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furpod
Moderator Group - pHp
Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
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Topic: Refrigerator on battery and propane Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 11:01am |
Originally posted by myownskin
So, if the refrigerator is running on propane it doesn't use the battery? For some reason I thought it doesn't run on propane alone and needed the battery as well, and if the battery only lasts two hours? Guess that is two hours
solely on battery power.
Yes, 2 hours or so on 12v. Running it on propane, and using 12v as minimal as possible other then for the fridge brain, most boondockers can go 4 days, some report a full week. Weather, and what all you run, affects the battery life.
And if on accident I do run the battery down I cam recharge it with the tv, interesting... I will look closer at the other posts as well, so much to learn.
Use Jumper cables to hook the truck battery to your camper battery, and start the truck, it will charge pretty fast that way. Hooking up the bargman and running the truck also charges, but very slowly in comparison. If you are lucky, and have the "right truck" the bargman can push a 30A rate, but good jumper cables can move 4-6 times that, depending on the alternator in your truck.
Lori
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alan7170
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Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 9:01pm |
Originally posted by Tars Tarkas
Unless you have shore power, run the fridge on propane. The propane is what will keep it cold. The fridge has LED indicator lights and a contol board that use battery power even when the fridge is on propane but the battery usage is minute and relatively inconsequential.
For dry camping your single 12v battery will last maybe 4 days before needing recharging. If you're going to be out that long you need some kind of plan to recbarge.
TT |
We have a 177 and I can easily go more than a week dry camping in summer with no recharge...fridge on propane, LED lights, the water pump is infrequent...there is really not much to drain the battery...
Alan
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techntrek
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Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 11:14pm |
Originally posted by Podster
Not much I can add to that except this is my 1,000th official post! ![Big smile Big smile](smileys/smiley4.gif)
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Woo hoo!
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WillThrill
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Posted: 06 Aug 2016 at 11:46pm |
Originally posted by alan7170
Originally posted by Tars Tarkas
Unless you have shore power, run the fridge on propane. The propane is what will keep it cold. The fridge has LED indicator lights and a contol board that use battery power even when the fridge is on propane but the battery usage is minute and relatively inconsequential.
For dry camping your single 12v battery will last maybe 4 days before needing recharging. If you're going to be out that long you need some kind of plan to recbarge.
TT |
We have a 177 and I can easily go more than a week dry camping in summer with no recharge...fridge on propane, LED lights, the water pump is infrequent...there is really not much to drain the battery...
Alan |
The only stock item I've found that will really drain the battery is the furnace. I would estimate that when we were running the furnace with outside temps down to the 40s and keeping it about 70 inside the Pod, the furnace would consume about 20 amp hours in a 10 hour night. The furnace will also drain your propane rather quickly as well.
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"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien
2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL
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alan7170
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Posted: 07 Aug 2016 at 1:53pm |
Originally posted by WillThrill
Originally posted by alan7170
Originally posted by Tars Tarkas
Unless you have shore power, run the fridge on propane. The propane is what will keep it cold. The fridge has LED indicator lights and a contol board that use battery power even when the fridge is on propane but the battery usage is minute and relatively inconsequential.
For dry camping your single 12v battery will last maybe 4 days before needing recharging. If you're going to be out that long you need some kind of plan to recbarge.
TT |
We have a 177 and I can easily go more than a week dry camping in summer with no recharge...fridge on propane, LED lights, the water pump is infrequent...there is really not much to drain the battery...
Alan |
The only stock item I've found that will really drain the battery is the furnace. I would estimate that when we were running the furnace with outside temps down to the 40s and keeping it about 70 inside the Pod, the furnace would consume about 20 amp hours in a 10 hour night. The furnace will also drain your propane rather quickly as well. |
Exactly...which is why I have no problem dry camping the the summer for 7-10 days before needing a recharge.
In truth, my lovely wife and I end up towing the vehicle to dump the tanks and refill water once a week or so...and that recharges the battery...so I am not sure how long I could actually go in the summer...
Alan
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Marco T
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Posted: 07 Aug 2016 at 6:10pm |
We ran the fridge on propane whenever we weren't plugged in and over two weeks, including one night running the furnace, cooking everyday with the stove, and running the water heater a few of the days - we only used $2 of propane. Not bad for two weeks! The fridge definitely sips propane.
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The Tri-podders
2011 Dodge Durango Citadel - 5.7L Hemi
2015 R-pod 176T
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myownskin
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Posted: 07 Aug 2016 at 11:10pm |
ThAnks everyone for the help, really appreciate it. It will be about 4 days exactly, so I will be prepared to have to possibly charge it, and maybe will not have to. Just the answer and understanding I was hoping to get from this group.
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Patriot Dave
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Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 7:43am |
I have this question, is either one.....gas or shore power any faster at cooling the frig down?
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Dave & Joyce
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WillThrill
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Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 6:03pm |
Originally posted by Patriot Dave
I have this question, is either one.....gas or shore power any faster at cooling the frig down? |
I don't think it really makes a difference because either way, the ammonia mixture used in lieu of traditional coolant is being heated in order to eventually, through the ammonia absorption process, cool the refrigerator. Once it's sufficiently heated, I doubt that it would make a difference either way.
In my experience, it takes a good 24 hours or so to cool the refrigerator down regardless of whether shore power or propane is being used.
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"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien
2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL
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Mountainrev
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Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 6:26pm |
Originally posted by WillThrill
Originally posted by Patriot Dave
I have this question, is either one.....gas or shore power any faster at cooling the frig down? |
I don't think it really makes a difference because either way, the ammonia mixture used in lieu of traditional coolant is being heated in order to eventually, through the ammonia absorption process, cool the refrigerator. Once it's sufficiently heated, I doubt that it would make a difference either way.
In my experience, it takes a good 24 hours or so to cool the refrigerator down regardless of whether shore power or propane is being used. |
In my experience, propane cools the fridge more quickly and efficiently than 110 volt. Case in point: On a recent camping trip, the ambient temp in our camper rose to the high 90s. I was running the fridge on shore power, set at the coolest setting, but the thermometer inside the fridge was at about 50. I immediately switched over to propane, and the temp quickly cooled to about 40. My uneducated theory is that the flame produced by propane is hotter than the heat generated by electricity, thus providing better circulation of the ammonia.
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