Refrigerator on battery and propane
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Topic: Refrigerator on battery and propane
Posted By: myownskin
Subject: Refrigerator on battery and propane
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 4:24pm
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I have an RP 178, with the Dometic Refrigerator. How long can I run the Refrigerator on battery and propane do you think if I don't use the lights, bathroom, fans, etc? Doing rustic camping, want to use fridge and still be able to close my slide out before I leave. I am pretty green whenergy it comes to this stuff.
Thanks, Lori |
Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 5:07pm
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If you have the usually supplied, single, group 24 battery, the fridge will run about 2 hours on 12v. If you have the usually supplied, single, 20 gallon propane tank, the fridge will run 6-8 weeks on propane. Important to know: No matter what mode the fridge is in, it MUST have 12v to operate. So don't run the battery dead and think... "I will just switch to propane..." ------------- |
Posted By: Podster
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 6:24pm
Not much I can add to that except this is my 1,000th official post!  ------------- Cliff & Raelynn Ranger 4.0/178 (1/2 ton 5,800lb tow capacity) |
Posted By: john in idaho
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 6:49pm
| when we had our tent trailer, one of the best things I ever did was by a Honda 1000 generator. I now have a 2000 so we can use the microwave in the rPod, but the peace of mind with a quiet generator is very nice. I know - I have joined the ranks - but it is very peaceful there. |
Posted By: myownskin
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 7:44pm
| So, don't use the refrigerator unless you have a way too charge the battery, which I don't. This is what I seem to have read ;) |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 8:03pm
Not so. You can use the fridge on propane. It only sips propane and uses very little current from the 12V system. IMO the 12V option on the fridge has no real use and will drain the battery very very quickly, even while driving with the 7 pin Bargman connected. The big user of propane and 12V current is the furnace. Also note that if you do run the battery down it can be recharged enough to retrieve the slide by running the TV 10-15 minutes with the fridge on propane. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: WillThrill
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 10:19pm
+1 Using your tow vehicle to recharge your batteries is an all too often overlooked option. It's simple, effective, and cheap. ------------- "Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien 2014 Hood River 177 2005 GMC Envoy XL |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 10:56pm
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WillThrill, Recharging with the TV is certainly simple and cheap, but it might not be too effective. I recommend recharging through the 7 pin Bargman only in an emergency and only to bring in the slide. Due to the long length of #12 or #10 wire used in most TVs the best you can expect is 10-15 Amps, dropping quickly as the battery begins to charge. The more effective way is to use heavy gauge jumper cables directly from TV battery to TT battery. I ran some tests on a 50% discharged battery using 20 ft. #4 copper jumper cables and got 69A initially. Even after 35 minutes it was still charging at 28A. The jumpers are more of a hassle, but far more effective than the 7 pin connector. For comparison the on board charger plugged into shore power only achieved 38A to start and also dropped off quickly. However the on board charger will charge to 13.6 or 14.4 volts whereas the jumper method is limited to a little over 13 due to the built in limits of the auto charging system. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: myownskin
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 12:02am
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So, if the refrigerator is running on propane it doesn't use the battery? For some reason I thought it doesn't run on propane alone and needed the battery as well, and if the battery only lasts two hours? Guess that is two hours
solely on battery power. And if on accident I do run the battery down I cam recharge it with the tv, interesting... I will look closer at the other posts as well, so much to learn. Lori |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 4:37am
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Unless you have shore power, run the fridge on propane. The propane is what will keep it cold. The fridge has LED indicator lights and a contol board that use battery power even when the fridge is on propane but the battery usage is minute and relatively inconsequential.
For dry camping your single 12v battery will last maybe 4 days before needing recharging. If you're going to be out that long you need some kind of plan to recbarge. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 11:01am
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Posted By: alan7170
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 9:01pm
We have a 177 and I can easily go more than a week dry camping in summer with no recharge...fridge on propane, LED lights, the water pump is infrequent...there is really not much to drain the battery... Alan |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 11:14pm
Woo hoo! ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: WillThrill
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 11:46pm
The only stock item I've found that will really drain the battery is the furnace. I would estimate that when we were running the furnace with outside temps down to the 40s and keeping it about 70 inside the Pod, the furnace would consume about 20 amp hours in a 10 hour night. The furnace will also drain your propane rather quickly as well. ------------- "Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien 2014 Hood River 177 2005 GMC Envoy XL |
Posted By: alan7170
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2016 at 1:53pm
Exactly...which is why I have no problem dry camping the the summer for 7-10 days before needing a recharge. In truth, my lovely wife and I end up towing the vehicle to dump the tanks and refill water once a week or so...and that recharges the battery...so I am not sure how long I could actually go in the summer... Alan
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Posted By: Marco T
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2016 at 6:10pm
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We ran the fridge on propane whenever we weren't plugged in and over two weeks, including one night running the furnace, cooking everyday with the stove, and running the water heater a few of the days - we only used $2 of propane. Not bad for two weeks! The fridge definitely sips propane. ------------- The Tri-podders 2011 Dodge Durango Citadel - 5.7L Hemi 2015 R-pod 176T |
Posted By: myownskin
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2016 at 11:10pm
| ThAnks everyone for the help, really appreciate it. It will be about 4 days exactly, so I will be prepared to have to possibly charge it, and maybe will not have to. Just the answer and understanding I was hoping to get from this group. |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 7:43am
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I have this question, is either one.....gas or shore power any faster at cooling the frig down? ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: WillThrill
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 6:03pm
I don't think it really makes a difference because either way, the ammonia mixture used in lieu of traditional coolant is being heated in order to eventually, through the ammonia absorption process, cool the refrigerator. Once it's sufficiently heated, I doubt that it would make a difference either way. In my experience, it takes a good 24 hours or so to cool the refrigerator down regardless of whether shore power or propane is being used. ------------- "Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien 2014 Hood River 177 2005 GMC Envoy XL |
Posted By: Mountainrev
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 6:26pm
In my experience, propane cools the fridge more quickly and efficiently than 110 volt. Case in point: On a recent camping trip, the ambient temp in our camper rose to the high 90s. I was running the fridge on shore power, set at the coolest setting, but the thermometer inside the fridge was at about 50. I immediately switched over to propane, and the temp quickly cooled to about 40. My uneducated theory is that the flame produced by propane is hotter than the heat generated by electricity, thus providing better circulation of the ammonia. ------------- 2014 177 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Turbodiesel "I lift my eyes to the hills." 
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Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 6:34pm
------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 6:40pm
------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 9:56pm
It was interesting last month when I mentioned to the family that the fridge is powered by a flame. DAD!?! How does THAT work?!?  ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2016 at 3:02pm
And your answer was? ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2016 at 10:29pm
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Lots of tiny mice moving around because their feet get hot. I gave a summary of the ammonia absorption cycle although I started to lose them near the end. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: bjk
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2016 at 11:56pm
I think I'd stick with the mice theory. Agitated mice with fans tied to their backs. The more agitated they get, the more they run around to fan things to cool them down. Around 100º+ they give up the ghost from sheer exhaustion and that stench coming from the fridge isn't the food,... it's the mice. ------------- 2016 HRE R-179 "CapPODccino" 2011 F-150 SLX |