Your thoughts on running a residential refrigerator while traveling

[Mr. Dave]

Last week I finished up my conversion from the Norcold 1200 to a Whirlpool side-by-side residential refrigerator in our 2003 Revolution 40C. Took a good amount of time to completed it but it was worth it as we love the room and the fact that it actually keeps everything cold! (I plan on posting a summary of the project in the near future.)

We did our first trip this past weekend with the new fridge. As we traveled, I left it on. Everything worked fine.

On to my question:

I'm wondering if others that have a residential model keep your refrigerator on while moving? Or, do you turn it off until you get to your destination or make a stop and then turn it back on?

Reason I ask is I know if I move our stick and bricks freezer or refrigerator with the compressor running, you can hear it click and clack if it's move a bit too aggressively. So with all the bouncing around while driving, you'd think the same thing would happen.

Just wondering if all that shaking of the compressor while running is a bad thing.

Thanks and look forward to opinions.

[TLGPE]

I specifically wired our Samsung so that it runs off of the inverter. That way it can run all the time. Almost three years now; it's just fine.


Tom

[jimbo2013]

Originally Posted by TLGPE

I specifically wired our Samsung so that it runs off of the inverter. That way it can run all the time. Almost three years now; it's just fine.


Tom

+2.

[twinboat]

I've been running a residential refrigerator, off an inverter, in my 35 foot trawler for 8 years.

We cruise up and down the East coast, sometimes in pretty heavy seas and it's still running fine.

[ChallengerRN]

Run ours 100% of the time. Either on inverter. Generator or shore power.

Russell

[bgholson]

I usually run the generator when traveling for heat or cooling so the fridge is running. When not running the generator the fridge stays cool for 8 hours.......probably longer but I don't drive more than 8 hrs a day. My story is it makes no difference if the fridge is running or not......and I'm sticking to it!

[normxray]

We run ours all the time, it is on the inverter. But sometimes I run the generator while driving as well. I think most of the new units are designed to run off inverter. Mine is a 2015 coachmen encounter.

[radar]

Good morning

We turned our residentiual on about three years ago when we did the changeover. It hasn't been off since then. We are full timers.

Cheers.

[dons2346]

We run ours all the time but you don't have to. Last year we had a transfer switch go bad while boondocking in Quartzsite. We went 20 hours with no 110VAC to the coach and everything was still frozen and the refer portion was just reaching 40.

A 4-8 hour drive without power would be no problem

[dadej]

I hear you guys say run off the inverter all the time or shore power, generator or inverter. On the back side of the existing norcold there is a 120 plug and a 120 plug from the invertor. When I get my new res ref do Which plug do I use if I go From inverter to shore power? Surely I don't have to take the back panel off every time I switch.

[twinboat]

The generator or shore power feed the inverter, which pass's the power thru to the fridge and what ever other outlets is hooked up.

It the gen. or shore power goes out the inverter takes over, using battery power to feed the fridge.

It should be a hands free automatic operation.

With inverters without a pass thru feature, you can buy a transfer switch to wire in.

You could just let the inverter run the fridge full time. The charger or alternator will keep the batteries up.

What that saying about skinning a cat ?

[JMonroe]

Our residential fridge hasn't been turned off once in the 5 years and 35,000 miles since we took delivery of the coach.

[Hit_the_Rhod]

Samsung residential installed August of 2014, on all the time plugged into the inverter. No need to unplug and re-plug. The inverter is always drawing off of the batteries which are either being charged from the engine alternator when traveling, or the bird when plugged into shore power, or the generator when that is running. It's all good. Just plug in and forget!

[Sky_Boss]

We don't give it a second thought. It is always on.