Fridge Replacement Advice 2010 T@B TQ

Tablet

Greetings!

Our old Norcold DC0740B works fine, but it sounds like a small antique plane getting ready for take-off every time the compressor engages and it's inefficient. We would like to replace it, I would think with a 3 way. I have read many a post on this forum regarding so many options, some current and some from 3 or more years ago. We boondock, and tend to avoid the plugged in section of the campgrounds we go to. I'm thinking propane will be the default, as needing to be in the sun for solar is counter-intuitive for staying cool, and being in the North there's just not as much sun, and having separate panels to mount off trailer seems too troublesome. That said, is there a compelling reason to not get a 3 way so we have 12v just in case? We live in Wisconsin, but it looks like we may be be moving to Washington soon. I don't think I want a top loading unit at this point, but may consider one later as an addition. I'd like the most quiet, most efficient, most reliable, largest capacity tiny fridge I can find, for $100 haha! I know my desires will cost me. Suggestions please? If there is anything a little bigger than what is stock I could fit in there with some kind of cabinet mod I'd be all over it, and a stock size drop in would be ok too.

Thanks!

Peter.

VictoriaP

I don’t have a specific rec, just a thought...

As far as the saving money aspect goes, if your heart is set on a 3-way, well, they’re pricey. Actually, any new RV fridge is. If you're going that route, on the two RVs I renovated with the starter husband, we often found ourselves scrounging at RV salvage yards for parts and appliances at a decent discount. It might be worth seeing if there’s one in your area, or along your route to the Northwest. Pre-COVID, at least, there was still one west of the Cascades in Washington, I think. (Edit: yep, West Coast RV Recycling in Centralia, took over for Singleton’s. Man, I really loved rummaging at Singleton’s.) It’d certainly be worth a phone call or two to salvage yards to see if they have a working fridge of similar dimensions to yours.

Tablet

Thank you for the tip, but at this point I'd rather get the right thing asap and not worry too much about the cost. Suddenly we are very likely planning a 3 week trip very soon to look at land for sale and I'd like to sort this out.

Denny16

Replacing with w three-way is a step backwards, the LP refrig are very inefficient and require lots of power on 12VDC.  You will also need to cut vent holes in the side of the trailer, and you will have less inside storage in a 3-way the same size outside as the 2-way compressor fridge.  You might want to consider a newer more efficient compressor 2-way fridge.  The one on our 2018 TaB400 is very quiet and does not use much power, so the solar panel on an average day more than keeps up with the fridge draw on the battery.

In the new RV show in Germany this weekend, compressor fridges are being featured on the new higher end RVs, and Europe was the last hold out on 3-way LP fridges, as they are more common.  LP fridges have too many issues for me, need more precise leveling of RV, take longer to cool off, have less CU space inside the units, and can be difficult to get started on LP mode.

A compressor 12VDC/AC fridge is like what you have at home, plug it in, set the temp and Bob’s your uncle...
cheers

Verna

The new 2021 T@B 320’s are using an Isotherm fridge, which I do believe is going towards the upper end of the RV two-way fridges. One report says it uses 1 amp per hour, another says 3 amps per hour. That is excellent, compared to the old 3 way Norcold that had a rather inefficient 12V chilling.

Denny16

The battery current drain (amps per hr.) depends on the fridge temp setting, Outside temp, and how often you open it, so it is from 1 to 3 amps per hr, once it gets cold.  It uses more getting the temp down to 40F, but once there, it uses very little to stay there.
cheers

Sharon_is_SAM

@Tablet, how big of a battery do you have?  It sounds like you have been boondocking using a DC frig.  I understand why you think a 3 way is in order, especially as it sounds like solar is not a good option for you.  But, if you have gotten along with the inefficient DC frig all this time, I think you would be surprised of the efficiency of the new DC frig.  Also, we use portable solar as we like to park in the shade.  That may be an option.

Tablet

Ok it seems I must relent. I hear so many different points of view on this sometimes it's hard to sort it out. When we boondock we use coolers. If we were to attempt to run our fridge we would need better batteries and likely more solar, which has been discussed here in other posts, both mine and of course many others. I just thought getting a propane fridge would make it easier, as I don't mind carrying an extra tank or swapping one out. What we currently have is: 24” x 60” R-42, 42 watt Powerfilm Solar Panel, Energizer E24DC Marine Battery, 675 Marine Cranking, 550 Cold Cranking Amps, and as I have been told likely not a true deep cycle battery.

I just pulled our old fridge out, and we are strongly considering nixing a floor or side cabinet to make room for a larger unit, which of course means more power, but likely less power than we have been using!

Sharon_is_SAM

How long do you boondock?  It sounds like you are already very conservative with power.  But a DC frig will likely require at least 35 amps/day, so you need either a decent capacity battery, a larger solar array or both. Here is a thread that shows how you can alter the cabinet:

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/87839#Comment_87839

Sharon_is_SAM

The TaG forum members are creating a slide out system to replace the supplied Yeti coolers.  They have used an ICECO here:

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/1057/no-slide-out-shelf-for-yeti-coolers-in-the-2021-tags#latest

VictoriaP

If you truly want propane, this is the last fridge nuCamp used in the 320. https://norcold.com/product/norcold-n180-3-refrigerator/

It requires two vents on the side of the trailer behind the door when opened. It's extremely inefficient on 12v and like most propane fridges, hard to keep the temp exactly where you want it. No freezer either. The next size up is substantially larger physically, but might still fit with some cabinet changes, as I’ve seen it used on other RVs in a below counter installation. https://norcold.com/product/norcold-n305-n306-refrigerator/ Not sure about what venting changes you’d need.

Availability may be limited right now, as COVID has simultaneously caused an unprecedented spike in RV sales while putting a major crimp in the supply chain. But hopefully you can find what you need in the timeframe you’re looking at.

Tablet

Sharon_is_SAM said:

How long do you boondock?  It sounds like you are already very conservative with power.  But a DC frig will likely require at least 35 amps/day, so you need either a decent capacity battery, a larger solar array or both. Here is a thread that shows how you can alter the cabinet:

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/87839#Comment_87839

Thanks, I have seen that thread and read it twice. We prefer a front loading unit rather than a top loader. We are a family of 3 and bring a lot of fresh food and digging through layers won't work so well, although I can definitely see where an ARB as a free standing second unit in the TV might be a good idea, but one expensive improvement at a time! As far as how long we boondock, there's no set time periods. We are considering going on the road for a year in part as a traveling homeschool, so my ultimate goal is to be able to be self sufficient for long periods.

Tablet

Sharon_is_SAM said:

The TaG forum members are creating a slide out system to replace the supplied Yeti coolers.  They have used an ICECO here:

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/1057/no-slide-out-shelf-for-yeti-coolers-in-the-2021-tags#latest

Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't seen this yet. Not a direction we are wanting to go at this time.

Tablet

VictoriaP said:

If you truly want propane, this is the last fridge nuCamp used in the 320. https://norcold.com/product/norcold-n180-3-refrigerator/

It requires two vents on the side of the trailer behind the door when opened. It's extremely inefficient on 12v and like most propane fridges, hard to keep the temp exactly where you want it. No freezer either. The next size up is substantially larger physically, but might still fit with some cabinet changes, as I’ve seen it used on other RVs in a below counter installation. https://norcold.com/product/norcold-n305-n306-refrigerator/ Not sure about what venting changes you’d need.

Availability may be limited right now, as COVID has simultaneously caused an unprecedented spike in RV sales while putting a major crimp in the supply chain. But hopefully you can find what you need in the timeframe you’re looking at.

I like the size and layout of the larger model, the 305/306. I think this might be what the woman who owns the farm where we live has in her horse trailer, I'll need to check. She really likes it. I'm not sure if it's 2 way or 3, but I know it's propane. I think the 305 may be an inch too deep for the space I have, and at first glance the venting I would need to do gives me paws.... woof woof.

Tablet

Denny16 said:

Replacing with w three-way is a step backwards, the LP refrig are very inefficient and require lots of power on 12VDC.  You will also need to cut vent holes in the side of the trailer, and you will have less inside storage in a 3-way the same size outside as the 2-way compressor fridge.  You might want to consider a newer more efficient compressor 2-way fridge.  The one on our 2018 TaB400 is very quiet and does not use much power, so the solar panel on an average day more than keeps up with the fridge draw on the battery.

In the new RV show in Germany this weekend, compressor fridges are being featured on the new higher end RVs, and Europe was the last hold out on 3-way LP fridges, as they are more common.  LP fridges have too many issues for me, need more precise leveling of RV, take longer to cool off, have less CU space inside the units, and can be difficult to get started on LP mode.

A compressor 12VDC/AC fridge is like what you have at home, plug it in, set the temp and Bob’s your uncle...
cheers

I can see the wisdom here. I am investigating. On first poke around, I'm finding units any bigger than what I have are too deep to fit, although I know there's so many options out there....

Mouseketab

FYI the fridge that will exactly fit in that spot is the following: https://engelcoolers.com/products/70-rv-camping-fridge?variant=33052513763461&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwtNf6BRAwEiwAkt6UQuHviLHSJD5OhPxDnmJtxKB7vbr8VhNFSUr6enrO9kV_C56rrWtnhhoCzmcQAvD_BwE

Tablet

Verna said:

The new 2021 T@B 320’s are using an Isotherm fridge, which I do believe is going towards the upper end of the RV two-way fridges. One report says it uses 1 amp per hour, another says 3 amps per hour. That is excellent, compared to the old 3 way Norcold that had a rather inefficient 12V chilling.

These look intriguing. They seem to have been originally designed for boats, and some even use a seawater pump to help cool them? I always wanted an aquatic T@B.... The ones I have seen so far seem to have the same size issue I am running into where if I go any larger than the tiny stock Norcold, I don't have the depth. Maybe I need to consider removing my cool cat. So far we never use it. Hmmmm.... always so much to think about in these decisions.

ScottG

Switching to a propane fridge would probably be a moderate to advanced project depending on your skill level and confidence. However, while they can be finicky to light at times, they barely sip both propane and 12V (which is still required to run the electronics). I just dry camped for four days with negligible solar--the three-way hummed along fine on propane but I'm pretty sure even the best 12V units would have drained my battery completely well before I was ready to go home. I'm not looking forward to repairing or replacing my three-way when the time comes, but so far I have been pretty happy with it for six seasons.

Others are correct that the three-ways are very inefficient on 12V, but keep in mind that--unlike two-way compressor fridges--they are not intended to be run that way except when connected to a 12V auxiliary supply from a running tow vehicle.

Denny16

And most newer (last 3-5 years) TV can not supply the required current to run a 3-way on 12VDC.
cheers