Look for the most energy efficient model you can find. Read consumer's reports. Due to a loophole, some refrigerators are evaluated for the "energy star" and EPA energy guidelines (yellow tag) without the ice maker being turned on. This can have a considerable impact on the energy use. (Consumer's Reports rates refrigerators and lists more realistic estimates of electricity use.) I also note that refrigerators used to be built to last a very long time. This is no longer the case and a refrigerator may die after 10 years or so... (just something to keep in mind).
My coach was OEM with an Amana 22 cu ft home-style two door refrigerator with ice maker and through the door ice and chilled water. To accommodate this, I have dual 2800 watt inverters along with six type 4-D house batteries.
In practice, the electrical draw of the refrigerator is sufficient to seriously bring down the batteries overnight, even with minimal use of other lights or appliances. So, I keep several "blue ice" gel packs in the freezer (while on generator or shore power) which I move into the main compartment just before bedtime. I then turn off the refrigerator for the night. In the morning, in moderate weather (I've never tried this in the desert -- besides, I'd need shore power for the AC in any event in those conditions) the refrigerator is rarely more than 5 to 7 degrees warmer. I keep a couple of refrigerator thermometers in the main storage compartment and one in the freezer to ensure that we keep a safe temperature.
This may only be "our" refrigerator, but I've found that in moving the coach from here to there, it requires somewhat frequent minor adjustments to the internal controller thermostat to keep the inside temperature in the (desirable) 34 to 40 degree range. (Too cold and the veggies freeze, to hot and we all get food poisoning and die (or wish we'd die)...)
Since my coach is "all electric" we have to turn on the generator to cook -- so the refrigerator goes back on with breakfast preparations. I have found the all-electric nature to be somewhat limiting for boondocking -- while I'm relatively satisfied with staying in more civilized campgrounds (I find it hard to be without AC in warm/humid weather), I have found boondocking rather less enchanting due to the need to deal with close monitoring of the energy management.
Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
El Sobrante CA
"aeonix1@mac.com"
On Mar 31, 2009, at 6:06 AM, Jack and Liz Pearce wrote:
Howdy.
Our Dometic New Dimensions refrigerator is DEAD. Ammonia smell, yuk! Jack is cogitating on anelectrichouse frig. What factors need to be taken into consideration to make an electric frig work in our 1993 Wanderlodge? More batteries and another inverter? Pros and cons?
Sighhh,
Liz