Propane and the fridge...

Wil

Hi -  we are relatively new T@B owners and I am planning to spend the next 9 weeks escaping the Texas summer in what used to home - the Pacific Northwest.  I have campsites booked for much of my trip, but I am wondering if anyone can tell me how much propane is used to keep the fridge cool on the days when I can't connect to electricity.

Thanks in advance!

Nomad

The fridge is pretty miserly on propane. I'm coming up on four weeks and the tank still feels fairly full.

Annieoakley

About to boondock 2 days and want to run frig on gas. My question is can I turn off my battery after I light the frig or must I leave it in "on". 

ScottG

I pretty sure you need to leave it on to power the necessary 12 volt circuitry in the fridge. Don't worry, though, it draws very little power when using gas. 

Nomad

I believe it is to run the internal cooling fan as necessary.

Cyclonic

Annieoakley said:

Is it necessary to keep the battery in "on" position after frig is lit with gas? 

Yes, it uses a little bit of juice to run the fan when on propane, so the battery must stay on.

ScottG

Even if I ignore the need to run the cooling fan (not recommended...), my fridge does not stay lit if I disconnect the battery.

Wil

Dumb question: I don't know if my fridge has a fan. Where is said battery switch and if I am correct in that we don't have a fan, is it possible to retrofit the fridge with one?  It certainly puts out a fair amount of heat. 

Tabaz

No such thing as a dumb question on this forum - we're here to help each other out.  Yes, your fridge has at least one fan.  It's behind the grey plastic access panel to the left of the fridge door (five Phillips screws I believe).  You may also have an auxiliary fan that's operated by a rocker switch on the fridge itself (a little round button with a small light on it). Search "Noisy Norcold" for some pictures of the main and auxiliary fans.

Wil

Thanks!  We have the first one. Wondering if we could put an auxiliary fan in. It will have to wait. Enjoying living in my T@B this summer in Oregon, Montana and BC.

Nomad

Wil - If yours doesn't have the aux fan in the vent - it became standard factory install at somr point - you can get a retro kit from the factory. It's pretty easy to install but you could also have a dealer install it. Makes a big difference on keeping the counter ptop cool.

Tabaz

You may want to leave the battery on for the carbon monoxide/propane detector in addition to the fridge.  Having the battery on also let's you turn on that Prison Yard Flood Light (porch light) in case you hear zombies outside your T@B during the night.

Verna

Wil said:

Thanks!  We have the first one. Wondering if we could put an auxiliary fan in. It will have to wait. Enjoying living in my T@B this summer in Oregon, Montana and BC.

If you do have the auxiliary fan, it would blow air out the vent behind the door, when a small switch is turned on near the right upper side of the fridge, or just below the countertop. 

If you don't have one on your 2015 model, Elsie at the Pleasant Valley factory will ship you one for free. If you were near the factory, they would make an appointment to install it for free for you, or your dealer could do it for you. If you are a handy person, it is not that hard to install yourself. 

Tabaz

Wil - ditto on Verna's post above.  I personally found the stock Norcold and LG aux fans way too loud for my liking.  I replaced them both with quieter computer fans.  If you're OK with the noise level of the stock Norcold fan, adding an aux fan that turns on with the Norcold fan is fairly easy.  Hands down, bet mod I've done on my T@B.

ScottG

Good point about the detectors.

If your battery is healthy, you should be fine for your 2-day trip. Judicious use of 12 volt devices (particularly power hogs like the fan and the water pump) are much more important for conserving power than disconnecting the battery entirely.

Nomad

I'd add the outside porch light and the under cabinet countertop light to the power hog category even though they're not nearly as bad as the fan and pump. Forget to turn the porch light off overnight and you'll find out :-)

Annieoakley

Should I disconnect from the car to avoid depleting auto battery? 

Annieoakley

Also when you refer t the "fan" do you mean the ceiling fan? 

Wil

Yes Annie - I have read that can be an issue. 

Wil

Sorry - hit post too quickly. No - some models have an auxiliary fan to help keep the fridge cool. I think I will install one once I get back to Austin. 

Nomad

Annieoakley - disconnecting from car ... In general, Yes.
Always do when camping. If I make a lunch stop I leave it connected and turn the fridge off. Fridge stays cold unless you're a really long lunch taker. Just remember to turn the fridge back on before you roll.

ChanW

Annieoakley it's especially important to remember not to leave your fridge on 12V when the car's not running, because the fridge in 12V mode draws quite a lot of juice.

The three-way in 12V mode can deplete your Tab's battery pretty quickly (like during an extra long lunch), and, if left hooked up, it will deplete you car's battery too.

Many people install a "battery isolator" in their tow vehicle, to protect against depleting the car's battery in situations like that.

Or, make sure you always remember to unhook.

ScottG

Based on info and tips from this forum, I've given up fussing with the fridge on DC mode. By pre-chilling the fridge on AC and tossing in a couple containers of ice cubes (gotta have ice cubes, right?) things have stayed plenty cold for at least 7-8 hours en route.

Might not work so well for a two-day day trip through the Arizona desert, but overall the Norcold works pretty well as a basic cooler. YMMV!

Verna

I keep two 1/2 gallon milk or orange juice jugs filled with frozen water in my freezer at home.  I prechill the fridge using 120V for a couple of days before. I put my two 1/2 galling jugs in the fridge and and anything else I want in there (water, Cokes, winte, fruit, etc).  When ready to leave, I turn the fridge off. The ice stays frozen, keeping the fridge contents cold. When I get to my destination, I turn on the fridge using whatever is available -- electric or propane. This worked all last winter in AZ, from 40* up to the lower 90's. I never used battery power, just my frozen jugs of water between campsites. 

At Tearstock, it was a 6 hr drive from home. The jugs were still frozen. They were still frozen at the end of the week after the fridge being connected to electricity all week. They went into my freezer at home with just about an inch of thawed water, the rest frozen, after a 9.5 hr trip home. 

It works and I'll continue to do this

ChanW

Ditto Verna's routine. 

The 12V mode is often not worth the effort required for us... (not sure my memory wants to make room for all those required little details - have run the Tab battery right down more than once, while eating lunch)

Nomad

Being full time my fridge is always stocked. No room for frozen bottles. Rely on the DC mode for travel with no ill effects but I think it only works if your TV alternator is up to the task.

ScottG

That's why we use containers of cubes. While solid blocks are more effective for keeping things cool, cubes are a necessary staple for certain late afternoon camp activities.  ;-)