Dorm Fridge questions

[Spaceman Spiff]

I need to replace my refrigerator.  I have some questions for those of you who are successfully using a 110V dorm (mini) refrigerator:

 - What make/model are you using?
 - How many watts does it typically use in a day?
 - What size inverter?  Pure sine wave?
 - How did you mount the fridge in your vehicle?
 - Is the refrigerator enclosed in a cabinet?
 - How do you keep the refrigerator door closed while driving?
 - If yours came with glass shelves did you keep them?

Thanks for your help.

 

[abnorm]

Hey Spiff........

I have a 120 volt apartment frig.....I KNOW you're asking about a Mini..... BUT no other responses ....I'm 3 years on the road.....I purchased it a year earlier to gather usage numbers......It's been up and down BLM roads and Highways to the tune of about 70,000 miles.

We like our ICE CREAM !

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]- What make/model are you using?.....An IGLOO 9.2 cu ft from BestBuy for about $350.........they sold off to DANBY (who puts it in a Danby case)........now twice the $
[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] - How many watts does it typically use in a day?.........When I was checking it with a Kil-A-Watt around 350 watts/day.......running about 70 watts[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] - What size inverter?  Pure sine wave?......cheap 1000 watt........... Modified Sine[/font]

 - How did you mount the fridge in your vehicle?.....I used J-B Weld to glue 2X4's to the case........secured with screws/bolts to the Floor....Roof and Wall

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] - Is the refrigerator enclosed in a cabinet?.....Next to a cabinet with room for airflow.....It uses "skin" technology on left wall for shedding compressor heat....no exposed coils[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] - How do you keep the refrigerator door closed while driving?......Bungee Cords (and yes I often forget !!!!!!!)[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] - If yours came with glass shelves did you keep them?........Of course[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]You didn't ask but I have 600 watts of solar and 450 amp of FLA batteries.....with a Honda for "cloudy" days[/font]

 

[Ravella and X]

We have a little 120v fridge. It's an old kenmore that the previous owner of our fiberglass egg put in when the absorption fridge gave up.
I can't give all the details that abnorm did, here is all I know: during duty cycles it draws 80 watts. When it was 95+ degrees, our 200 watts of solar couldn't keep up with the constant demand- but we got it some helper ice and kept the panels facing the sun all day and that worked fine. In this nice cool weather, the fridge cycles far less and all is well. We have two 100 ah agm batteries and a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter. The fridge and a little vacuum and charging cordless tools are about all we use on 120. The fridge is in a cabinet with lots of room on each side and the top and there is a vent in the egg at the back. I have no idea how-- or even IF it is tied down. It has moved forward a little once or twice, and I've shoved it back. There is a little lip in the bottom of the opening that I doubt the feet can jump. Shelves are glass and no problem. Previous owner affixed Velcro to strapping that goes across the front while traveling. Never had an accident in 2 years of rolling.

What a wall of text! I'm too lazy rn to break it up *_*

Oh! Forgot to say our fridge is somewhere around 4 cubic ft. Not the tiny square thing, but the bigger rectangle thing.

 

[bagabum]

Hey Spiff........

I have a 120 volt apartment frig....

Nice reply, well done!

 

[user 423]

9.2 cubic feet in a van. Wow.

 

[abnorm]

And while researching the Igloo/Danby availability........I found a LARGE GE 12 volt compressor frig

https://www.appliancesconnection.com/ge-gpv10fsnsb.html?

 

[Ravella and X]

Great find! I want that! Not going to happen tho, 'til my current fridge quits. It is not in me to replace working stuff.
I...
Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Do without

Except sometimes for the last line. No point in needless suffering!

 

[highdesertranger]

that GE fridge uses up to 20 amps. GE better get their act together on that. the other day I ran across a thing stating Dometic has a line of full size RV refrigerators out now. sorry I don't have a link for that or energy use, but I did run across this one on RecPro web site,

https://www.recpro.com/rv-refrigera...erm=4584551172075300&utm_content=All Products

so it seems full size 12 volt refers are becoming more common.

highdesertranger

 

[becida]

 The fridge and a little vacuum and charging cordless tools are about all we use on 120. 

I don't know what brand of tools you use but i saw a 12vdc charger for Ryobi 18v tools at home depot .com

 

[tx2sturgis]

When I was 'doing that', I powered a small 'energy star' dorm fridge on an energy efficient inverter with 'sleep mode' and that was connected to the shin bone....woops...that was connected to two 55ah AGM batteries and charged with 200 watts of roof mount solar and a PWM controller.

I used one of those really large rubber bands wrapped around the fridge when driving.

It all worked well, except during several days of cloudy rainy weather, so then I fired up the small genset and charged the batteries up for a couple of hours in the mornings...and let the solar panels provide a small tapering 'tail' charge the rest of the day.

At any rate, it all worked.

One piece of equipment I can highly recommend is the 700w GoPower Pure Sine Wave Inverter...it has the 'sleep' or 'standby' mode which works well, but only if your fridge has a mechanical thermostat...not digital or electronic.

https://gpelectric.com/products/700-watt-industrial-pure-sine-wave-inverter/

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks to all for responding.

abnorm:
Thanks for the detailed response; it will help.  Getting 3+ years out of yours is pushing me to try it.  I am getting by with a dying 1.9 cu.ft Norcold now, so I don't need a big fridge; I'm thinking 85L (3 cu.ft.) max.
I like your idea of gluing attachment points to the fridge.

Ravella:
I have 200W solar and 208AH of GC2s.  This summer it kept up with my dying 12V Norcold drawing 6.5A on startup.  I only needed to run the generator when camped in heavy forest canopy.
I like the velcro idea - simple.

tx2sturgis:
I hadn't thought of 'sleep mode'; something else to check for.

Thanks again all.