Advice on 12V fridge and boondocking

[brendawayne]

We have a new 2022 Imagine 2600RB TT with a 12v GE solar fridge. Wondering if anyone can tell me where or if this fridge has a "power save" mode since all our camping is boondock camping. So far, with this "solar" system we are not happy campers

[Second Chance]

The fridge is not actually "solar." It is a 12VDC compressor refrigerator and, as such, runs off of the batteries which are then charged by either the solar system or the converter/charger when on shore power. You would have to read the manual for the refrigerator that came in your paperwork packet to find out if the refrigerator has a power conserving mode or not. Bottom line, though, your issue is most likely the battery. If your trailer came with only one lead-acid "flooded" battery, you can only get half of the rated amp hours out of it. You can either add a matching lead-acid battery or go with a good LiFePO4/lithium battery. Since the Imagines don't come with a whole lot of solar capacity, one or two lithium batteries may be your only choice (and/or adding more solar) for boondocking.

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Rob

[brendawayne]

Thanks Rob...😊 We actually have 2 (not sure of the wattage but somewhere between 100-190W) solar panels and 2 brand new 6v lead acid batteries. BTW, we upgraded to the 2 6v lead acid batteries when we purchased the TT in April 2022. I'm not sure what the TT came with. We had to have them both replaced 3 weeks ago (Sept) because they were supposedly "defective". They weren't holding a charge even when we used the generator to charge them twice a day.
We're disappointed that we weren't told by the seller that this trailer is so new (solar only fridge) that we would be considered to be "guinea pigs" in this Grand Design experiment. We're in constant touch with the service/tech department at the R.V. dealership who has told us that we may have to run our generator for longer than the 2 hours allowable at the Provincial campgrounds we camp at.

[Second Chance]

Your realize that two 6V batteries in series (to get 12V) does not double the amp hour rating, don't you? You still just have 50% of the amp hour rating for one of those flooded batteries... in other words, not nearly as much as you think.

Rob

[brendawayne]

I really appreciate your knowledge and your responses...bottom line, as they say is, I'm sensing that we're always working with a power deficit. Even though we're beyond conservative with our lights, pump, heater and furnace, we're not winning this battle with our batteries, solar panels or generator.
I apologize that I don't know/understand more about volts, amps or electricity in general (should have paid more attention in high-school) but I sense that we don't have enough to run the fridge and other of our basic needs. My husband and I may be shopping for lithium batteries....

[Redapple63]

I really appreciate your knowledge and your responses...bottom line, as they say is, I'm sensing that we're always working with a power deficit. Even though we're beyond conservative with our lights, pump, heater and furnace, we're not winning this battle with our batteries, solar panels or generator.
I apologize that I don't know/understand more about volts, amps or electricity in general (should have paid more attention in high-school) but I sense that we don't have enough to run the fridge and other of our basic needs. My husband and I may be shopping for lithium batteries....

Hi brendawayne,

Welcome to the forum!

As Rob said 2 6v batteries do not double the amp hours. When we tie them in series the voltage doubled but the amp hours are the same. When we tire 2 12v in parallel, the volts stay the same and amp hours double.

In your situation, 2 6v, you have a total storage capacity of about 220 amp hours, but only a usable capacity of half that. That is due to the battery chemistry. Taking the batteries below 50% charge can damage them irreparably or severely shorten the useful life.

A 12v compressor refrigerator with about a 50% duty cycle will use about 40-60 amp hours in a given 24 hour period, so two 6v batteries without enough charging capacity would not last too long. If you are boondocking the solar becomes very important. Conventional flooded batteries do take longer to charge than Lifepo4.

I think a Lifepo4 is a good idea, but you will need to change out your converter to to be able to fully charge the battery as a conventional converter may only get you to any 80% SOC.

I am in the process of adding in 800 watts of solar and 600 amp hours of Lifepo4.

Good Luck!

Bill

[Hoopy Frood]

I'm really curious about these 12V compressor fridges. What I think I'm hearing is that they won't run off the converter 12V, but have to run directly off the battery/ies. If that is so, why is it that way? I'm not sure, no, I am sure I don't understand the thinking behind this. What am I missing?

[Redapple63]

I'm really curious about these 12V compressor fridges. What I think I'm hearing is that they won't run off the converter 12V, but have to run directly off the battery/ies. If that is so, why is it that way? I'm not sure, no, I am sure I don't understand the thinking behind this. What am I missing?

Hi Hoopy,

I think in this case the OP only boondocks, so they rely solely on battery and solar.

I believe that the current setup they have is just not charging the batteries well because both solar and battery bank are too small for what the needs are.

If they were on full hookups would not be an issue.

Bill

[SolarPoweredRV]

I'm really curious about these 12V compressor fridges. What I think I'm hearing is that they won't run off the converter 12V, but have to run directly off the battery/ies. If that is so, why is it that way? I'm not sure, no, I am sure I don't understand the thinking behind this. What am I missing?

The new 12v Refrigerators operate using a Compressor, just like the Refrigerator in your house (aka Residential Fridge). The only difference is they operate using 12 volt electricity instead of 120 volts. In theory, the 12v fridges are designed to be more efficient in an RV instead of having a Residential fridge running on 120 volts which is supplied from an Inverter powered from the 12v batteries. At the very least, you gain efficiency by not needing to convert 12v to 120v through an inefficient Inverter (all Inverters have losses during the Inverting process).

In theory, both the 12 volt and Residential fridges cool better (people say their ice cream is harder) than the old, tried and true Propane fridges (I like my ice cream soft).

If your camping style includes a lot of boondocking, I would recommend having a Propane refrigerator, however, you can make both the 12v and Residential refrigerators work when boondocking, you just need a more robust Battery Bank than a couple of Lead Acid batteries.

[SolarPoweredRV]

Thanks Rob...�� We actually have 2 (not sure of the wattage but somewhere between 100-190W) solar panels and 2 brand new 6v lead acid batteries. BTW, we upgraded to the 2 6v lead acid batteries when we purchased the TT in April 2022. I'm not sure what the TT came with. We had to have them both replaced 3 weeks ago (Sept) because they were supposedly "defective". They weren't holding a charge even when we used the generator to charge them twice a day.
We're disappointed that we weren't told by the seller that this trailer is so new (solar only fridge) that we would be considered to be "guinea pigs" in this Grand Design experiment. We're in constant touch with the service/tech department at the R.V. dealership who has told us that we may have to run our generator for longer than the 2 hours allowable at the Provincial campgrounds we camp at.

Read through this thread, many answers to your questions are given:

Link: https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...-not-an-option