12V Compressor Refrigerators - Interest?

[TucsonJim]

From time to time, Grand Design evaluates the technology they use in their products for possible incorporation in future units. Grand Design is currently evaluating 12VDC compressor refrigerators for usage in their smaller FW/TT product lines. There are three competing brands undergoing evaluation. There are a few benefits of a compressor refrigerator. They cool down much more quickly, and can typically reach lower temperatures than an absorption refrigerator. And they can be safely powered while driving down the highway with the propane turned off.

These units are 12VDC only. They will not operate on shore power or propane. During my research, they show power consumption of approximately 4 to 11 amps per hour. But there is no data on how much power they consume once they reach temperature. GDRV will be experimenting to provide some real life data.

The three units under consideration all have 10 cubic feet of storage capacity. They weigh between 120-135 pounds each.

Please vote in the poll below on the attributes you're most interested in. Please vote for not more than two answers. And your comments would be very beneficial to Grand Design.

Edit: Combined Power Consumption and Impact on Battery Bank into one choice from two. (lost one vote while doing this).

[Second Chance]

I checked "Other" thinking of safety/eliminating the burner in the absorption refrigerators.

Rob

[Dave27]

I checked other. I am actually interested in going the other way, eliminate the need for 12v power all together. If we are camped in a heavily shaded area I am interested in cutting all extra energy draws. I would like to run on propane and have a thermostat that can be set manually (we had this on a propane refrigerator in our popup). I am very happy with propane as the energy source.
Dave

[Canyonlight]

Jim - I do not have much knowledge about these fridges and thus my reluctance to chime in. However, seeing Rob's comments post # 35 on this thread made me think about the past. On at least 2 or 3 of our earlier RVs/campers back in the 80s/90s, we had 3 way fridges of which many folks really liked. These provided the best of al worlds and addressed the traveling with propane on questions and concerns. Are these 3 way fridges still an option for GDRV to consider which not only cover the 12V topic at hand but kill the 120V and propane birds as well ? I do not even if they are even produced any longer.

It seems just the 12V fridge product at hand will have minimal interest. This said, however, I think many of us would be interested in learning more about the 12V fridges being tested by GDRV and in any other links you/they can share for us to learn more. If they keep my IPAs really cold, I may be in !

Dan

[Country Campers]

Just an interesting find.
https://www.amazon.com/Smad-110V-Por...jaz10cnVl&th=1

Our 29RS has the outside kitchen , if you want to call it that , and this little 110v fridge that barely holds a dozen eggs. This may be on miy list of mods. Using 12v to run fridge while on the road and the 110v if there are hook ups where we land , plus it looks like more inside storage.

Brian

[Guest]

I prefer the propane fridge for off grid camping but a dual option that would allow 12V to maintain while traveling would be great.

Jim

[Andi]

Jim - I do not have much knowledge about these fridges and thus my reluctance to chime in. However, seeing Rob's comments post # 35 on this thread made me think about the past. On at least 2 or 3 of our earlier RVs/campers back in the 80s/90s, we had 3 way fridges of which many folks really liked. These provided the best of al worlds and addressed the traveling with propane on questions and concerns. Are these 3 way fridges still an option for GDRV to consider which not only cover the 12V topic at hand but kill the 120V and propane birds as well ? I do not even if they are even produced any longer.

It seems just the 12V fridge product at hand will have minimal interest. This said, however, I think many of us would be interested in learning more about the 12V fridges being tested by GDRV and in any other links you/they can share for us to learn more. If they keep my IPAs really cold, I may be in !

Dan

Dan, I also miss the 3 way we had in our old TT. We used to run it down the road off the 12v. Not knowing much about how all of this power stuff works, I asked Rudy why our new fridge was not that way. He wasn’t sure, but thought it might be due to the larger size?

TucsonJim , would a solar powered fridge be another possibility? Just randomly came across this the other day - https://www.costco.com/unique-9.0-cu...100362122.html

[AB273mk]

TucsonJim , would a solar powered fridge be another possibility? Just randomly came across this the other day - https://www.costco.com/unique-9.0-cu...100362122.html

Costco's solar powered fridge is just a 12/24 volt fridge, with the 'standard' Danfoss compressor, looks good. I have run a Truckfridge TF130(12 volt only Danfoss compressor) for 3 seasons in my Alaskan camper for 7 weeks at a time with complete success, 250 watts solar/230 amp battery bank. Compressor fridges run cooler, especially the freezer, and most (Danfoss) are efficient.

Being 12volt-only is not a drawback at all, perhaps just the way we look at it. After all, most of the lights in our Grand Designs are 12volt only: powered by the battery bank during transit, or by the factory converter/charger when on shore power. Same deal with a 12 volt only fridge.

The old 3 way refrigerators were not efficient in 12 volt mode because they were in fact just a thermal fridge which ate more battery than most were aware of.

Andi, thanks for the heads up on the Costco fridge, it looks like it has similar dimensions to the 8 cu ft thermal in my GD273mk. Michael

[Andi]

Andi, thanks for the heads up on the Costco fridge, it looks like it has similar dimensions to the 8 cu ft thermal in my GD273mk. Michael

Sure thing, Michael, but I didn't even know such a thing existed. I was searching Costco in case they had a good deal on a solar panel, and the fridge showed up in my search .

Andi

[howson]

Costco's solar powered fridge is just a 12/24 volt fridge, with the 'standard' Danfoss compressor, ...

Michael,
I hadn't heard of a Danfoss compressor so I did some reading. Here's one article that was interesting and informative: https://www.truckcamperadventure.com/the-danfoss-compessor-refrigerator-pros-cons-and-a-few-tips/

Appreciate your input!

Howard

[TucsonJim]

Excellent article Howard. Thanks.

[Cate&Rob]

howson

Very informative article on the Danfoss compressor refrigeration. As points of clarification, you cannot use 200 Ah from two 100 Ah 12V batteries (assuming that these are lead/acid batteries) . . . you can only use 50% or 100 Ah without risking damage to the batteries. Also, the inference is that extra insulation is particularly important for a Danfoss fridge (which is true) but extra insulation is an important performance improvement for any type of refrigeration.

Rob

[howson]

The video below is an update from Mortons on the Move regarding their compressor replacement in their refrigerator. If you haven't watched the earlier modification you'll want to watch that, too.

Their experience is applicable to this thread's conversation.