Which fridge do you have? (1 Viewer)

Oct 11, 2019
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I've been looking at fridges for the van I am building and, oh dear! They're expensive toys aren't they!? It seems a question of how big of a fortune do you want to spend.

I've read (or watched on YouTube) that 12 volt compressor fridges are the best. But then I have seen absorption fridges too, which seem to be cheaper.

My question is which is best, what fridge do you have and do you like it?

Personally I'd like a freezer (but that's not a must have) and I'm not interested in running it off gas. I only want to run it on 12v from the battery or 240v shorepower. Less gas the better IMO.
 

Pete5996

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Sep 18, 2016
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I replaced my Dometic 3-way with a Vitrifigo 12v compressor fridge after a string of problems, the summer before last. Performs very well and has been trouble-free ever since - switch it on and it works - that's it!:giggle:
 

DBK

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Jan 9, 2013
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It depends where and when you want to use the MH and how many solar panels you can get on the roof.

If you are always going to be on EHU then get a 12 volt compressor fridge or even a 240 volt one.

But if you are going to rely on solar only for power you might need 400W on the roof to cope with a UK winter. Perhaps even considerably more.

If you only plan on using the MH in summer in say Spain you could use a 240v domestic model powered through an inverter.

If you go through any electric only solution you will also need sufficient battery capacity to get through the night. Or turn the fridge off, which you can do if it isn't too warm outside. :)

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OP
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CamperJack
Oct 11, 2019
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It depends where and when you want to use the MH and how many solar panels you can get on the roof.

If you are always going to be on EHU then get a 12 volt compressor fridge or even a 240 volt one.

But if you are going to rely on solar only for power you might need 400W on the roof to cope with a UK winter. Perhaps even considerably more.

If you only plan on using the MH in summer in say Spain you could use a 240v domestic model powered through an inverter.

If you go through any electric only solution you will also need sufficient battery capacity to get through the night. Or turn the fridge off, which you can do if it isn't too warm outside. :)

Thanks, DBK.

It's a big van (L3 Boxer) so I could get quite a lot of solar on the roof. I'm thinking a 3-4 100W or 2 big 250W ones. All depends on what things look like when I map out where I'm going to put the panels and vents. And this is eventually. I'm just going to get one panel for now and add more later to try spread the cost out a bit.

There's always the option of finding a site with shorepower if the solar / split charge relay isn't keeping the batteries sufficiently topped up in winter.

I think I know the answer is a 12v compressor. But they are a load of ? . Still interested to hear what others have to out of curiosity and for possible ideas.
 

DBK

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My brother has a compressor fridge in his van and 200W of solar plus a 230Ah battery and has no problems on short trips off grid in Scotland in winter. We have a gas fridge and a compressor coolbox. The latter takes about two and half amps when running. How long it runs depends largely on what you put in it. A new 3 litre wine box will have it running continuously for at least four hours. To save battery power we normally turn it off at night. I have 190W solar and 180Ah of batteries. I fitted a battery to battery charger after running low on power on an autumn trip in Germany. The sun shone but only at an angle of thirty degrees. We also have diesel heating which consumes electricity as well. Gas is from an underslung LPG tank which is very convenient.
 
Dec 2, 2019
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I have a dometic CRX 50 fridge (12v compressor) and a portable 12v cool box for drinks used in the summer. Solar 2x 295w panels and 400ah Li battery. I could go off grid for weeks, before I need any LPG. I wanted to minimise my use of lpg and carry as little as posible. Most things are dual powered, and I use electricity where I can save the gas.

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Dazzlin

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Oct 31, 2012
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Bought our 35 year old Hymer as a fixer upper. Always wanted to try 230v fridge with solar so just took the old 3 way model straight out.....

We now have:-
230v fridge through inverter.
200w of solar - 2 x 100
235ah of battery - 2 x 6 volt Trojan T105

Only fitted this setup in january, but it was keeping the fridge/freezer cold and the batteries charged.
Bit of sun a couple of months later and the solar is in fine form.

We are mostly in spain and I'll be fitting 2 more solar panels I have over there when we get back (still in Scotland!) for a belt n braces job for the spanish winter.
 
Nov 24, 2008
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We lived in our sprinter conversion for just on a year and used a 240v normal house fridge, a Beko with ice box. We have 420w solar with 315amp batteries. Batteries only charged through the solar not engine. We use very little other power, just phone charging,water pump, heater fan, and led lighting, when driving we charge the phones via the cab 12v socket.
We spent March-September in mainland Euprope with no problem with batteries running low even though the fridge was running a lot more due to high external temperatures. September-early November we were in the UK and just managed to keep things topped up but November-early March we couldn't keep the batteries charged with just the use of solar so switched the fridge to running of hook up where we were staying at the time, left everything else running of the batteries which worked out fine.

We wanted to try the 240v option as really couldn't justify the cost of a 3way or 12v fridge.

If we do another conversion it would depend on where we would be mainly spending our time as to which fridge to have. If abroad mainly we'd go for another's 240v but if most of the time in UK and not using hookup/shore power I think we would look at a gas option fridge.

I think to keep the fridge going through the winter in the UK we'd have to add at least another couple hundred watts of solar and maybe two more batteries which is a lot of extra weight to carry.

Shawn
 

Nasher

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Waeco CRX-50

it can be a fridge, fridge/freezer or freezer

Other sizes are available

Had mine four years, can't fault it

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Rosemary1

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Jan 23, 2016
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I've been looking at fridges for the van I am building and, oh dear! They're expensive toys aren't they!? It seems a question of how big of a fortune do you want to spend.

I've read (or watched on YouTube) that 12 volt compressor fridges are the best. But then I have seen absorption fridges too, which seem to be cheaper.

My question is which is best, what fridge do you have and do you like it?

Personally I'd like a freezer (but that's not a must have) and I'm not interested in running it off gas. I only want to run it on 12v from the battery or 240v shorepower. Less gas the better IMO.

Wouldn’t recommend anything but 3 way really. Our fridge/freezer has stopped running on electricity for some reason (and after checking easy reasons obviously unable to get it sorted). We have just swopped onto gas which has been a life saver in this weather.
 
Jul 5, 2013
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If you really do want to get away from it all you really need a 3 way fridge to be sure. Relying on the sun to shine in the Uk is living on a hope a dream for nearly all of the year, but especially so in winter.
 
Apr 27, 2016
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If you're considering compressor fridges, this video compares 12V power with 240V power plus inverter. I'd say you need at least 200W of solar in summer, and quite a bit more in winter, maybe even an alternative like mains hookup, driving with a B2B, Efoy fuel cell or (dare I mention it) a generator.

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Nasher

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If you really do want to get away from it all you really need a 3 way fridge to be sure. Relying on the sun to shine in the Uk is living on a hope a dream for nearly all of the year, but especially so in winter.

I agree, but my solution is a (whisper it) generator

I get 3 days from my 110Ah battery with a CRX-50 plus lights, diesel cooker/heater, water pump, tv, etc.

As I carry motorbikes in my van, gas is not an option, as you say solar cannot always be relied on, so my little pure sine wave £180 generator is great for topping up the battery - I should add that at the sort of places/events I attend (mainly motorcycle) the noise of a generator is not an issue!

When my leisure battery dies, I may look at fitting 2 & double my capacity
 

thebriars

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Not sure why against gas. Almost every motorhome and caravan has gas installed. Don't see too many blowing up.
 

Nasher

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Not sure why against gas. Almost every motorhome and caravan has gas installed. Don't see too many blowing up.

When I posted that I carry motorbikes in my van, this what I meant?

IMG_20190916_104305.jpg


Naked flames and petrol, probably not a good mix - hence the diesel cooker?

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Chrisreay

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May 11, 2020
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We also use a 240 volt domestic fridge, a Logik from Currys. When on site with EHU it's perfect, when driving the battery to battery charging system runs through an inverter and it works perfectly. With no hook-up we use solar + inverter and it works perfectly. The Logik was about £75 and it's been running for 2.5 years so far. I used a pure sine wave inverter but someone with more technical knowledge than me said that the cheaper types are even more efficient with items like fridges. Since I can buy 10 Logiks for the price of one 12 volt fridge I reckon I'll be pushing up daisies long before the 12 volt system makes sense.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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If you've already got an inverter for other uses then the mains fridge seems the way to go. A fraction of the price and a much bigger choice.
You dont need the £1000 inverter he uses a £150 would work nearly as well, possibly a higher quiescent current.
 

funflair

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When I posted that I carry motorbikes in my van, this what I meant?

View attachment 381604

Naked flames and petrol, probably not a good mix - hence the diesel cooker?
The flame on the fridge should be outside the van though, assuming that it is fitted correctly. Agree about the cooker though.

Martin

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SuperMike

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One of these, but then hey, it's a :inlove: Winnebago :inlove: and only the Very old-mo TypeFellaPerson will understand. :rofl::clap::gum:

<Broken link removed>
 
Oct 9, 2019
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Thetford T1090 fridge first one designed specifically for PVC,s works off 12v only but if you are putting solar up then shouldn’t be a problem, also has a night mode is is very quite at night.
love mine and it gets cold very quickly on switch on.
 
OP
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CamperJack
Oct 11, 2019
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Thetford T1090 fridge first one designed specifically for PVC,s works off 12v only but if you are putting solar up then shouldn’t be a problem, also has a night mode is is very quite at night.
love mine and it gets cold very quickly on switch on.

That's a big 'un! ;)

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Oct 9, 2019
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Waist to head and big enough for family of 4 but for us it’s great as a couple as we can fit a weeks worth of food and the freezer compartment keeps our Magnum icecreams lovely and cold. Fits my Citroen Relay hightop
 
Last edited:
Nov 29, 2019
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Interesting post this is ! I am just in the process of ordering a fridge also for my conversion. Was looking at a tall, narrow one. Maybe a Thetford 4141 but the 1090 looks good also.
 
Jan 17, 2014
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In a VW T6 (LWB High roof) we find a Waco CRX65 compressor to be quite adequate for long off grid but often moving French holidays. The CRX version is much more efficient than its predecessor CR version and has a more modern control system. With a bit of insulation and sound proofing there is no obtrusive noise from the compressor even during the night.
We've only got 100W of solar charging by RING RSDC30 unit with 150Ah (I think, can't be certain now) of battery.
I see the advantage of a compressor fridge being the lack of need to cut the vehicle for venting plus we always found that gas fridges were expensive to run.

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Jun 21, 2020
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OK......from both sides, my Bongo had a compressor fridge and would do 3 days off grid, with a 100w solar with mppt charger..... worked daily...no worries and even with TV/Satellite/internal lights and diesel heater....never worried about my 110ah battery....ever..... now I have a 3 way in my coachbuilt... decent enough unit chills reasonably quickly ....and works on the leccy and gas with 12v when on the move.....but .....I still have a 12v compressor coolbox type fridge with me.... I tend to chill the 3 way and fill with beer/cider/wine to hold the temperature and whack everything else dairy, meats in the compressor fridge (it will freeze too) and I can get 3 days worth of meat,dairy,salads in it.....then on side pop the chilled stuff in the 3 way..... and use the compressor for guests and booze if required....works for me....... but I will say...if the 3 way decides that the time is up......I'm sliding a 12v compressor fridge in the same space..... more expensive but ...I love them
 

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