valhalla360
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JRscooby wrote:Vintage465 wrote:
But my question is. Why do people think it's the hot ticket for boon docking? I can see if you're regularly driving and covering ground.
For the 15+ years I have been reading the net about RVs there is rarely a week that somebody doesn't post something about their absorption fridge not working as well as expected. For many, the "hot ticket" seems to be go with a 120V compressor fridge. If a RV stores electricity it is a safe bet it is not storing 120 volt AC, but 12 V DC is likely. When you consider that every time you convert some of the electrons escape, IMHO it makes more sense to use in the same form it is stored.
YMMV
When 99% of RV fridges are absorption, it's not surprising if a similar number of issues are with absorption fridges.
Trust me, having spent time in the boating world where 12v is the standard, they have their own issues.
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valhalla360
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Vintage465 wrote:So after reading all the comments and doing a little more research, there doesn't seem to me to be any "Boon Docking Advantage" to having a 12v compressor fridge. I would tend to think that if you had two 6 volt batteries in series and compared two 6 cubic ft refer's, one absorption and one 12v compressor you'd go longer on those batteries with the absorption. Thanks for all the comments.
In terms of powering the fridge, you are correct. It's simpler and easier to power an absorption fridge off grid for long periods of time.
But the 12v fridge fit in the same cabinet space will likely be 8 cft and when you bring a room temp case of beer back to the RV around 2pm, by 5pm, it's nice and cold.
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JRscooby
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valhalla360 wrote:
When 99% of RV fridges are absorption, it's not surprising if a similar number of issues are with absorption fridges.
Trust me, having spent time in the boating world where 12v is the standard, they have their own issues.
There is no doubt a machine with moving parts is more likely to have machinal problems than something without. But my experience with compressor cooling systems is if it works when you turn it off, a month later, turn it on, it works.
Absorption, leave it sit dust and moisture in the air, or spiders can stop it between trips. And because the shape of air flow is so important to cooling, most users talk about how long it takes to cool their beer.
My little fridge can be un-powered for weeks. When I hook up to TV, turn on the 12V heater in the fridge drive less than 2 1/2 hrs, remove the bag of charcoal and put food in when I plug into post. (I have removed propane from my camper. Working between my ears on hooking fridge to work on 1 lb bottle)
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Grit dog
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Why would ya carry your perishables separately and not put them in the fridge until you get to your destination? ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/scratchead.gif "scratchead")
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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ajriding wrote:
My biggest gripe with propane fridge is keeping it level. Not an issue when I am officially parked at my camp spot, but when traveling and parking for a little bit to go see stuff, go shopping or anything that requires parking the fridge was just too big a part of life and far too needy. Keep it level or ruin it or turn it off before parking out of level. I think if you park un-level then turn it off there is those minutes where the burner is hot, still cooking and small amounts of damage could occur. I do not know for sure when the damage begins after parking off-level though.
people think that adsorption fridges are a lot more finiky about this then they realy are. 3 degrees with in level is what I have found most will say on side to side and up to 6 degrees front to back (this is the norco specs but since they are the same basic design I would imagin it is simular for dometic and such. I think parking in 99% of parking lots you would be fine, and if it isnt going to be I think you would know driving into it.
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JRscooby
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Grit dog wrote:Why would ya carry your perishables separately and not put them in the fridge until you get to your destination?
Because 1, the fridge in popup is small enough we need a cooler anyway. And mostly I need to plug in to cool, mostly set up, pack fridge, then take camper back down.
They sell food everywhere, so most times we only carry a couple of days.
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Vintage465
Prunedale CA.
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valhalla360 wrote:JRscooby wrote:Vintage465 wrote:
But my question is. Why do people think it's the hot ticket for boon docking? I can see if you're regularly driving and covering ground.
For the 15+ years I have been reading the net about RVs there is rarely a week that somebody doesn't post something about their absorption fridge not working as well as expected. For many, the "hot ticket" seems to be go with a 120V compressor fridge. If a RV stores electricity it is a safe bet it is not storing 120 volt AC, but 12 V DC is likely. When you consider that every time you convert some of the electrons escape, IMHO it makes more sense to use in the same form it is stored.
YMMV
Well, the only thing I'm really looking for is which one uses the least amount of energy while boon docking. Also,for 10 years I worked in my Dad's RV shop and did my share of repairing absorption fridges. And for 40 years I've had absorptions fridges in my 4 different coaches. In those 4 coaches I had to replace the cooling unit in one of them and nothing else. So, I'm not concerned with the reliability of absorptions refer's. Though I am aware that the newer absorption fridges have better likely hood of failing due to the electronics on board them now-a-days.......
When 99% of RV fridges are absorption, it's not surprising if a similar number of issues are with absorption fridges.
Trust me, having spent time in the boating world where 12v is the standard, they have their own issues.
V-465
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ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
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Vintage465 wrote:valhalla360 wrote:JRscooby wrote:Vintage465 wrote:
But my question is. Why do people think it's the hot ticket for boon docking? I can see if you're regularly driving and covering ground.
For the 15+ years I have been reading the net about RVs there is rarely a week that somebody doesn't post something about their absorption fridge not working as well as expected. For many, the "hot ticket" seems to be go with a 120V compressor fridge. If a RV stores electricity it is a safe bet it is not storing 120 volt AC, but 12 V DC is likely. When you consider that every time you convert some of the electrons escape, IMHO it makes more sense to use in the same form it is stored.
YMMV
Well, the only thing I'm really looking for is which one uses the least amount of energy while boon docking. Also,for 10 years I worked in my Dad's RV shop and did my share of repairing absorption fridges. And for 40 years I've had absorptions fridges in my 4 different coaches. In those 4 coaches I had to replace the cooling unit in one of them and nothing else. So, I'm not concerned with the reliability of absorptions refer's. Though I am aware that the newer absorption fridges have better likely hood of failing due to the electronics on board them now-a-days.......
When 99% of RV fridges are absorption, it's not surprising if a similar number of issues are with absorption fridges.
Trust me, having spent time in the boating world where 12v is the standard, they have their own issues.
If your looking for the least amount of energy used, a household fridge will win hands down. If you look at the volume or weight needed to store the energy (battery bank or propane tanks) absorption fridge wins hands down. Energy density of propane on a BTU/lb or BTU/ volume beats batteries by orders of magnitude.
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valhalla360
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Vintage465 wrote:
Well, the only thing I'm really looking for is which one uses the least amount of energy while boon docking.
The 12v will use less energy but it's a form of energy that is more difficult to carry in large quantities, so purely looking at the energy consumed can be misleading.
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JRscooby
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ktmrfs wrote:
If your looking for the least amount of energy used, a household fridge will win hands down. If you look at the volume or weight needed to store the energy (battery bank or propane tanks) absorption fridge wins hands down. Energy density of propane on a BTU/lb or BTU/ volume beats batteries by orders of magnitude.
Be hard pressed to prove a household fridge, powered thru inverter, would be more efficient than same size running directly on 12 V.
How long does the propane tank need to be in sun every day to replace fuel burned to power the fridge?
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