12 volt/ AC upright refrigerator

[paleface]

Gary, I don't like that chest style and am just trying to get the big picture on all of this. I am sold on the 12 volt only, and hope to zero in on in the moderate price range that would easily fit in the place where my present 3 way exists. Thanks Doug

 

[John From Detroit]

As I said both Dometic and Norcold had "Danfoss" Type compressor Upright RV fridtges. they were 12/120 but the 120 is just a converter.

Check out the Dometic dmc4081

It is not the only model in that line. But it's a low power 120/12 volt (You can run on just 12) Compressor driven UPRIGHT. Currently out of stock at Dometic but you might find it.
Fits in a standard RV fridge cut out. (I think a 6 Cubic foot hole)

Draws a bit more power than I like (Fused at 15 draws around half that) that's 12 volt) but as I said. I use the same technology very nice.

 

[paleface]

John. I wonder if there are decent 12 volt ref. in the $500 range? Doug

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Gary, I don't like that chest style and am just trying to get the big picture on all of this. I am sold on the 12 volt only, and hope to zero in on in the moderate price range that would easily fit in the place where my present 3 way exists. Thanks Doug

I wouldn't like a chest type either. But there are plenty of 12vdc upright fridges, so no worries. You need to figure out the size (cubic ft) you want and the approximate dimensions you can fit in your RV, then go shopping.

 

[PancakeBill]

Lou, have you looked at the Whynter 65 qt cooler-refrig. ? I am looked for that same option but in the fashion of an upright model. Doug

I have had both a Dometic and a Norcold chest freezer/fridge, depending on where you set the dial. It was great when we shopped 130 miles from home. He had the Dometic on a slide tray on our motorhome.

But yes, read the other replies, there are a number of these as uprights.

 

[paleface]

I wouldn't like a chest type either. But there are plenty of 12vdc upright fridges, so no worries. You need to figure out the size (cubic ft) you want and the approximate dimensions you can fit in your RV, then go shopping.

 

[paleface]

Gary, how does a unit that draws on less power relate to its capacity and overall performance? Doug

 

[John From Detroit]

John. I wonder if there are decent 12 volt ref. in the $500 range? Doug

I do not think you will find ANY Upright RV fridge in that price range.
Well I did find a couple of Residential that might fit in that range at Wal*mart.

But the 6 and larger were all closer to a kilo-buck 4Cubic foot and smaller were in the half K range (500 dollars)

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Gary, how does a unit that draws on less power relate to its capacity and overall performance? Doug

Sorry - I'm not clear what you are asking. Typically a larger interior (more cu ft) requires a larger compressor or the fridge will have a slow recovery time (time needed to chill to the thermostat temperature). If the compressor is too small, it has to run non-stop for a longer period to bring the temperature down. If in the meantime you open the door again, it may never catch up. The bigger compressor draws a little more power (watts) but gets the job done sooner and cycles off.

If you are primarily concerned about 12v operation from batteries then you want to know the typical watt-hours per day because that's what the batteries will need to supply. But if the fridge is operating on 12v but the RV is plugged to shore power or a generator 24 hrs/day, then you have essentially unlimited 12vdc and no worries.

To give a frame of reference, the 14.5 cu ft compressor fridge in my last coach consumed about 1400 watt-hours per day in typical summer weather in a temperate climate. Hotter weather [or more frequent fridge door opening] might boost that up to 1800 or so. That's about 120 amp-hours @ 12v. A smaller fridge (less cu ft) should be less watt-hours, but it's probably not linear. Meaning half the cubic feet probably doesn't cut the watt-hours in half.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You've been talking about the 65 quart Whinter chest type, but that's only a hair over 2 cu ft? How big a fridge do you have now and how big would you like it to be if the size could be increased? And is the room for a larger one?

For around $550 you can get a 3.3 cu ft 12v fridge that draws a max of about 180 watts (15A @ 12v) when running. About 108W (9A @ 12v) in sustained operation. The unknown is how many watt-hours per day that would be if you had 12v battery as the only source. That depends on how often the compressor has to run to keep the fridge cool.

The 4.4 cu ft model ($650) has a max draw of 20A but 13A @ 12v (156W) in sustained running. Those are Recpro brand 12v fridges.

 

[Lou Schneider]

If you're asking about a 120 volt residential refrigerator, they all carry Energy Guide labels that gives their estimated annual electrical consumption in Kilowatt-hours (kWh). Divide this by 365 to get the estimated daily consumption. For example, my Magic Chef 10.1 cu ft 120 volt refrigerator is rated at using 297 kWh a year. Divide this by 365 days and it uses 0.81 kWh (810 watt-hours or about 68 amp-hours at 12 volts) a day.

Magic Chef 10.1 cu ft EnergyGuide Label

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Good bet any residential fridge will employ defrost cycles which suck a lot of power. The chest type cooler which draws much less power likely doesn't have this. Defrost cycle/heaters can sometimes be disabled but at some peril - run them for more than a few days this way the evaporator coils clog up with frost, the compressor runs more which is more power, and the fridge warms up. Ain't no free lunch.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[paleface]

You've been talking about the 65 quart Whinter chest type, but that's only a hair over 2 cu ft? How big a fridge do you have now and how big would you like it to be if the size could be increased? And is the room for a larger one?

For around $550 you can get a 3.3 cu ft 12v fridge that draws a max of about 180 watts (15A @ 12v) when running. About 108W (9A @ 12v) in sustained operation. The unknown is how many watt-hours per day that would be if you had 12v battery as the only source. That depends on how often the compressor has to run to keep the fridge cool.

The 4.4 cu ft model ($650) has a max draw of 20A but 13A @ 12v (156W) in sustained running. Those are Recpro brand 12v fridges.

 

[paleface]

Gary, all that is very helpful. With technology I am the worst. Fortunately on my first two cross-country trips years ago and refrigerator problems I had were easily solved or non-existance. I still have the original 3 way with my 04 Winnie and will try to get that diagnosed first. I like that 4.4 Recpro lead. I will not be getting solar on my roof and may only have a 2000 watt portable Honda Genset if any. If it is important I will have someone connect me up with an inverter. My long distance trips are always Dec- Feb so it is the colder months. On something like that RecPro could you turn it off if not needed and save energy? Thanks Doug

 

[paleface]

If you're asking about a 120 volt residential refrigerator, they all carry Energy Guide labels that gives their estimated annual electrical consumption in Kilowatt-hours (kWh). Divide this by 365 to get the estimated daily consumption. For example, my Magic Chef 10.1 cu ft 120 volt refrigerator is rated at using 297 kWh a year. Divide this by 365 days and it uses 0.81 kWh (810 watt-hours or about 68 amp-hours at 12 volts) a day.

Magic Chef 10.1 cu ft EnergyGuide Label

 

[paleface]

Lou, that's a helpful guide, however I will not be looking for a residential style. Doug

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

On something like that RecPro could you turn it off if not needed and save energy?

Of course, but when would that be other than placing the RV in storage? If you are traveling in the RV, won't there be food & drink in the fridge?

You seem extremely concerned about energy use but you haven't described your travel style so it's hard to guess what your energy-use & recharging will be like. Nor have you given a battery bank size (amp-hours) or even the RV type (trailer vs motorhome). For that reason we cannot make intelligent recommendations for a fridge. Any electric-powered fridge is going to use a lot more electrical power than a propane type, and very likely you will have to add battery capacity to make an electric-only fridge practical unless you will have electrical hookups almost every night.

 

[Kirk]

My long distance trips are always Dec- Feb so it is the colder months. On something like that RecPro could you turn it off if not needed and save energy?

What sort of problem have? A 20 year old absorption refrigerant could easily be past the point of repair, but the new 12V compressor refrigerators will do find in most RVs with the chassis alternator supplying power and also recharging the coach battery. Many people with near RVs travel a lot with the refrigerator running and never have an energy problem.

 

[John From Detroit]

During a recent power fail my residential fridge went from 5pm to 11 am 17 hours w/o power and did not get overly hot (close but 2º from throw out the food, Ice cream in freezer did not melt)

I now have emergency power for that fridge. (I'm in an apartment)

RV Fridges are often well insulated and should be able to give you 8 or more hours of cold w/o power. Or longer. Or you can fire up ye old ONON if you got one (Or other make)

 

[alzettl]

I’ve got a Dometic CFX fridge that runs on both 12V and AC, and it’s been great for me. It’s an upright model, so it might be just what you’re looking for. A bit on the expensive side, but it’s been worth it for the flexibility.