Running AC from an Inverter will use battery down and you must watch for the draw getting down to 50% on your batteries. Inverters themselves draw a bit just to operate when not even supplying anything.
The inverters do work.
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2018 Forest River Rockwood Roo
24WS
2019 Ford SD F-350 SRW Lariat
Tow & Gooseneck Prep
FX4 Off Road (4X4)
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07-22-2019, 02:22 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Foresthill, CA
Posts: 329
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rlh1957
LP is cheap and usually performs better at cooling an RV fridge than when on electric. Running AC from an Inverter will use battery down and you must watch for the draw getting down to 50% on your batteries. Inverters themselves draw a bit just to operate when not even supplying anything.
The inverters do work.
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OP has Lithium so the 50% rule does not come into play.
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Pod2Vibe
Magnetic 2019 Isata 5 30FW 4X4 (arrived 2/15/19)
TOAD: 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth
2015 Solera MBS 24R - Hellwig/Sumo Equipped, Sold
(Sold the Vibe TT, as well)
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07-22-2019, 03:05 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: IL
Posts: 1,295
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Hi,
Well lithiums make a difference for sure, but...
He has 660 amp hours in the battery bank. Ignore inverter loss for a moment. If the refer used a mid-range number of 65 amps per hour at (guessing) a 50 percent use cycle, then theoretically there are 20 hours of use available. Actual data on the amount of time the heating element is powered would be critical here -- something that would itself vary by season and ambient temperatures.
The remainder of the equation involves how many other appliances will run off the inverted 120 also, and how many amps his very significant panel array can provide.
It seems doable, but as someone noted above, propane is evidently more effective than resistance elements in these units.
Very interested in some actual performance data over time.
FWIW.
Rich Phillips
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Rich Phillips
2019 K-2500 Duramax Crew Cab
2014 Silverback 33RL
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