Residential fridge

[Vfoote3]

We never had a residential fridge with inverter. Can we run it while in tow to keep food cold or do we have to wait until we are parked?

[Bookemdanno]

Yes...run fridge with inverter on while driving. How long it lasts is dependent on how many and what kind of battery(ies) you have.

[Vfoote3]

Where do I get info on the best batteries to use?

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by Vfoote3

Where do I get info on the best batteries to use?

A lot is gonna depend on how you camp and how long/far you drive in a day. I started with one 12 volt (supplied by dealer). It was fine for local 1 day drive trips, but when we started going further, I upgraded to three 12 volt AGM batteries that worked fine. I needed to replace the AGM batteries and did some research and emailed/called battery companies. For me, the one Lithium battery replaced the three AGM batteries for my use.

My 1st suggestion would be to get on YouTube and do a search for RV Batteries. You will be watching videos for months. Like I said earlier, it all depends on how you camp with your RV.

[Lake Huron]

My Northpoint has a residential fridge. It runs off the inverter when it not plugged into shore power. It also runs off the inverter while going down the road AND it's a seperate wiring system so it's not even being charged when the trailer is plugged into the truck. It came from the dealer with two 6v wet cell Interstate batteries wired in series to get the 12v it needs to invert. I can run mine for 2-3 days pretty easily.

[Radar57]

Originally Posted by Vfoote3

Where do I get info on the best batteries to use?

That question opens pandora's box and a can of worms because everyone has their own opinion based on their wants, needs and preference. Look at the manual for your camper. It will probably reference a 12 volt Group 27 deep cycle lead acid battery. To operate the inverter to keep the fridge running while you travel you will need two batteries minimum. Keep in mind the tow vehicle may keep the charged as you travel. From there you go to AGM and Lion along with price increase. Another option is 6 volt batteries in series. They will provide greater capacity (longer run time) but are also pricey. I realize that may not be a direct answer but I'm sure others will chime in.

[Vfoote3]

How do the batteries recharge, with a solar panel?

[robkelly]

We run 4 6V batteries connected in series parallel and have had no issues with the fridge staying cold. The longest day on the road was about 14 hours, and at that point the batteries were showing just under 12V of charge.

[mboy]

vfoot3 you sound like you don't understand the electrical on an RV....no problem, you'll learn. Google and search.

batteries get recharged when you plug in the shore power. a little bit of a charge when driving (don't rely on this), or you can add solar but that is another thing you'd have to understand.

[Vfoote3]

Sounds like lithium batteries are the best type you have and takes less 4 to keep fridge cold while traveling. thanks

[F350guy]

Originally Posted by Lake Huron

My Northpoint has a residential fridge. It runs off the inverter when it not plugged into shore power. It also runs off the inverter while going down the road AND it's a seperate wiring system so it's not even being charged when the trailer is plugged into the truck. It came from the dealer with two 6v wet cell Interstate batteries wired in series to get the 12v it needs to invert. I can run mine for 2-3 days pretty easily.

Are you saying the charge line from the trucks 7 pin connector does not charge the batteries? Curious as the inverter gets it's power from the batteries which I would think would be getting a charge while underway, at least my current rig does that. I have 2 6 volt Trojan batteries and they will run our Samsung fridge all day. My inverter will usually show about 13 volts as long as I'm plugged in to the truck. Unplug and it drops to 12.4 or so.

Another question, is there a transfer switch that automatically changes to inverter power when unplugged from shore power and vice versa?

[TxLoser]

I’ll be interested as well in the north point setup.


Anyway, we have the res fridge. I have 2 6v batts, and it’ll make it 10-12hrs of driving with room to spare. I really like having that fridge except for one issue.....boondocking. It cools off super fast and is overall cooler than my previous RV fridges. With the propane I felt I had the option always to comfortably boondock for a at least one night without needing to run the gen, with this one, I have my doubts.