Why The 12volt RV Fridge is Amazing! RV Fridge Comparison.

Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль

Today I wanted to compare a Residential Fridge with an RV Fridge (Absorption) and a 12-volt compressor Fridge. I mainly look at how much power it draws but we also look at temperature and use. I was very impressed with the use and simplicity of the 12volt fridge but it needs to be offset with a couple solar panels. I hope this helps you decide what type of RV fridge would be best for you if you are looking for a new one.
12-volt fridge. amzn.to/3J0SZso
Absorption fridge. amzn.to/3793a0C
Solar Panels. amzn.to/3uPLLST
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Пікірлер: 397

  • @jimm2442
    @jimm2442 Жыл бұрын

    The fact that you fixed that compressor refrigerator says a lot and one of the reasons I subscribe. The other fact that the RV Repair Facility did not fix the issue and that no one there saw the potential in repairing it is the reason I do my own work. If they are not smart enough to do simple diagnosing then they are not touching anything I own. Great video, thank you!

  • @dennishazeltine7877

    @dennishazeltine7877

    9 ай бұрын

    Sadly that is so common with RV repair facilities, now I don't want to put all of them in the same basket because I know there are some very good techs out there...I have yet to find one.

  • @chaco883
    @chaco8832 жыл бұрын

    We had to order our trailer because I absolutely wanted a 12v fridge. The advantages substantially outweigh the disadvantages and since we rarely boondock it was a no brainer. The dealer was not to happy since they had 3 of the exact same trailers on the lot with absorption fridges but that's their problem.

  • @stevejansky9913
    @stevejansky99132 жыл бұрын

    There is a third option for an RV fridge, replace the absorption mechanism with a compressor system from Jc Refrigeration/ DutchAire. This uses the current fridge "box" while replacing the tubes, burner, and electric heaters on back with 12 volt compressor system. They also sell a120 volt replacement too. I did this with my 14 year old Norcold at a price at that time of around $800. One thing that a self contained 12 volt compressor fridge does is add additional heat to interior of RV, which during hot weather can make the interior uncomfortable or put more work on your air conditioner.

  • @dawnjohnson603

    @dawnjohnson603

    Жыл бұрын

    Top score! Thank you for the lead! I was feeling pretty salty about the idea of throwing away the whole fridge because one part failed. This looks like our cost effective option, and I would expect better performance--quicker cool down time. We are full timing so most of the year adding heat is a benefit, and in the summer I think I can just open the original wall vents. Looks like about half the cost of other options I've found so far.

  • @stevejansky9913

    @stevejansky9913

    Жыл бұрын

    When i was speaking of extra heat from fridge is if you buy a complete aftermarket 12 volt compressor option. Those type vent from underneath. The JC refrigeration version requires the vents on side and top/side be left open for proper cooling of their system. Any compressor type does cool much faster - we are a week at a time campers and from start -up to cold enough for food it takes ours about 2 hours, plus any extended time with door open, it recovers quickly too.

  • @mrhalfstep
    @mrhalfstep11 ай бұрын

    I have a lot of experience using absorption refrigerators and and some recent experience with DC compressor fridges, primarily through using large cooler style refrigerator/freezers. If the upright DC fridge works like my coolers, I think an advantage you overlooked is that you don't have to "pre-chill" everything before it goes in, as you do with the propane fridge. You mentioned that it takes awhile (8 hrs) to cool the propane one before you load it, but you also have to load it with food that is cold to start with. The ones I've had would take DAYS to cool foods from anything close to room temp. If you tried that with certain foods I'm sure they would spoil before they got down to a safe temp. DC compressor fridges, based on my limited experience with large car coolers, work every bit as well as if you were putting stuff in your kitchen fridge. I made 31 lbs of ice from tap water in less than 24 hrs recently with one of my coolers. I know that I couldn't do that with any absorption fridge that I've owned. You're a lucky puppy to have gotten that fridge for free. Good job! Now use it.

  • @gordschultz1980
    @gordschultz19802 жыл бұрын

    Been wondering about 12V fridges. Thanks for doing all this research and posting

  • @drferdinandsen4488
    @drferdinandsen44882 жыл бұрын

    Love your videos! I've been a full timer for 5 yrs and still learning. That's where your videos come in handy cause you are a wealth of knowledge and a blessing.

  • @Maxid1
    @Maxid12 жыл бұрын

    I'm impressed that you hauled a conventional fridge into your 5th wheel for this!

  • @uhjyuff2095

    @uhjyuff2095

    Жыл бұрын

    its not a conventional fridge, it is just a compressor style RV fridge.

  • @chriskibodeaux9818

    @chriskibodeaux9818

    Жыл бұрын

    @@uhjyuff2095which by just about any def is a conventional fridge!

  • @uhjyuff2095

    @uhjyuff2095

    Жыл бұрын

    @@chriskibodeaux9818 I guess you right. I just thinking about my home fridge and how I would never attempt to install it in an RV trailer, its just too big.

  • @danielaarsvold1050
    @danielaarsvold10502 жыл бұрын

    My Starcraft trailer I bought last summer came with a 12v refrigerator. It has worked great! I can’t imagine having any other style! Thank you for the video- yours are very informative!

  • @joycemoses2411
    @joycemoses24112 жыл бұрын

    For our RVs, we have owned both Absorption and 12 Volt. Winner: 12 Volt!!! It keeps the temperature more consistent.

  • @roadkingrider01
    @roadkingrider012 жыл бұрын

    We just purchased a new Hrand Design Reflection 5th wheel and it came with a 12 volt fridge. This video put my mind at ease and I’m excited to get the new coach out and go camping! Thank you for the video!!

  • @ZonaJim

    @ZonaJim

    4 ай бұрын

    We've been GDRV owners for over ten years now. We've had two Reflections and we bought a new Solitude in October. I swapped out the absorption refrigerator in our second trailer for a 10 cubic foot 12V compressor refrigerator. It worked flawlessly for over seven years. The people I sold it too say it's still working great. Our new Solitude comes with a 20 cubic foot compressor refrigerator and we're thrilled with it. We mostly boondock, so we wanted a nice size solar and battery set up. I installed 920 amp hours of batteries, and 2000 watts of solar. So far, everything is flawless.

  • @tadblankenbaker4587
    @tadblankenbaker45872 жыл бұрын

    Love your short and to the point videos. Always informative. Thank you

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @ipcamper9940
    @ipcamper99402 жыл бұрын

    We just upgraded from our old pop-up to a new Surveyor Travel Trailer and so have not tested the 12V compressor fridge yet. The pop-up had a 3-way absorption fridge. You can significantly improve the cooling efficiency of the absorption fridge by installing a 12V muffin fan ( like a 120mm computer fan ) to blow on the outside radiator of the fridge. The absorption fridge relies on convection of the air to rise from the lower vent to the upper vent to cool the radiator. A small fan can significantly increase the air flow. In our pop-up, the under counter fridge would cool in half the time with a fan blowing on it, vs not using the fan. I used a small switch to turn the fan on when we turned the fridge on, and to shut it off when we packed up at the end of each trip.

  • @rcheas4894
    @rcheas48942 жыл бұрын

    Our new GD Reflection 337 came with a 16 cu ft 12v Furrion fridge and I’m loving it. We had an absorption fridge and switched to residential in our motor coach, but this 12v beats them all.

  • @mikemanjo2458
    @mikemanjo24582 жыл бұрын

    Great comparison. Loads of good info. Thanks you!

  • @FidoHouse
    @FidoHouse Жыл бұрын

    Very helpful. Thank you. Especially appreciate the power consumption comparison.

  • @hughtruex
    @hughtruex2 жыл бұрын

    Outstanding video and as always full of information!

  • @homesteadingusa
    @homesteadingusa2 жыл бұрын

    Great explanation. Never even thought about changing out the fridge for efficiency. Thanks for sharing. Peace

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks

  • @Chimp_6
    @Chimp_62 жыл бұрын

    That is exactly the comparison I've been wanting to see. Thank You!

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad it helped!

  • @eugene5438
    @eugene54382 жыл бұрын

    Great video. I've been considering a 12v fridge for our trailer if ours goes out. Thanks for the data and pros/cons.

  • @otas9398
    @otas93982 жыл бұрын

    our new trailer just arrived and we inspected it today - opted for the 12 volt firdge - and was happy to see it was a norcold. cant wait to try it out! looks great.

  • @donwatterson8343
    @donwatterson83432 жыл бұрын

    Always good information. Thank you

  • @anthonyb2334
    @anthonyb23342 жыл бұрын

    We have a 12V compressor fridge in our 2022 Motorhome. We live in Arizona and have had other Motorhomes with absorption fridges. It would take us 48 hours to cool down them down in the summer. The 12V cools down much quicker. It runs much smoother but we are struggling trying to run it on batteries only. Fine while driving but if we park it for 24 hours the 200 W solar panels don’t keep up with it. This is probably a result of the lead acid batteries not charging fast enough or having been discharged too deeply. Thank you for your videos

  • @SlimShady771

    @SlimShady771

    Жыл бұрын

    Ahh you need more solar panels. At least a thousand watts.

  • @danielp.621
    @danielp.6212 жыл бұрын

    Another GREAT food for thought video! Thanks

  • @TomandLoriRVLife
    @TomandLoriRVLife2 жыл бұрын

    Interesting video! Always wondered about the 12v fridges.

  • @johnbell4976
    @johnbell49762 жыл бұрын

    I love your channel. I have learned so much from you. You are in my top three recommended KZread channels. Just a thought for you. They have larger 12v refrigerators. Grand Design has one in their new larger RVs. Now I know that you don't need one now, but if and when you do, the larger 12v's would compare to your RV fridge you have now. Keep these great videos coming.

  • @sputtube1
    @sputtube1 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for your time

  • @dteitsma
    @dteitsma2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for providing lots of details.

  • @adroitcaptor
    @adroitcaptor Жыл бұрын

    Thank you SOOOO much for having actual facts and an informative video. So hard to make good decisions with all these opinion pieces!

  • @kjman1955
    @kjman1955 Жыл бұрын

    You made an excellent video and it covered all the details I really appreciate it

  • @RVKevin
    @RVKevin2 жыл бұрын

    I have been wondering what the "real" deal was and this is very helpful. Thank you Jared for making this video.

  • @jondavidmcnabb
    @jondavidmcnabb2 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video!!! Thank you for this info.

  • @bobhauber2425
    @bobhauber24252 жыл бұрын

    Great info! Great video! I need to replace my absorption fridge, and think I will go with a 12v. Your info really helped!

  • @2Cents100
    @2Cents1002 жыл бұрын

    Purchased a new Grand Design Reflection 320MKS in February and it came with the 16 cf Furrion side by side 12v frig. Wow! 2500 mile trip to AZ and back and frig never skipped a beat. Cooled down in less than 2 hours and stayed there for a month. Also came with the 165w solar package so frig is powered 24/7. Swapped out the OEM batteries to my Lion UT1300 lithium (x 2) and never went below 75%. The system is awesome.

  • @quicksoncamping2039
    @quicksoncamping20392 жыл бұрын

    Very good information, thank you for digging into the data.

  • @rvnmedic2709
    @rvnmedic27092 жыл бұрын

    We have a 12v in our Navion and it's fantastic. We boondock with 200w of solar and rarely have to run the generator. Besides think of all the space you gain.

  • @Hundert1

    @Hundert1

    2 жыл бұрын

    What kind of battery/ batteries does your RV have for that to work? Would it be adequate for my two 6volt Trojans I have linked in series to produce 12 volts. The amp/hr is 250. I wonder if there's 12 volt refrigerators available yet that will also operate using propane? 🤔 thanks

  • @anthonyb2334

    @anthonyb2334

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hi , we have a Vista with the 12V fridge from Winnebago. We are struggling boondocking with it. 200W of solar but lead acid batteries. Do you have lithium?

  • @Hundert1

    @Hundert1

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@anthonyb2334 sorry to hear that. Hope you're able to find a way to have success with it. I'm really wondering why these 12 volt refrigerators aren't made so they'll operate with propane too. Especially since they're made for the RV.

  • @anthonyb2334

    @anthonyb2334

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Hundert1 I see you have two 6volt batteries, and from everything I’ve read, they work better than two -12 volt. I cannot the 6volt in my coach, but I can fit lithium. I just need to figure out if I want to spend the money.

  • @Hundert1

    @Hundert1

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@anthonyb2334 yep, not sure why though. They advised me two 6 volts are very good. What matters for storage capacity is the total amp/hrs. So, my one 250 amp/hr battery when I joined in series two 6 volts, just the volts doubles into 12volts but won't increase/double the amp/hrs . If we join two 12 volt batteries in parallel we'd get double the amp/hrs which means alot more storage power but the voltage remains at 12 volts. I'm saving up for lithium ions or something similar when my two 6 volt Trojan T-145 go bad. Battleborn brand lithium ions are supposed to be a very good brand but I hear they're way over priced and there are other brands as good for much less. The usable power of lithiums is much more and they weigh, much less. Typical lead acid batteries only can be drained at most halfway otherwise damage can occur. Lithiums can be almost totally run down without damage. I'd like to go with having about 400 amp/hr lithium battery or link two 12 volt lithiums to total about 400 amp/hrs. I'm still researching the best lithium ion system. I think it's worth it getting lithiums. But shop around. Thanks, Happy and safe RVing

  • @GreatGrannyFreeBird
    @GreatGrannyFreeBird2 жыл бұрын

    thanks Jared. Great information!

  • @rogerrossman5124
    @rogerrossman51242 жыл бұрын

    I have been looking at the JC Refrigeration replacement units thinking that my 17 year old absorption unit will fail some day. I had not convinced myself that this is the best way to go as we don't boondock very often but I think you have convinced me.

  • @scubieman
    @scubieman2 жыл бұрын

    thanks for video. needed these details

  • @spencerduncan
    @spencerduncan2 жыл бұрын

    Very informative. Our Ekko has the 12 volt fridge, and works great. ( as good as the one at home, and yes it cools down very quickly when we get ready to leave.)

  • @billg1960
    @billg19602 жыл бұрын

    Love my 12 volt. Cool quick and keeps items colder.

  • @alfamaize
    @alfamaize2 жыл бұрын

    Glad you mentioned the footprint vs. the interior volume. When renovating an old camper, we compared the absorption vs 12v compressor, and when we found the interior volume was that much better for the compressor- we when that direction.

  • @timh8543
    @timh85432 жыл бұрын

    Excellent info and great find.

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @mikeehrhart9488
    @mikeehrhart94882 жыл бұрын

    Definitely a thought for the future

  • @rhoff523
    @rhoff5232 жыл бұрын

    Great job/ My 12v fridge was full when I was away for 10 days, the RV lost power due to a storm on day 2. This RV has a very small solar panel which was enough to keep everything frozen, which was a lot while the fridge area had very little. Great units!

  • @williamsuttle3645
    @williamsuttle36452 жыл бұрын

    Great information!

  • @waketrucks8813
    @waketrucks88132 жыл бұрын

    Love your video. I would like to see a more pro and cons list. If you had time

  • @Assassin1959
    @Assassin19592 жыл бұрын

    I really like your videos..... keep up the awesome job!!!

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks

  • @davidapps2605
    @davidapps26052 жыл бұрын

    Great video mate

  • @ralphwilliams6123
    @ralphwilliams61232 жыл бұрын

    I have the JC refrigeration conversion on my norcold unit for over two years now. Totally happy with it and love having a cold refrigerator and ice cubes in the freezer! Plus, I was able to get solar added to my roof by JC refrigerator while getting the g12 volt conversion on the refrigerator at a very reasonable price. Thus never worry about cold food or the low power the unit draws. Should have done it sooner!

  • @Ashley-hv1qu

    @Ashley-hv1qu

    2 жыл бұрын

    What is your battery and solar set up? Thanks

  • @jameshodgins1937
    @jameshodgins19372 жыл бұрын

    That was great! Thanks.

  • @ryanmoore6690
    @ryanmoore66902 жыл бұрын

    Love our 12V fridge!

  • @edrumsas5420
    @edrumsas54202 жыл бұрын

    Great info. Thanks.

  • @MarkKnaack
    @MarkKnaack7 күн бұрын

    Absorption = $1/Day or More!!! You also need to account for running an absorption fridge in the driveway. We left ours on between trips and our electric bill spiked, after looking at the daily reports from our electric bill we narrowed it down to the fridge. Our Dometic cost us over $1 per day to run on shore power, My whole house runs just under $3 per day normally. Crazy!

  • @joeblow3939
    @joeblow39392 жыл бұрын

    ❤❤ Great info. Thanks for sharing. Would like to have seen your diagnosis and parts replaced on your newly acquired fridge. 👍👍

  • @JB007Rules2
    @JB007Rules22 жыл бұрын

    I use a 55 liter dometic "cooler" and it's insane nice.... 3.5-4 days of run time with 80 degrees ambient and set to 34 on a 100AH lifepo4 battery!!

  • @lcgoatboy
    @lcgoatboy2 жыл бұрын

    RV Tech here with 36 years experience . The majority of fires that I have seen in rvs are because of propane fridges. We deal with both of the RV fridge manufacturers and I'm here to tell you that profits is number one on their mind! When my rv fridge kicks the bucket, I will not hesitate for a second and install a compressor fridge!

  • @colincutler194

    @colincutler194

    2 жыл бұрын

    The 5th Wheel that we are purchasing has a reasonably new 3-way unit in it. We want to do 95% free camps (boondocking), so I will be upgrading the current solar set-up that is currently on the rig also. My point is, that I am currently looking into the pros and cons of the different types of fridge/freezer units available and with your spans of knowledge (from your yrs in the RV industry), with all I've just shared with you, would you recommend us getting the 2-way compressor unit? From my understanding, they use the least electricity and you get more internal usable space, is that right?! And are they any more reliable than the absorption units? I look forward to hearing from you 🙂

  • @lcgoatboy

    @lcgoatboy

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@colincutler194We recently bought a motorhome and the Dometic fridge is done (leaked ammonia). We will be installing a 120 volt only, fridge, probably Danby. Solar, if roof space is available, 4 360 watt panels. Batteries will be 4 Valiant cold weather lithiums with Bluetooth. The inverter is going to be ic 3000watt go power. We may have to supplement some generator run time. I dislike generators but a bit of a hybrid system is good. Other retrofits would be a composting toilet,minisplit ac /heat and some sort of recycling shower system. This is my opinion of an off grid, near perfect RV.

  • @crapseven
    @crapseven Жыл бұрын

    I was fearful of buying this used KZ240TH with 120vac/12vdc fridge but you made me quickly realize that some solar panels and some lithium batteries will serve my extensive Boon docking requirements well. Thanks.

  • @andrewk1916
    @andrewk19162 жыл бұрын

    Jared- we upgraded from our absorption to the Dometic 12v DMC4101RH and I agree with you in saying that due to the high-cost of these things, it's almost cost prohibitive to swap-out only to get a little more space if you have a working unit. But since our absorption was costing us more and more to trouble-shoot between the burner, the lower control board, we made the switch. However a consideration that I also took into account was the stable amperage draw of lithium rather than lead acid. Blown boards (at worse) and blown internal fuses seem to be common with these 12Vs due them pulling higher amperage to maintain the 12V in order to compensate for the lead acids depletion when not properly charging (i.e. boondocking and letting the battery drain down too much before re-charging- which is easy to do for people unfamiliar with 12V systems). As as a result of this sensitivity that the 12V fridges have, we upgraded our lead-acid to a single BB lithium as well as the Progressive 9160 charger with Victron's Battery monitor, DC-DC and MPPT chargers. Needless to say, the battery upgrade with the chargers and all of the ancillary pieces (wire, battery terminals, fuses, tools, crimpers, cable loom, insulation, touch-up paint, spray-foam, dicor, wood, ) cost almost as much as the fridge itself! Admittedly, the monitor, DC-DC and MPPT chargers were not needed and argueably neither is the Progressive charger. But, we saw it as both piece-of-mind and the ease of expandability of future upgrades to the battery system. This was esp. true since we had to move the battery to the storage compartment (we have a 2015 Outback TT) in order to protect the lithium. So figuring out where to put everything and adding the expansion while we had it opened-up made sense. Lastly, not only was re-wiring needed for the battery, we needed to run a NEW 10 gauge line from the camper's fusebox to the fridge. For many rigs this will be easy and in some cases not necessary, but in a rear living travel trailer with the fridge in a slide and only a previous 14 gauge wire from the absorption fridge, we needed the new wire and it became a whole new animal! I point all of this out to try and help your followers get an understanding of the second and third-order issues they may want to think through before buying an expensive 12V fridge. Especially those that have a Travel Trailer that did not previously have lithium batteries and has the fridge in a slide. It would be really interesting if somebody would do some type of root-cause analysis out there on the repair/replace of 12V fridges (less than 2 years old) to understand if a depleted lead-acid is a contributing factor to the 12V fridges coming in for service. If it is, this could be a big market for shops to tap into to install a lithium. So far our upgrade/conversion is working well, but we haven't really had it out as of yet to test it for long trips. Cheers!

  • @JL-nb3dh

    @JL-nb3dh

    2 жыл бұрын

    Wow! Thank you for the detailed explanation. Newbie here, and I learned a lot from your post. Cheers

  • @karenfletcher9961

    @karenfletcher9961

    Жыл бұрын

    Thx for the additional info!

  • @artfuldodger870
    @artfuldodger8702 жыл бұрын

    I have a Norcold 12 volt fridge/freezer in our Tiffin Wayfarer and LOVE it. I had the Dometic gas/electric in my last RV and was always having trouble with it. It would get too warm even in cooler weather. And the ice in freezer would not completely stay frozen.

  • @TodayWeGo
    @TodayWeGo2 жыл бұрын

    We made the swap to a 12v fridge (Everchill French Door) last year and aren’t looking back. We absolutely love it! It is incredibly efficient. Another big bonus with the 12v fridge is no longer having to defrost!

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes that is a big advantage

  • @beverlycleaveland2296

    @beverlycleaveland2296

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@AllAboutRVs I've been having a hard time finding any small 12v fridges that are automatic defrost/frost free. Norcold and RecPro said theirs weren't. A while back the Norcold rep was on a Surveyor youtube video saying that theirs were frost free, but now they're not? Any thoughts? We are wanting to replace our Dometic 6 cu ft with an 8 cu ft 12v if we can find one that's frost free.

  • @brentnutter1510
    @brentnutter15102 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Thanks!

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks

  • @caseypries7559
    @caseypries75592 жыл бұрын

    A couple things to keep in mind. The residential fridge is likely larger, maybe much so. Ours is 20 cu ft which is huge for an RV. It also has auto defrost which is nice and some like the ice maker. With that said, the Hisense fridge in our unit hasn't been 100% reliable and can sometimes just stop cooling requiring a power cycle.

  • @mikebrand7922
    @mikebrand79222 жыл бұрын

    I upgraded / replaced our 8 CuFt Absorption Fridge with a 10.7 CuFt Compressor Fridge, we are so happy with the 12V DC Fridge. No worries about traveling down the road with Propane on, no long cool down time.

  • @frankhazelton4591

    @frankhazelton4591

    2 жыл бұрын

    What was the size difference between the two fridges?

  • @mikebrand7922

    @mikebrand7922

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@frankhazelton4591 The new fridge fit perfectly in the space for the old fridge.

  • @randysoong6129
    @randysoong61292 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video. My little absorption fridge broke. Gonna try the Whynter 45 12V compressor cooler. Thanks for the great info

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks

  • @amartin6654
    @amartin66542 жыл бұрын

    We switched to 12v fridge when we got a scratch and dent fridge in Elkhart. We love our 12v compressor fridge, we've had absorption and residential also.

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad to hear you like it after having all three in the past.

  • @terryhaynes1596
    @terryhaynes15962 жыл бұрын

    My Norcold was working perfectly. But I exchanged it for the EverChill 12v refrigerator. Best decision I’ve made. Love it. As you said cools faster, works better in the heat of summer and cold of winter because it is inside the RV not fighting the outside weather. Also you get more usable space inside. And no worries about the rv not being level or not being able to run while driving. I spent two days driving in the southwest where it was 115 and you can’t turn off the refrigerator for any extended time period.

  • @yankeesusa1

    @yankeesusa1

    2 жыл бұрын

    So you replaced a 3 way for a 12 volt? I would love to do that but it seems daunting

  • @terryhaynes1596

    @terryhaynes1596

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@yankeesusa1 the Norcold is a 10cuft propane or 120v absorption refrigerator. I switched to an EverChill 12v compressor refrigerator. The inside of the refrigerator started at 85 degrees and was fully cold in 45 minutes! Love it.

  • @SlimShady771

    @SlimShady771

    Жыл бұрын

    Where did you buy the everchill and cost? Thanks

  • @Stuckofftherealness

    @Stuckofftherealness

    Жыл бұрын

    That’s interesting because I have a brand new camper with an everchill 12v fridge that the compressor board has gone out twice 4 months apart

  • @JohnJones-op8uf
    @JohnJones-op8uf11 ай бұрын

    After going from our absorption fridge on our 278bh, to our 12vdc on our 324mbs, we are happy with the 12vdc fridge.

  • @igowhereimtowed6839
    @igowhereimtowed68392 жыл бұрын

    I hope it is frost free. If not after continuous running the inside coil may freeze up. At least that is what happened to the 3 different units we had. Finally just purchased a 120 volt AC unit from Best Buy. Current draw is 109 watts normal and 140 for the defrost cycle. Ours has been running 24/7 for just over 2 years. Have had zero issues. If you would like you can check out a update video on the channel. Thanks for your videos we appreciate the time and effort you put into them.

  • @davidrohwer4284
    @davidrohwer42842 жыл бұрын

    We boondock in below freezing temps to go snowmobiling, sometimes below zero F. The Norcold absorption fridge does not work well in those temps causing me insulate the exterior vent door leaving only a small opening for combustion air. That mostly solved the problem. So I'm intrigued by the 12v compressor fridge as a better solution. A plus is sealing up the vent door and roof vent to lower heat loss. Thanks for the review.

  • @popdaddyg
    @popdaddyg2 жыл бұрын

    Always informative. We have a 2014 303 whose frig just went out. I opted for a new Norcold because we don’t have any solar. But if I did I would have opted for a 12 volt.

  • @martyschwartz3485
    @martyschwartz34852 жыл бұрын

    We just went through this exercise. We have a 2021 5th-wheel and the Norcold 2118 18-cubic foot reefer never performed adequately. We replaced the absorption assembly with the dual-compressor unit from JCRefrigeration about a week ago and it has been performing superbly since then. While replacing the guts of the reefer we found out why it was not performing very well, there was NO thermal paste between the cooling unit and the cooling plates in the reefer. I would definitely consider this a manufacturing defect but try to prove that to Norcold. Regardless, we now have a 12-volt DC refrigerator and both the refrigerator and freezer functioning correctly so very happy with the change.

  • @Mudford63

    @Mudford63

    2 жыл бұрын

    We will be back there in September to have our 2118 changed over.

  • @jeremyspecce

    @jeremyspecce

    2 жыл бұрын

    So wait, are you saying you converted your existing absorption fridge to 12V compressor? I’m gonna take a look at that site.

  • @martyschwartz3485

    @martyschwartz3485

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jeremyspecce Yes, exactly. They created compressor-driven units that replace the original cooling unit on your absorption 'fridge. They have both 12-volt DC and 120-volt AC models for the 2118. Since I already have a fairly large lithium house bank I opted for the 12-volt DC unit. Using a 120-volt AC unit through an inverted would be a significantly larger draw on the the battery. We just arrived at a COE campground after a 2-hour drive and the freezer was at -3 and the fridge was at 37. We NEVER got that king of performance from the absorption cooling unit, even with outside temps below freezing. The up-side to going this was is I still have the original fridge volume and did not have to change any cabinetry. The total cost for the unit, installed by JCRefrigeration was ~$1800. The unit was ~$1300 and they charged $400 to install it. I could have installed it but did not want to wait till I was in a location to do so.

  • @WillBelden

    @WillBelden

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@martyschwartz3485 I assume you DO lose the propane ability with the conversion?

  • @martyschwartz3485

    @martyschwartz3485

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@WillBelden Yep.

  • @qpoole90
    @qpoole902 жыл бұрын

    Really informative video. I just wanted to share an experience. We have a truck camper and we swapped out our dometic absorption fridge for a 299$ 7 cu ft residential 110V dorm fridge. And it’s working great. We are averaging 50-60 ah to run the fridge per day in 80 degree weather in Baja. This is with our 1000w PSW inverter running all day. A DC compressor fridge is great, however these cheaper fridges are also very efficient and much cheaper.

  • @bigbenrich
    @bigbenrich2 жыл бұрын

    I have the Furrion 12 volt and loved it until about 6 months in, it stopped cycling off and just stayed on all the time. I took it in under warranty, thinking that they would do something like replace a thermostat, but no, they just ordered a new one. So after 2 months I have a brand new one working great. I upgraded to a fairly large solar system (600 AH, 1500 Watts, 3000 multiplus) and the power consumption of the fridge is comparatively quite modest. Thanks for all the informative videos.

  • @bigbenrich

    @bigbenrich

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@forgenorth1444 Mine uses about 100 watts and not constantly. Before I upgraded my solar I was running it off two 170 watt panels and a 100 amp agm battery and didn't have any problems

  • @bigbenrich

    @bigbenrich

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@forgenorth1444 The fridge was already hooked up to the battery when I bought the camper. So yeah just hook it up to your main DC busbars. Might want to fuse it too.

  • @kevinsmith1513
    @kevinsmith15132 жыл бұрын

    We had our absorption refrigerator converted to a 12V at JC Refrigeration. The 12V does a great job and is peace of mind on travel days and Harvest Host stays.

  • @timmyers3428

    @timmyers3428

    2 жыл бұрын

    Kevin, what is your battery set up and how long will your JC Upgrade run on them?

  • @kevinsmith1513

    @kevinsmith1513

    2 жыл бұрын

    We have 660 on the roof and two, 100 amp/hr Battle Born batteries. A third battery would give more peace of mind for cloudy days. I have never tried to max the system out.

  • @SlimShady771

    @SlimShady771

    2 жыл бұрын

    What was cost of conversion?

  • @kevinsmith1513

    @kevinsmith1513

    2 жыл бұрын

    At the time, the cost was $1135. You can purchase the unit and install it yourself to save some money. Their website would have updated information. They had me in and out in about 3-4 hours.

  • @dv7431
    @dv74312 жыл бұрын

    We switch to a 12v last year . Love it wouldn't go back

  • @kentwicker6818
    @kentwicker68182 жыл бұрын

    On my second RV and it has a 12 volt, first on had propane/120v absorption. The 12 volt definitely cools better. Was camping in July in the Florida sun and ice cream stayed frozen in freezer! Only down side is many manufacturers only include on battery so I would recommend a 2nd one, especially if you don't have a generator. Another tip, monitor RV voltage when you plug in the connector to the tow vehicle. When tow vehicle is running, the RV should show 13+ volts. I had an issue where truck wasn't sending power to RV to keep the battery charged and after being on the road 12 hours the fridge ran the battery down so much the jacks barely worked. Tow vehicle charging is fixed now but I still make sure the RV voltage goes up when I start the truck .

  • @ehudgavron9086
    @ehudgavron9086 Жыл бұрын

    Plussed. Subscribed. I'm in the market for a new RV and I do want a compressor fridge. The rental ones (Cruise America) are all absorption... and in Arizona they are almost useless. They can reduce tempy to 20°F below ambient OAT. When it's 110°F out, 90°F isn't a "win". It's a "get your butt to an Igloo cooler and buy ice bags daily." Thanks for the in-depth analysis -- especially the watt hours and per day usage. I already knew how to size my inverter... but thanks to you I know how to size my battery bank. Solar's great... but again... in Arizona we boondock OUT of the sun. That means RV engine power to charge those batteries. Again, thank you! Ehud Tucson, Arizona

  • @gregadler9221
    @gregadler92212 жыл бұрын

    Love our 12v fridge in our camper. Stays cold and has alot of room.

  • @fredpittman1086
    @fredpittman10862 жыл бұрын

    My adsorption fridge gave up due to a leak in the cooling coil. I priced new lpg fridge, rebuilding my old cooling coil and a 12v comressor fridge. I went with the 12v compressor fridge at 1300.00 cdn. And it fitted where my old fridge came out. I loved it and worked great even off level. I upgraded my camper and back to the lpg fridge. Ho boy do I miss the fridge

  • @HowToRV
    @HowToRV2 жыл бұрын

    I donot have 12 v on my fridge at all. Still rocking the old absorbtion with gas/120v only. I have wondered what the 12v fridges were like. In my case, I probably would not swap only because i like the propane option when boondocking. Considering that I do not have solar "YET". Thanks for the review.

  • @brucemontgomery8136
    @brucemontgomery81362 жыл бұрын

    great great stuff

  • @chuckiem1233
    @chuckiem12332 жыл бұрын

    I also have the furrion 12v and i had to replace it 2 times so far 3rd time a charm

  • @kurtschulmeyer1041
    @kurtschulmeyer10412 жыл бұрын

    I replaced my propane fridge with an ever chill 12 volt compressor fridge. It worked well,even in 110 degree weather.

  • @sifilmaker
    @sifilmaker2 жыл бұрын

    Nice job, great video... we made a mistake not knowing any better that our RV did NOT come with a 3 way fridge. But glamping for years with a domestic 12v in my jeep and going away for 2 months, I wanted another fridge that can run on 12v. So after speaking with a dealer and they wanted like one $2000 to change out the fridge I bought another Domestic CFX 75 size which REI had at 20% off so came in at about $1100. We used that as our primary until we got to an RV park where we were staying for a few weeks, but in between we kept the Domestic going. We boondocked for 7 days, using 400 watt solar panels to keep our batteries charged, 2 lead acids and never had any issues. Of course the Domestic does occupy some space but didn't really get in the way. Beats spending another $2000 to swap out a perfectly good 2 way, and then what would I do with it anyway. So now we have 2 fridges. The Domestic one uses so much less power, can be digitally set the temp etc.. and monitored via the app. Just my $0.02.

  • @mattbfarmer
    @mattbfarmer2 жыл бұрын

    I’m getting ready to convert the Norcold in our 28BH to 12v dc compressor with the DutchAire conversion kit. Hopefully will have it in soon.

  • @nelsonsoaresusa
    @nelsonsoaresusa11 ай бұрын

    12v fridge works really good, had so much problems with regular rv fridge.

  • @robsycko
    @robsycko2 жыл бұрын

    I have one just like that and I love it, My propane lasts forever now.

  • @Viz210
    @Viz210 Жыл бұрын

    We love our 12v! Had a residential in our old RV. 12v cools so much quicker and we have had better consistent cooling in the Texas heat with the 12v.

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    Жыл бұрын

    That is awesome!

  • @deltabravo1257
    @deltabravo12572 жыл бұрын

    5:11 - I saw your fan remote. I have the same fan kit.

  • @cnetate
    @cnetate2 жыл бұрын

    Awesome! Would love to know how much more power the larger 12v fridge would use. We have the 18cu norcold and its performed pretty well except one day in the desert at 100 deg, my son left the fridge cracked all day while we were gone and we weren't able to get the temp back down.

  • @spikestubbs210
    @spikestubbs2102 жыл бұрын

    That 12v fridge will slide right into my 8CF absorption fridge space in my Imagine 2970RL.

  • @mikecon7634
    @mikecon76342 жыл бұрын

    This was a cool video.

  • @AllAboutRVs

    @AllAboutRVs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks

  • @meltdownman1
    @meltdownman1 Жыл бұрын

    Any idea what 12v compressor refrigerator brand can replace my Dominic in a leisure travel van? You have excellent videos and thank you and your family for making them. Very informative. Sincerely, The Meltdownman

  • @jerrydaminato743
    @jerrydaminato7432 жыл бұрын

    Interesting!

  • @robmcneill2967
    @robmcneill29672 жыл бұрын

    This is a great debate, The main factors for me where energy consumption and size. That being said there would only be myself and my bride. And we would be 95% full time which would weigh in on decision as well...With your data and our situation I think 12 volt or residential would prob win. Nothing against 3 way...thanks for taking the time to do this comparison and sharing‼️

  • @timaz1066
    @timaz10662 жыл бұрын

    Minor cold 12 ft.³ refrigerator freezer wasn’t cutting it in the heat so I converted it to a JC refrigeration conversion with a compressor 120 V. I should’ve went with the 12 V unit. But this fridge does the trick.

  • @alfredtrovao2669

    @alfredtrovao2669

    2 жыл бұрын

    I did the same to my 18 ft. Refrigerator from JC refrigeration.

  • @johnr5545
    @johnr5545 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks god bless

  • @Masterchief68
    @Masterchief682 жыл бұрын

    Certainly would like to change our absorption for a 12v compressor unit but unless it’s an exact fit for the old hole that won’t happen until the absorption unit fails completely. Actually the absorption unit in my fifth wheel works great, in fact it cools great!

  • @Masterchief68

    @Masterchief68

    5 ай бұрын

    1 year later and new camper with a 12v compressor refrigerator and it is GREAT!

  • @denniszaferis1242
    @denniszaferis1242 Жыл бұрын

    You can also get a 12volt compressor conversion kit for your existing rv refer. You simply take off the old absorption unit and install the new compressor unit, that way no cabinet work is required, they work as well as any compressor unit.

  • @geoffsimonsen7820

    @geoffsimonsen7820

    Жыл бұрын

    JC Refrigeration in Indiana has created a 12 volt dual compressor unit for norcold and dometic fridges, i did a cooling unit swap on my Solitude 310 GK fridge using JC Refrigeration cooling unit. this was such a HUGE upgrade and would recommend to anyone with issues with the norcold not getting cold

  • @bobabooie6389

    @bobabooie6389

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@Geoff Simonsen is it a lot of work?

  • @ghostpepperrides4805
    @ghostpepperrides48057 ай бұрын

    As a Commercial/Industrial HVACR Contractor I got the 12V in my 2023. Love it. Have you looked into the upcoming 12V A/C units?

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