Why The 12volt RV Fridge is Amazing! RV Fridge Comparison.

[@jimm2442]

The fact that you fixed that compressor refrigerator says a lot and one of the reasons I subscribe. The other fact that the RV Repair Facility did not fix the issue and that no one there saw the potential in repairing it is the reason I do my own work. If they are not smart enough to do simple diagnosing then they are not touching anything I own. Great video, thank you!

[@dennishazeltine7877]

Sadly that is so common with RV repair facilities, now I don't want to put all of them in the same basket because I know there are some very good techs out there...I have yet to find one.

[@chaco883]

We had to order our trailer because I absolutely wanted a 12v fridge. The advantages substantially outweigh the disadvantages and since we rarely boondock it was a no brainer. The dealer was not to happy since they had 3 of the exact same trailers on the lot with absorption fridges but that's their problem.

[@mrhalfstep]

I have a lot of experience using absorption refrigerators and and some recent experience with DC compressor fridges, primarily through using large cooler style refrigerator/freezers. If the upright DC fridge works like my coolers, I think an advantage you overlooked is that you don't have to "pre-chill" everything before it goes in, as you do with the propane fridge. You mentioned that it takes awhile (8 hrs) to cool the propane one before you load it, but you also have to load it with food that is cold to start with. The ones I've had would take DAYS to cool foods from anything close to room temp. If you tried that with certain foods I'm sure they would spoil before they got down to a safe temp. DC compressor fridges, based on my limited experience with large car coolers, work every bit as well as if you were putting stuff in your kitchen fridge. I made 31 lbs of ice from tap water in less than 24 hrs recently with one of my coolers. I know that I couldn't do that with any absorption fridge that I've owned. You're a lucky puppy to have gotten that fridge for free. Good job! Now use it.

[@Maxid1]

I'm impressed that you hauled a conventional fridge into your 5th wheel for this!

[@uhjyuff2095]

its not a conventional fridge, it is just a compressor style RV fridge.

[@chriskibodeaux9818]

@@uhjyuff2095which by just about any def is a conventional fridge!

[@uhjyuff2095]

@@chriskibodeaux9818 I guess you right. I just thinking about my home fridge and how I would never attempt to install it in an RV trailer, its just too big.

[@anthonyb2334]

We have a 12V compressor fridge in our 2022 Motorhome. We live in Arizona and have had other Motorhomes with absorption fridges. It would take us 48 hours to cool down them down in the summer. The 12V cools down much quicker. It runs much smoother but we are struggling trying to run it on batteries only. Fine while driving but if we park it for 24 hours the 200 W solar panels don’t keep up with it. This is probably a result of the lead acid batteries not charging fast enough or having been discharged too deeply. Thank you for your videos

[@SlimShady771]

Ahh you need more solar panels. At least a thousand watts.

[@roadkingrider01]

We just purchased a new Hrand Design Reflection 5th wheel and it came with a 12 volt fridge. This video put my mind at ease and I’m excited to get the new coach out and go camping! Thank you for the video!!

[@ZonaJim]

We've been GDRV owners for over ten years now. We've had two Reflections and we bought a new Solitude in October. I swapped out the absorption refrigerator in our second trailer for a 10 cubic foot 12V compressor refrigerator. It worked flawlessly for over seven years. The people I sold it too say it's still working great. Our new Solitude comes with a 20 cubic foot compressor refrigerator and we're thrilled with it. We mostly boondock, so we wanted a nice size solar and battery set up. I installed 920 amp hours of batteries, and 2000 watts of solar. So far, everything is flawless.

[@rvnmedic2709]

We have a 12v in our Navion and it's fantastic. We boondock with 200w of solar and rarely have to run the generator. Besides think of all the space you gain.

[@Hundert1]

What kind of battery/ batteries does your RV have for that to work? Would it be adequate for my two 6volt Trojans I have linked in series to produce 12 volts. The amp/hr is 250. I wonder if there's 12 volt refrigerators available yet that will also operate using propane? 🤔 thanks

[@anthonyb2334]

Hi , we have a Vista with the 12V fridge from Winnebago. We are struggling boondocking with it. 200W of solar but lead acid batteries. Do you have lithium?

[@Hundert1]

@@anthonyb2334 sorry to hear that. Hope you're able to find a way to have success with it. I'm really wondering why these 12 volt refrigerators aren't made so they'll operate with propane too. Especially since they're made for the RV.

[@anthonyb2334]

@@Hundert1 I see you have two 6volt batteries, and from everything I’ve read, they work better than two -12 volt. I cannot the 6volt in my coach, but I can fit lithium. I just need to figure out if I want to spend the money.

[@Hundert1]

@@anthonyb2334 yep, not sure why though. They advised me two 6 volts are very good. What matters for storage capacity is the total amp/hrs. So, my one 250 amp/hr battery when I joined in series two 6 volts, just the volts doubles into 12volts but won't increase/double the amp/hrs . If we join two 12 volt batteries in parallel we'd get double the amp/hrs which means alot more storage power but the voltage remains at 12 volts. I'm saving up for lithium ions or something similar when my two 6 volt Trojan T-145 go bad. Battleborn brand lithium ions are supposed to be a very good brand but I hear they're way over priced and there are other brands as good for much less. The usable power of lithiums is much more and they weigh, much less. Typical lead acid batteries only can be drained at most halfway otherwise damage can occur. Lithiums can be almost totally run down without damage. I'd like to go with having about 400 amp/hr lithium battery or link two 12 volt lithiums to total about 400 amp/hrs. I'm still researching the best lithium ion system. I think it's worth it getting lithiums. But shop around. Thanks, Happy and safe RVing

[@lcgoatboy]

RV Tech here with 36 years experience . The majority of fires that I have seen in rvs are because of propane fridges. We deal with both of the RV fridge manufacturers and I'm here to tell you that profits is number one on their mind! When my rv fridge kicks the bucket, I will not hesitate for a second and install a compressor fridge!

[@colincutler194]

The 5th Wheel that we are purchasing has a reasonably new 3-way unit in it. We want to do 95% free camps (boondocking), so I will be upgrading the current solar set-up that is currently on the rig also. My point is, that I am currently looking into the pros and cons of the different types of fridge/freezer units available and with your spans of knowledge (from your yrs in the RV industry), with all I've just shared with you, would you recommend us getting the 2-way compressor unit? From my understanding, they use the least electricity and you get more internal usable space, is that right?! And are they any more reliable than the absorption units? I look forward to hearing from you 🙂

[@lcgoatboy]

@@colincutler194We recently bought a motorhome and the Dometic fridge is done (leaked ammonia). We will be installing a 120 volt only, fridge, probably Danby. Solar, if roof space is available, 4 360 watt panels. Batteries will be 4 Valiant cold weather lithiums with Bluetooth. The inverter is going to be ic 3000watt go power. We may have to supplement some generator run time. I dislike generators but a bit of a hybrid system is good. Other retrofits would be a composting toilet,minisplit ac /heat and some sort of recycling shower system. This is my opinion of an off grid, near perfect RV.

[@ipcamper9940]

We just upgraded from our old pop-up to a new Surveyor Travel Trailer and so have not tested the 12V compressor fridge yet. The pop-up had a 3-way absorption fridge. You can significantly improve the cooling efficiency of the absorption fridge by installing a 12V muffin fan ( like a 120mm computer fan ) to blow on the outside radiator of the fridge. The absorption fridge relies on convection of the air to rise from the lower vent to the upper vent to cool the radiator. A small fan can significantly increase the air flow. In our pop-up, the under counter fridge would cool in half the time with a fan blowing on it, vs not using the fan. I used a small switch to turn the fan on when we turned the fridge on, and to shut it off when we packed up at the end of each trip.

[@stevejansky9913]

There is a third option for an RV fridge, replace the absorption mechanism with a compressor system from Jc Refrigeration/ DutchAire. This uses the current fridge "box" while replacing the tubes, burner, and electric heaters on back with 12 volt compressor system. They also sell a120 volt replacement too. I did this with my 14 year old Norcold at a price at that time of around $800. One thing that a self contained 12 volt compressor fridge does is add additional heat to interior of RV, which during hot weather can make the interior uncomfortable or put more work on your air conditioner.

[@dawnjohnson603]

Top score! Thank you for the lead! I was feeling pretty salty about the idea of throwing away the whole fridge because one part failed. This looks like our cost effective option, and I would expect better performance--quicker cool down time. We are full timing so most of the year adding heat is a benefit, and in the summer I think I can just open the original wall vents. Looks like about half the cost of other options I've found so far.

[@stevejansky9913]

When i was speaking of extra heat from fridge is if you buy a complete aftermarket 12 volt compressor option. Those type vent from underneath. The JC refrigeration version requires the vents on side and top/side be left open for proper cooling of their system. Any compressor type does cool much faster - we are a week at a time campers and from start -up to cold enough for food it takes ours about 2 hours, plus any extended time with door open, it recovers quickly too.

[@rcheas4894]

Our new GD Reflection 337 came with a 16 cu ft 12v Furrion fridge and I’m loving it. We had an absorption fridge and switched to residential in our motor coach, but this 12v beats them all.

[@andrewk1916]

Jared- we upgraded from our absorption to the Dometic 12v DMC4101RH and I agree with you in saying that due to the high-cost of these things, it's almost cost prohibitive to swap-out only to get a little more space if you have a working unit. But since our absorption was costing us more and more to trouble-shoot between the burner, the lower control board, we made the switch. However a consideration that I also took into account was the stable amperage draw of lithium rather than lead acid. Blown boards (at worse) and blown internal fuses seem to be common with these 12Vs due them pulling higher amperage to maintain the 12V in order to compensate for the lead acids depletion when not properly charging (i.e. boondocking and letting the battery drain down too much before re-charging- which is easy to do for people unfamiliar with 12V systems). As as a result of this sensitivity that the 12V fridges have, we upgraded our lead-acid to a single BB lithium as well as the Progressive 9160 charger with Victron's Battery monitor, DC-DC and MPPT chargers. Needless to say, the battery upgrade with the chargers and all of the ancillary pieces (wire, battery terminals, fuses, tools, crimpers, cable loom, insulation, touch-up paint, spray-foam, dicor, wood, ) cost almost as much as the fridge itself! Admittedly, the monitor, DC-DC and MPPT chargers were not needed and argueably neither is the Progressive charger. But, we saw it as both piece-of-mind and the ease of expandability of future upgrades to the battery system. This was esp. true since we had to move the battery to the storage compartment (we have a 2015 Outback TT) in order to protect the lithium. So figuring out where to put everything and adding the expansion while we had it opened-up made sense. Lastly, not only was re-wiring needed for the battery, we needed to run a NEW 10 gauge line from the camper's fusebox to the fridge. For many rigs this will be easy and in some cases not necessary, but in a rear living travel trailer with the fridge in a slide and only a previous 14 gauge wire from the absorption fridge, we needed the new wire and it became a whole new animal! I point all of this out to try and help your followers get an understanding of the second and third-order issues they may want to think through before buying an expensive 12V fridge. Especially those that have a Travel Trailer that did not previously have lithium batteries and has the fridge in a slide. It would be really interesting if somebody would do some type of root-cause analysis out there on the repair/replace of 12V fridges (less than 2 years old) to understand if a depleted lead-acid is a contributing factor to the 12V fridges coming in for service. If it is, this could be a big market for shops to tap into to install a lithium. So far our upgrade/conversion is working well, but we haven't really had it out as of yet to test it for long trips. Cheers!

[@JL-nb3dh]

Wow! Thank you for the detailed explanation. Newbie here, and I learned a lot from your post. Cheers

[@karenfletcher9961]

Thx for the additional info!

[@martyschwartz3485]

We just went through this exercise. We have a 2021 5th-wheel and the Norcold 2118 18-cubic foot reefer never performed adequately. We replaced the absorption assembly with the dual-compressor unit from JCRefrigeration about a week ago and it has been performing superbly since then. While replacing the guts of the reefer we found out why it was not performing very well, there was NO thermal paste between the cooling unit and the cooling plates in the reefer. I would definitely consider this a manufacturing defect but try to prove that to Norcold. Regardless, we now have a 12-volt DC refrigerator and both the refrigerator and freezer functioning correctly so very happy with the change.

[@Mudford63]

We will be back there in September to have our 2118 changed over.

[@jeremyspecce]

So wait, are you saying you converted your existing absorption fridge to 12V compressor? I’m gonna take a look at that site.

[@martyschwartz3485]

@@jeremyspecce Yes, exactly. They created compressor-driven units that replace the original cooling unit on your absorption 'fridge. They have both 12-volt DC and 120-volt AC models for the 2118. Since I already have a fairly large lithium house bank I opted for the 12-volt DC unit. Using a 120-volt AC unit through an inverted would be a significantly larger draw on the the battery. We just arrived at a COE campground after a 2-hour drive and the freezer was at -3 and the fridge was at 37. We NEVER got that king of performance from the absorption cooling unit, even with outside temps below freezing. The up-side to going this was is I still have the original fridge volume and did not have to change any cabinetry. The total cost for the unit, installed by JCRefrigeration was ~$1800. The unit was ~$1300 and they charged $400 to install it. I could have installed it but did not want to wait till I was in a location to do so.

[@WillBelden]

@@martyschwartz3485 I assume you DO lose the propane ability with the conversion?

[@martyschwartz3485]

@@WillBelden Yep.

[@joycemoses2411]

For our RVs, we have owned both Absorption and 12 Volt. Winner: 12 Volt!!! It keeps the temperature more consistent.

[@bigbenrich]

I have the Furrion 12 volt and loved it until about 6 months in, it stopped cycling off and just stayed on all the time. I took it in under warranty, thinking that they would do something like replace a thermostat, but no, they just ordered a new one. So after 2 months I have a brand new one working great. I upgraded to a fairly large solar system (600 AH, 1500 Watts, 3000 multiplus) and the power consumption of the fridge is comparatively quite modest. Thanks for all the informative videos.

[@bigbenrich]

@@forgenorth1444 Mine uses about 100 watts and not constantly. Before I upgraded my solar I was running it off two 170 watt panels and a 100 amp agm battery and didn't have any problems

[@bigbenrich]

@@forgenorth1444 The fridge was already hooked up to the battery when I bought the camper. So yeah just hook it up to your main DC busbars. Might want to fuse it too.

[@rhoff523]

Great job/ My 12v fridge was full when I was away for 10 days, the RV lost power due to a storm on day 2. This RV has a very small solar panel which was enough to keep everything frozen, which was a lot while the fridge area had very little. Great units!

[@drferdinandsen4488]

Love your videos! I've been a full timer for 5 yrs and still learning. That's where your videos come in handy cause you are a wealth of knowledge and a blessing.

[@terryhaynes1596]

My Norcold was working perfectly. But I exchanged it for the EverChill 12v refrigerator. Best decision I’ve made. Love it. As you said cools faster, works better in the heat of summer and cold of winter because it is inside the RV not fighting the outside weather. Also you get more usable space inside. And no worries about the rv not being level or not being able to run while driving. I spent two days driving in the southwest where it was 115 and you can’t turn off the refrigerator for any extended time period.

[@yankeesusa1]

So you replaced a 3 way for a 12 volt? I would love to do that but it seems daunting

[@terryhaynes1596]

@@yankeesusa1 the Norcold is a 10cuft propane or 120v absorption refrigerator. I switched to an EverChill 12v compressor refrigerator. The inside of the refrigerator started at 85 degrees and was fully cold in 45 minutes! Love it.

[@SlimShady771]

Where did you buy the everchill and cost? Thanks

[@Stuckofftherealness]

That’s interesting because I have a brand new camper with an everchill 12v fridge that the compressor board has gone out twice 4 months apart

[@ralphwilliams6123]

I have the JC refrigeration conversion on my norcold unit for over two years now. Totally happy with it and love having a cold refrigerator and ice cubes in the freezer! Plus, I was able to get solar added to my roof by JC refrigerator while getting the g12 volt conversion on the refrigerator at a very reasonable price. Thus never worry about cold food or the low power the unit draws. Should have done it sooner!

[@Ashley-hv1qu]

What is your battery and solar set up? Thanks

[@gordschultz1980]

Been wondering about 12V fridges. Thanks for doing all this research and posting

[@mikebrand7922]

I upgraded / replaced our 8 CuFt Absorption Fridge with a 10.7 CuFt Compressor Fridge, we are so happy with the 12V DC Fridge. No worries about traveling down the road with Propane on, no long cool down time.

[@frankhazelton4591]

What was the size difference between the two fridges?

[@mikebrand7922]

@@frankhazelton4591 The new fridge fit perfectly in the space for the old fridge.

[@glenmuir219]

Good information! Two things: at 4:35 you referred to the 12 volt compressor as a 12 volt absorption refrigerator. But more importantly, I have a 2022 Geo Pro 19FD with the 12 volt compressor fridge. When I ordered the unit I added an additional 195 solar panel, which give me 390 watts of solar to better handle the fridge when off grid. And the trailer is capable of a third panel if I like. However, I have been running a time and temperature test on the unit since last October. And I have noticed that when the outside temperature drops, and so does the inside temperature, the refrigerator reverses itself and warms up into the mid to upper 50's. The freezer into the 30's. But when I placed a ceramic heater in the trailer and set it at 72, on very cold days the refrigerator stayed between 38 and 42, and the freezer between -5 and -1. I contacted Forest River because I have experienced this before with my 1974 VW camper. Back then it came with a compressor fridge, but it would not cool down. I took it to the dealership, they tested it and said it worked perfectly. Again at home, it would not cool down. Back at the dealership, it worked perfectly. So I asked the service tech what they were doing to make it work perfectly. They said, nothing special. They just took the unit out of the camper, placed it on a open workbench and powered it up. It was then that I realized the issue was ventilation. They installed two small vent slots in the cabinet side near the compressor, and it immediately began working perfectly... in the camper! My point is, that the compressor fridges are still new to many makes, and I feel that venting them into the microwave cabinet above, or whatever is available, would not hurt. I am in contact with Forest River on this subject, and will continue to test this until late summer. While it is still under warranty I may ask it be replaced because at the highest setting it cools down to an average 40 degrees, and that's not right, as you pointed out. At the next to the highest setting it should cool down to 35 to 37. All in all though, I truly love the compressor fridge more than the absorption fridge. Didn't like absorption in our 1964 Shasta, don't like it now. Anyway, just wanted to give you my testing experience. Safe travels!

[@paulbram2]

This is really interesting, and causing me to wonder if this is the reason for my strange temps I'm seeing on my 12v fridge. I'm seeing that overnight, my freezer temps gradually climb up over 40 degrees. Then, sometime mid to late morning the compressor finally kicks on and it seems that through the day the freezer stays plenty cool. I've been trying to figure out what on earth is happening overnight that causes this thing to think it doesn't need to run the compressor! From what I'm understanding you say, it sounds like there may be a correlation to colder temps surrounding the fridge cabinet that would cause it to not think it needs to run? Is that right? This is very confusing to me. Shouldn't the compressor be triggered by INTERNAL temps, not the temp in the cabinet it's installed in?

[@kevinsmith1513]

We had our absorption refrigerator converted to a 12V at JC Refrigeration. The 12V does a great job and is peace of mind on travel days and Harvest Host stays.

[@timmyers3428]

Kevin, what is your battery set up and how long will your JC Upgrade run on them?

[@kevinsmith1513]

We have 660 on the roof and two, 100 amp/hr Battle Born batteries. A third battery would give more peace of mind for cloudy days. I have never tried to max the system out.

[@SlimShady771]

What was cost of conversion?

[@kevinsmith1513]

At the time, the cost was $1135. You can purchase the unit and install it yourself to save some money. Their website would have updated information. They had me in and out in about 3-4 hours.

[@darrylbrown4733]

We purchased a new Forest River with a 12 volt fridge last summer. I was very concerned about the power consumption because be are often dry camping and before buying this trailer relied on coolers and ice. Our first run with it last year - there were some growing pains - we have a 190 watt solar panel that came with the RV, but camping in the forest did not provide enough solar to charge our batteries enough to keep our fridge going. I’ll admit, I don’t have the best battery system yet (230 amps, 6 volt AGMs) but , because of this fridge, I’m making significant changes to our RV to be able to support the fridge while dry camping. All at a significant cost - $2000 this year, just to hook up a dc-dc charger, battery monitoring system and portable solar panel (wire is expensive too!!). So 12 volt fridge is nice, but be prepared to upgrade your power supply if you do any type of dry camping!!!

[@AllAboutRVs]

Yes not as easy as switching it to propane.

[@TheDillio187]

Same issue here. It’s almost criminal that these campers are sold with a small solar panel and a roughly 80 amp hour marine battery.

[@adroitcaptor]

Thank you SOOOO much for having actual facts and an informative video. So hard to make good decisions with all these opinion pieces!

[@denniszaferis1242]

You can also get a 12volt compressor conversion kit for your existing rv refer. You simply take off the old absorption unit and install the new compressor unit, that way no cabinet work is required, they work as well as any compressor unit.

[@geoffsimonsen7820]

JC Refrigeration in Indiana has created a 12 volt dual compressor unit for norcold and dometic fridges, i did a cooling unit swap on my Solitude 310 GK fridge using JC Refrigeration cooling unit. this was such a HUGE upgrade and would recommend to anyone with issues with the norcold not getting cold

[@bobabooie6389]

​@Geoff Simonsen is it a lot of work?

[@timaz1066]

Minor cold 12 ft.³ refrigerator freezer wasn’t cutting it in the heat so I converted it to a JC refrigeration conversion with a compressor 120 V. I should’ve went with the 12 V unit. But this fridge does the trick.

[@alfredtrovao2669]

I did the same to my 18 ft. Refrigerator from JC refrigeration.

[@caseypries7559]

A couple things to keep in mind. The residential fridge is likely larger, maybe much so. Ours is 20 cu ft which is huge for an RV. It also has auto defrost which is nice and some like the ice maker. With that said, the Hisense fridge in our unit hasn't been 100% reliable and can sometimes just stop cooling requiring a power cycle.

[@JB007Rules2]

I use a 55 liter dometic "cooler" and it's insane nice.... 3.5-4 days of run time with 80 degrees ambient and set to 34 on a 100AH lifepo4 battery!!

[@homesteadingusa]

Great explanation. Never even thought about changing out the fridge for efficiency. Thanks for sharing. Peace

[@AllAboutRVs]

Thanks

[@alfamaize]

Glad you mentioned the footprint vs. the interior volume. When renovating an old camper, we compared the absorption vs 12v compressor, and when we found the interior volume was that much better for the compressor- we when that direction.

[@johnbell4976]

I love your channel. I have learned so much from you. You are in my top three recommended KZbin channels. Just a thought for you. They have larger 12v refrigerators. Grand Design has one in their new larger RVs. Now I know that you don't need one now, but if and when you do, the larger 12v's would compare to your RV fridge you have now. Keep these great videos coming.

[@HowToRV]

I donot have 12 v on my fridge at all. Still rocking the old absorbtion with gas/120v only. I have wondered what the 12v fridges were like. In my case, I probably would not swap only because i like the propane option when boondocking. Considering that I do not have solar "YET". Thanks for the review.

[@JohnJones-op8uf]

After going from our absorption fridge on our 278bh, to our 12vdc on our 324mbs, we are happy with the 12vdc fridge.

[@2Cents100]

Purchased a new Grand Design Reflection 320MKS in February and it came with the 16 cf Furrion side by side 12v frig. Wow! 2500 mile trip to AZ and back and frig never skipped a beat. Cooled down in less than 2 hours and stayed there for a month. Also came with the 165w solar package so frig is powered 24/7. Swapped out the OEM batteries to my Lion UT1300 lithium (x 2) and never went below 75%. The system is awesome.

[@TodayWeGo]

We made the swap to a 12v fridge (Everchill French Door) last year and aren’t looking back. We absolutely love it! It is incredibly efficient. Another big bonus with the 12v fridge is no longer having to defrost!

[@AllAboutRVs]

Yes that is a big advantage

[@beverlycleaveland2296]

@@AllAboutRVs I've been having a hard time finding any small 12v fridges that are automatic defrost/frost free. Norcold and RecPro said theirs weren't. A while back the Norcold rep was on a Surveyor youtube video saying that theirs were frost free, but now they're not? Any thoughts? We are wanting to replace our Dometic 6 cu ft with an 8 cu ft 12v if we can find one that's frost free.

[@igowhereimtowed6839]

I hope it is frost free. If not after continuous running the inside coil may freeze up. At least that is what happened to the 3 different units we had. Finally just purchased a 120 volt AC unit from Best Buy. Current draw is 109 watts normal and 140 for the defrost cycle. Ours has been running 24/7 for just over 2 years. Have had zero issues. If you would like you can check out a update video on the channel. Thanks for your videos we appreciate the time and effort you put into them.

[@StressLessCamping]

This an exceptionally well done look at these fridges. Thank you!

[@jeremyolson2593]

We are seriously considering upgrading from an absorption fridge to a DC compressor fridge. We go boondocking quite a bit. The one point that wasn’t ace in the video is that absorption fridges loose efficiency proportional to elevation, especially when using propane. Our base camps are often around a mile high to 9000’. From what I understand, DC compressor fridges aren’t effected by elevation at least to the extent of an absorption. Great video!

[@larzar8421]

Be careful what you are doing. It will cost you between 2k and 4k for quality batteries and solar panels that will produce enough stored energy to have the 12v frigs even run in cloudy and stormy days. It cost my a fortune to be able to run like my old absorption one.

[@eugene5438]

Great video. I've been considering a 12v fridge for our trailer if ours goes out. Thanks for the data and pros/cons.

[@mikewalker4134]

Great comparison info. I have been repairing R V s for 45 years. most of my customers camp with hook ups. So, power draw is not an issue. Customer that have toy Box R Vs camp with no hook ups, so absorption refrigerators are the way to go. Norcold refrigerators on # 9 setting will freeze milk in the lower compartment. and i have seen the freezer at 0 degrees in 24 hours of running. If solar panels are installed, then 12 volt refrigerators are fine . Plus running the generator for about 1-2 hours a day is going to override the battery loss from the 12 volt Refer.

[@richardbristol452]

We’ve had our 12v compressor fridge in our new RV for about 8 months now and can say without reservation that we would never go back to an absorption unit. The 12v refrigerator is better in every way. It takes only 20 minutes to get down to temp and is unaffected by outside ambient temperatures. Admittedly we have lithium batts and 400w of solar on our roof, but with that we can boondock for days and have a cold fridge-and frozen food in the freezer. In mind mind, there isn’t even a debate anymore.

[@danielaarsvold1050]

My Starcraft trailer I bought last summer came with a 12v refrigerator. It has worked great! I can’t imagine having any other style! Thank you for the video- yours are very informative!

[@professionalinspectionserv9468]

Thank you for the information. I am planning my next RV and was not sure if I wanted the residential, 12v, or propane combo. Not planning allot of boondocking. I guess I am at a loss for why they are so expensive (because rv is associated with them?). So I am thinking of longevity. 12v sounds great but what could I expect for useable lifespan. No one will be able to answer that one because they have not been out all that long...Welcome viewers comments. Thanks again.

[@david_reynolds3660]

Would also love to see some more cost differences mentioned! What the actual cost of the units are! Wouldn’t hurt helping some people make some decisions. But I’m totally against absorbs and refrigerators in a much more into the 12 V or the residentials

[@LifeOfSarge]

I remember watching a video a couple found a company in Iowa I think that makes 12v retrofit kits for your existing fridge. If I remember right the kit was about $800, they seemed to be very happy with it vs the old absorption.

[@fogstain]

The Link to all of the different ones is in the description above...

[@qpoole90]

Really informative video. I just wanted to share an experience. We have a truck camper and we swapped out our dometic absorption fridge for a 299$ 7 cu ft residential 110V dorm fridge. And it’s working great. We are averaging 50-60 ah to run the fridge per day in 80 degree weather in Baja. This is with our 1000w PSW inverter running all day. A DC compressor fridge is great, however these cheaper fridges are also very efficient and much cheaper.

[@stevemacedo771]

My absorbtion fridge just went out. Opted for the residential 10.1 cu from Home depot for $350. Used the left over to upgrade my solar and have been happy so far. My basic test was normal power usage over a week with 400 amp of lithium and a 3000 watt inverter. I can make 5 days and have about 35% battery life left.

[@StrawberryGarcia]

Are you using any solar to offset the losses to extend your trip?

[@stevemacedo771]

@@StrawberryGarcia Yes sir. I figured the money I saved on the fridge bought me the wire and 400 watts of solar. We have had zero issues with the fridge or the 400 AH of batteries. Knock on 🪵. I also ran extra wire for a future expansion of solar if I need it. Better to do it now then fight it later

[@tobyleach176]

There is one other option, is getting the conversion kit and converting your absorption fridge to a 12vdc or 120vac compressor fridge. I've seen it done on other videos, atleast that way your fridge keeps the same footprint

[@AllAboutRVs]

Yes. I’ve looked into that, not a bad option.

[@larrycox6614]

Didn't know that existed... I'll look into it also

[@lawrencesiemsen1083]

a lot more work then you think, better off changing over to a 12 volt and being done with it.

[@amartin6654]

We switched to 12v fridge when we got a scratch and dent fridge in Elkhart. We love our 12v compressor fridge, we've had absorption and residential also.

[@AllAboutRVs]

Glad to hear you like it after having all three in the past.

[@ehudgavron9086]

Plussed. Subscribed. I'm in the market for a new RV and I do want a compressor fridge. The rental ones (Cruise America) are all absorption... and in Arizona they are almost useless. They can reduce tempy to 20°F below ambient OAT. When it's 110°F out, 90°F isn't a "win". It's a "get your butt to an Igloo cooler and buy ice bags daily." Thanks for the in-depth analysis -- especially the watt hours and per day usage. I already knew how to size my inverter... but thanks to you I know how to size my battery bank. Solar's great... but again... in Arizona we boondock OUT of the sun. That means RV engine power to charge those batteries. Again, thank you! Ehud Tucson, Arizona

[@evanmartin7809]

When we bought our 5th wheel a year ago, I didn't want to deal with the hassles of an absorption fridge, so I went with residential from the factory. I upgraded to 600Ah of batteries right away and then added 1600W of solar. I can run indefinitely off grid as long as I have mild sun. It would also be interesting to see how much propane the absorption fridge uses.

[@firmfire2385]

I have an rv and have been really worried about power because I'm gonna start living in it full time soon, I only really will use a single TV, heater or ac, and fridge would 1600w and 600ah be good?

[@evanmartin7809]

@@firmfire2385 If you plan to use the AC a lot, you'll need more solar. I can run 1 AC for most of the day in full sun, but it still drains my batteries down.

[@fredpittman1086]

My adsorption fridge gave up due to a leak in the cooling coil. I priced new lpg fridge, rebuilding my old cooling coil and a 12v comressor fridge. I went with the 12v compressor fridge at 1300.00 cdn. And it fitted where my old fridge came out. I loved it and worked great even off level. I upgraded my camper and back to the lpg fridge. Ho boy do I miss the fridge

[@FidoHouse]

Very helpful. Thank you. Especially appreciate the power consumption comparison.

[@Chimp_6]

That is exactly the comparison I've been wanting to see. Thank You!

[@AllAboutRVs]

Glad it helped!

[@tommyNix4098]

I mostly boondock and I have a 12v fridge. I can charge my 200AH battery in a couple of hours using a small generator, and that is enough charge to keep the fridge going for two or three days.

[@crapseven]

I was fearful of buying this used KZ240TH with 120vac/12vdc fridge but you made me quickly realize that some solar panels and some lithium batteries will serve my extensive Boon docking requirements well. Thanks.

[@otas9398]

our new trailer just arrived and we inspected it today - opted for the 12 volt firdge - and was happy to see it was a norcold. cant wait to try it out! looks great.

[@rogerrossman5124]

I have been looking at the JC Refrigeration replacement units thinking that my 17 year old absorption unit will fail some day. I had not convinced myself that this is the best way to go as we don't boondock very often but I think you have convinced me.

[@tadblankenbaker4587]

Love your short and to the point videos. Always informative. Thank you

[@AllAboutRVs]

Thanks!

[@spencerduncan]

Very informative. Our Ekko has the 12 volt fridge, and works great. ( as good as the one at home, and yes it cools down very quickly when we get ready to leave.)

[@Masterchief68]

Certainly would like to change our absorption for a 12v compressor unit but unless it’s an exact fit for the old hole that won’t happen until the absorption unit fails completely. Actually the absorption unit in my fifth wheel works great, in fact it cools great!

[@Masterchief68]

1 year later and new camper with a 12v compressor refrigerator and it is GREAT!

[@SVT_LIGHTNING]

Our 2022 g.d 3100rd came with a 12v fridge and it’s nice. Nothing mind blowing. And when you take it out of storage and turn it on you can’t overload your fridge at first. It takes quite a while to cool everything down in there. Took over a day on our first trip because we had to many waters in there and food and what not. Ended up taking out a lot of waters and had less things to try to cool and once we did that finally got down in temps and and works great. The freezer works great with no problems. It was just the fridge part that takes a while to cool off once loaded up.

[@Okebejoey]

On initial start up we place a bag of ice in the freezer and pre-chilled water in the fridge. Ready to roll with everything in an hour.

[@billherche1977]

You may want to check out the conversion kit for you current absorption refrigerator.

[@AllAboutRVs]

Yes I’ve thought about it, good idea.

[@scottd143]

Nice video. I have thought about a 12 v fridge but my RV is too new. Thanks for the power draw comparison, that was helpful.

[@artfuldodger870]

I have a Norcold 12 volt fridge/freezer in our Tiffin Wayfarer and LOVE it. I had the Dometic gas/electric in my last RV and was always having trouble with it. It would get too warm even in cooler weather. And the ice in freezer would not completely stay frozen.

[@RVKevin]

I have been wondering what the "real" deal was and this is very helpful. Thank you Jared for making this video.

[@sputtube1]

Thanks for your time

[@davidrohwer4284]

We boondock in below freezing temps to go snowmobiling, sometimes below zero F. The Norcold absorption fridge does not work well in those temps causing me insulate the exterior vent door leaving only a small opening for combustion air. That mostly solved the problem. So I'm intrigued by the 12v compressor fridge as a better solution. A plus is sealing up the vent door and roof vent to lower heat loss. Thanks for the review.

[@nelsonsoaresusa]

12v fridge works really good, had so much problems with regular rv fridge.

[@MarkKnaack]

Absorption = $1/Day or More!!! You also need to account for running an absorption fridge in the driveway. We left ours on between trips and our electric bill spiked, after looking at the daily reports from our electric bill we narrowed it down to the fridge. Our Dometic cost us over $1 per day to run on shore power, My whole house runs just under $3 per day normally. Crazy!

[@texling93]

👍. I have a cargo trailer converted to haul my motorcycle and sleep in. I bought 3.5cf chest freezer for 169.00. And manual Johnson control thermostat 89.00 I am using 120v so not 12v. I plug in thermostat to 120v and then plug in freezer to thermostat. I set temp to 34 degrees and shut power off to freezer to regulate temp. Turns it into a refrigerator that turns on at 39 degrees and turns off at 34 degrees. Works like a charm. I’ll turn down temp to get to 30 degrees before traveling for 1 1/2 hrs check temp and is close to 40 degrees when plugged back in to power. I have baskets with handles so I can easily get to things in fridge. When opening door you don’t let all cold air out. I’ve seen YT video chest freezer put on slide that lets them pull out from under countertop. I will try getting inverter to run while on the road soon

[@stevediaz8414]

Great video , but in my experience I had an awful time with my 12v fridge bought my 2024 travel trailer last year gave out in about 3 months ended up in the shop for 6 months. It wasn’t until I called a mechanic and saved me time and money stating that 12volts are fairly new to the RV so not much knowledge is know switched over to a residential fridge and has been great since

[@ghostpepperrides4805]

As a Commercial/Industrial HVACR Contractor I got the 12V in my 2023. Love it. Have you looked into the upcoming 12V A/C units?

[@robsycko]

I have one just like that and I love it, My propane lasts forever now.

[@delbertpatterson257]

The absorption refrigerator in my old camper would run for more that a week on 20 pounds of propane. The 12 volt refrigerator in my new camper won't run overnight on battery power.

[@hughtruex]

Outstanding video and as always full of information!

[@markeidson5264]

For your information, my 12v refrigerator in my 2021 Flagstaff Microlite 21FBRS had an intermittent cooling problem that I eventually resolved be installing several 12v computer fans to circulate air from the back. It appeared to me that the cabinet trim was so tightly fit that the heat exhausted from the back of the refrigerator couldn’t escape. My symptoms were reduction of refrigerator section cooling after a day of operation, and refrigerator exterior sidewalls were getting extremely hot

[@rbstorms]

Yep. Absorption fridges need to be vented to the exterior, while Compression fridges need to be vented to the interior of the RV.

[@kjman1955]

You made an excellent video and it covered all the details I really appreciate it

[@chuckiem1233]

I also have the furrion 12v and i had to replace it 2 times so far 3rd time a charm

[@1teddy1979]

I am surprised at alot of people saying they have trouble with absorption fridges staying cool enough? Ours works great and just turn it on the night before we leave and it is always cold by morning we leave also stays very cold and freezer keeps the ice cream frozen 😀

[@banginsteel4978]

Interesting, our mh has a 18cu ft Samsung. I put a amphour meter on the outlet for 24 hours. It used 75 ah with the ext. temp being 78 daytime and 53 at night. The Xantrex inverter claims 90% efficiency, so used approx. 85 to 86 ah. I think I like my rv fridge. Other items to consider are if swapping would be, cost, size, and is the 12v wiring existing large enough to supply the new fridge. If I was in need of a new unit, I might look at the 12 volt. For now, even with extensive boondocking, the DW and are are happy with the residential unit.

[@bobhauber2425]

Great info! Great video! I need to replace my absorption fridge, and think I will go with a 12v. Your info really helped!

[@FantomMisfit]

All you have to do is look inside each one and then you'll know which one is better. Those absorption fridges have alot less interior space because of all the equipment it has to have on the back side. I replaced mine with a residential that was less cubic feet but theres alot more room inside it to put things. My old freezer couldn't even fit a frozen pizza inside it (unless I took it out of the box) the new one could easily fit 2-3 boxes

[@targadave]

All we have ever had is a 12v fridge in our 2021 Rockwood MiniLite. It’s awesome. No desire for an adsorption fridge after reading about them. We did upgrade our solar to 400 watts of panels on the roof and a 206 amp-hr SOK lithium battery. Actually provides for a decent boondocking experience with the 12V. Maybe not quite at the adsorption boondocking capability, but close enough for us! I love the simplicity, quick cooling and small footprint for the volume. I think adsorption fridges will mostly die out over time due to improving battery/solar technology

[@AllAboutRVs]

Yes I agree

[@spikestubbs210]

That 12v fridge will slide right into my 8CF absorption fridge space in my Imagine 2970RL.

[@georgemaze7926]

Thanks for making this video

[@rob1484]

The double door propane/electric fridges don't do so well. We swapped ours for residential energy star unit. Real world numbers: I can get three days of travel powering it, a 5CF chest freezer and using an electric water pot for coffee each morning on a 600 AH battery bank. That said, I like the idea of a 12V fridge because you don't get the inverter conversion loss.

[@michaelparks3106]

If and when the absorption fridge in my RV bites the dust, I will probably replace it with a 12v compressor model. I've been looking at them for a while and appreciate your comparison.

[@TomandLoriRVLife]

Interesting video! Always wondered about the 12v fridges.

[@waketrucks8813]

Love your video. I would like to see a more pro and cons list. If you had time

[@mikemanjo2458]

Great comparison. Loads of good info. Thanks you!

[@f150bft]

I think there are some companies that have 12V units that will swap into the absorption fridge case....so you can keep the same fridge and have it 12V.

[@rbstorms]

Yep… You swap the absorption guts for compressor guts. The only advantage I see is that you maintain the late 70’s look of your old propane fridge. You get none of the space efficiency of a real compressor fridge. We replaced our 8 cubic foot propane fridge with a smaller compressor fridge. Smaller on the outside, only. It is actually 2.1 cubic feet larger on the inside.

[@quicksoncamping2039]

Very good information, thank you for digging into the data.

[@UtahRoadbase]

Is anyone else amazed by how far 12V compression fridge technology has come in the last few years!?! I was a true fan of absorption fridges but now I'm thinking twice. Thanks for hauling a fridge into your rig to demo for us!

[@kentwicker6818]

On my second RV and it has a 12 volt, first on had propane/120v absorption. The 12 volt definitely cools better. Was camping in July in the Florida sun and ice cream stayed frozen in freezer! Only down side is many manufacturers only include on battery so I would recommend a 2nd one, especially if you don't have a generator. Another tip, monitor RV voltage when you plug in the connector to the tow vehicle. When tow vehicle is running, the RV should show 13+ volts. I had an issue where truck wasn't sending power to RV to keep the battery charged and after being on the road 12 hours the fridge ran the battery down so much the jacks barely worked. Tow vehicle charging is fixed now but I still make sure the RV voltage goes up when I start the truck .

[@dv7431]

We switch to a 12v last year . Love it wouldn't go back

[@donwatterson8343]

Always good information. Thank you

[@dteitsma]

Thanks for providing lots of details.

[@gregadler9221]

Love our 12v fridge in our camper. Stays cold and has alot of room.

[@kurtschulmeyer1041]

I replaced my propane fridge with an ever chill 12 volt compressor fridge. It worked well,even in 110 degree weather.