Can I upgrade 1990 Bounder to 12v refrigerator?

[fxrtharley]

Hi all,
I am resurrecting a 1990 Fleetwood Bounder and of course the 30 year old fridge is caput but should be upgraded anyway. Instead of going back to the 2 way I am quite intrigued by the 12v fridge option. We do not plan on cross country trips with it or a ton of boondocking if at all just some weekend stays a few hours from home for a getaway. Does the 1990 Bounder have a setup good enough for the 12v option. There is 120 of course for the Dometic and I will have to check if there is a 12v going to it for the internal light which I might be able to use or could run a line from the converter. It has two 12 volt house batteries for storage so I think would be fine for a few hour road trip and run off the converter while on shore power.
Has anyone done a 12v conversion on an older wiring system with any suggestions? Thanks

[Soppy]

You should be able to easily install a 12v fridge. Most 12v fridges will draw around 5 amps running current. Your existing wiring should be able to handle the current without much voltage drop if it is #12 wire. #14 will work if the distance from the battery bank is not to far. You will have no problem running the fridge while travelling and a 100ah battery should be enough to power the fridge for 24 hrs. Of course this will depend on the air temperature and actual fridge. You should also upgrade your converter with a newer model with multistage charging. You may also consider changing to Lithium batteries.

[theoldwizard]

Originally Posted by Soppy

You should be able to easily install a 12v fridge. Most 12v fridges will draw around 5 amps running current. Your existing wiring should be able to handle the current without much voltage drop if it is #12 wire. #14 will work if the distance from the battery bank is not to far. You will have no problem running the fridge while travelling and a 100ah battery should be enough to power the fridge for 24 hrs. Of course this will depend on the air temperature and actual fridge. You should also upgrade your converter with a newer model with multistage charging. You may also consider changing to Lithium batteries.

I am guessing you did not do extensive research on those numbers, but they seem low to me !

Background : A 12V compressor refrigerator takes the DC voltage bumps it up "some" and converts it to 3 phase. (3 phase motors are much more efficient.). This is all invisible to the consumer (black box mounted near the motor/compressor).

Follow manufacturers guide lines on wire size (you will likely have to install new wire from the battery to the refrigerator). The big issue is the type and size of the battery bank and how you are going to charge it.

Your old converter is likely not up to the job. It would likely have to be replaced. This would be a good time to consider an inverter/charger/automatic transfer switch.

Batteries type/size depends on your budget. Lead Acid (GC2) are adequate, if you have the space. Boondocking might require 4, or at least a small generator/DC-DC charger. LiFePO4 are expensive, but lighter and store more energy.

[bwanna2016]

contact myron at jc refrigeration. they sell the 12 volt fridges. he'll give you the info you need. we recently had them install their unit in our mh.