Compressor fridge and dry camping/solar needs

[Rusbet]

I just found out after hours and hours of research to arrive at the RV that would suit my needs. Even got a couple of quotes and ready to negotiate. Then by chance, I find out that the refrigerator is a WD-282FWDC, a compressor model, not a three way.

My idea of being able to dry camp for 3-4 day stretches once in awhile with a 100 watt solar panel and two 12V deep cycle batteries doesn't seem realistic with the power draw from the fridge. It doesn't even sound like it would work for an emergency overnight stop at a Walmart parking lot.

I am (was?) looking at a 2021 Forester 2351 or Sunseeker 2350.

What would make this happen for me or should I look at other RV models with absorption refrigerators.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by Rusbet

I just found out after hours and hours of research to arrive at the RV that would suit my needs. Even got a couple of quotes and ready to negotiate. Then by chance, I find out that the refrigerator is a WD-282FWDC, a compressor model, not a three way.

My idea of being able to dry camp for 3-4 day stretches once in awhile with a 100 watt solar panel and two 12V deep cycle batteries doesn't seem realistic with the power draw from the fridge. It doesn't even sound like it would work for an emergency overnight stop at a Walmart parking lot.

I am (was?) looking at a 2021 Forester 2351 or Sunseeker 2350.

What would make this happen for me or should I look at other RV models with absorption refrigerators.

The WD-282FWDC Everchill is a pretty efficient unit. However, you will not be able to dry camp for 3-4 days with only 100 watts of solar. You will need a lot more solar or use the generator for 3-4 hours per day. You will be fine for an overnight on just those 2 12 volt deep cycle batteries, which give you safely 100 AH of battery capacity. The Everchill will use at least 5 AH so that would give you about 24 hours on battery...if you are not using anything else that draws a lot. Your furnace will draw around 7 amps when running so that would make you OK but close on a cold overnight at Walmart.

[Reverse_snowbird]

These Sunseeker/Forester models come with a built in generator for recharging batteries and operating the ac systems when you're off grid. So a full tank of gas means you don't have to rely totally on solar.

That said, a refrigerator that operates on ac or propane would be ideal if you're going off grid. In my personal opinion, these residential refrigerators are meant for people who camp with electricity.

[Rusbet]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I will have to rethink my expectations if I go ahead with the 2350 or 2351.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

These Sunseeker/Forester models come with a built in generator for recharging batteries and operating the ac systems when you're off grid. So a full tank of gas means you don't have to rely totally on solar.

That said, a refrigerator that operates on ac or propane would be ideal if you're going off grid. In my personal opinion, these residential refrigerators are meant for people who camp with electricity.

The OP's refrigerator is not a residential refrigerator. It's a 12 Vdc RV refrigerator that's pretty miserly on power. That said, boondocking would require a generator or a LOT of solar.

[TitanMike]

Onee thing to take into consideration. If using Lead/Acid batteries any charging system will either require lots of wattage if solar or long run times if just a generator. FLA batteries require LONG charge times due to the need for a long absorption time. The first 90% of charge can be accomplished in many cases in 4 hours but the absorption time can equal or exceed that for a FULL charge.

On the other hand LiFePo4 batteries can be FULLY recharged in approximately half the time. This means that a smaller solar array will be able to keep up easier and generator run times can be half as long.

That said I can keep my small freezer that uses aproximately 5 ah or ~100 ah per day, charged with my 160 watt solar suitcase. During full sun my small panels (in series and through an MPPT controller) are able to keep up well on days with full sun. Charge current runs ~11 amp and I re-orient the panels a couple times a day to maximize charge at morning and evening hours. If I need to run the generator at all it's usually when I am preparing a meal and I just let it run for an hour or so. Two weeks at Quartzite this last January and I never had to run the generator longer.

Granted, my solar suitcase is small. If I were to build one again I'd probably build it with three panels instead of just two and upsize to 100 watt panels.

Final point, I don't have to "oversize" my solar panel array to make up for the charging inefficiencies of FLA batteries.

Like I started out by saying, something to consider.

[markb422]

The tag on my daughters 10 cuft everchill says 11 amps.

[Rusbet]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Onee thing to take into consideration. If using Lead/Acid batteries any charging system will either require lots of wattage if solar or long run times if just a generator. FLA batteries require LONG charge times due to the need for a long absorption time. The first 90% of charge can be accomplished in many cases in 4 hours but the absorption time can equal or exceed that for a FULL charge.

On the other hand LiFePo4 batteries can be FULLY recharged in approximately half the time. This means that a smaller solar array will be able to keep up easier and generator run times can be half as long.

That said I can keep my small freezer that uses aproximately 5 ah or ~100 ah per day, charged with my 160 watt solar suitcase. During full sun my small panels (in series and through an MPPT controller) are able to keep up well on days with full sun. Charge current runs ~11 amp and I re-orient the panels a couple times a day to maximize charge at morning and evening hours. If I need to run the generator at all it's usually when I am preparing a meal and I just let it run for an hour or so. Two weeks at Quartzite this last January and I never had to run the generator longer.

Granted, my solar suitcase is small. If I were to build one again I'd probably build it with three panels instead of just two and upsize to 100 watt panels.

Final point, I don't have to "oversize" my solar panel array to make up for the charging inefficiencies of FLA batteries.

Like I started out by saying, something to consider.

Thanks. I went to the GOPOWER website to do a power calculation. Conservatively I need about 160 amp hours per day but that is not factoring in passive requirements for the leveling system, starting the propane stove, etc. When I thought I was getting an absorption fridge, I had counted on using 100 amp hours per day, and with two 100 watt solar panels and two Group 27 batteries I thought I could get by with the occasional boost from the generator.

Are you suggesting that perhaps with two lithium batteries the entire setup with a compressor fridge could work as follows: 200 amp hours per day usage, 2 lithium batteries, 200 watt solar panels.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Rusbet

Thanks. I went to the GOPOWER website to do a power calculation. Conservatively I need about 160 amp hours per day but that is not factoring in passive requirements for the leveling system, starting the propane stove, etc. When I thought I was getting an absorption fridge, I had counted on using 100 amp hours per day, and with two 100 watt solar panels and two Group 27 batteries I thought I could get by with the occasional boost from the generator.

Are you suggesting that perhaps with two lithium batteries the entire setup with a compressor fridge could work as follows: 200 amp hours per day usage, 2 lithium batteries, 200 watt solar panels.

Based only on my experience with my setup I think that 160 ah sounds a little high but then again that's only 6.6 ah average. If it were mine I'd consider more solar panel capacity first. If portable panels consider two, 200 watt setups for a total of 400 watts. Wire in series/parallel and feed into an MPPT solar controller capable of handling 40 amps or more. Exact size should be matched to actual panel specs.

OR, mount four or more panels on the roof.

Two Lithium 100 ah batteries should be able to handle the load as solar should not only reduce the draw on the batteries but also recharge for the upcoming night.

It will probably be necessary to use generator to supplement the 200 watts of solar if you only go that route.. A 200 watt solar array should produce an estimated 15 amp charge rate with optimum sun. That means that while the refrigerator is running the batteries are getting around 7-8 amps of recharge. Using rough numbers that would be enough to recharge ONE battery and you'd need to run the generator to recharge the other (figuratively speaking). If you have a 60 amp converter that would be about an hour and a half to two hours of generator run time, all things being in your favor.

That is a far cry from a full day of generator run to recharge FLA batteries without the solar, half a day with.


The above is roughly what to expect. Exact numbers would require exact specs for panel and actual amp hour consumption of the refrigerator. I'm guessing it would be close though.

I'm amazed at how quickly my Battleborn batteries charge. I can monitor on my Smartphone.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by markb422

The tag on my daughters 10 cuft everchill says 11 amps.

That is for the defrost heater, compressor draws a lot less.

[Philkaty]

Originally Posted by Rusbet

I just found out after hours and hours of research to arrive at the RV that would suit my needs. Even got a couple of quotes and ready to negotiate. Then by chance, I find out that the refrigerator is a WD-282FWDC, a compressor model, not a three way.

My idea of being able to dry camp for 3-4 day stretches once in awhile with a 100 watt solar panel and two 12V deep cycle batteries doesn't seem realistic with the power draw from the fridge. It doesn't even sound like it would work for an emergency overnight stop at a Walmart parking lot.

I am (was?) looking at a 2021 Forester 2351 or Sunseeker 2350.

What would make this happen for me or should I look at other RV models with absorption refrigerators.

I would see if you can get a 12v/ LP fridge in there. Ours has LP / 12v and we have stayed out for 5 days with no solar at the time.

[Rusbet]

Originally Posted by Philkaty

I would see if you can get a 12v/ LP fridge in there. Ours has LP / 12v and we have stayed out for 5 days with no solar at the time.

Thanks for the feedback.

What is the rest of your set up? Type and number of batteries? How long are you running your generator?

[pgandw]

With an absorption fridge, the control board is usually about 8-12AH/day (ours is at the low end). In my A-frame, I have only the CO/propane detector (6AH/day). Fridge fans add 4AH/day. Heater, worst case, is 15AH/day on 5 hours of run time (don't use heater during day). So our load is 18AH/day, up to 33AH if we use the heater.

That is about as low as a modern camper can go. We have 2 Costco/Interstate GC-2s with no generator and no solar for 105AH usable without going below 50%. We can go up to 6 days dry camping if no heater needed. By that time, our fridge and water tank is empty, and we need a shower. Time to move to another campsite with a stop for groceries and shower.

DW has OK'd solar (she was against it) once she found out how beautiful some of the Colorado sites are that only have vault toilets and distant or no water spigots. But I've got to do some re-engineering of the roof and dormer lift system for the extra weight before I install solar on the dormer roof (only logical place on an A-frame). We usually don't stay at the site during the day so portable or sun chasing is out of the question.

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