12 Volt Fridges

[COGrandDes]

I've used the absorption fridges for years till we got this new Grand Design Reflection two years ago. I have to say that my wife and I love it and the benefits. I did swap out my batteries to lithium and added solar on the roof and we can boondock indefinitely with our setup---no generator or shore power needed. My wife likes the much colder temps in the fridge and the consistency of how it cools. I would never want to go back to the LP fridges at this point. If the batteries and solar are sized correctly---it should work great.

 

[WhittleBurner]

We have used the absorption for years and haven't had a problem. We winter in Florida and it does get hot. I like ice cream and it keeps it hard. We did put two computer fans on and it works. I don't care to put a lot of money into solar and lithium when it's not needed. We do boondock on occasion.

 

[COGrandDes]

The investment people make in solar and battery upgrades should be based on what type of camping they do. Some camp mostly at parks with utilities therefore the need for solar and batteries is minimized. Others like us----hardly ever camp in parks or locations with full hookups because we boondock, therefore we depend on the batteries and solar to stay off the grid. It's a personal decision based on type of use.

 

[BobWestdorp]

We had a Norcold 2118 absorption fridge in our Solitude. Went on a 3 month trip out west in 2021 where we boondocked most of the time. Had several times where I worried about the food staying cool enough but we were pleased with our new solar setup of 600ah of lithium and 1200 watts of solar (only used generator twice on whole trip). On a short trip in 2022 we had real problems keeping the food cool first on propane then on electric so we did an emergency stop at JC Refrigeration and had them put a 120v system in. On our 3 month trip west in 2023 we had a hard time getting our batteries up to 100% and found ourselves using the generator quite a bit, but never had to worry about the food being cool enough. We added 400 watts of solar before our trip west this year to account for the extra electric used by the fridge and used the generator one time in 3 months. Perfect combination for us.

 

[BobWestdorp]

We have a Norcold 1200 fridge in our 2021 303rls that went bad in 2023. We had JC Refrigeration install the twin compressors unit and love it. It cools down so quickly! Because we were going out west for 6 weeks this past summer I bought two 100 ah LiFePo batteries. We don't boondock and no solar but do stay overnight w/o shore power so Aaron at JC installed a DC to DC charger from our tow vehicle (30 amp fuse) so that the truck can charge those batteries while traveling. This was a huge addition and kept our fridge and batteries in great shape. Also, Aaron has started his own company called Adventure RV LLC. (www.adventure-rv.net) Same location and is referenced on the JC Refrigeration website. I'd highly recommend the DC to DC charger system for traveling long hours or overnights w/o shore power. The truck electrical system can't keep up with the LiFePo batteries need for charging with the fridge.