The ability to store and refrigerate food is a big deal when you’re on the road in an RV. There are three primary types of RV fridges – absorption, compressor, and residential – but the type you choose will largely depend on your travel style and needs.
Whether you are a full-time RVer or a weekender, if your refrigerator is broken it can be a major inconvenience. It can also be expensive to replace a fridge, especially if you’re looking at getting a more powerful model. If your refrigerator is not working, it’s important to have a qualified technician check it out as soon as possible. Honest technicians will make sure you know what your options are, including if it makes more sense to repair or buy a new refrigerator.
If your refrigerator is leaking or if it has stopped working altogether, you may have a bad cooling unit or an electronic failure that’s beyond repair. If you find this to be the case, it is best to purchase a new refrigerator rather than trying to fix your old one. Buying a new fridge will cost around the same as replacing the cooling unit, plus you’ll have the added bonus of a new refrigerator that’s more energy efficient than your old one.
The most popular and reliable RV refrigerators are the 2-way and 3-way RV absorption fridges. They use a system of gas and electricity to cool your food and drinks. First, the pressurized refrigerant is heated by the burner on your RV stove. This heats it to the point that it condenses into a liquid. The liquid then passes through a small office where it vaporizes back into a gas. This gas then cools the fridge compartment, which is where your food and beverages are stored.
These refrigerators don’t have fans to circulate air, so the refrigerator’s interior temperature is controlled by convection. This means that it can take up to 24 hours for the fridge to reach the desired temperature if you’re packing a full fridge. It’s a good idea to pack the fridge full of cold food and drinks the night before you go on an RV trip, so you don’t waste electricity waiting for it to get cold.
Many RVers prefer to go with the more costly but highly reliable 3 way refrigerators from Dometic and Norcold. These fridges are designed to be more durable, and offer features like stabilizers for bumpy rides, automatic frost limiting, locking door handles, and thick insulation.
If you only stay at developed campgrounds with electric hook-ups, a 12V refrigerator will work just fine for you. However, if you’re a frequent boondocker or do overnight Walmart stays with a heavy battery bank and solar panel setup, then you might want to consider investing in a more expensive residential-style fridge that can run on both propane and electricity. It’s a great option if you’re planning on traveling long-term, or even permanently. rv refrigeration