Therefore, I expect about the same readings when I start living off the inverter. We love stopping meeting a few people on our journeys, but it is mostly to see this beautiful world we live in and to experience life before we move on to the next journey in this life. The duty cycle depends on the temperature of the day and seems to run anywhere from 40-60% usually which give you a daily power usage of 2.9 4.4 kWh for a much smaller refrigerator (without an ice maker). I have a small three way frig that is about 7 cu ft. SHOWER SUROUND. A two-burner cooktop with an electric start and a glass cover, along with a convection microwave oven will get your meals prepared quickly and efficiently, leaving plenty of time for fun. When I asked why she said were going to be doing a lot of traveling. J So now I got to find her a Washer and Dryer. Water heater and space heater problems will be detected by gas leak detectors, and routine smoke detectors will detect smoke from those fires. Very newbies and very nervous. Love the way you two take the time to do everything so well. Time to install a mini split air conditioner/heat pump and run cold air 24/7 when needed all while off grid. but it needs 8.5 amps when cooling, I have a 2000 watt inverter which can handle the load and more but it can kill batters fast, we plan to dry dock a lot as we are retired now and plan to see North America , but we are Canadian and can only do the US for 6 months less a day per year. I know that we bought a nice camper because we did not like tents. 1. The main reason for the installation of these large residential fridges is that people want large fridges and they are MUCH MUCH cheaper then a large 18cu/ft or 12cu/ft 2 way (propane/electric) as in 1/4-1/3 the cost. I really can appreciate the hard work and time that goes into all of this and you ask for nothing really. COSTWAY Compact RV Refrigerator. This unit is a great full-time floor plan as is it has both a dinette, a sofa, and an overhead bed. They use a mixture of ammonia & hydrogen gas which is heated and then runs through a series of coils which cools the mixture through condensing. You guys could probably go 10 days without needing to replenish ice or run the genny. It could go eight hours without getting warm inside when the doors werent opened. oops- I forgot to include our test numbers. Weight: 92 pounds. But one size doesnt fit all. I meant absorption fridges. So marine fridges are almost exclusively compressor fridges that run on 12v. The Jayco Seneca Prestige 37M is a super luxurious Class C RV floor plan perfect for snowbirds or those who want to travel in comfort. We used the Fridgoboat 12 Volt system https://coastalclimatecontrol.com/index.php/refrigeration/frigoboat.html. They get sent everything for free bro. Another awesome article from you guys.-thanks! In hindsight thats what I would do next time. A big part of the story relates to the power consumption of your individual fridge. Most of my travelling is done alone, with the exception of my dog, Sam. With the increase of the house banks total amperage, verification is needed to determine the capability of the existing battery charger in terms of being able to adequately service the bank. RV appliance repair companies don't work on residential refrigerators and household appliance repair don't work on refrigerators in an RV. Buy on Amazon. We dont have the national east or west coast feed for locals and it seemed when we set up outside the beamed area for our sevice address locals, it consumed a lot more power. I am not sure about you, but I am okay with working used equipment, which can save me a lot of money. If youre really not sure, have the installer put in a controller and heavy gauge wire that could handle another solar panel or two in the future. This Whirlpool 10.7 cu. That way you could pretty easily install another panel without having to change your solar controller or upgrade the wiring. Thank you! Ill take the residential refrigerator any day and I would never advise others not to. Excellent Video and test, I am an electrical engineer and I am running the numbers , you are right on. The Norcold has worked flawlessly, in the two years that Ive owned the coach. The temperature was a mild 80 degrees and there was a slight breeze to keep the air moving inside the motorhome. When you have solar and no one around you, its very quiet and relaxing. Do your research first though so you have some input on your power needs, etc. Units below $49,000, estimated payment figured at 7.99% on 15yrs with 20% down. Although there is a lot of room in the refrigerator section, we try not to over stuff it and always removed and excess packaging since both of these things make it work harder. Once the unit is solidly in place it must be secured from moving. Even for a res mini fridge it is said to dedicate a 100 amp hour battery just for it. RV refrigerators can also run off of "three-way power," which means that in addition to choosing between 120V conventional power and LP gas, RVers with three-way refrigerators can also utilize 12V power produced by the RV's batteries to run the unit. My panels are all warrantied for 25yrs. They have the cab-over profile that usually boasts a bed or additional storage. Pick residential. As soon as the tax return gets here, Ill be copying your solar rig as well! Great video. I wish there was a simple answer to give you, but its all based on too many variables. This is further endorsed by the growing number of new motorhome purchasers that elect to go with this option in their vehicles. Avanti RA7316PST 3. How to replace RV refrigerator with a residential frid. The after sales process was great too and helped us settle in and allowed us to get to know our RV before leaving the yard. Second, this type of refrigerator must be relatively level while in operation. I dont know if the fridges discussed here ar inverter fridges or not, but in Australia many are installing these and reporting 60-80A per 24 Hours. You probably have not attended a fire safety course, so you probably do not know you need combination detectors. If you have any questions, concerns or you want to share your RV fridge (or Tiny House, Sailboat, etc) tips and experiences please do in the comments below, wed love to hear your thoughts! Drawers/Crispers: 2. What Type Of Refrigerator Should You Use In Your RV? - DoItYourselfRV Replacing RV Fridge with Residential Fridge - YouTube Thanks. So lets talk batteries. We offer the largest and most diverse selection of motorized and towable RVs found anywhere in the world with new RVs ranging from $14,999 to over $2M. In my opinion a dinette is a relic from the past when people wanted an upgrade from a log to sit on. Do you have any recommendations as to who might be able to install something like this on my RV? Checking it out now it looks awesome!! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 12-Volt House Bank: Total amperage of the house bank batteries must be compared to the new power load configuration. We switched over to a GE 15.5 cubic foot, energy saver. Class C motorhomes are typically easier to drive than the larger Class A models considering they are smaller in size and, as we mentioned previously, are built on a truck chassis. on coming soon and on order units must be estimated and based on the manufacturers information provided to MHS at the time of order. Approximately $165 Million Dollars to Choose From. Picked up RV Monday and now just sitting in yard. Aside from the battery what role does the inverter play in this? We were unable to start our generator and had to jump start the generator in order to charge the batteries.In reading this article, it appears our rv is under powered to dry camp. I dont want to run a generator going do the road to keep the fridge happy, and I sure dont want to invest in the level of battery/solar you have since we wont be doing that type of boon docking. I have plenty of room for my needs and the ice cream is hard as a brick. The ice may not last as long as the manufacturers claim (7-10 days) of keeping things cold, but they are usually good for 5 days. Residential Fridges Full residential fridges have been standard on high-tiered coaches for many years and on"all-electric" builds (no propane onboard). Each particular model has several floor plans to choose from. I have some peoples names for more info, if youre interested, about living FT so email me if youd like it. Haha. This model has three floor plans so you can find one that fits you and your family. With a walk-through two-piece bathroom, mornings are made easy for couples who need to get ready at the same time. But on the good side of that, during my deliver process Mat told me the hook ups were there so thats good! The difference is some residential refrigerators will require a pure sine wave inverter and only a small percentage will come with this. However if gen only, a much larger bulk charger could pump up lithiums faster and reduce gen run time. If your current rig has an RV-type absorption unit, you may wish to consider joining the many who have opted for upgrading to a residential model. When my wife and I started our RV search a few years ago it was crazy. 13 NFL Stadiums Worth the Trip for Game Day, Keep Your Cool: Replacing an RV Refrigerator With a Residential Unit. I leave it on all the time during the seasonApril thru October. I have been running solely on 120Vac because my new 3000 Magnum Hybrid is. We came across MHS on several search sites and found a great variety of coaches to suit our needs and the prices were amazing. MHSs honesty and integrity were exemplified when after the deal had been completed, MHS discovered an error in the valuation of our trade-in. What's The Best RV Refrigerator Choice? - TheRVgeeks.com Better temperature precision and cooling accuracy. I have same refrigerator I installed last summer. So follow this checklist to make sure youre not breaking the bank. We are thinking of solar. ( I mean RV ). The model features a Mercedes-Benz chassis for better handling. The only upside I see with using the res fridge is that it doesnt have to be completely level to work. We are not living in the RV, just camping up to six weeks a year, so I was okay with getting a used working fridge 10cubic ft. If we have one day of bad weather, we know to be more conscious of our power usage and monitor it more closely. Thank You. While a jury-rigged bungee cord can be used to secure the handles, it visually isnt that appealing. However, many Class C RVs come with bulky dinette booths covered in ugly fabric. Verify before purchase. Obviously, you arent familiar with Lazy Daze class C They seriously put the other brands to shame, especially being the originators of the class C camper. If you can find a residential fridge that is the most energy efficient in its class i would go for that. Operating on propane or electric, these types of appliances have been ideal for off-the-grid camping. But if the boat remains at an angle (heeled over like a monohull), the ammonia mixture puddles on one side of the coils & doesnt flow. The double door refrigerator with stainless door inserts are standard on this model, as well as a large stainless steel single bowl sink. No flow = no cooling (this is also true of RV propane fridges if you park on a hillside for instance). I have a 3 way RV fridge. Personally, I enjoy the challenge of keeping it simple. It really adds up. I have 6 14 watt solar panels on the roof of my 36 foot American Dream. Little Dears: I enjoy your work very much, but there is one more thing on this subject and that is the Norcold fire like the one that destroyed our Country Coach. 4 Class C RVs With Washer/Dryer Hookups (With Prices & Pictures) All the boats Ive been on (not counting cruise ships) have had yacht-sized fridges. Has anyone looked at the SunFrost 12-volt system for RVs? Everybody knows grey tanks fill up twice as fast as black tanks. Stateside, we enjoyed the Tenn-Tom Waterway to Chattanooga, TN and the lakes of Tennessee. Lived for 10 years in a 45 Newell where I loved the MH but hated the household refrigerator. My husband and I have been researching RV living full-time and I had no idea how many little details there are to consider. Life is good! We spent the day with a great sales person whose no pressure sales approach made it easy for us to make the right decision. Why are the grey tanks smaller than the black tanks in these units. One advantage of propane is thats dead silent, yes? 26' For Sale - Class C Motorhomes - Class C RVs Near Me - RV Trader Thanks for doing the test! Soros doesnt own any Thor Industries stock that I can see in any recent Wall Street listing. Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox. Unfortunately the RV major brands dont carry something the would fit my current 4 door 2 way unit cabinet hole. This lends itself to being ideal for getting you from destination to destination so you can see all the sights. Is It Safe To Use The RV Residential Refrigerator While Driving? In doing research into this area, I discovered they are few and far between, and even less likely if the equipment is periodically visually inspected. Just my thoughts. And our RV does have the residential fridge and a cooler down in basement so your video really made sense. Your article was the most helpful in our research decision to purchase new unit with residential frig, thank you: 2016 Thor, Outlaw, class a, toy hauler, 4 6 volt batteries, 1800 watt inverter, auto gen start. Prior to going FT we upgraded our power setup with 600 AH (AGM batteries) and 640 watts of solar panels. Winnebago Outlook 31N Great for families, 2. We have the same fridge as you in our Renegade Verona, and Thanks to your recommendations we are now up to 800ah of deep cycle AGM batteries. First weekend out (no solar and we live in Southern California) Day 1 batteries adequate. I did runa separate test while plugged into shore power with the A/C set to 74 and the fridge pulled 2.392 kwh in 24 hours (1.097 kwh in 11 hours). Staying on BLM lands or US Forestry lands is a big thing among campers. The electric heating element I installed in place of the drain plug heats my water up nearly as fast as propane and I can turn it off and on in an instant, as needed. It is strongly recommended that a pure sine wave inverter is used, otherwise some residential appliance electronics may have or develop issues. 8^). Theyre so big that they are literally put onto the chasis first and the RV is built around them. I bought from Motor Home Specialist. We dry camp about 3-4 days at a time, this set-up should be fine for us. How do you handle your day-to-day travel needs in yours? When Mother Nature doesnt cooperate with sunny skies we really wish we could turn this power hog off, but we cant. Scammed On Anchor Chain, What You Need To know. Have you heard of any motorized tilting system yet? Read reviews and see what other folks have to say on RV solar forums. But the whirlpool wouldnt be as durable or nice so that factors in, I wouldnt want an Rv fridge because they seem to be way more of a fire hazard than needed. Ive also not seen propane-option refrigerators on boats very often, I assume the frequent motion inhibits operation and may be a safety issue? The Best RV Refrigerators for 2023: Reviews by SmartRVing It features a queen-size master bedroom with loads of storage. Purchased a 2018 Coachmen Leprechaun class C 31foot long with a residential refrigerator. All rights are reserved. There is a lot of energy in buying propane! I removed the passenger seat of my RV and installed a smallish, highly energy efficient compressor fridge there instead. Still no propane/flames/need to level RV and find propane fills (just ice, which is everywhere there are consumable supplies). How to Use Your RV Residential Refrigerator and Inverter | La Mesa RV La Mesa RV 11.2K subscribers Subscribe 153 61K views 8 years ago Visit our website at http://lamesarv.com/ This. When our LP fridge died as a result or being on at a slope, I checked a few options and decided to give a try to the household fridge. Based on your 200ah in 11 hours you would use 436ah/day. This post may contain affiliate links or mention our own products, please check out our disclosure policy. If Jason and Nikki designed a boat, it would have, Nikki and Jason will see your suggestions for a post & update, but I can answer the question about propane or absorption fridges. Have you checked out: https://rvlife.com/big-rig-rv-route/ ? To be perfectly honest, we also did this test as a way to help us decide how much power well need for our big switch to the sailboat later this year. Less Maintenance Hey Paul, I guess best is based on personal preference, knowledge of full-time RVing life, and reviews from other owners. We bring a fold up table and two extra chairs if we want to (rarely) entertain. We can only imagine the amount of time and effort it takes. You will be pleasantly surprised at how large the inside is compared to the original, even though the exterior size has not changed. of capacity. We purchased a preowned 2008 Winnebago Journey 39Z with the factory elec/propane double door fridge. The samsung that Jason and Nikki have uses 10 to 15% more energy than a compareable whirlpool french door, and at least 20% more than a standard bottom freezer or top freezer. I dont dry camp a lot, but when I do, running the generator a couple hours a day to keep my four, six volt batteries charged up is not an inconvenience for me, you can hardly hear it running inside and a group of us have spent several hours sitting only a few feet from it without the noise being a bother. Less Expensive to Purchase 3.4) 4. *MINIMUM 25% OFF MSRP ON MOST RVs DISCOUNT DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL NEW RVs including, but not restricted to, CLASS B, CLASS C & B+, CLASS A, TRAVEL TRAILER RVs, AND MERCEDES. First: you could use a smaller residential refrigerator. We recently purchased a 2014 Dynamax DX3 with a full residential refrigerator. In fact, most new RVs are coming directly from the factory with a residential fridge installed, so it must be goodright? So, Im not trying to insult you here but you need to go back and teach yourself a little more about this topic. In summary, I highly recommend MHS as the place to start your RV purchase. I have not done all the Kill a Watt measuring you (Niki) have done, but overall our experience is similar and I would concur with your equipment recommendation. 30.1, our salesman worked with us to get us the best offer for our trade-in. Online info deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. The fire will turn the ceiling into a broiler. If you wanted to test it out on your own fridge there are devices you can buy (a well known one is the Kill-A-Watt Electricity Monitor) to plug in-line that will monitor how much power an electrical device is using. Great job on presenting real numbers and I am intrigued that you showed that the power usage label on the refrigerator is not real life use. When I 1st began my full time RV adventure, I used my RVs built in heat exchanger style fridge exclusively(a newly replaced Domotek-or however its spelled). However we are in a slightly different situation, I cant see us doing much boondocking in the 5th wheel, and will mainly be spending 1-3 months in a single location, with amenities. Gas mileage for a Class C usually runs between 8 15 miles per gallon. I could see us being on the road 2 or 3 days between locations, and possibly doing the walmart campground at night on the trip. Some videos and photos may not represent the actual vehicle for sale. Hows the boat search going? We spent many hours looking on the Internet searching for the right RV for our 12 month trip around America and Canada. Not bad. Jerry and Becky aboard Traveling Shoes II. Take care Bob and Anchor from Surrey, BC Canada. Other than the hot full sun in no shade, its performed well. Plus, there is an overcab bunk that could be used for extra storage if you arent traveling with kids or guests. From the bottom of our hearts, Thanks Coach and all of you at MHSRV!!! We have a residential fridge and we are reading to figure out how to thoughtfully use the limited power we have. Go with a more efficient fridge, no worries about fires from the propane fridge. Yours (acording to Samsung) consumes 594 KWH a year. I dont think its nearly as big as a residential one, but it functions as one. That said, someone reasonably technical inclined and willing to research the details could get a lot more juice (AH storage) for their money reconfiguring a used Chevy Volt battery to a 48V system. please call 800-335-6054 or local 817-790-7771. Course fridges dont run full time so lets over estimate a 50% duty cycle, do the math and we come out with about 120aH every 24hrs required to run my fridge. FREELANDER POOR QUALITY NO PRIDE IN CONSTRUCION. Manufacturer's standards and features subject to change without notice. All three recalls at the time had been attended to by authorized service. Good comment, makes sense and still have the residential fridge. SMETA SC-40 Mini 12V Gas Refrigerator 10. He set this up specifically to run his residential fridge while traveling. Everyone talks about dry camping. The system works great and I love having a reliable fridge. Traditional RV fridges offer 6-8 cubic feet of storage. Dont need the dinning table- takes up too much room. Consistently Cold Temperatures 3.3) 3.