Best rv appliances according to redditors
We found 25 Reddit comments discussing the best rv appliances. We ranked the 10 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 25 Reddit comments discussing the best rv appliances. We ranked the 10 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
No. There aren't any USB fridges. You might find a toy USB cooler, but it would be useless.
There are 12v refrigerators that will run off the 12v plug in the rear of the X.
http://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CDF-11-Smallest-Portable-Refrigerator/dp/B005X97OHA/
Don't waste your money on anything called a cooler. Their cooling is minimal and virtually useless in warm weather. If the description says refrigerator and it costs under $300, they lie. It's just a cooler
Looks like bullshit to me.
You can use a compressor powered, 12VDC portable refrigerator and freezer effectively on the go, but you're going to need some dedicated solar power production. Let's run through some numbers:
31 liter capacity portable fridge/freezer for $611
They have a 10.5 liter capacity version for $316 if you need to go really cheap. Reviews say this unit draws an average of about 3.75A, or 45W. For quick math: watts = volts x amps.
As a comparison, you can just how much different an actual refrigeration system is from the portable unit linked above. Looking at the pricing and weights further shows just how far off this system is from being able to actually safely refrigerate your food.
In total, This is $1100 in hardware and 127lbs of equipment to be able to properly maintain cold food storage. The thing you linked is a backpack sized beverage cooler only.
If you get a fridge, pick one like this Dometic not the one you linked to.
You won't be able to keep a fridge going in the summer from the engine unless you drive a lot. I would suggest starting off with something like this Coleman
Save your money as much as possible and then see what you will need once you have been living in the van for a while.
While not intended for this purpose, I have a setup I use for travelling that would take care of small scale emergency refrigeration/freezing. A 12v "real" portable refrigerator/freezer (compressor based) and a multi-purpose 225wh lithium battery. Depending on the temperature difference requirements between the internal temp and external, the unit can run just off the 12v port of the 225wh battery for up to 24 hours. The battery can be charged with a wall plug or with a 12v adapter straight from the car while its being used. Basically I can keep things refrigerated/frozen for extremely long periods of time by having the 12v of the Model S connected (via the standard 12v outlet) to the battery and have the battery connected (via it's standard 12v outlet) to the refrig/freezer.
Just rambling on, but thought it was a cool setup that would only require the Model S to be powered on "sometimes" to keep the 225wh battery charged.
These things:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005X9E6IK
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M45PI56
I've been living in my jeep Cherokee for about 2 months and have this . I have it in the passenger seat floor. Its an actual freezer/fridge, that's nicely low power and battery saver mode. Great for ice cream across Nevada. :-D
If I ever have a passenger its really light and easy to pop in the back and they have a seat.
No worries, this is the plug you want for the drain hose.
Absorption fridges are inherently inefficient in how they cool. If you're camping a lot in deserts it might be worthwhile to switch to a 12V compressor fridge as a lot of your issue is likely just that the ambient air temperature is so high.
Is that like a normal fridge with Freon and a compressor, or is it the gas absorption style like what you'd find in an RV? Just curious since Dometic makes portable gas absorption refrigerators/freezers that look similar to what you've got. https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-080AC110-Portable-Refrigerator-Capacity/dp/B005X97OHA?th=1 Not sure what the 11 liter one draws, but the largest one draws 7 amps at 12VDC
If the fridge is empty the temperature changes quickly. When the compressor runs it gets down to the set temperature quickly. Put a 6 pack of your favorite beverage in it. Put a thermometer in it. It is supposed to run a short period of time and shut off. The time depends on the temperature inside.
About $20 :
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-4451037733-Volt-Power-Refrigerators/dp/B01GVTBN5E/
Then you can keep your original cord intact and cut the end off the new one.
https://www.amazon.com/Flame-King-YSNHT600-Burner-Cooktop/dp/B01D42QH2U/ref=pd_sbs_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PBZV9MR4JCQMPTM5HBN4
<33333!
That won't work, unfortunately.
A solar panels' 'nameplate' power is only produced in cool weather and the panel pointed to the (overhead) sun.
Enter San Diego into http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/, change "DC System Size (kW):" to "0.1" (100W), and change "Tilt (deg):" to "0" (horizontal), on the last page you'll see the monthly" production under "AC Energy (kWh)", divide by 31 to get the daily numbers (the juli/aug 16kWh is 500Wh/day), and your 60W cooler needs 60W x 24hr = 1440Wh/day (thermoelectric coolers are very inefficient).
More expensive are compressor coolers, 3A average according to "customer comments", and (they say) it will 'freeze' stuff in 1 hour, if your "need to keep something cool" can handle ambient temperatures like can/bottle beverages you can install a timer to run it only at let's say 11:00-13:00 for lunch and 16:00-22:00 for dinner.
>so I have decided to use whatever I will have for solar system as my starting battery
Bad choice, a 'starter' battery is designed to give a very high 500A? 'starting' current (thin plates for a very large surface area), a 'deep cycle' has fewer but much thicker plates for a current of ~1/10th the capacity (12A from a 120Ah battery).
There are ways to charge the 'domestic' battery from the car alternator, example (pdf) uses diodes, to find out if a particular setup will damage the deep-cycle I suggest you google-fu RV/boat-users websites (the -shops* only want to sell things).
If you like electronics, or know someone (highschool tech dept.?), a small CC-CV buck-boost converter's input can be connected directly (via a fuse) to the (12V) panel, the output, via a diode, to the starter battery, the "CC" (constant current) will limit that to whatever you set it (0,5A?) and the "CV" can be set to 13.8V? (max starter battery voltage), that will keep it 'topped up' from the solar panel without draining the domestic battery.
You do need a 'battery charge controller', an MPPT is recommended.
Edit: word
How about 330$? Ive had this for 3 years now, works a champ. I keep it as a fridge but for a few months i cranked up to freezer temps and could even keep ice cream solid.
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-018-D65-B-Portable-Refrigerator-Personal/dp/B0136TQ65Y
hey all,
I'm in my Ford Explorer currently, out of neccessity, but plan to move into a van out of choice at the end of October.
I was thinking of getting this Goalzero Solar Kit, a long with this 12Volt Dometic to store some cold items.
Do you think I'd be able t run that fridge off of the Yeti 400 and still be able to charge my laptop about once a day at least? I'm in Portland Oregon, so I plan to also charge the yeti off my vehicle engine when the weather goes to shit.
What type of Solar & refrigeration set ups do you all have?
My budget initially should be around 600-700 bucks.
Probably your best bet:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005X97OHA/
I use Dometic CF-040
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-040AC110-Portable-Freezer-Refrigerator/dp/B0030G4VBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1466305117&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=dometic+cf-040
I power it with two 12v batteries, 125ah each.
Something like this should work for a sedan: https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CDF-11-Smallest-Portable-Refrigerator/dp/B005X97OHA
Hi everyone. Thanks for all the responses and advice. It does help. I need to be more clear on my idea and better explain how I could easily achieve my goal of a hot bath every night. Here it goes.
I would install an RV 60 gallon tank (71"L x 18"W x 12”H) between my bed (Twin XL) and floor. The tank would be fully insulated minimizing the power to keep a consistent heat. The hot water would also keep my bed warm so I wouldn’t need much heat at night. The big question Ive noticed is “how would you heat the water?” My idea is to heat the incoming fill water with propane by using something like this.
http://www.amazon.com/Eccotemp-L5-Portable-Tankless-Outdoor/dp/B000TXOJQ4.
Once I have the hot water I could maintain temp with this
http://www.amazon.com/Suburban-520789-1440W-Electric-Element/dp/B003G9G4X4
Using golf cart batteries to power element.
Or I could fill my tank with cold water and heat incoming bath water with tankless water heater.
https://www.amazon.com/Suburban-520789-1440W-Electric-Element/dp/B003G9G4X4
I have done a lot of research on this, and in my view, the [Dometic CF-018DC] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030G7Y64/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=battleforthew-20), which costs less than $500 new, is the best DC fridge/freezer on the market.
Doesn't take up a lot of space, runs cold and holds up to 23 12 oz cans of soda.
Hope this is helpful!
If you're not planning on using the alternator to charge the battery, I doubt that 60w alone is enough to run a fridge. I have a 115w panel that I use to run a small dometic fridge and it works well if it's sunny. I could probably get away with less, but I doubt half as much, which is what you have. On the other hand, if you're only going to run it for a weekend, get the largest AGM battery you can fit in the space you have and recharge it when you get home.
Get an MPPT charge controller because you want to maximize the output from those small panels.
Here are the fridge and charge controller I have and am happy with.
Use an airbnb place, cook for week, clean up. Pack my van. Roll
The fridge I use, love it
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-018DC-Portable-Refrigerator-Personal/dp/B0030G7Y64/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474840297&amp;sr=8-12&amp;keywords=Dometic