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Old 04-12-2015, 05:18 PM   #15
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Jbrv, let me try to help. The fridge is only designed to work on LP or 110v. The 12volts powers the control board in which YOU have a choice of LP or 110v. The board must have 12v to tell the fridge what you have chosen.
On the same principle you also have a propane water heater........but it also MUST have 12v to tell it when to fire the burner or not even though you have chosen propane.
Propane is probably safer than your gas tank in your vehicles! I KNOW the propane tank is built much stronger than a gas tank!
Hope this helps
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Old 04-12-2015, 05:26 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by 336muffin View Post
Jbrv, let me try to help. The fridge is only designed to work on LP or 110v. The 12volts powers the control board in which YOU have a choice of LP or 110v. The board must have 12v to tell the fridge what you have chosen.
On the same principle you also have a propane water heater........but it also MUST have 12v to tell it when to fire the burner or not even though you have chosen propane.
Propane is probably safer than your gas tank in your vehicles! I KNOW the propane tank is built much stronger than a gas tank!
Hope this helps
Thanks. I am still at a loss as to why the inverter which has two functions..........convert ac to dc to charge the battery and convert 12 to 110 to power things..........will not run the thing assuming i am putting power into the battery (via alternator) I am pretty convinced it is just not up to the task. Nice pretty big fridge but you donot get to power it unless you run the noisy gennie (even a quite gennie is still noise) LPG gas, or shore power. All good. I know I am not the typical rv user/purchaser and 95% of them are built the same or out of my price range.


Thanks
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Old 04-12-2015, 05:29 PM   #17
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You can do it but if you don't switch it back it's a big draw on the batteries when the engine is off

My refrigerator draws 350 watts on AC. I hooked it to my 1000 watt inverter. At 12 volts, it is drawing approximately 35 amps, something my alternator can handle.

Not having a large battery bank, when I overnight in rest areas, I switch it to gas. I do this with a 120 volt relay controlled by a 13.2 volt, voltage sensing relay. If the alternator is not charging it disconnects the 120 volt and automatically switches over to gas.

Of course, I leave my gas valve open. Don't want to forget and have melted ice cream.
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Old 04-12-2015, 05:32 PM   #18
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You can do it but if you don't switch it back it's a big draw on the batteries when the engine is off

My refrigerator draws 350 watts on AC. I hooked it to my 1000 watt inverter. At 12 volts, it is drawing approximately 35 amps, something my alternator can handle.

Not having a large battery bank, when I overnight in rest areas, I switch it to gas. I do this with a 120 volt relay controlled by a 13.2 volt, voltage sensing relay. If the alternator is not charging it disconnects the 120 volt and automatically switches over to gas.

Of course, I leave my gas valve open. Don't want to forget and have melted ice cream.
AHA!!!!!!!!!!! I knew it was not just me.

Sounds like just what i need to do.

thanks
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Old 04-12-2015, 05:34 PM   #19
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How long do you plan to drive each day? The contents of the fridge will probably be fine without power for 6-8 hours if you're concerned about the propane, which you obviously are. Put a jug of ice in there and you're good.

If you're driving in hot weather, you will probably have the generator running to power the coach air conditioners as you drive anyway, so the fridge problem is ... not such a problem.

Or rewire the coach. That's your other option.
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Old 04-12-2015, 06:07 PM   #20
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My fridge is on gas while traveling, and I switch to gas if paying extra for electric.
Been doing that for about 25 years. Works great!
BTW, we are fulltimers and go about 6 months between propane fills cuz the only gas users are the refer and the stove. Relax!
Also, absorption refers are known to only have fires while on electric, not gas.
Why fight it?
Happy trails!
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Old 04-12-2015, 06:21 PM   #21
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Seems to me the OP was only looking for confirmation as to if that issue was by design when in his/her opinion, there is another viable source of useable power.

Removed the rest of my post. My apologies - did not mean to offend. Will better phrase my opinions next time.
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Old 04-12-2015, 06:27 PM   #22
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How long do you plan to drive each day? The contents of the fridge will probably be fine without power for 6-8 hours if you're concerned about the propane, which you obviously are. Put a jug of ice in there and you're good.

If you're driving in hot weather, you will probably have the generator running to power the coach air conditioners as you drive anyway, so the fridge problem is ... not such a problem.

Or rewire the coach. That's your other option.
I saw it go from 38 to 53 in two hours today. It was about 90 outside and i like to travel with windows open. 90 with wind moving is fine with me. I know for others it is not, not so good for the fridge either.
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Old 04-12-2015, 06:27 PM   #23
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Old 04-12-2015, 06:35 PM   #24
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Not really Like i said I am sure it is safe if nothing out of the ordinary happens. If something does not having the gas on is one less thing that can go boom or feed a fire.
My like or dislike of lpg power is not really the issue.

The issue is why the hell am i forced to use it if I have fully charged batteries getting charged by the alternator while driving?
I am assuming it is the way they built it to be. Came here to be sure not convinced driving with LPG running is safe or not.
I am almost sure it is due to putting in an inverter that is not up to the task of powering that fridge and not wanting to enlarge the battery box to be able to install enough amp hours to provide that power or move past using lead acid or agm batteries into lithium ion.
jbrv
IF your refrigerator outlet is inverter powered... and IF the watt output of your inverter is enough... you should be able to run the fridge on 120VAC inverter power while driving.

I believe RV absorption refrigerators draw between 600 and 960 watts, (5 to 8 amps), of 120VAC power when running on electric...(depending on the make model).

If your inverter is a 1000 amp, (or greater), unit you should be okay.

I know my 2000 watt has no problem running my Norcold 682 on electric while I'm driving...(but not long when parked with no shore or generator power).

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Old 04-12-2015, 06:36 PM   #25
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My fridge is on gas while traveling, and I switch to gas if paying extra for electric.
Been doing that for about 25 years. Works great!
BTW, we are fulltimers and go about 6 months between propane fills cuz the only gas users are the refer and the stove. Relax!
Also, absorption refers are known to only have fires while on electric, not gas.
Why fight it?
Happy trails!
Thanks. Not so worried about fire while just doing rv things. Just if something goes wrong. Not something I loose sleep over, just something i think about now and again and try to minimize the risk if feasible.

Idea was one is it broke? if not why it was built that way? why not use the power already being created? and yes time between lpg fill ups is in the back of my mind.

6 months between fill ups? If that involves multiple 5-10 day off grid times I could forget about the whole thing then and be happy.
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Old 04-12-2015, 06:43 PM   #26
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Hi Lori! See you in Decater!
jbrv, your gen can run your roof ac, water heater, fridge and coffee pot for about 1/2gallon per hour..............that is pretty efficient since gas is around $2.50 a gallon. We use our gen a lot when traveling.
I ran my fridge off my inverter when we went coast to coast once trying to save on propane, boy was I stupid! Smoked a $400.oo alternator!
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Old 04-12-2015, 06:45 PM   #27
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Fridge working while driving?

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Originally Posted by jbrv View Post

6 months between fill ups? If that involves multiple 5-10 day off grid times I could forget about the whole thing then and be happy.

They designed them to work so we don't have stuff to worry about.
Yep. Just turn on the gas, trust the safety devices and features that have been designed to protect you.
Yes, be happy! You have what you need.
If still worried, take option 2: residential refer, more batteries, inverter, etc. Your rig, your nickle!
Happy trails
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Old 04-12-2015, 09:36 PM   #28
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Fridge working while driving?

Jbrv,

Something I might of missed in all the replies, but I didn't see a reply where anyone asked if you had an inverter powered outlet behind your fridge. ... Or let's back up one more step...

Do you have an ice maker. If you do, it will be driven off the inverter. You can unplug the heating coils from your non-inverted outlet (gen and shore power only) and plug it into the same outlet your ice maker is plugged into ... Again, assuming you've got an ice maker.

Shoot... Just open the access panel behind the fridge and see if you have two separate 120volt outlets. If you do, odds are one is inverted, the other is not.

If this has already been offered up as a suggestion, just consider me late to the game and ignore my post.
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