Dometic 12v

[heron]

Just got my Dometic 2341 back from having it looked at. I think it was here, somewhere, that someone(s) advised me to get it fixed, even though it's 30 years old, because it's a good unit. The guy who worked on it cleaned the burners and got the propane going, something I'll be able to do myself, next time. It works on 110, but not on 12v. He said there was a switch gone, and that it wouldn't be worth it to buy it and do the work on the thing. We were on the way to a doctor's appointment, so Ididn't pursue it at the time, but now thinking I should have. Propane doesn't stay going as you're driving, and I'm not that fond of flames when I'm not watching over them, so it really makes sense to have the 12v. Any thoughts?

[sternwake]

The 12v function on many absorption fridges cannot keep the interior at the desired temperature anyway. Some can some can't. They usually consume at least 150 watts too and still underperform.

Many with travel trailers and absorption fridges report the batteries still discharge with fridge on 12v because of the fridge, despite being plugged into tow vehicle.

You could try running it on a large enough inverter, on 120Vac when driving, or hoping it can stay cool( sub 40f) enough while underway until you can fire up the propane.

Some others have reported that they installed baffling so that the pilot light does not go out when underway and just run it on propane, even through tunnels or when refueling at gas stations, which is technically illegal, and is much of the reason for the 12v heater option for absorption fridges.

With the more recent cost cutting measures of pretty much every single appliance made, it is likely the older absorption fridge is built more durable than what one could purchase today. Just avoid running it off level.

[Blanch]

I used propane exclusively. I’d just turn my fridge off for long drives. As long as I didn’t open it everything stayed cool. The 12v ran my battery down too fast.

You can make this work well enough for the two of you. At least I think you can.


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[Snikwahjm]

Make lots of ice before you go very far

[heron]

Make lots of ice before you go very far

For sure. I have a bunch of those blue freezer thingies. They keep the cold longer than ice, yes? So I'll freeze them up when driving. Used the thing as an icebox for six months, but would like to have the space for food, instead of ice.

[heron]

The 12v function on many absorption fridges cannot keep the interior at the desired temperature anyway.  Some can some can't.  They usually consume at least 150 watts too and still underperform.

You could try running it on a large enough inverter, on 120Vac when driving, or hoping it can stay cool( sub 40f) enough while underway until you can fire up the propane.

Just avoid running it off level.

I do have 200W of solar, so maybe it'd be worth it? It does work really well on 120V, too.

I read that you have to be careful with leveling it when using propane. I try to have the thing pretty level, anyway, but does it really have to be exactly so?

[tx2sturgis]

In a galaxy far far away, I used to have an older RV with a 3-way fridge, and the 12v function while driving was a bit of a joke. 

So what I did, on long drives with a day or two of little or no stationary time to run the fridge on propane, I would buy a small block of dry ice during the grocery shopping that was normally done at the beginning of a trip, to stock up on groceries. Not all grocery stores have dry ice, but most of the larger ones do. 

I'd wrap the dry ice (which was usually in a plastic bag), in some newspaper, and put that on top of the frozen items in the freezer, mine was a 2-door. I think yours is a single door, but it still might have room. 

This would keep the freezer section very cold, and the fridge section cool enough for at least a few days. By then, I would be parked and running the fridge on propane.

It might work for you if you can anticipate ahead of time, those longer days at the wheel....

[rvpopeye]

If you never drive more than 5 or 6 hours  , just shut it off and don't open the door too much or at all , hey you're driving right ?
Ice etc. will help a bit too.

Most RVers I know do trips like this .

[MN C Van]

I can't tell you how well the little 12v fridge works- And seems to sip amps.
It's my only experience with 12v fridges, so I have nothing to verse it against.

Seems a couple of them would solve your problems.
Or, one big one.

[heron]

Well, I feel pretty good about it, with everyone's encouragement. I hadn't realized groceries sold dry ice. That will make a big difference. We should be good to go. When we get back here in ten days or so, I'm going to put some 1/2" polyiso insulation on the wall behind the fridge, so the sun doesn't heat things up quite so badly, too.