Fridge - Propane or Electric

[gypsmjim]

I have ample propane and a full hookup. Cost is not an issue. I would be concerned about maintenance, equipment service life, etc.

Should I run the fridge on gas or electric?

[Crabman]

I do not know which is better strictly from a service life point of view but I always run mine on electric when it is available, been doing that for 6+ years now with this Norcold unit.

[Edd505]

Originally Posted by Crabman

I do not know which is better strictly from a service life point of view but I always run mine on electric when it is available, been doing that for 6+ years now with this Norcold unit.

+1

[SouthCo]

If cost not an issue why be concerned with service life or maintenance? I don't know of any household residential fridges that run solely on propane yet many houses have propane... So I'd assume electric is the preferred source. I think propane fridges are for boon docking and for staying cold in transport. But like Crabman I don't know...

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by SouthCo

If cost not an issue why be concerned with service life or maintenance? ...

I should have stated "operating cost". If one way or the other would cause me to have to service the unit sooner, that would be a problem.

[norty1]

I would predominately use electric but periodically use the propane side just to make sure it is operational.
There is a maintenance schedule in the manufacturer's website but it is preventative oriented.

The part that goes bad is the absorption unit and it is in use no matter what the heat source.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

We put ours on Auto and leave it there. Never an issue and it runs on propane when towing or at non-electric sites.

[SmokerBill]

I also alternate, just so both systems are regularly worked. When on full hookups, I switch to gas operation every so often. When boondocking, like I am now, I set the fridge to auto so it switches from gas and runs on electric when my generator is running.

[Seann45]

As a dedicated boondocker I would go with electric when you have it available and only use propane when needed. This saves wear on the "sparker" used to ignite the propane. Mine runs 99.99% of the time on propane but hey why wear something out if you don't need to? This is the first time since I got this trailer in 2010 that I am in a campground with full hookups and I have everything on electric and am surprised that it all works after not being used much over that last 6 years.. (just in the driveway at home)

[Fairenatic]

Electricity is usually the cheaper energy source when camping because it is usually included in your hook up charge. Propane is great if you are booddocking but even then, if the generator is running, I use electric. I shut off the propane while driving 8 hours or less. Never had issues with thawing as long as you keep the doors closed. Maybe that is going a little far, but once you camp for a while, you become more environmentally aware\frugal. I do own some of the quietest gen sets on the market so being neighborly is a big consideration when running them.

[micron]

I always prefer electric whenever its available. Why waste the propane needlessly? Was at a CG once when they lost power to a line of campsites across from me. One poor camper had no propane tank and had to hook up to his TV to power the fridge. Not sure why he had no propane tank. Luckily power got restored by the end of the day.

[slabat]

I also use electric when I have it but propane is always on if I dont have electricity or while towing

[Paintinfool3]

When I get to my campsite I always fire up the propane side of fridge for the first few hours as in my previous experience it cools quicker on propane then after it gets cold I switch to electric for the rest of the time I am there.