Thanks for your articles.. Hey Bill, thanks for your comment. My concern is the traveling to a new location. Our question is what do you really think is the best as youre traveling down the road to your grocery stay cold with the newer type refrigerators if in fact you dont have everything running on battery Im confused on how they keep all of your stuff colddoes that mean when youre driving the five and six hours to get somewhere or maybe even 9 to 10 that your refrigerator is running off your batteries while youre driving? Three Outstanding RV Parks in Utah to Visit This Summer! 12 volt, propane, and 110 volt. Take a deep breath and realize youre not crazy. Sorry dude, but Im a full time RVr who currently has BOTH types of fridges in his 38 RV and I agree 100% with the author of the article. Those results were 100 Ah average for 24 hrs. Our first time boondocking, on the second day, our coach batteries lost power. Well, with the conversion complete, its ready to use. Remember to verify the selected refrigerators direction of door opening as it will near certainly need to match the existing door swing. temperature adjustment ranges: 29.8-52.4. I have some peoples names for more info, if youre interested, about living FT so email me if youd like it. We have the same fridge in our bounder. Most of the time, I dont need to run a generator to charge the batteries even if we need to use the furnace at night. :-/. Upgrade To a Residential Fridge in Your RV - RV.com I assume your position on a residential refrigerator on a catamaran is a no-go because of the massive solar involved or requirement for a frequent generator session. That said, someone reasonably technical inclined and willing to research the details could get a lot more juice (AH storage) for their money reconfiguring a used Chevy Volt battery to a 48V system. Unlike your residential unit at home, the RV application requires a lock to secure the door(s) while traveling. One advantage of propane is thats dead silent, yes? Have exactly the same Samsung RF18 refer. Once the unit is free of the cabinet, remove the doors by unscrewing the hinges or brackets at the top and bottom. Hey Curt, thanks for your comment and suggestion! I meant absorption fridges. The master also includes a built-in wardrobe and chest of drawers for ample storage. Be sure to allow adequate space for airflow over the condenser tubing at the rear of the unit. These units required extra batteries and inverters to meet the additional off-grid electric load. Looks like I will have to buy used to get what I want. Great video! Im hypothesizing that the modified sine and low batteries is affecting the performance of the fridge. Its the best floorplan and quality class C out there. Assess Removal Path: Determine how to remove the existing unit from inside the coach and the path needed by the new appliance. Several of the models have slide-outs in the bedroom and living areas for even more living space. Curious Minion. Water heater and space heater problems will be detected by gas leak detectors, and routine smoke detectors will detect smoke from those fires. Most of my travelling is done alone, with the exception of my dog, Sam. 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. This unit has everything you need. So now that ive debunked all of those big misconceptions, lets talk about fridges. Depending on your budget, you can also be on the lookout for a used one as well. When you see my face youre probably reading something more technical than adventurous, but either way I do my best to tell it like it is and infuse my opinions into the commentaryafter all this is a blog and not MSN. Ive found the food stays fresher longer also because I believe they maintain a more even temperature then binary on/off arrangement. 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? But one size doesnt fit all. With this model, youll find plenty of storage space in the rear compartments. My wife loves the refrigerator, 11 c.f. Thanks for doing the test! The chassis helps keep drivers safe with attention assist, lane-keeping assist, collision prevention assist, and load adaptive electronic stability (ESP). This model has three floor plans so you can find one that fits you and your family. This is a Newmar and we are so lost even after the walk thru. In fact, each of my four 200aH Weize lithium batteries are actually warrantied for 10yrs! And it makes no sense at all to top off your batts after sundown youre simply wasting fuel to do the easy part of charging the batteries which your panel(s) will do for FREE = next morning long before the sun is high in the sky. You can buy latches for that, but can also go low-tech with Velcro straps or bungee cords. My panels are all warrantied for 25yrs. The benefit of a two-part bathroom is one person can be brushing their teeth and another can be using the shower. Please try refreshing or going back to the previous page. ft. fresh food capacity gives you the space to keep foods organized and 1 cu. I know in my case I would never consider one. Did my own bus conversion in the 90s. We loved spending time in places like Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. We considered a trip through the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes but logistics were harder to deal with, weather-wise. Based on your 200ah in 11 hours you would use 436ah/day. If needed we will have power for 4 days. The residential refrigerators offer some great advantages over the absorption type. I have a small three way frig that is about 7 cu ft. Now there is one negative to this purchase. Norcold Polar N7XFR 7 cu.ft. . From the first time we met our salesman and told him what we were looking for, he treated us with respect and showed a vast knowledge of the different RVs that may meet our needs. and rotate items as needed (i.e., as ice melts), trying to consume items from the cooler first, when possible. We have the same fridge as you in our Renegade Verona, and Thanks to your recommendations we are now up to 800ah of deep cycle AGM batteries. Ive also not seen propane-option refrigerators on boats very often, I assume the frequent motion inhibits operation and may be a safety issue? Second, this type of refrigerator must be relatively level while in operation. Lets consider the pros and cons of each one, and then lets focus on the challenges involved in replacing your absorption fridge with a residential unit in your RV. No insurance? 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. The intracoastal waterway was sheltered and incredibly diverse. Do your research first though so you have some input on your power needs, etc. Planned electrical sources: Go Power 480W Solar System, NextGen 3.5 Kw Generator, 30 Amp Shore Power, 800 AH House Bank. The unit also has a versatile lounging space that can be used as an eating or sitting area. We did find on our sailboat that we used the generator a lot less than we do in the RV. The Samsung came with the coach/installed by Fleetwood. No need for an inverter loss will run off of 120V shore line when available. 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. Slightly off topic, but where did you find that cool 50 amp plug? We are seriously committed offgridders and run our original RV reefer on propane. The sale price is fractionally higher or lower than the percentage shown. We chose the closing day and when we arrived all was in readiness for us. Scammed On Anchor Chain, What You Need To know. 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. We have only 600 Amp hours og AGM batteries and we teeter at our weight limit so having more, plus more panels would just not work and we have stayed in too many places (mostly state parks) where generators are not allowed so I think well stay with what we have. They are currently wintering in Arizona with plans to continue their travels next summer. 100 OBanion Way Alvarado, TX. However, our minds changed a bit when we hit that first wild camping spot and we decided to park under a canopy of trees. I hope to do some testing and measure actual draw under different circumstances. The Thor Chateau 31B is my top pick for the best overall Class C RV floor plan for full-time living. Ive heard about a soft start modification for RV air conditioners that kind of works along the same principle of the inverter which should work for a fridge as well. The ice may not last as long as the manufacturers claim (7-10 days) of keeping things cold, but they are usually good for 5 days. When my wife and I started our RV search a few years ago it was crazy. What?! This, in most cases, will result in the need to add some additional batteries, usually two more. If you dont want to be forced to run a generator Id say go for 800 amp hours of lithium, or 1200 amp hours of AGM and a solar array like our 960 watt All Electric kit from GoPower!. They look slick and have great features. SMETA SC-40 Mini 12V Gas Refrigerator 10. Your RV experience will come in handy. We all look forward to hearing from you soon. From the bottom of our hearts, Thanks Coach and all of you at MHSRV!!! Relax at the U-shaped dinette or on the spacious sofa. . When dry camping, the it will be powered by the inverter, which is supported by the batteries of the house bank. Tiffin Wayfarer 25 TW Great for road-tripping with friends, 5. MHS retains the right to apply partial or all said NON-REFUNDABLE deposit to a future purchase. The whirlpool tech has replaced the electronics and believes this is a power issue. I have not done all the Kill a Watt measuring you (Niki) have done, but overall our experience is similar and I would concur with your equipment recommendation. I thought about going to 240 solar panels and getting a wind generator so I have power charge at night when its windy out. Here are a few: So, if you are thinking about buying a new coach, check out the availability of getting a residential fridge. Alot of people want privacy. Thank you ! HOW and WHEN TO REPLACE RV Fridge with RESIDENTIAL. Like set a goal for the budget of the boat 250K? This coach also features a three burner range in the kitchen, a residential microwave, and a double-bowl sink. To learn more about Super Cs, check out this post from Camper Report. Installation Site Preparation: A dedicated 120 VAC 15 amp breaker and line from the panel will be required at the rear of the unit site. Better temperature precision and cooling accuracy. If not, many RV dealers may have a generic product that can fill the bill. To be perfectly honest, we also did this test as a way to help us decide how much power well need for our big switch to the sailboat later this year. This unit features a king-size master bedroom (with a powerhead lift), tons of storage throughout the unit, a residential refrigerator, theatre seating, a 50 TV on a lift, and a fireplace with a hutch. Good comment, makes sense and still have the residential fridge. Using your math, we could get maybe 18 hours before spanking the batteries? Overall, we are really happy with our setup. Can buy new machine on internet (with prescription from your healthcare provider) for under $400. We have a 3 way fridge in our camper, 440 amp hours of batteries and 700 watts of flat mounted solar panels on top. ft. freezer capacity give you room to store frozen foods. All meals were planned and we packed it with the next meal ingredients on top. You cant stop the residential fridge, its like a freight train thats always usingyour power. 7 Class C RVs with Tables and Chairs (No Bulky Dinettes) - Travels with Ted I have a 10kw Balqon LiFeYPo battery (48v), 1200w flexible panels and a large Magnum inverter. So I have been looking at solar panels, and better batteries, nuclear fusion well not really , lol but maybe some day. You are on the right track! New RVs from $19,999 to $1,500,000 and Every Price-Point in-between! I hope us tracking the numbers (and sharing our experiences) is helpful with your decision on whether or not to outfit your rig with a residential fridge or a propane powered RV fridge. Thank you! I put canned goods in its freezer area. They require more energy than compressor fridges no matter what the energy source. Expensive lithium bartteries have short shelf life and they need to be protected from extreme temperatures to work. View your California Privacy Rights. This Tiffin Wayfarer and Mercedes is the best combination Class C RV. We thought long and hard about whether we needed something larger, but in our case the 11 cu ft unit fit right in the space of the old one with room to space and it sipped electricity rather than chug-a-lugging it. Thanks for the info though. I have an 04 Fleetwood Revolution Diesel Pusher and it has the original 4 door Norocld. We are restarting our Fulltimer life this week, after taking a 6 year break. No doubt that will change when we add our 3,000 watt inverter in a few days but we currently have a single 420 watt panel, 100 volt/40 amp MPPT controller, four RV/Marine batts, and a 300 watt pure sine wave inverter. By the waythe Tiffin Wayfarer doesnt allow for much more than two passengers, clothing and little else in its weight limitations! Love the floor plan of the Issa series 3. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hey Paul, I guess best is based on personal preference, knowledge of full-time RVing life, and reviews from other owners. With my desire to dry camp without using the generator I am leaning towards a 2-way fridge but still doing research. I love the residential fridge. Okay! I cant say enough about how great this experience was and how great you guys were! Do manufactures not provide that option? Thank You! All models have congoleum vinyl flooring and other high-quality fixtures and materials throughout. Estimated payment figured at 7.99% on 20 yrs with 10% down on units above $49,001. Downside is the components are low quality so after 4-5 years you start to get failures. They work well off of level up to 30 degrees and use little power. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 5 Best Class C RV Floor Plans For Full-Timers, 1. Lived for 10 years in a 45 Newell where I loved the MH but hated the household refrigerator. A number of manufacturers produce new Class C RVs including Thor, Winnebago, Tiffin, and Newmar. And youre right on the money with the love-hate relationship, particularly because we HATED our RV fridge and LOVE our residential fridge except that we still have the standard bank of four 6-volt batteries (except upgraded to AGM) that came with the rig. Speaking of solar: Ever since your earlier solar panel videos Ive been looking for the gifted do-it-yourself mechanic to come up with a powered tilt mechanism. modified sine inverters are also bad for most microwaves and computers too. Two: dont use an ice maker in the fridge. We dont boondock. Costway Compact Refrigerator 4. All three recalls at the time had been attended to by authorized service. Midea WHD-113FSS1 Double Door Mini Fridge 9. Verify before purchase. Therefore, I expect about the same readings when I start living off the inverter. We recently purchased a 2014 Dynamax DX3 with a full residential refrigerator. The mantra has been repeated so many million times over so many years that I wonder if well ever be able to get it corrected, but the old-school notion that batteries should *never* be discharged below 50% is no longer true and all the major battery manufacturers agree. 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. it would be interesting to see just how much it uses just when the refrigerator is plugged in. Any questions were answered promptly and we were encouraged to stay the night on their lot to ensure that everything was working to our satisfaction. What is a Class C Motorhome (With Pictures! I have a 160 watt solar and now two six volt AGM batteries, it meets my needs for dry camping without a problem. We were unable to start our generator and had to jump start the generator in order to charge the batteries.In reading this article, it appears our rv is under powered to dry camp. Your appliance dealer or the manufacturer may be able to source a solution for this. FREELANDER POOR QUALITY NO PRIDE IN CONSTRUCION. Therefore, we are now seeing a growing popularity of these electric-only refrigerators, not only in new coaches but as upgrades to existing units. Purchased a 2018 Coachmen Leprechaun class C 31foot long with a residential refrigerator. Upgrade your batteries! I was sizing my solar/lithium system for 400ah of lithium and 600 of solar. We own a 2016 Coachmen Leprechaun 319DS and it was, and is, the best Class C we have come across. Enjoy your stay in Florida. 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. We always ran the Norcold on electricity. Have you heard of any motorized tilting system yet? I dont know if the fridges discussed here ar inverter fridges or not, but in Australia many are installing these and reporting 60-80A per 24 Hours. I would have to believe that the 2021 Leprechaun would have to be great as well. Cook in it, watch movies, work on the computer, etc. 8^). The cost for everything for me added up to under $1000. Great work you guys do. However, many Class C RVs come with bulky dinette booths covered in ugly fabric. This is generally accomplished by selecting the correct cabinet depth that will position the door to protrude out from the surrounding cabinetry by about the doors thickness. Dealers and salespeople have told us you can run that fridge for dayson these batteries. Currently building a 40 feet Trawler in Margarita Island (Venezuela). I am certain that after experiencing their hospitality and professionalism you will complete your purchase with them too. From the paperwork that Katy had prepared to the coach itself all was ready for us. Manufacturer's standards and features subject to change without notice. A 90% discharge ability means you actually get 90% of the rated amp hours from a lifepo4 battery instead of the only 50% you can safely get from lead acid. M.S.R.P.s may be slightly higher or lower when they ultimately arrive at MHS. ( I mean RV ). More Room for Food and Drinks 3.2) 2. LP fridge Since we use our MH mostly in the summer I just installed flat on the roof. thanks. I searched the USA for the best price and the best sales staff! Guys, this was simply the best way to end the search for a new RV. The rule of thumb I read for 100w solar panel is they would provide 30ah/day so with 960w you could provide 288ah/day. For questions, please see our Privacy Policy & California Privacy Rights. Before you know it, you could be racking up some big costs to accommodate your new appliances. This type of RV is usually on a truck chassis and has a gas or diesel engine. So lets talk batteries. I have a Class C Coachmen Leprechaun 311FS. But at least now I feel more informed! Two-Way RV Refrigerator, Right Hinges. I am currently debating on a second fridge for my camper cargo build since all i have is a tiny one in my suburban. I bought from Motor Home Specialist. Factory installed along with a modified sine inverter and four 6 V deep cycle batteries, 850 watts of solar. The main reason for the installation of these large residential fridges is that people want large fridges and they are MUCH MUCH cheaper then a large 18cu/ft or 12cu/ft 2 way (propane/electric) as in 1/4-1/3 the cost. But I love this coach. If you love dry camping its not about the $30 a night. We have a 2016 Sore Palazzo with a whirlpool residential fridge. I have plenty of room for my needs and the ice cream is hard as a brick. Really must love that built in ice maker. There are also lots of rectangle, thin, plastic containers to arrange within the cooler to keep food from getting wet as ice melts. The Coachmen Freelander 21RS has a master bedroom that is mostly separate from the main living area. Only dislike is the micro/convection oven is too high and would rather have a regular oven. Once the unit is solidly in place it must be secured from moving. Thank you sir about sharing your experience with battery power and refrigerators, i dont know why everyone stole your post and decided to make it the perfect place for flagging their own equipment and rvs , im totally thankful, im in the process of figuring, well, have been in the process for months to figure out how much power will my refrigerator take before i buy the last piece of my solar installation, batteries!! Looks like a nice place to park. We looked at every Class C. This floor plan by far the best for us. This is due to the elimination of the absorption configuration compartment at the rear of the unit. The bathroom has a separate shower, which is a useful feature that would be good for a family. The wind does not blow consistently. We had a Norcold 1200 that was only 4 years old when it died. 5 Best Class C RV Floor Plans For Full-Timers | Camper Report $1,071.97 $1,469.99. Wiring- This can be a challenge. One dealer says to us you would not want the residential fridge with the converter because they are not made to go down the road and bounce around. Most people dont dry camp, and those who do generally dont seek out a residential fridge. I think that is a great option for some. Several of the reviews mentioned that the coach could sleep more than two people, in one case as many as six. All rights are reserved. According to their website, the Dynamax Europa will be debuted in Spring 2021. Weve looked at all types of models, including one with a residential style fridge similar to yours. Check out these articles: Jennifer lives with her husband in a 29 trailer in Mexico. With no power coming in from our flexible solar panels mounted on the roof we were forced togasprun the generator! I agree! A smooth walk-through was conducted by Brandon who showed a lot of patience and knowledge throughout the process. None of the other dealers we visited holds a candle to what MHSRV has in a dealership! We really need to upgrade our batteries and solar so that we can have a love-love relationship with our Samsung, vs the unrequited love situation weve got from a basically stock battery bank. You probably have not attended a fire safety course, so you probably do not know you need combination detectors. I am not sure about you, but I am okay with working used equipment, which can save me a lot of money. The results were 111 Ah average for 24 hrs. When installing a residential refrigerator most RV manufacturers will come stock with four 6-volt batteries with 400 amp hours and 200 "usable" amp hours (because you should only drain standard lead acid batteries to 50%). Coachmen class C Rvs offers over a dozen floorplans for Freelander models at under 30-feet, with most being around 27 feet long, but some floorplans, such as the 21RS or the 22XG being just over 24 feet long. Its also good to note we spent the entire day outside of the RV as we wanted to test only the refrigerator power usage. How much better is the Samsung? You will have to keep getting up on the roof to clean your solar panels and once you put that solar panel on the roof youre no longer the boss the solar panel is. We spent the day with a great sales person whose no pressure sales approach made it easy for us to make the right decision. Space, storage, and overall room might be a negative, depending on your needs. Fred last month I bought a new 2021 Coachmen Freelander 23FS for $69k at Chesaco RV in Gambrills MD. If you know of a dealership that has one please send me the contact info. Next problem: find a Cat big enough for a big fridge. Prepare for a comfy ride! RVs that have minimal kitchen counter space are not useful to people who are full timing. We will not be traveling until September 7 and dont need anything on right now. And yes, turn off your propane while its sitting and keep it off while you drive. Excellent Video and test, I am an electrical engineer and I am running the numbers , you are right on. It looks like residential fridges ought to be sold in combo with a good solar package. Turning off the ice maker significantly reduces its energy consumption. That also means I dont have actual Ah battery drain. In fact, most new RVs are coming directly from the factory with a residential fridge installed, so it must be goodright? We learned the hard way. Of course if there is full sun then we would be able to run almost anything as if we were plugged into the grid (we could even run our rooftop Air Conditionerfor a couple of hours). For a full-size refrigerator at 90 d temperatures, it uses less than 100 amps per 24 hours. Even though were accustomed to balancing our power use, sometimes we get caught off guard when a storm rolls in, or the smog cuts the amount of solar power were bringing in. Many state and federal parks have no hookups. Since then, had 3 panel Go-Power system installed (480 watts). God bless you all!! Now we have a conundrum. We did open the fridge a few times to get stuff for lunch and the occasional beverage, but thats real-life use. When you were out boon-docking in the hot weather and checking on your fridge power requirements, were you also taking into account your A/C usage? What we dont have is an auto start generator. I dont think its nearly as big as a residential one, but it functions as one. You can add more solar or add more batteriesor both. We spend over a year looking at different coaches and went to dozens of dealerships in several states. Something which isnt trendy or a show off and something you can depend on and was designed especially for RVS? Hi Joyce, thanks for your comment and opinion! So we make sure that we go where there is electricity available. Thanks for sharing Daryl! Hello we are getting ready to buy a nitro 36T15 5th wheel with the decision to make on the refrigerator. So residential fridge would be fine for that (in fact that is what we have put in the Boat). He set this up specifically to run his residential fridge while traveling.
Michigan Department Of Education Critical Shortage List,
Pretty Little Thing Weaknesses,
Articles C