One of the most important things in your RV is your refrigerator setup. Having cold drinks and the ability to store food makes life on wheels a lot more comfortable and enjoyable.
But, how do RV fridges work?
For those uninitiated into RV life, how RV fridges work feels mysterious…
How do they run if they’re not like a traditional home refrigerator?
To dispel the mystery, here we’ll answer all of these questions and discuss what RV fridge options are available to you.
First things first: Depending on the type of RV refrigerator you get, it will run on one (or a combination) of the following:
- Propane
- Electricity
- Solar
Propane & Electric Fridges
Many standard RV fridges will have the ability to run off either propane and/or electricity, and depending on how you’re camping, you’ll utilize one or the other.
For example, if you’re boondocking without plugins and have a propane/electric combo RV fridge, the appliance would automatically convert to run off propane.
The propane option in your fridge works like this: Ammonia, hydrogen and water combine and evaporate. The gas produced then cools the fridge and allows you to have cold or frozen food while off grid camping…
This is different than how a regular residential fridge works, as traditional refrigerators run off of 110 volt electricity, a compressor, and use the chemical freon (a coolant) to keep the internal temperature down.
Now, if you were to plug into shore power with your combination fridge, your refrigerator would automatically start running on electricity.
(Knowing how electricity works is essential to understand before diving in to full time RV life; If you need a quick and dirty lesson on how it works, read about it here.)
It’s important to note that although most standard RV refrigerators will have the propane/electric combo, not all do. Some may run solely on propane or solely on electric, so make sure you know what kind of appliance you’re getting.
Depending on your lifestyle in the camper, what kind of fridge you invest in can dictate whether you have an easy, enjoyable RV experience, or an uncomfortable one.
It’s also important to know that in order to maintain this kind of fridge, you’ll need to make sure your RV is parked level (not at an incline). If you try to run an RV fridge at an incline, you can run into serious problems that will not only ruin your food, but also do damage to your pocketbook.
Leveling your RV is important for a well-functioning RV fridge due to the fact that liquid ammonia needs to find its way through the system’s evaporator coils, but if parked at an incline, the liquid cannot move. Instead, the ammonia will pool and can gum up the works.
If you try to run the fridge while not leveled for a prolonged amount of time, expect to kiss your fridge goodbye or be ready for a very expensive repair.
Save yourself the headache of unnecessary repairs, and invest a few dollars in a leveler to avoid such problems.
Solar Fridges
Solar fridge/freezers run off of 12 volt DC or 110 volt AC power. If you have a small solar set up, you can run a fridge like the very popular Dometic Dual Fridge/Freezer. Using little power, the Dometic Dual contains both a refrigerator unit and a separate freezer area.
To save energy, this Dometic option automatically turns off when the internal temperature matches the temperature you set manually- and then it turns back on when the unit needs to continue cooling.
You can monitor the Dometic unit’s temperature settings through your smartphone, changing and checking the internal temperatures, and adjusting them as needed.
Refrigerators that can run off of solar can be a great alternative to one that requires propane: You won’t need to worry about running out of propane gas, nor will you need to be concerned with when/how you’ll refill your propane tanks.
As far as functionality and ease of use goes, an RV fridge like the Dometic is a winner.
Coolers
Technically not a fridge, coolers are still another option for RVers, although not one I’d personally recommend.
Some van lifers choose to use a regular ice cooler in order to save money (not purchasing of an appliance like a Dometic can save thousands of dollars), and some nomads prefer the simplicity of use.
In typical cooler fashion, perishables like vegetables and meat can be kept cold by covering them in ice, but only for a short time.
There are some downsides to using a cheap cooler instead of investing in a fridge, including the common occurrence of melting ice making food soggy, as well as the constant need to dump the melted ice water and refill the cooler with ice.
Grocery shopping often needs to be done with more frequency as well: One’s ability to buy a large amount of perishables is reduced due to a cooler’s size and reliance on ice.
Personally, I don’t see too many benefits with this option, but just know that there are some nomads who choose to use coolers. Depending on your needs, it might be a cheap, simple option to fit your lifestyle.
So, when you’re ready to hit the road, know that you have plenty of refrigerator options from propane, electric, solar, a combination or even a simple ice cooler. Most RVs have a standard propane/electric combo included in the rig, but if you’re looking to replace it or buy a new appliance, you have a wide range of RV refrigerators from which to choose.
