AVION Travel Trailers

Tarnished wrote: ↑Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:56 pm I had one 3 way fridge. It emptied the battery in less then 2 hrs. Have since only bought 2 way. Gas consumption is minimal.

I came across an article the other day (which of course now I can't find) that talked about the inefficiency of ammonia based fridges when run on 12v. Basically the article said that the amp draw is rather significant at 12v to create the heat necessary for the absorption fridge to work. So while super efficient on propane, it's not the case when run on 12v--a standard compressor based fridge draws significantly less amps than an absorption fridge when on electric.

KYAvion wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:55 pm

Tarnished wrote: ↑Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:56 pm I had one 3 way fridge. It emptied the battery in less then 2 hrs. Have since only bought 2 way. Gas consumption is minimal.

I came across an article the other day (which of course now I can't find) that talked about the inefficiency of ammonia based fridges when run on 12v. Basically the article said that the amp draw is rather significant at 12v to create the heat necessary for the absorption fridge to work. So while super efficient on propane, it's not the case when run on 12v--a standard compressor based fridge draws significantly less amps than an absorption fridge when on electric.

You are correct. I checked the specs for my 3-way fridge (which has issues with running on AC, as heating element is bad) and it draws 23 amps on 12V. It drained the battery in half a day even though trailer was plugged in to shorepower. I thought about buying a 110 V to 12 V transformer and have the fridge run on DC via AC shore power, but a decent high amp/watt tranformer is at least $100. A residential mini-fridge can be had for $250 to $300, which makes me think whether I should just get a new residential fridge, plus an invertor for when there is no shore power. I have also thought about getting a few flexible solar panels, but thats for next year.

Wow...23 amps when on 12v!? No wonder it's a huge battery drain.

Those compact fridges at Lowes or HD are tough to beat in terms of cost. For that matter, you could go with a larger residential fridge and still save a bunch of money.

Wanted to follow up on the Fridge Fix.......

We have been able to enjoy the benefits of the fan this summer...... would recommend it highly. Keeps the fins clear, circulates the air inside the refrigerator nicely. This, along with the exhaust fans on the back side of the fridge, do a great job.

Razorback - what improvements have you seen since installing the Fridge Fix?

It definitely keeps the fins clear, and it does a great job of circulating the air inside. I used to use one of those battery-powered fans..... this one does a much better job.

I like the fans and will likely order one, as well as putting a 3 fan exhaust on my exhaust vent. Should my 2 way quit, I will replace it with a residential fridge and likely redo the cabinetry around it.