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  1. #11
    Long Hauler huntindog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xrated View Post
    It's not so much the voltage that matters, it's the type of refrigeration process that matters. Absorption type refrigerators just can't perform nearly as well as a compressor type fridge. As long a a refrigerator is a compressor style, then it's just a matter of what powers the compressor....either 120VAC (residential type) or 12VDC, like the newer ones. As far as performance goes, as long as the unit is built and sized properly to do the job at hand (cool the refrigerator and freezer), the 120V and the 12V should perform approx. the same.

    When we went to JC refrigeration in May 2022 and had our Norcold 2118 converted over to the 12V compressor system, they had just finished up when we pulled back into the shop area around noon, and they had fired up the fridge and it was running. So the refrigerator went from ambient temperatures....in the 70s, down to -5°F in the freezer and about 31°F in the fresh food section in a little less than 4 hours of run time. And that was with the freezer and the fresh food compartment both being completely empty of any food or water. So yes, from a performance standpoint, about exactly the same. The difference may come from how well the 12V units are built. If a company tries to skimp on building a properly sized unit (maybe not enough compressor capacity, or not enough cooling fins etc), then it would likely struggle. No different than trying to use a truck to tow with that is just to small for the job at hand.

    The JC conversion unit we had done, actually has two compressors....one for the freezer only, and one for the fresh food section only. Two totally independent of each other, including two different temperature controls...that way you can set the freezer where you want it without affecting the fresh food area....and vice versa.

    I know a lot of people diss absortion fridges here... But I have only one thing bad to say about our Norcold 2118. I wish they had installed quality fans when it was made. Ours started out good, then started blowing the fuse. After some diagnosis the fans were found to have failed. I bought some water repellant ones with a 50,000 hour rating. It is back to performing great. DW says it works better than our home fridge. I wonder how many never get diagnosed properly.
    Seriously. this is our 4th RV with a gas fridge, and each one has been better than the last. I am considering installing the optional ice maker in it.
    We have been using trays, and it freezes them fast.
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  2. #12
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by huntindog View Post
    I know a lot of people diss absortion fridges here... But I have only one thing bad to say about our Norcold 2118. I wish they had installed quality fans when it was made. Ours started out good, then started blowing the fuse. After some diagnosis the fans were found to have failed. I bought some water repellant ones with a 50,000 hour rating. It is back to performing great. DW says it works better than our home fridge. I wonder how many never get diagnosed properly.
    Seriously. this is our 4th RV with a gas fridge, and each one has been better than the last. I am considering installing the optional ice maker in it.
    We have been using trays, and it freezes them fast.
    Yea, every once in a while you will hear about one that works really well, but sadly, I don't think that's the norm with some of them....the 2118 included. Ours was mediocre from day one. I found the door flapper hanging up pretty quickly and though that was the issue. It helped of course, but the fridge was still not anything to brag about. Next up, even though all three of the smallish fans on the back were working, they really didn't move much air. I bought a Titan brand twin fan (120mm each) unit and installed it on the inside of the upper vent. It had it's own termperature controller that was mounted on the inside of the unit, with the sensing bulb in the rear or the fridge compartment, up close to the top where the heat would stay. That too helped a little, but fridge performance was still not up to par. I tried the "muddypaws" thermistor mod.....no change in temps. The seals around the doors of the fridge were all good, and I was pretty much lippin full of putting up with it. That started a chain reaction for me....a bigger battery....A DIY 302AH LFP, a separate 12VDC circuit from the new LiFePO batteries to the rear of the fridge compartment, and several other projects that were battery/fridge related.

    I now have a fridge that works as well as the one in the house and can run almost two days on battery power....
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  3. #13
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xrated View Post
    The JC conversion unit we had done, actually has two compressors....one for the freezer only, and one for the fresh food section only. Two totally independent of each other, including two different temperature controls...that way you can set the freezer where you want it without affecting the fresh food area....and vice versa.

    Sooooo..... lots of wires (looks like 2x being that there are 2 compressors);
    why leave a stubbed rubber hose rather than cap the gas at the T;
    kind of clever way to secure the compressors on vibration bushings;
    what's with the right side wires all heat shrunk and running upward;
    what is the capped copper line behind the rubber hose for?

    I know - I can be pretty curious.

    I like the idea of 2 compressors.
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  4. #14
    Long Hauler huntindog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xrated View Post
    Yea, every once in a while you will hear about one that works really well, but sadly, I don't think that's the norm with some of them....the 2118 included. Ours was mediocre from day one. I found the door flapper hanging up pretty quickly and though that was the issue. It helped of course, but the fridge was still not anything to brag about. Next up, even though all three of the smallish fans on the back were working, they really didn't move much air. I bought a Titan brand twin fan (120mm each) unit and installed it on the inside of the upper vent. It had it's own termperature controller that was mounted on the inside of the unit, with the sensing bulb in the rear or the fridge compartment, up close to the top where the heat would stay. That too helped a little, but fridge performance was still not up to par. I tried the "muddypaws" thermistor mod.....no change in temps. The seals around the doors of the fridge were all good, and I was pretty much lippin full of putting up with it. That started a chain reaction for me....a bigger battery....A DIY 302AH LFP, a separate 12VDC circuit from the new LiFePO batteries to the rear of the fridge compartment, and several other projects that were battery/fridge related.

    I now have a fridge that works as well as the one in the house and can run almost two days on battery power....
    How did you determine that all of the fans were working?
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  5. #15
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by traveldawg View Post
    Sooooo..... lots of wires (looks like 2x being that there are 2 compressors);
    why leave a stubbed rubber hose rather than cap the gas at the T;
    kind of clever way to secure the compressors on vibration bushings;
    what's with the right side wires all heat shrunk and running upward;
    what is the capped copper line behind the rubber hose for?

    I know - I can be pretty curious.

    I like the idea of 2 compressors.
    Not sure on the capped rubber hose end vs. at the T fitting. Vibration pads under the compressor for mounting is a good thing. The wires running up the right side that are heat shrinked is the power leads that run up to the extra fans that I added a couple of years ago when I was still thinking that I could actually make the "Nevercold" work properly. It's on my list of things to tidy up in that compartment. The capped line behind the rubber hose is the service port for the compressor.....just like on any AC unit.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
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  6. #16
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by huntindog View Post
    How did you determine that all of the fans were working?
    A step ladder and a flashlight and a mirror when the unit was running.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
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  7. #17
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    On Demand Hot Water: Not a fan because of potential freezing. We cold weather camp and keep the tank style water heater running on propane when traveling in freezing weather and we like running it on just electric when hooked up.

    12 volt fridge: We boondock and have not had any trouble with the traditional AC/propane fridge. I just wonder how long it would take to drain the battery with a 12 volt fridge. I don't see any real advantage to having a 12 volt fridge for us.
    Doug, Patti and our puppy Leo are from upstate NY.
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  8. #18
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dadeo6472 View Post
    On Demand Hot Water: Not a fan because of potential freezing. We cold weather camp and keep the tank style water heater running on propane when traveling in freezing weather and we like running it on just electric when hooked up.

    12 volt fridge: We boondock and have not had any trouble with the traditional AC/propane fridge. I just wonder how long it would take to drain the battery with a 12 volt fridge. I don't see any real advantage to having a 12 volt fridge for us.
    Draining the battery.....that will depend on the battery AH capacity, whether it's a FLA or LiFePO, what the current draw is of the fridge, how often it runs, how often the door to the fridge is opened/closed. and of course the ambient temperatures both inside and outside of the trailer. On average, mine will consume approx. 144AH in a 24 hour day, and I have 302AH of LFP battery available.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

  9. #19
    Long Hauler huntindog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xrated View Post
    A step ladder and a flashlight and a mirror when the unit was running.
    Mine had three fans. One near the bottom, and two larger ones side by side towards the top. The bottom one did not fail. The top ones did, however they did look like they were working, as the bottom one pushed enough air thru them to set them in motion.
    The clue in my case is that the fuse would blow from time to time. I ended up pulling the fridge
    to see what was up. Both of the upper fans were toast. I think they would sometimes stop in a postion that cause a short, blowing the fuse. Two new, quality fans and it was fixed. I left the small fan alone as it looked beefier than the top ones, and it can be swapped out without removing the fridge if need be
    2021 398M Full Body Paint 8k axles. LRH tires. Disc brakes.
    Two bathrooms, no waiting 155 fresh, 104 black, 104 grey 1860 watts solar.
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  10. #20
    Commercial Member huntr70's Avatar
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    Latest I have heard is that the residential refer may stay as an option in the Momentum line.

    Solitude went to all 12 volt Furrion.

    Here is the latest quoted text from my Rep's email....


    "As mentioned in an email a few months ago, the gas/electric refrigerators will no longer be available in Solitude or Momentum since they have been discontinued by our suppliers. We have also decided to stop using the residential refrigerators in Solitude due to the redundancy of having 2 all-electric refrigerator options. For the time being, Momentums will still have the option for a residential refrigerator. "
    Last edited by huntr70; 01-16-2023 at 09:47 AM.
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