As you can see I am not a newbee. I thought about going to 240 solar panels and getting a wind generator so I have power charge at night when its windy out. This unit has a private master bedroom that is at the rear of the unit. I will keep that in mind for the next review! Fix one thing, the next thing breaks. Good luck and have fun. Plus, there is an outside entertainment center. There are also lots of rectangle, thin, plastic containers to arrange within the cooler to keep food from getting wet as ice melts. No Prep or Make Ready Charges Free 14 Nights of Camping - Plus the RV Complete VIP Suite of Services Complementary for 1 Year! I m with Jerry here, the residential fridge off solar seems to be a very expensive option vs running it off a generator. Gas mileage for a Class C usually runs between 8 15 miles per gallon. Improved the cargo carrying capacity on the 30F by over 600 lbs, now having 1800+ lbs. This Class C RV is on the higher end of the price scale but also offers a lot of luxuries. The wind does not blow consistently. *#1 in the world or #1 in Texas references are per the official Stats Surveys Inc. for American-built Motorhomes sold at a single location. If possible, we avoided shopping on cloudy/stormy days. Special Application Need: In your choice of make and model of your refrigerator, consideration of how the door(s) will be secured is very important. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Dont condemn the absorption technology itself for something thats so simply fixedif I as a consumer (and I didnt know about it until last year myself, but I sure implemented those controls as a preventative myself once I found out and theyve been flawless) and/or manufacturer or even a regulatory entity know of the fix and refuse to implement it or even demand it, whos really at fault? After deciding to install lithium batteries and the solar AE kit we felt wed have no problem running that power hog residential fridge in our RV. Any info is appreciated thank you so much I have read through a lot of this but I am still confused. I put canned goods in its freezer area. None of the other dealers we visited holds a candle to what MHSRV has in a dealership! Then we would set the thermostat back to normal cool for the rest of the day. Tiffin Wayfarer 25 TW Great for road-tripping with friends, 5. I have plenty of room for my needs and the ice cream is hard as a brick. Thats crazy!! A number of manufacturers produce new Class C RVs including Thor, Winnebago, Tiffin, and Newmar. From your artical of running the fridge for 24 hrs, if I only wanted to run the fridge for 12 hrs just in batteris, would my assumptions of halving the AGM batteries to a 150 usable Ah be correct? Famous for my "how-not-to" videos, and typically the man behind the camera, sometimes Im forced to be here in the spotlight. The fridge was running on electricity at the time. On a number of occasions when the batteries drop to a certain level ( this morning at 4am they were at 12.1 volts. The motorhome is built on a Ford E-450 chassis with five floor plans and a beautiful Modern Farmhouse interior design. DISCLAIMER: With the increase of the house banks total amperage, verification is needed to determine the capability of the existing battery charger in terms of being able to adequately service the bank. The battery bank in this case is continually maintained by the prime movers alternator. Prior to going FT we upgraded our power setup with 600 AH (AGM batteries) and 640 watts of solar panels. You can buy latches for that, but can also go low-tech with Velcro straps or bungee cords. I would have to believe that the 2021 Leprechaun would have to be great as well. Personally, I enjoy the challenge of keeping it simple. The toilet and shower are separate so two can get ready at the same time. A hydraulic leveling system provides easy set-up while the interior maximizes space and includes handcrafted cabinets with extra deep drawers, high-grade linoleum flooring and premium furnishings. Upgrade with the Customer Value Package to add on a 24 LED TV in the bedroom, an electric awning with LED lights, and other enhanced features. I refuse to ever buy a brand that THOR makes , since a lot of the money goes to investor : G. Soros ! If you wanted to test it out on your own fridge there are devices you can buy (a well known one is the Kill-A-Watt Electricity Monitor) to plug in-line that will monitor how much power an electrical device is using. 2ndly, cost; right now, solar panels cost less than 0.80 cents per watt(100watt panels average $80 each, brand new). Our first time boondocking, on the second day, our coach batteries lost power. ft., 24.5 in. With a Freightliner chassis and a Cummins B 6.7-liter turbodiesel engine, this Super C RV will tax your budget but provide one of the most spacious floorplans. I had to check out other dealers. We lived on a sailboat for a number of years. :-/. Been there, done that. The sale price is fractionally higher or lower than the percentage shown. However, the popular Samsung RF18 residential refrigerator does not require a pure sine inverter. Even for a res mini fridge it is said to dedicate a 100 amp hour battery just for it. but back at the subject matter i was totally convinced my refrigerator would use about 42 amp hours following the calculations everyone suggests, 480 kw/year divided by 365, then by 24 hours watts and then convert to amp hours depending on the battery bank you have 12-24 or 48.. but to see your refrigerator consuming 200 Amp hours in 12 ish hours is a total surprise. Everyone talks about dry camping. Many times this can require the removal of the entrance door or a large window. All Rights Reserved. But at least now I feel more informed! I am running 6 6 volt deep cycle batteries. We have the same fridge in our bounder. For Our Best Price Call 800-335-6054 or Visit MHSRV.com - Motor Home Specialist - The #1 Volume Selling Motor Home Dealership in the World 10 Years in a Row! CPAP runs on 24 volts and is powered through 12 volt adapter with built in 24 volt inverter supplied with the unit. Hope that helps! (I think she still loves me more). And since I only heat water when the sun is shining, those amps get very quickly replaced. My husband and I have been researching RV living full-time and I had no idea how many little details there are to consider. We recently purchased a 2014 Dynamax DX3 with a full residential refrigerator. Are they that dangerous? Norcold Polar N7XFR 7 cu.ft. Hunter I dont know how old the post is, but the problem with residential fridge is the defrost cycle. Catamarans, RVs and Refrigerators: Any thought to refreshing this article, post-catamaran life? So I have been looking at solar panels, and better batteries, nuclear fusion well not really , lol but maybe some day. The Top Drawbacks Of Class A Motorhomes: What To Know Before You Buy, Create Your Dream RV Campsite: Tips For A Perfect Setup, The Best RV Resort in Louisiana: Sun Outdoors New Orleans North Shore. Travel trailers, Class B, and Class C RVs are usually sold with smaller fridges. of capacity. The difference is some residential refrigerators will require a pure sine wave inverter and only a small percentage will come with this. (So wide open here, lots to talk about). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Other than the hot full sun in no shade, its performed well. We had a Norcold 1200 that was only 4 years old when it died. with that said having the regular RV refrigerator that runs on gas which was another camper we were familiar with and kept the gas on most of the time when we were off the grid. First: you could use a smaller residential refrigerator. I hope your sailing adventures are going well! All the split ACs I intstalled are also inverter units. We have now traveled more than 12,000 miles (yes 12,000 miles) to check on other RV dealers and we are very lucky to have dealt with Motor Home Specialist in Texas. With a background in the designing and manufacturing of specialized automated industrial equipment, Peter Mercer writes about the full range of the RV travel experiences. This post may contain affiliate links, This post may contain affiliate links or mention our own products, please check out our disclosure policy, These 2021 Class C RVs May Be Right For You. I meant absorption fridges. We went to the Fort Worth RV Show the next weekend, and we saw nothing from any dealer there that could match the coach or the price from MHS. The fridge will kick to 12 volt when driving and back to propane when stopped. Thanks for the great information. Fresh Apples Add Zing to this Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe, Go Long! They require more energy than compressor fridges no matter what the energy source. The generator never run. So batteries are now the only major expense in a solar power set up but lithiums last a decade or more, require virtually no maintenence, are exceedingly safe(lifepo4), can be charge cycled between 2000 & 10000 times(lead acid a max of 500), and can be discharged up to 90% without harming them. By my calculations of our use, the solar should pay for itself in under five years on gas and genset wear and tear. We love stopping meeting a few people on our journeys, but it is mostly to see this beautiful world we live in and to experience life before we move on to the next journey in this life. You can get awesome, used panels for half that price as well. I never liked our fridges in our houses because things get lost. We were able to dry camp all summer with very minimal generator use. No Gimmicks. We arent interested in boondocking so we are fine with a residential refrigerator. And its not running on propane while driving down the road. Run the generator 24/7 just to run it or spend thousands of dollars on solar panels and lithum batteries just to run it (if you have the space and weather for it). Heat exchange type fridges are a good choice for use in RVs for a variety of reasons, but NOT because they are the most energy efficient fridge available. Based on your 200ah in 11 hours you would use 436ah/day. A piece of wood at the top and the bottom on the back wall may be needed as a stop for the rear of the reefer to maintain a good air space. We have a 3 way fridge in our camper, 440 amp hours of batteries and 700 watts of flat mounted solar panels on top. You probably didnt own it long enough to learn, so this is directed at your readers. How do you handle your day-to-day travel needs in yours? You could certainly install a residential-style fridge on a boat, but the biggest problem I see would be wrestling those big doors in rough seas, especially with the high center of gravity a residential fridge will have. God bless you all!! They do, however, have several shortfalls when compared to what you are used to at home. But that was all erased when I drove on to the MHSRV lot. SMETA SC-40 Mini 12V Gas Refrigerator 10. And the two exterior doors allows you to access the freezer or the refrigeration compartment. I am running a 3500 built in inverter. This unit has a private master bedroom that is at the rear of the unit. I have tried tying dish towels & bungee cords. My situation is a little different. It is specially designed to use heat in concert with a specialmixture of ammonia, hydrogen gas to replicate a cooling evaporation effect. With its smooth and sleek design, the Tiffin Wayfarer is perfect for cruising across the country in comfort. The Wynns are sailing on a catamaran these days and dont have a residential fridge. Like set a goal for the budget of the boat 250K? Downside is the components are low quality so after 4-5 years you start to get failures. Curious Minion. . Temps were in the high 60s-low 70s. I dont think its nearly as big as a residential one, but it functions as one. This power source must also be supplied by an inverter that provides flow through power while connected to shore power and inverted 12 VDC to 120 AC when no outside AC is present. LP fridge But the whirlpool wouldnt be as durable or nice so that factors in, I wouldnt want an Rv fridge because they seem to be way more of a fire hazard than needed. Anyway, just my viewpoint. How to Install an RV refrigerator and replace it with a residential fridge. So, Im not trying to insult you here but you need to go back and teach yourself a little more about this topic. You would still have a deficit of approximately 150ah/day (my math could be wrong). The after sales process was great too and helped us settle in and allowed us to get to know our RV before leaving the yard. 30.1, our salesman worked with us to get us the best offer for our trade-in. Save $489.02 27% Off. I was hoping you would show how you keep it closed while driving. Remember to verify the selected refrigerators direction of door opening as it will near certainly need to match the existing door swing. Residential refrigerators today work at about one-third of the power consumption they did in 1990. The intracoastal waterway was sheltered and incredibly diverse. Great job on presenting real numbers and I am intrigued that you showed that the power usage label on the refrigerator is not real life use. Would like in my next RV to have a double unit. All sale prices include all other incentives, offers, and rebates offered by MHSRV or any other manufacturer unless specified in writing. Have exactly the same Samsung RF18 refer. I did runa separate test while plugged into shore power with the A/C set to 74 and the fridge pulled 2.392 kwh in 24 hours (1.097 kwh in 11 hours). Class C RVs have many benefits and can range in price from $50,000-$100,000. Purchased a 2018 Coachmen Leprechaun class C 31foot long with a residential refrigerator. Two comments Id like to make. We all look forward to hearing from you soon. What we dont have is an auto start generator. I quickly learned that convection type fridges arent very efficient. Since we got the residential, our electric bill went way, way down. Absolutely! We built a chest-type fridge/freezer combo. The % discount shown on a unit is rounded to the nearest "whole number" percentage. The cooling power load, as Jason said when he plugged in, was 200 and falling. . Good comment, makes sense and still have the residential fridge. Jennifer Jennings has been RVing for 2+ years and writing about the RV and Van Life for 2+ years. Class C RVs have varying towing capacities but most can tow a separate car so you can leave the motorhome when parked. Major usages: Webasto 16k BTU (Only Shore or Gen Power), LG 11 Cubic Feet Refrigerator ( 75 AH Day), Total usage 325 AH Day gross. They get sent everything for free bro. The only thing I dont like about the Norcold is the possibility of fire. If you have any further questions about sale prices, promotions, finance, etc. A residential refrigerator is not going to like the broken power that a modified sine wave inverter supplies. Failure to maintain this level positioning can cause crystallization in the cooling coil, resulting in possibly shortening the units life. Therefore, we are now seeing a growing popularity of these electric-only refrigerators, not only in new coaches but as upgrades to existing units. Hey Steve, that is a great point! We think the condenser unit is out. So now that ive debunked all of those big misconceptions, lets talk about fridges. He applied no pressure at all and let us come to our decision at our own pace. Its got much more room inside, stays colder, and uses significantly less power. Many residential side-by-side models have substantial handles that can be secured with a bungee or a strap made of hook-and-loop fastening material. Jennifer specializes in topics such as Lifestyle, van life, campgrounds features, destination features, and product lists. Driveability is certainly one positive. If we get a second day of thick clouds, then we know well be forced to run the generator at night for a couple hours to keep the fridge from bringing the batteries down too low. They can safely be discharged to 11.8 volts (80% discharge = 20% state of charge) with absolutely no damage whatsoever to the batteries. We had a good size battery bank but no solar. This does not happen on shore power. No flow = no cooling (this is also true of RV propane fridges if you park on a hillside for instance). Thats what Ive done: Grape Solar fridge (5.2 cu ft, 120/12v), with a cooler of about equal size. Jennings has been RVing for 2+ years and writing about the RV and Van Life for 2+ years. *(w.a.c.) Dealers and salespeople have told us " you can run that fridge for days on these batteries ". When it comes to keeping your food cold, RV travelers have two big choices: RV absorption refrigerators and residential fridges. it would be interesting to see just how much it uses just when the refrigerator is plugged in. They are currently wintering in Arizona with plans to continue their travels next summer. Youll find your own pros and cons but from our experience with both the two-way RV fridge and the residential fridge heres our personal opinions: Again, this is just my opinion based on our experience. Hi Ron. A replacement domestic costs nearly 3k. We usually stay at our rv sites in GA, the Keys, or Tampa so we pay a monthly electric bill. This Class C RV floor plan would be perfect for a couple living full-time. Does the DC power still need to stay on to? I have seen panel read about 25 amps and up to 30 someting. I was sizing my solar/lithium system for 400ah of lithium and 600 of solar. Factory installed along with a modified sine inverter and four 6 V deep cycle batteries, 850 watts of solar. Yeah, it can be tricky to find spots with such a big rig. Very newbies and very nervous. Motor Home Specialist is the #1 Volume Selling Motor Home Dealership in the World. No part of any material on this website may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Motor Home Specialist. But thanks so much for this info because it will help the next time some sales guy tries to convince us we need a residential fridge. This unit has everything you need. After enjoying this refer would NEVER go back to old ice cream melter! The master also includes a built-in wardrobe and chest of drawers for ample storage. Baloney! This great information for me getting ready to buy a motor home this summer. Filling the fridge with warm products really pulls a lot of power for it to get back down to a safe temp. There are a lot of new RVers in their 30s and 40s that like smaller RVs instead of the 40 footersbut their inexperience might allow them to ignore CCC. WAS NOT GLUED TO THE WALLS. We looked at every Class C. This floor plan by far the best for us. NO OUTDOOR THERMOMTER. While I love the size of a residential fridge, I will stick with my Norcold and deal with the size. Also, compared to your residential refrigerator at home, these units usually do not have self-defrost or in-door ice and water dispensers, and in general do not deliver the cooling precision you may be used to. I think the Xantrex has a startup capacity of 1200 watts for bursts like a compressor. I own an Isata series3 and I think it is the best made Class c made in America. All rights are reserved. It features a queen-size master bedroom with loads of storage. I would like to share mine as well :). Dont need the dinning table- takes up too much room. Thats about 120watts, right? Older fridges (like 20 years old) may not need DC power, but newer ones are wired into DC power to operate the controls and without power it will shut off. Thanks for doing the test! Hey Paul, I guess best is based on personal preference, knowledge of full-time RVing life, and reviews from other owners. Thank you ! Then it will kick to 110 when plugged in. The standard magnetic actions will not work, regardless of their apparent strength. Its very efficient, and if you shut it off at night for 6-8 hours the temperature barely drops. If youre referring to the solar setup thats much easier to tackle. I dont want to run a generator going do the road to keep the fridge happy, and I sure dont want to invest in the level of battery/solar you have since we wont be doing that type of boon docking. You know they make portable ice makers now for around a hundred dollars. it installed yet. I also sealed the outside vent and roof vent air tight. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 5 Best Class C RV Floor Plans For Full-Timers, 1. Frank. wide, top-freezer refrigerator fits where you want it to and makes storing fresh and frozen food simple. I also bought four nearly new 100 ah batteries, 40 amp MTTP solar charge controller, two used residential (300 watt each) panels, and a 1500 watt inverter. You can add more solar or add more batteriesor both. MHS retains the right to apply partial or all said NON-REFUNDABLE deposit to a future purchase. Upon receipt of deposit seller (MHSRV) agrees to hold the selected unit and prepare it for delivery and orientation to the buyer. Also you dont have the option to power it with gas . But its all about knowing your power consumption and how much sun youre going to get that day and the next. modified sine inverters are also bad for most microwaves and computers too. Personally I will never have another RV that does not have front seats that can swivel. Resurrecting Dinosaurs Our RV Modifications and Technology, https://www.battsys.com/dc210-12-fullriver-12v-210ah-4d-sealed-lead-acid-agm-battery?gclid=CjwKCAiAqOriBRAfEiwAEb9oXS-MfwrXGrA42aMx2I4JG1RX46oeZPWt-Y5btL0DFV5NhvNq8E2zwRoCzbIQAvD_BwE, https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/rv-solar-install-guide, http://www.panasonic.com/ph/consumer/household-appliances/refrigerators/inverter/nr-bw465vn.html, https://coastalclimatecontrol.com/index.php/refrigeration/frigoboat.html. Not sure what you mean by 500 watts, we had a lot more solar and battery in the Bounder RV. I dont dry camp a lot, but when I do, running the generator a couple hours a day to keep my four, six volt batteries charged up is not an inconvenience for me, you can hardly hear it running inside and a group of us have spent several hours sitting only a few feet from it without the noise being a bother. The results were 111 Ah average for 24 hrs. This is our first time having an rv with an inverter and residential refrigerator. Have you looked at the Leisure Travel Line of RVs. They use a mixture of ammonia & hydrogen gas which is heated and then runs through a series of coils which cools the mixture through condensing. I searched the USA for the best price and the best sales staff! I really can appreciate the hard work and time that goes into all of this and you ask for nothing really. New RVs from $19,999 to $1,500,000 and Every Price-Point in-between! My concern is the traveling to a new location. Staying on BLM lands or US Forestry lands is a big thing among campers. Go with a more efficient fridge, no worries about fires from the propane fridge. We know it takes electricity to keep the mobile apartment useable. You guys say you love your residential fridge, but if you had something like a 12 cu/ft 4 door dometic 2way fridge with built in ice maker you would be loving that even more, you could even run the thing on AC during the day with your massive solar array and propane at nighttime. Since we use our MH mostly in the summer I just installed flat on the roof. It was simply an awesome way for me to feel good about buying new when I normally would not. You open those big residential fridge doors and there is no comparison! They have the cab-over profile that usually boasts a bed or additional storage. MHSs honesty and integrity were exemplified when after the deal had been completed, MHS discovered an error in the valuation of our trade-in. Our friends Tom & Cait Morton have this exact fridge and love it. We also have a 5500 watt Onan generator on board which we use daily during travel for coffee in the morning and usually during dinner and watching tv.
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