Community Forums

shane clark · 06-08-2023, 03:31 PM

Hello,

I have a 2014 Thor Palazzo with a Whirlpool W8RXNGMWS02 18 cu ft residential fridge. I also have 4 solar panels on the roof and two 200AH lithium batteries. When the sun goes down the fridge drains my batteries really quickly. I go from a full charge to empty within 5 or 6 hours. I don't want to be plugged in everywhere I go, what can I do? Do I need a new more efficient refrigerator? Do I need more solar and batteries?

Thanks!

High Road Travelers · 06-08-2023, 03:41 PM

I'm sure someone familiar with your fridge will respond. I have a residential fridge and four wet cell batteries and no solar, and can run my fridge all day or all night with no problem. I usually run the generator for an hour or so in the morning and in the evening. So it sounds like something on your setup may not be working properly. My fridge runs on AC current, either plugged in to shore power, running generator or on the inverter.
Thanks,

Mark_K5LXP · 06-08-2023, 04:58 PM

You report going from full to empty - what is telling you this? A battery monitor that counts amp hours will reveal if this is a load problem (power hog fridge), wimpy batteries, or insufficient charge in the batteries before you started.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

triplewide · 06-08-2023, 05:10 PM

X2^^^^

I would disconnect shore power, no genny, turn off inverter, check voltage at batteries with volt meter.

Turn on inverter. Check voltage at batteries and use clamp on meter to check amperage at frig circuit and inverter output.

Eddmac · 06-13-2023, 07:09 PM

I had a similar fridge and it was doing the same thing.
Turned out the Evaporator fan was on its was out and drawing way more current than it should. New fan was $25, I replaced it myself - it was easy and now not only do my batteries and solar mean I rarely need to run my generator, but my fridge cools evenly also.

saddlesore · 06-13-2023, 07:14 PM

IF Your fridge has an Ice Maker,, Turn it off when dry camping..

jharrell · 06-17-2023, 12:43 PM

How are you measuring charge state? My 400 AH will run GE residential fridge and furnace for 2 days. I would say your batteries aren't really dead or you are not fully charging them, or something else is eating power not fridge.

shane clark · 06-29-2023, 05:32 PM

I figured out this issue. The block heater (which is a small light switch on the bed of all places) was switched on. So anytime my inverter was on, the block heater was on, which was draining my batteries quickly. Once I turned that off, I am getting about 40 hours of power to the RV in the shade. The batteries can run the RV indefinitely as long as I am in the sun.