Replacing our RV Fridge – Part 1: The Old Fridge Sucks


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I tried to like our RV’s fridge.  Really, I did.  I even went so far as to cut the door down to make it less ridiculous.  In the end though, I just couldn’t make myself love absorption refrigeration, and that sealed this refrigerator’s fate.  I’m officially embarking on replacing that refrigerator with a (twin) compressor-driven fridge from Nova Kool.  As you watch the video below, think of the beginning of Gilligan’s Island where you see the boat leaving the harbor…  “a three-hour tour…”  Because that’s pretty much how these projects go.

 

I freely admit that I didn’t do everything I could have to make the absorption refrigerator work great.  Here is a partial list of things I didn’t do:

  • Always start the fridge 24 hours before you load it for a trip
  • Add an additional powered fan to circulate air in the refrigerator
  • Don’t pack the fridge too tightly so air can circulate
  • Disassemble, clean, and reassemble the burner before each trip
  • Use the “winter covers” when the temperature drops outside
  • Be sure to rotate your rig so the fridge is out of the sun when the temperatures outside rise

 

I didn’t do any of those things BECAUSE THEY’RE STUPID!

If someone told you to do any one of those things with a new household refrigerator – you’d tell them to take a hike and you’d buy a different fridge.  Nobody would accept that in the real world.  Yet for some reason, RV consumers have accepted these limitations and poor performance since biblical times.  Maybe because pretty much ALL RVs have had these propane-powered refrigerators for decades, people assumed nothing else was available.  But there have been other, better options available for a long time, and that’s what I’m installing.  It’s simply a better way to go.

So, as you watch this video – and the ones to come – hopefully you’re entertained.  But I also hope you’re inspired… to look for better refrigeration options in your next RV purchase!  If everyone quits accepting absorption refrigerators in RVs, maybe they’ll quit selling them!  And when they do, we’ll all be better off.

Wish me luck!

James



James is a former rocket scientist, a USA Cycling coach, and lifelong fitness buff. When he's not driving the RV, or modifying the RV (or - that one time - doing both at once), you can find him racing bicycles, or building furniture, or making music. In his spare time, he works for a large IT company.


    85 thoughts on “Replacing our RV Fridge – Part 1: The Old Fridge Sucks

    1. john pianezze

      You forgot to mention: high altitude. Propane fridges don’t work too well at altitudes above 9000 feet. While camping in colorado above 9000, I found that the fridge would refuse to light, and the dreaded “check” light comes on. This is because the burner doesn’t work well in thin air. For me this would be the number 2 reason to want a danfoss fridge, behind paying for propane and the inherent carbon emissions.

      Reply
    2. Josh

      Thanks for this post! I’ve been struggling to keep the 3 way fridge I got with my 2020 Lance 1575 travel trailer cool ever since I got it. It’s been in the repair shop more than I can count – and I’ve not been able to answer if there is an actual defect with the fridge I got or the technology just sucks and even one that operates perfectly would do what I expected. Your post is helping me see that it’s probably just technology that’s never going to meet my needs / expectations.

      One question : What did you do with the old fridge? Mine is only 14 months old, and it just seems crazy to put it in the trash.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Yeah. If you’re thinking “regular fridge”, you’ll be disappointed.

        Our old fridge I sold on a local craigslist-type site. Someone took it!

        Reply
      2. Kenneth J Bateman

        Yes absorption fridges are not simple to use or own and require special TLC. Compressor Fridges are less expensive and less to care for. If you only camp for fun and you use Park (plug in) Power when you do, an absorption option In a 2 or 3 way fridge is not practical at all… HOWEVER If you a a full season or full time off Grid Boondocker, this is the PERFECT Fridge for you.
        Even with advancements in Solar. Battery and generator power, nothing is as good for long term unplugged refrigeration as an absorption refrigerator. Albert Einstein Invented it so it’s only stupid if you use it in the wrong camping application.

        Reply
        1. James - Post author

          I’d disagree on the boondocking thing. Yes, that’s the common wisdom, but these days, with a solar panel and battery set up appropriately, we can run our compressor fridge until the sun burns out. (Which would be later than when the propane burns out.) And compressor fridges are actually more expensive than the propane ones.

    3. Willie

      I have to chuckle at all the comments from people who must, must, must have a residential sized refrigerator that uses an ungodly amount of power. My wife and I do just fine with 450W of solar, 570 AH of AGM, and a 12 volt Isotherm refrigerator/freezer. And yes, NO GENERATOR.

      All of your high electrical use appliances make you a slave to expensive RV parks. Go solar, go LED, go 12 volt and experience the freedom of boondocking!!

      Oh ya, and dump those dang televisions!

      Reply
      1. J Hutzel

        We would be interested in having your kind of set up. We already have a solar panel and two batteries. How does one find one of these isotherm refrigerators?

        Reply
    4. Joshua Altier

      Loved this series. A bit late to the party, but we just purchased a 5th wheel (used) and as luck would have it, the “witches brew” of a fridge doesn’t work. At all, so here’s my chance to upgrade into something less combustible. I have scoured the internet and my question remains… How do I purchase a Nova Kool? Is it through contacting them?
      They have “distributers” but they were not much help. Any insight would help. Thank you!

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        We got ours through Nova Kool directly. I would try giving them a call.
        But I hear they are running at capacity these days, so it might be tough finding one for sale.

        Reply
    5. Butch Soto

      Hi James, I appreciate you & Steph’s proactive stance on Class B improvements. Just subscribed to your Blog a while ago & it appears you have Winnebago’s ear on more than just ‘fridges. Would you mention to them that an Era 70M w/Pure 3+ (like the new Boldt) would be just what some of us are looking for. I’d buy one in a heartbeat.

      Reply
    6. Bruce L

      I came back to read all the comments here again after seeing the new Leisure Travel Wonder rear twin bed design will be produced only with an absorption refrigerator. So frustrating. Can’t they at least offer a compressor unit as an option? The idea of having a compressor refrgerator isn’t exactly new. The classic GMC motorhome from the 70’s came with a compressor refrigerator. If I was doing my own conversion I might even consider a top opening design that doesn’t let all the cold spill out every time the door is opened.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Well, if we got *everything* we wanted, THEN what would we ask for?!
        I’m with you on the absorption refrigeration though. That should be put on the shelf with the buggy whips and telegraphs.

        Reply
      2. Philip K. Sipe

        Hi James, love your vids! Any idea why there seems to be a small size limit to a frig/freezer using a Danfoss compressor? I’m in a 35ft Class A RV and currently have a residential 3 door 18 CF frig/freezer and I love it accept it is a power hog! I love to go boondocking for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, but even though I have 4 wet cell batteries which have 800 AH (400 AH usable) and 750W of solar, I still have to run my generator for at least 2 hours a day, depending on how much solar I get for the day. I would like to replace my frig, but I need at least 14 CF including the freezer and I would greatly prefer to have an ice-maker. Any ideas?

        Reply
        1. James - Post author

          I’ve often wondered that same thing. There don’t seem to be any “residential” sized units using the Danfoss compressors available for RVs. They seem to top out at somewhere around 10 cu ft.
          One option you might have would be to install *two* danfoss refrigerators in that same space. I don’t know if they would fit, but if you could work it out, that might be a cool option.

    7. W. Walker

      Minimum Power Needed for a Residential Fridge
      Again, this is just my opinion based on our experience. When people ask me “How much power do I need to run a residential refrigerator in my RV?” My go to answer is this:

      The minimum power for running solely the residential fridge for 24 hours is six AGM batteries totaling 600 amp hours (300 ah usable). PLUS you need 600 watts of solar power on the roof to replenish the batteries during the daylight hours. Remember that is just for the fridge and it doesn’t include other devices you may use in your RV such as kitchen appliances, computers, TVs, Radio, Lights, etc.
      I read this info. on The Wynn’s website. Is this accurate on Power needs? This is a very expensive way to have a frig. Remember when we all had coolers & ice!! I guess this is why a lot of RV manuuf. don’t offer it yet…

      What’s your opinion….thanks

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Well, that info may or may not be accurate. I just don’t know.
        I’m not talking about a residential refrigerator here. We’re just in a van! A residential refrigerator would take up half the van! lol.

        In this (and the following) posts, I’m talking about an RV compressor fridge that runs with a highly efficient Danfoss compressor.
        It runs strictly on 12 volts, and only uses 5 or so amps (per compressor) when it’s running.
        I’m NOT installing a house fridge that runs off of 120 volt power.

        Reply
    8. jERRY GILMORE

      LOOKING FOR NOVA KOLL RUF7300 YOU PUT IN WERE DID YOU GET IT. I FIND THE RUF 6800 THE 7300 HAS MORE ROOM IN FEG

      THANKS JERRY

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        We’ve heard from Nova Kool that they’re not offering that exact model to the public yet.
        But – there are plenty of other Nova Kool models that work just as well!

        Reply
    9. Gaius Gracchus

      I remembered thinking it was astounding that you guys did not seem to mind the original refrigerator when you first got the RV. I recall you saying Stef was happy about having a large fridge – which is kind of nice, but I have always detested that sorry excuse for food preservation ‘technology’.

      Anyway, great to hear you are upgrading. I sure hope you are right and that the RV industry finally gets rid of the nasty things forever.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        After the “wow, big fridge” wore off, we quickly grew to dislike the absorption fridge.
        Hope we can build the momentum to get rid of them for good!

        Reply
    10. Lowell Johnson

      Can’t wait til we upgrade from our Newmar Kountry Star DP with its (now rebuilt by me & engineer friend) our absorption (liquid ammonia concoction Royal 2-way fridge-freezer nightmare). The rebuild job not only took an inordinate amount of time, but the result is not acceptable. It takes sometimes 24 hours plus to make ice in the freezer section. Fill the fridge section full and wind up with interior temps of 50-55 on an 85 degree outside temp day. Who are they trying to fool.
      Have been skeptical about the prospect of using 8 sealed gel batteries to power the electrical needs of a late-model 40 foot Newmar Dutch Star with its all-electric fridge, but since our total time “boondocking” since 2004 has probably not exceeded 2 days, I think I am willing to risk running a genny for a couple hours to keep things cool if the battery pack’s amp hour base could not last if we find ourselves away from shore power for a half a day or so.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        I think you’ll be just fine with a compressor fridge!
        We’ve never looked back since replacing ours. I can honestly say we’ve never longed for a return to frozen lettuce or lukewarm beverages!

        Reply
    11. VW_Vista

      Man, I could not agree with you more! For years we went through all the crazy voodoo and rituals with the Dometic 3-way fridge in our Westfalia.. but even under ideal circumstances it was only going to cool about 40F below ambient temps.. and here in Mizzery (Missouri) you know there’s going to be mostly 90F days in the summer.
      A few years ago I replaced it with a 12/120v TruckFridge 49.. compressor driven, and just WORKS.. you know, like you expect a fridge to work! The 78Ah house battery I already had will run the darn thing for 3 days.. but we’re usually driving a little bit every day anyway.
      and the best part.. it was bigger on the inside but SMALLER on the outside than the Dometic.. so we GAINED cabinet space!!

      I cannot for the life of me understand how propane fridges are even still being considered as standard equipment in a new, $100K+ RV!! Ridiculous!!

      Reply
      1. Kelly

        I have the Dometic Americana which was already in the RV when I purchased it. I believe the model is on recall. It sucks!!! I just priced them $1300. No way!!! Any recommendations for a 29 ft bumper pull?

        Reply
        1. James - Post author

          There are a lot of different sizes of Dometic Americana refrigerators. Which one to recommend would depend on the size of your refrigerator cut out.
          Nova-kool makes a number of different sizes. One of theirs might fit.
          There’s also Vitrifrigo.
          But they may be just as expensive as the Dometic.

    12. Roger

      Love the 12v 5 cu ft frig that is standard in my Roadtrek Zion SRT! Turn it on a couple of hours before using. This past summer, 114 degrees in Indio, Ca it worked great! When shopping for our RV a 3-way was a deal breaker.
      Good luck!

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        This was our first one. Going forward, an absorption fridge in an RV would be a deal breaker for us, too!
        (I don’t want to do this project a second time…)

        Reply
    13. AnneK

      This is fantastic and completely inspiring! I put a message out to Nova Kool and they suggested trying to get ahold of a RFU7300 as well, but it does sound like it is not available after market yet. Can I ask what channels you went through to get one?
      Also; I was hoping you would talk about your electric/solar system and the requirements needed to run the fridge?
      Thanks for the awesome mod idea! I am so tired of frozen salad…..

      Reply
    14. William

      I used a Nova Kool for a few years with my previous RV, a truck camper. It was usually efficient and it was quiet. Two downsides I found:
      1. When there are no hookups, you can eventually run your batteries down if you happen to camp in the shade. This seems to happen a lot in the summer, and occasionally I was forced to camp in the sun to keep my batteries charged.
      2. This isn’t necessarily a knock against Nova Kook, but against all “RV” refrigerators. They work well when stationary, but when moving (as often happens in an RV), items inside the refer get knocked around. My Nova Kool ended up with dents and holes in it because of items in the refer shifting around when driving. When will refrigerator makers come up with a better way to contain food items when under motion? I ended up using curtain rods to help stabilize food items, but it shouldn’t be too hard to have something like that built into the refer!

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Glad to hear that your Nova Kool was quiet!
        I’m not too worried about battery capacity. We’re over-built in that regard now.
        We don’t have the food moving about in the fridge problem because we pack our fridge pretty full most of the time.

        Reply
    15. Craig

      Thanks for sharing your refrig upgrade series, James. Always love the details and your views on pushing the RV industry into current technologies. And, of course, we love the humor to keep the fun factor going. I can’t wait to get our Sprinter build started. Solar, lithium, composting, bicycle storage, and weight reduction materials are some of the starting points. More more more….

      Reply
    16. Tom Cahill

      Tried to send a joke that I copied and pasted but your comment monitor thought it was SPAM. Anyway with joke was a question. Is there a “RV Electrical System for Dummies” type book out there?

      Thanks for your site and newsletter.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Our comment monitor doesn’t have much of a sense of humor… 🙂
        There is a “Managing 12 Volts” book that I have (somehow) but haven’t read. I don’t know if that one is any good.
        Don’t have any personal experience with a RV 101 for dummies book though. And while there are plenty of videos to that effect on YouTube, you have to be careful where you get your information from there.
        Stef tells me I should write one some day.

        Reply
        1. Bob B

          I have “Managing 12 Volts” and IMO it is a good basic intro to 12v systems on RVs and boats. But it was published in 2002 (updated 2nd edition) and while the basics (amps, volts, batteries, etc. ) really have not changed, some of the info – especially when they refer to specific brands – seems outdated. And Lithium battery chemistry is not mentioned. A lot has progressed in the sophistication of RV/boat electrical systems in 15 years, so an update would be welcome.

          Perfect book for you to write, James! RV101 is a good working title – cover all the aspects of RV systems,(water, electric, waste, etc.) pros/cons. Maybe limit it to Class B’s?

        2. James - Post author

          Awesome! Stef’s always telling me I need to take on more projects… not!
          Seriously though, if I run out of projects, that’s certainly one to consider. I could certainly try to make it less “dry” than most of what I’ve seen out there.

    17. D. J. Heaton

      Never again will I (we) tolerate the boiled ammonia solution absorption refrigeration system. We’ve loved the NOVA-KOOL that is stnd. in the TRAVATO 59K. We’ve had ~ a year, 13k, and do love it. We’ve 260w of roof solar to aid with the 220Ah AGM’s that we all now have. However, I appreciate, James, that you did the huge eliminate genset lithium coversion, so your perspective on watts and Ah’s different then the rest of us.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        “Boiled Ammonia” Lol! It makes it sound extra awful if you say it that way!
        And yes, I admit, my perspective on amp-hours is a bit different from most these days.

        Reply
    18. David

      James, surprised it took so long to get to the refrigeration side of things in Lance. Our 2017 Travato 59K already comes with a compressor unit, small as it is. Also surprised good Ole Russ didn’t upgrade both floorplans. You might want to ‘talk’ with him about that. For all the reasons mentioned, why would anyone “want” the absorption system if there is a better unit available. I am with you on trying to push the industry out of the dark ages. When you are done with the technical side of things, go after the dreadful interior designs from the cave man era. The 59K is so advanced and ahead of all of its competitors regarding its systems. Wish you the best on your mod. You Da Man! Keep it up.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Well, if you look at the newer models from Winnebago – as they put out each new or refreshed model, you don’t see them including absorption refrigeration. I take that as a positive sign!

        Reply
        1. David

          I agree with you. Winnebago serms to be the leader in advancing technological improvements to their units. Thank God someone is receptive to common sense upgrades. Go Winnebago! Long live the 59K.

    19. Brian Prince

      Thanks for doing this James. I have been reading the Travato Forum for the last three months and the frig in the G is something I have grown to hate. I am like you, I just expect it to work. I am in my sixth week in waiting for my factory special order G. No TV antenna.

      I really want to remove the frig on day one. I guess I will have to wait a few days as I already have a 2k inverter and Sumo’s to install. Thanks for all your great information.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Now that I’ve gotten into it a bit, this is NOT a project for the average Joe. It’s challenging, so maybe wait until after day one before you tackle replacing it!

        Reply
        1. Brian Prince

          If I never use the frig, that would make me happy. Pull it out, put it on Craigslist and hope for a few bucks to cover a real frig.

          Could I bother you to get the dimensions of the vacancy left when the frig is out? Need to look at the possibilities 🙂 If not, no worries.

        2. James - Post author

          Sorry! I’ve already sort of demolished the cabinet where it was. I can’t get you the dimensions now. But I know it’s about 16 3/4″ wide!

    20. Dennis Gould

      I don’t drive a Travato but I do RV and dry camp a lot so I find your posts and projects quite interesting…and humorous! I’m not even sure I’d try anything you do (for fear of retribution from my better half) but I sure find your ideas interesting.
      Also, I should apologize, but I can’t get through a single video without chuckling and thinking of an idiom from my military days “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do (fill in the blank)!”
      Keep up the great work…and don’t tell the wife what you really need those new tools for!

      Reply
    21. D Ranger

      My Roadtrek Ranger came with a 12v fridge, uses only 3.2 amps when cycling, and I love it! I never need to park level or worry about propane. I have solar panels to keep it running. Love watching your mods. 🙂

      Reply
    22. Drew

      James,

      I’m with Bob on this one. I think there are a lot of us still happy with our absorption fridges. I think it’s fine if you want to try something else but I wouldn’t advocate it as an end all. I truly enjoy your blog and most of the projects you do so keep it up, we have a huge difference of opinion on this one though.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Well, if you like your fridge and it’s working for you, I’m not going to tell you it’s not!
        But I will say you should enjoy that absorption fridge while you can.
        I give it 5, maybe 10 years at the most, and there won’t be any new Class Bs that include them. Just my opinion of course, but I’d put money on it.

        Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Good question, Bob. I actually don’t know offhand, and it’s not in their spec sheets yet. I’ll ask.

        Reply
        1. James - Post author

          OK. Got the info from Nova Kool. Each compressor is 5.6 amps. Depending on humidity, temp, etc, I’m expecting a 50% duty cycle. There’s two of them, so if both are on, basically, 5.6 amps.

          I’ll be saving 1 amp from the propane solenoid. So net – 4.6 amps * 24 hours = 110.4 amp-hours per day. ish. If there were no solar, I could make that up with an hour’s drive (which we pretty much do every day anyway).

    23. Pete Jaeger

      I am building a custom box truck rv this year and have been going back and forth between Nova Kool and Vitrifrigo. Would you please tell me the model number of the fridge you purchased and what other makes/models you looked at and why you when with Nova Kool? No need to respond here if you include that info in a future post. Regarding Aaron’s comment about the existing vents, you may get consider leaving them in, as compressor fridges can also benefit from ventilation. But I’m sure you already know that. Looking forward to future posts/videos on this project. Cheers!

      Reply
      1. Pete Jaeger

        I just rewatched the video and you did in fact mention the model number. Doh! However when I tried to find the RFU7300, Google was not my friend. And no mention of it on the Nova Kool site. Please enlighten me. Thanks!

        Reply
      2. Ian

        I’m still working on finishing up my ProMaster custom build, chose a Vitrifrigo 12v/120v fridge and love it. Went with the 5.3cf size, it really does look massive in the PM, but it has worked great for the last year. The larger ones do use more power, but its been worth it to have the volume, AND a separate freezer (that is very well insulated). Been a year since I decided, but for me it was some recommendations from folks in the Sprinter van community and the physical size of the VF just worked better for my final layout. NovaKool was an early option that I was looking at, especially the side by side ones.

        Reply
        1. James - Post author

          I can’t think of any reason you would include an absorption refrigerator if you were starting your own build from scratch. Good for you!

    24. Andy & Kim

      Wow, great project!
      A year from now, will there be any “Winnebago” left in Lance?!?!?!?! ;-p

      Andy & Kim

      Reply
    25. BOB Garbe

      Your fridge still has manual start? Really. You do a huge disservice to the abs fridge and are woefully misinformed. The not propane fridges are unbelievably expensive for those not going from electric hook up to electric hook up. You already have 10′ grand in an expensive non renewal LI battery and inverter, and to switch this is a cost that most don’t understand.

      I look forward to the project but not the unfair diatribe against a proven technology that is inexpensive compared to you replacement all things considered.

      You probably won’t print this. HAHA

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Oh I’ll print it. Just don’t expect me to agree with it. 🙂

        Yes, absorption refrigeration is a proven technology. So is the steam engine.

        And we have no intention of going from electric hook up to electric hook-up. Today’s compressor driven refrigerators are incredibly efficient. So much so that Winnebago, Advanced RV, and others include them as standard equipment.

        I do realize that some of my mods wouldn’t be practical, possible, or cost effective for the average RVer. BUT! If I can create awareness and demand for better ways to do things, eventually these things will become standard equipment in new RVs and people won’t have to mod them.

        Cheers, Bob!!

        Reply
        1. BOB Garbe

          I will take your old one. And lest you think I am not into these 12v units, I have spent time on sailboats and the marine environment is where the real slick refrigeration stuff get done. Like 4 inch thick insulated top opening boxes with liquid cooled condensers and vacuum high efficiency insulation. My own sailboat has a Waeco (now dometic) one piece cooling unit and top opening box and consumes 24 AH a day at most. Nova cool stuff looks pretty cool but a marine box with a separate compressor and evaporator sections would probably cut your amp hours in half.

          For absorption frig safety look at ARPRV, who makes a temp sensor shutoff on the heater to prevent premature failure of the cooling unit when the unit operated unlevel.

          Looking forward t throats, you got quite a project going there.

          Everyone now wants a cookie cutter solution, it seems.

      2. Mark Roberts

        Bob, have you tried to live with the 3 way model… at altitude, in the cold? It’s the most frustrating piece of …. equipment I’ve ever owned, period. I have about a 50% chance of starting it on propane, and have already broke the cover tabs from opening it so often to start with a lighter. It draws over 200 watts from the battery when on DC… don’t forget about it, or you’ll drain your battery! It works fine on 120AC. We’ve gotten to the point of not using it for salad greens, and bring a cooler if we want something to stay frozen. It’s been my absolute biggest complaint about the Travato. Personally, I think James held back! 🙂

        Reply
        1. BOB Garbe

          I donno, I in Denver and go uphill from there, so I haven’t had your experiance. My dometic 2652 is 12 years old and going strong. I do clean the burner area every spring, along with the furnace and HW burners and maybe that helps.

      3. MJ Remy

        Bob, I have an older Class C, my first RV. It was a huge learning curve. I’m savvy now. My RV Absorption 2-way fridge sometimes shuts off during a trip. No warning. I open the fridge and its warm. Freezer stuff is melting. Oh no! What happened? Its a mystery. I go outside, bang on the pipes and flues to shake out dust from burners. Come back in and press the different buttons ad nauseum. Then finally it works! I don’t know when it will go off again. When I don’t use the RV for a while, I have to turn on the stove so the propane flows to fridge again. If the propane goes off with the wind, i have to light it outside again, and this could be at night. It does not cool low on hot days either. Its been very temperamental. I don’t feel this is good technology. I’m not focused on my work or travels, I have to tend the fridge.

        Why fight change? If the new RV compressor fridges are loved by people it means they work better! If you have to install solar and an inverter, it means you get a lot of other benefits with it, such as running your microwave at night without the noisy generator, yay!! You can sell your generator and pay for the upgrades with the money you get. Think of the huge weight savings you gain with the generator gone from the RV! Change is good. I intend to embrace it.

        Reply
    26. Aaron

      This is going to be an excellent project and series of posts; I can hardly wait!

      Have you decided what you’re going to do with the fridge vents they cut into Lance’s body?

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        I have some ideas about it. I’m waiting to make a final decision until I find out exactly what’s back there…

        Reply
    27. Steve Shaw

      Hi, I have an older 2004 RV with the good old absorption refrigerator. Over the years, it’s failed to keep food cold enough … to the point where I had to throw away food twice. Food poisoning is not something anyone should face on their travels.

      And, like you two, I like to boondock where leveling can be a challenge for the frig. I bit the bullet late last fall and purchased an ARB 12 V compressor frig/freezer which opens from the top (helps to keep the cold air in). No more frig issues.

      I know that your Lance is fairly new. Too bad the option to have the factory install a 12V compressor style frig was not available.

      Good luck on the install.

      Cheers,

      Steve

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Thanks, Steve –
        It was the perpetually frozen lettuce that sent me over the edge!
        Glad your fridge issues are sorted out. Hopefully mine will be too shortly.
        I think before too long, we won’t see much absorption refrigeration in Class Bs.
        Cheers!

        Reply
        1. Captain Quirk

          I’m not (yet) an RVer (but I plan to be eventually)….please forgive my ignorance, but I’m a bit confused about one thing….how can a fridge — absorption type or otherwise — be too cold AND too warm? How can a fridge cause lukewarm milk and spoiled food, AND frozen lettuce?

        2. James - Post author

          Well, it’s like this.
          You realize your milk is warm. So you turn the temperature colder. Then it freezes your lettuce, so you turn the temperature just slightly warmer and you think you’ve got it nailed. Then you park someplace different and your refrigerator side is facing the sun. Shortly after that you realize all your beverages are warm. So you turn it down again. Then the sun goes down and you wake up in the morning and your eggs have frozen solid…

          It’s kind of like that.

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