12 volt refrigerator conversion

Topic: 12 volt refrigerator conversion (Read 4827 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #25 – February 26, 2019, 01:37:45 pm

Quote from: Bob & Sue – February 26, 2019, 01:08:03 pm

The only issue that comes up with ours happens in 100 degree temps. The fridge struggles to keep cold but the freezer still keeps food and ice just frozen.
Ice cream softens a little but that's somewhat common. After being in the icream business ( Schwans ) for years I learned that ice cream products are the very first thing to go if a freezer isn't gettin it done. Other food can be rock hard but ice cream could be softer , and still fine to eat.
Another piece of trivia,, ice cream doesn't go bad if sealed property. Had several customer that stocked up on Christmas flavors that were still perfect a year later.

Cheers.

And what type of refrigerator are you using? Do you have your AC going when it's 100 degrees?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #26 – February 26, 2019, 02:30:16 pm

Dakota.
Whatever came stock in a U280 I'm guessing. Coach is in Phoenix and we're in Portland until Saturday. Single door fridge and single door freezer on top if that helps. ( Dometic ).

The DW loves the heat so we often don't turn on the air until it's 95 or better. So I'm assuming most people don't have any fridge cooling issues on the 100 or 110 temp days ??

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #27 – February 26, 2019, 02:49:19 pm

Quote

So I'm assuming most people don't have any fridge cooling issues on the 100 or 110 temp days ??

The stock fridges have to work pretty hard in that kind of high heat. Many try to keep the fridge vent out of the direct sunlight and add a fan to draw air over the outside coils. And, of course, the interior fins always freeze up unless you have fans blowing on them. I'm just going to keep with the original (with an ARP) until it fails. Then, I might go a small residential like B&C and others or maybe this 12v which sounds really nifty.
jor

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #28 – February 26, 2019, 05:18:16 pm

I guess I'll be adding a fan or two. I could search it , but what fans are recommended ??

I'm also watching the 12 volt fridge option, either 12 volt or new 3/2 way will be our options ( when the existing one gives out). DW doesn't want to loose the little shelving on the left of fridge. And I don't want to convert to all electric. I actually like the propane appliances.

Drove a propane truck for many years and it was clean and trouble free. Oil was so clean ( looking) when changed that seems we could have dumped it into something else.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #29 – February 26, 2019, 05:44:19 pm

Quote

but what fans are recommended ??

There are a bunch of threads on frig fans. Here are a couple to get you started. The first link is for the exterior and the second, the interior.
jor

exterior

interior

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #30 – February 27, 2019, 12:31:18 am

Thanks once again James....

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #31 – February 27, 2019, 02:49:38 pm

Just a not for Bob & Sue- included in my 12 volt conversion kit was a set of fridge fin fans. I used them to see how they dry up a little condensation on the fins- great!! Something extra I did not expect but am pleased with.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #32 – February 28, 2019, 10:08:58 am

Quote from: Bob & Sue – February 26, 2019, 01:08:03 pm

The only issue that comes up with ours happens in 100 degree temps. The fridge struggles to keep cold but the freezer still keeps food and ice just frozen.

Ice cream softens a little but that's somewhat common.
Cheers.

Yeah, we don't have a problem with the ice cream softening. July and August does bring 100° days and maybe 70° by morning and that is one of the reasons we upgraded from the Rockwood to this Foretravel.

So far in 70° daytime temperatures I'm seeing a regulated 34° in the refrigerator compartment and 8-10° in the freezer. This is one of the re-builds from Pines RV Refrigeration.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #33 – February 28, 2019, 10:13:18 am

I looked at the Furrion site from another post, they make a 12 volt rv fridge, may be worth a look see.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #34 – May 31, 2020, 12:44:58 pm

I wanted to ask three follow-up questions regarding the 12v refrigerator conversion.

1) Did the shop have to take the fridge out of the cabinet and out through the front door to do the conversion?
2) Is there already a usable 12v power in the fridge compartment suitable for running the fridge to run on 12v? (We have a 1996 U320)
3) Has anyone taken their coach to JC Refrigeration and had them do the work at the factory?

We are seriously looking at the 12v conversion since our fridge has stopped working. The goal is to switch the fridge to the 12v compressor model, remove the large (and heavy) unnecessary LP tank, add very small LP tank to just run the cook top (the only remaining LP appliance in the U320), and potentially add battery capacity to the 2 batteries that we have now for extended boondocking.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #35 – May 31, 2020, 01:03:00 pm

Last I looked Visione had a later u320 that had the upper battery rack for a third battery.

Get all the parts and cabling.

Maybe a magnet to check to see if your 96 has the steel framing in the battery compartment for the upper tray?

Flag terminals do not fit the upper rack and clear at the top. Needed to be regular terminals.

Most small propane tanks are not DOT and need recertification at times.

Plus may not be correct(legal?) to install inside of a vehicle.

I wonder if possible venting is the difference between a DOT tank like Foretravel installed with its labeling vs a portable tank? Never asked

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #36 – May 31, 2020, 01:39:06 pm

Don't know about switching your refrigerator to 12 volt mode only but I don't see why it couldn't happen. If you're serious about having a good refrigerator for boondocking you might want to take a look at what I have in my coach. seafreezeinc
It uses a danfoss BD50 compressor. It runs off a 12 volt or 120 volt. These are custom made in Seattle Washington. There's a freezer on the top and refrigerator on the bottom. It's very well made with good insulation and a cold plate in the back. It's a lot more efficient than a residential refrigerator. Mine was put in by a previous owner Paul Smith. If you look on the forums you can find the thread when he installed it. Currently mine is on the fritz with a bad thermostat and one is on the way. When running it runs very quietly and uses very little power. I can keep ice cream frozen in the freezer and the refrigerator works quite nice as well most of the time. I'm replacing the door gaskets as well since they're fairly old now. And very humid and high temperatures I get a little condensation on the door which is why I'm replacing the gaskets.
The other thing to look at is just getting a Danfoss BD50 compressor and a Coldplate I'm trying to modify your fridge.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #37 – May 31, 2020, 03:22:43 pm

We are specifically looking at the JC Refrigeration conversion. My wife wants to keep the wood panel doors.

As for propane, we'd have to get a small DOT approved tank.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #38 – May 31, 2020, 04:16:21 pm

I too looked at the JC conversion after reading this thread because I also like the beautiful wood panel fronts.

On the downside, the fridge will still be 20+ years old, yellowed on the inside. Looked at replacement seals too which is another $250.

Now torn between this and a full residential conversion.

Does JC conversion have one for our units...we have a Dometic RM7832 side-by-side which I presume is similar to your coach. I did not see one on their website but have not tried contacting them.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #39 – May 31, 2020, 04:46:03 pm

Not everyone has had the best luck with these conversions. Maybe some of them will post here. A 12v conversion will use almost as much power from your batteries as a new residential refrigerator. Our Samsung uses about 1600-1700 watts per day. At 12.7 volts that is 132 amp hours or about 5.t amps per hour. Reports from the 12 volt conversions were just a little less in an old refrigerator case with just over half the capacity as a new one. Think this one through carefully.

Types of RV Propane Tanks

There are two types of propane tanks found on RVs: ASME tanks and DOT cylinders.

ASME tanks, used most often on motorhomes, are approved by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In this case, the RV propane tank mount is the frame of the motorhome itself, so ASME tanks are not removable.

http://www.randkproducts.com/images/66-4942%20tank.jpg
ASME Tank example. Photo credit: R & K Products :

DOT cylinders are used on travel trailers, fifth wheels, truck campers, and some small motorhomes. These are approved by the Department of Transportation. DOT cylinders may be mounted in exterior compartments, or RV propane tank holders on the tongue or bumper of the trailer.

We replaced our big ASME fixed tank with a removable 11 lb DOT approved cylinder that uses a frame mounted carrier in a well vented exterior compartment (where the old LP tank was). Works great!

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #40 – May 31, 2020, 06:00:08 pm

I aee two disadvantages to a 12-Volt refrigerator conversion conpared to installing a new residential refrigerator. First, you still have a roughly 20 (or more) year-old refrigerator that shows its age, has a relatively small capacity and tends to frost up in humid conditions. Second, the power consumption is about the same as that of a residential refrigerator which limits boondocking time without a significant solar system and battery bank. Considering all of this is why we installed a Samsung Rf18 refrigerator and after 2+ years we are absolutely thrilled we did.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #41 – May 31, 2020, 06:08:48 pm

I did not do a conversion, had a three way and a residential fridge both have up the ghost, went to an EverChill 12 volt and have been pleased with it so far. 10.5 cubic foot and the 12 volt wire already in The box from the three way. As the guy says falling from 10 stories so far so good😁

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #42 – May 31, 2020, 07:07:52 pm

Quote from: D.J. Osborn – May 31, 2020, 06:00:08 pm

I aee two disadvantages to a 12-Volt refrigerator conversion conpared to installing a new residential refrigerator. First, you still have a roughly 20 (or more) year-old refrigerator that shows its age, has a relatively small capacity and tends to frost up in humid conditions. Second, the power consumption is about the same as that of a residential refrigerator which limits boondocking time without a significant solar system and battery bank. Considering all of this is why we installed a Samsung Rf18 refrigerator and after 2+ years we are absolutely thrilled we did.

How much solar do you run to handle the fridge loads?

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #43 – May 31, 2020, 08:01:49 pm

Quote from: DavidS – May 31, 2020, 07:07:52 pm

How much solar do you run to handle the fridge loads?

I currently have 540 Watts of solar, which is sufficient since nearly all of our camping is with electrical hookups. If we were serious about boondocking then I would make significant solar and battery upgrades. Our switch to a residential refrigerator made sense considering our camping style. My intended point was that I believe the 12-Volt conversion has disadvantages and no significant advantages compared with a residential refrigerator installation.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #44 – May 31, 2020, 08:42:36 pm

David I don't believe that a residential fridge uses the same amount of power as a 12v/120v fridge. Mine uses about 2ah per hour.
if you're going to spend most of your time plugged into hookups then yeah residential fridge makes a lot of sense. If you're going to be on boondocking even with solar you've got to run that fridge off of an inverter. it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to do it that way if you're boondocking. At least that's my opinion.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #45 – May 31, 2020, 09:57:15 pm

The 12v conversion (or the 120v conversion) use about 5 amps per hour, just a bit less than the Samsung refrigerator that is almost twice the capacity. The refrigerator that JRE says uses 2 amps per hour is also about 1/2 the size of the Samsung.

We have 1200 watts of solar. In the summer we are self sufficient. Not in the winter. It would be nice to have more solar for the spring and fall.

My coach has been outside, not plugged in for 16 days, refrigerator on for about 12 of those, several cloudy days, two all day rains, the rest of the time it is in a mixed sun/shade place. We started at 100% SOC, Late this afternoon we were at 89% SOC. So after 16 days we are down 11% SOC. The lowest point was 73% SOC.

On a nice sunny day in Teton NP we made more than 6KW in a day.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #46 – May 31, 2020, 10:18:54 pm

Back to the topic.... The original post was about the conversion of the existing fridge to the 12v compressor model. I am not interested in replacing it with a residential model. My wife wants to keep the original wood panel doors. The existing system is broken and needs (to be) replaced. This is a good time to make the switch and eliminate a potential fire hazard.

With the gas/electric fridge gone, the cooktop is the only remaining LP device in the U320 and there is NO need for the excessively large ASME LP tank.

I am not looking to do long term boondocking. Just a night or two at Walmart.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #47 – May 31, 2020, 10:32:38 pm

Fred I love and respect your wants and needs.

That being said as a guy who has personally sold and resold hundreds of Foretravels I much preferred stock for the year and model as equipped.

Versus a potential buyer telling me "why did they do that? I was looking for a stock coach.

At this point and dollar amount custom mods probably will make little difference in a sale or sale price.

But you never know. Half the reason we bought the Barks traded in coach was that it was original. No holes. No removed equipment. We used to be skiers and dry campers times hundreds of days,

As equipped this was a true 4 season dry camp coach. Sold

My RM 7832 with its separate compressor is a rare unit. Thick tube coating so the fire hazard is less and with the added internal air circulation fan that was finally made we have the option to lower the coaches power consumption by a large factor on propane.

If we had hooked up enough solar we could plug in the electric side of the refer into the inverter outlet in the refers vent opening and run the 460 watt electric electric elements off the inverter and batteries and solar. Zero propane used.

Yes my home Samsung is a bigger more temp constant nice residential refer. But if I really needed to reduce my consumesbles in a true emergency I could not eliminate the amp hours used by the residential unit.

Not most owners needs or concerns. But as equipped these were dry camp low consumption RV's. Not park models.

Most here travel pole to pole, god bless

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #48 – May 31, 2020, 11:14:09 pm

Fred, I can't really tell you about the 12 volt system. I considered it and decided that I was going to stay with the propane system.

I had JC refrigeration install it and after 6 months in the coach I am happy.

Re: 12 volt refrigerator conversion

Reply #49 – June 01, 2020, 01:00:41 am

I had JC refridgeration replace the cooling unit on ours 3 years ago all is great. Like steve 22 I chose to go with gas electric as we boondock alot. I did look at the 12 volt conversion while I was at JC, beats the 120V deal as you don't have to deal with the inverter efficiency loss issues

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