MHSRV definitely provides the means and professionalism that goes with a great dealership. Prior to going FT we upgraded our power setup with 600 AH (AGM batteries) and 640 watts of solar panels. I am going to check these out right now. Otherwise, Ive never had to touch them at all. ( I mean RV ). You will be pleasantly surprised at how large the inside is compared to the original, even though the exterior size has not changed. Your article was the most helpful in our research decision to purchase new unit with residential frig, thank you: 2016 Thor, Outlaw, class a, toy hauler, 4 6 volt batteries, 1800 watt inverter, auto gen start. Even with a family of 4, for a weekend it is plenty big for us. We switched over to a GE 15.5 cubic foot, energy saver. Thanks for your articles.. Hey Bill, thanks for your comment. Hi I have in my home here in Costa Rica a Panasonic Inverter residential refrigerator. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences. But I love this coach. Other than the hot full sun in no shade, its performed well. Winnebago Outlook Your RV experience will come in handy. Like Norcold or Engel? All rights are reserved. So what would be your suggestion for keeping the fridge happy for say 8 10 hours of travel time, assuming I could run a generator for a few hours when we stop for the night to top everything back off. We find the build quality of the little View to be every bit as good as the much pricier and much larger luxury Class A Entegra. However, the popular Samsung RF18 residential refrigerator does not require a pure sine inverter. Thanks for sharing Daryl! Would it be possible to run the test again without the ice maker on? Top 06 best Residential Refrigerator for RV Reviews. With a walk-through two-piece bathroom, mornings are made easy for couples who need to get ready at the same time. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 20082023 RV LIFE. Thanks. When its running, my post battery/pre-inverter amp meter registers about a 10amp draw from the batteries. Sure the size of the fridge is huge but you two eat like birds. Special Application Need: In your choice of make and model of your refrigerator, consideration of how the door(s) will be secured is very important. Be sure to allow adequate space for airflow over the condenser tubing at the rear of the unit. All from the battery, no problem. Most of my travelling is done alone, with the exception of my dog, Sam. They had several Freelander models on clearance. We began to second guess if a residential fridge was really a good option for an RV or not. Properly maintained(which doesnt require much for lithium batteries), quality lithium batteries last more than 10years. After choosing the Thor A.C.E. Youll find all our solar info here: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/solar. We dont boondock. We love our Fridge, but like you need to do some battery & solar work. Youll feel safe pulling your favorite toy on the 5,000 lb. But as I said, no offense intendedwith any luck conversations like this might bring more attention to the preventable problem. What type of fridge lock do you have for when youre on the road? It took over 6 months before I would write this email. Also you dont have the option to power it with gas . When plugged in at camp, your reefer will operate solely on shore power. Have you heard of any motorized tilting system yet? And it makes no sense at all to top off your batts after sundown youre simply wasting fuel to do the easy part of charging the batteries which your panel(s) will do for FREE = next morning long before the sun is high in the sky. If we go that route, it will be used as a last resort. They have been living full time in their RV for nearly three years with their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Newton, and their Mini Aussie puppy Remi. Jennifer specializes in topics such as Lifestyle, van life, campgrounds features, destination features, and product lists. The benefit of a two-part bathroom is one person can be brushing their teeth and another can be using the shower. Interested in learning more about Class C RVs? The cost for everything for me added up to under $1000. The electric heating rod draws just 30 to 40 amps from my batteries just long enough to heat the water to temp(6 gallons takes about an hour, hour and a half). I have wondered what you guys do with all that power from the lithium system you have. No need for an inverter loss will run off of 120V shore line when available. I cant decide if it is worth the money to pay extra to get this fridge or to just stay with the standard one . Curious Minion. All sale prices include all other incentives, offers, and rebates offered by MHSRV or any other manufacturer unless specified in writing. Can your 500 watts run both? A piece of wood at the top and the bottom on the back wall may be needed as a stop for the rear of the reefer to maintain a good air space. Now there is one negative to this purchase. Everyone talks about dry camping. The only time I need to run the generator is if we are parked in a shade or if there is no sun, and I am okay with that as its very easy to find sun in California. Something you can operate with a switch and not have to climb on the roof. The double door refrigerator with stainless door inserts are standard on this model, as well as a large stainless steel single bowl sink. We dry camp about 3-4 days at a time, this set-up should be fine for us. Refrigerator Size: Determine the overall dimensions of the new unit as to its adaptation into the existing space. When my wife and I started our RV search a few years ago it was crazy. We will be camping mostly at state parks etc. We were told by Lazydays that there is no fridge lock that will work on ours. All material copyright Motor Home Specialist ( MHSRV.com ). Another thing that most do not know is that this family's sons served in the Armed Forces, not as regulars, but as Texas Heroes. There are a lot of new RVers in their 30s and 40s that like smaller RVs instead of the 40 footersbut their inexperience might allow them to ignore CCC. Coachmen class C Rvs offers over a dozen floorplans for Freelander models at under 30-feet, with most being around 27 feet long, but some floorplans, such as the 21RS or the 22XG being just over 24 feet long. Fred last month I bought a new 2021 Coachmen Freelander 23FS for $69k at Chesaco RV in Gambrills MD. This unit is a great full-time floor plan as is it has both a dinette, a sofa, and an overhead bed. The standard magnetic actions will not work, regardless of their apparent strength. All three recalls at the time had been attended to by authorized service. The motorhome is built on a Ford E-450 chassis with five floor plans and a beautiful Modern Farmhouse interior design. Since we got the residential, our electric bill went way, way down. $1,071.97 $1,469.99. DISCLAIMER: So I have been looking at solar panels, and better batteries, nuclear fusion well not really , lol but maybe some day. The 2021 Greyhawk has a spacious kitchen with an easy-operation legless dinette table, a Furrion all-in-one cooktop and oven, a residential microwave, as well as a double door fridge. Step 4. The after sales process was great too and helped us settle in and allowed us to get to know our RV before leaving the yard. Manufacturer changes and/or options may alter floor plan of unit for sale. Those that do get duped into the residential fridge rely on heavy generator usage or install >1000watts of solar and 800AH of battery capacity to get by for a few days. I assume your position on a residential refrigerator on a catamaran is a no-go because of the massive solar involved or requirement for a frequent generator session. Our sales account for approximately 40% of all the new motor homes sold in the state of Texas. We spent many hours looking on the Internet searching for the right RV for our 12 month trip around America and Canada. 76009. We purchased a preowned 2008 Winnebago Journey 39Z with the factory elec/propane double door fridge. It will help get you comfortable with it and realize what you might be missing. Its all about the perspective. This tells me when temperatures are a little cooler the fridge doesnt have to work quite as hard. After deciding to install lithium batteries and the solar AE kit we felt wed have no problem running that power hog residential fridge in our RV. All meals were planned and we packed it with the next meal ingredients on top. RV appliance repair companies don't work on residential refrigerators and household appliance repair don't work on refrigerators in an RV. Even a small one can be awesome. The unit also has a versatile lounging space that can be used as an eating or sitting area. Very newbies and very nervous. COSTWAY Compact RV Refrigerator. No part of any material on this web site may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Motor Home Specialist. We spend over a year looking at different coaches and went to dozens of dealerships in several states. Hello Wynns! MHSs honesty and integrity were exemplified when after the deal had been completed, MHS discovered an error in the valuation of our trade-in. For the past two years weve known the Residential Fridge in our RV uses a lot of power, but weve never really monitored the numbers. I know one of the local companies is working on an RV fridge with a compressor so its more residential. I refuse to ever buy a brand that THOR makes , since a lot of the money goes to investor : G. Soros ! Salient Feature. These mid-sized RVs range in size, but most Class C RVs fall in between 20 ft. to 30 ft. in length. Day 2 and 3 generator ran about 6 hours each day. Good comment, makes sense and still have the residential fridge. Upgrade with the Customer Value Package to add on a 24 LED TV in the bedroom, an electric awning with LED lights, and other enhanced features. I am not sure about you, but I am okay with working used equipment, which can save me a lot of money. So you have made up your mind and want to join those that have successfully tackled and completed the conversion and installation of the just-like-home reefer. They get sent everything for free bro. DIY RV fridge replacement. Have exactly the same Samsung RF18 refer. We created this easy-to-reference list of the 5 best Class C RV floor plans for full-time living. I would like to share our experience. The master also includes a built-in wardrobe and chest of drawers for ample storage. So it doesnt use the propane? Water heater and space heater problems will be detected by gas leak detectors, and routine smoke detectors will detect smoke from those fires. From the bottom of our hearts, Thanks Coach and all of you at MHSRV!!! We had a good size battery bank but no solar. First, they have a reduced interior volume due to the shallow depth needed for the absorption system located at the rear of the unit. Price and payment do NOT include TT&L or any other fees that may apply. Most Class C RVs are in the range of $60,000 and are anywhere from 21-40 feet in length. Have you looked at the Leisure Travel Line of RVs. But if you plan on doing any off the grid boondocking, battery power will be a concern. There are also lots of rectangle, thin, plastic containers to arrange within the cooler to keep food from getting wet as ice melts. This should provide enough power to make it through 3 days of normal living (6 days if we are conservative) during cloudy weather without being forced to run the generator. I hope to do some testing and measure actual draw under different circumstances. But seeing all those RVs hooked up like a campground that was just the best! There are lots of sleeping and seating options for up to six people. For Our Best Price Call 800-335-6054 or Visit MHSRV.com - Motor Home Specialist - The #1 Volume Selling Motor Home Dealership in the World 10 Years in a Row! If you dont want to be forced to run a generator Id say go for 800 amp hours of lithium, or 1200 amp hours of AGM and a solar array like our 960 watt All Electric kit from GoPower!. Great article with a lot of facts. Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox. . The residential refrigerators offer some great advantages over the absorption type. 100 OBanion Way Alvarado, TX. For questions, please see our Privacy Policy & California Privacy Rights. With its smooth and sleek design, the Tiffin Wayfarer is perfect for cruising across the country in comfort. Comment about CPAP use at night. I am also curious about the difference of outgassing between a residential frig and a propane onemaybe someone can comment on the difference. Online info deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Great video. Should our propane tank be off when just sitting there. Here are a few: So, if you are thinking about buying a new coach, check out the availability of getting a residential fridge. This post may contain affiliate links or mention our own products, please check out our disclosure policy. We were unable to start our generator and had to jump start the generator in order to charge the batteries.In reading this article, it appears our rv is under powered to dry camp. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as just changing out the old for the new. I dont dry camp a lot, but when I do, running the generator a couple hours a day to keep my four, six volt batteries charged up is not an inconvenience for me, you can hardly hear it running inside and a group of us have spent several hours sitting only a few feet from it without the noise being a bother. Personally I will never have another RV that does not have front seats that can swivel. Each one I walked in was like walking into my own. That way you could pretty easily install another panel without having to change your solar controller or upgrade the wiring. We looked at every Class C. This floor plan by far the best for us. Three slides and the master bed slides to the back which gives us three extra feet in interior length. But its all about knowing your power consumption and how much sun youre going to get that day and the next. Driveability is certainly one positive. In fact, it's doesn't have any moving parts. One way we managed the power was to turn the fridge off when we went to bed. So we make sure that we go where there is electricity available. Youll find your own pros and cons but from our experience with both the two-way RV fridge and the residential fridge heres our personal opinions: Again, this is just my opinion based on our experience. However, many Class C RVs come with bulky dinette booths covered in ugly fabric. I would have to spend more on a new LP fridge. Each particular model has several floor plans to choose from. Keep in mind I said we looked for over a year! The solar for the Bounder was installed at the Fleetwood factory. So batteries are now the only major expense in a solar power set up but lithiums last a decade or more, require virtually no maintenence, are exceedingly safe(lifepo4), can be charge cycled between 2000 & 10000 times(lead acid a max of 500), and can be discharged up to 90% without harming them. 13 NFL Stadiums Worth the Trip for Game Day, Keep Your Cool: Replacing an RV Refrigerator With a Residential Unit. Thank you for visiting Motor Home Specialist online. Save $489.02 27% Off. If you are adding solar and a beefier battery bank you shouldnt have much issue keeping up with the power hog that is the residential refrigerator. Downside when we were sailing we could only carry a week of food and packed it very carefully so it was only open briefly; i.e. Well, with the conversion complete, its ready to use. Sorry to end this on a bad note but when I got home my wife loved it and said to me; you better get me a Washer and Dryer in here. Far more inside space with the same-size exterior. Im also off grid and rely on solar for 90% of my electrical needs. We are from Ireland so cloudy weather has a big impact on solar power We have been living in our Mercedes Hymer for 6 months now. 2-Door DesignLarge 2.2 cu. NO COMPAS. 700 Ah lithium battery, 1060W solar, 3000w hybrid inverter, and about 19 cu residential fridge. We loved spending time in places like Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. We considered a trip through the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes but logistics were harder to deal with, weather-wise. Our first time boondocking, on the second day, our coach batteries lost power. This Class C RV has a 72 gallons fresh water tank, an 81-gallon grey water tank, and a 50-gallon black water tank. Assess Removal Path: Determine how to remove the existing unit from inside the coach and the path needed by the new appliance. Alternatively, this area makes for great storage. The fridge will kick to 12 volt when driving and back to propane when stopped. Now we have a conundrum. Personally I dont think it ever was true. Day 4: the generator started automatically. modified sine inverters are also bad for most microwaves and computers too. Depending on your budget, you can also be on the lookout for a used one as well. Thanks again to you both and good luck with your boat shopping! Little Dears: I enjoy your work very much, but there is one more thing on this subject and that is the Norcold fire like the one that destroyed our Country Coach. I love that the View 24Ds but I am curious how practical they are for full time living since carrying capacity and towing capacities are not the highest. (Kills that 600w, 1200 boost, usually 10 sec tapering to 30 sec ). Danby FF100C1BSLDB Refrigerator 5. Just the sheer size of the place is awesome! I hope your sailing adventures are going well! Class C motorhomes are typically easier to drive than the larger Class A models considering they are smaller in size and, as we mentioned previously, are built on a truck chassis. Checking it out now it looks awesome!! If you change your inverter input voltage from 12 volts and just double to 24 volts, youll achieve a higher efficiency rating; and a 48 volt inverter is almost perfect. John S- you can get a 12v actuator that would work perfect for lifting panels, very common, or be creative and use a power seat motor, pretty much anything that moves back and forth could be made to work. But thanks so much for this info because it will help the next time some sales guy tries to convince us we need a residential fridge. YES! No flow = no cooling (this is also true of RV propane fridges if you park on a hillside for instance). While living full time in an RV you will burn through power more quickly than you ever expect. Their solution was for us to use a bungy cord on our new bounder. While a jury-rigged bungee cord can be used to secure the handles, it visually isnt that appealing. Have been back on a three way Dometic for the past 10 years. So residential fridge would be fine for that (in fact that is what we have put in the Boat). I think that is a great option for some. My 600 Ah of AGMs would be boondocking minimum with gen running thru float stage 1-2 hr morning and 2 hrs at nite. Have you ever thought of testing one the Danfoss BD50F 12v compressor units? Its a big investment for the perks of running a residential fridge. It was simply an awesome way for me to feel good about buying new when I normally would not. Depending on what floorplan you pick, this class C motorhome can accommodate up to seven persons, which makes it an excellent pick for families or groups traveling together. Really must love that built in ice maker. What a great environment and experience we had purchasing our new RV. and see what us readers can do to help. I am in love with being able to choose whether to be on propane or AC. Its capacity is big enough and makes plenty of ice. Thats what Ive done: Grape Solar fridge (5.2 cu ft, 120/12v), with a cooler of about equal size. Several of the models have slide-outs in the bedroom and living areas for even more living space. It has been a dream life that we would not be living if isnt wasnt for you guys inspiring is to go for itso thank you! These use about half the electricity and are super quiet. Since we use our MH mostly in the summer I just installed flat on the roof. Id bet that would use half as much power as the full size one you guys have. Smad 3-Way Propane Refrigerator 8. Filling the fridge with warm products really pulls a lot of power for it to get back down to a safe temp. Never again. Including lighting, plumbing, TV, etc. Two-Way RV Refrigerator, Right Hinges. Since we just picked it up we decided to use a local (close to home) camp KOA (if you are in the Washington DC area let me just say these people are SO NICE and helpful for us new users). Has anyone looked at the SunFrost 12-volt system for RVs? This does not happen on shore power. Wow, eight thousand dollar upgrade just to run the res fridge. Your Samsung refrigerator is beautiful but has a poor Energy Star annual usage rating of 594kwh (or 1,627 watts/day) There are many similar sized refrigerators that are much more efficient that use 40% less than your model. We recently purchased a 2014 Dynamax DX3 with a full residential refrigerator. Installation Site Preparation: A dedicated 120 VAC 15 amp breaker and line from the panel will be required at the rear of the unit site. 30F Class C RV W/Ext TV, Residential Refrigerator, 2019 Holiday Rambler Augusta 30F Class C RV W/Ext TV, Residential Refrigerator, https://mhsrv.s3.amazonaws.com/images/homeimage/logo--mhs-bc.png, https://mhsrv.com/2019-holiday-rambler-augusta-30f-class-c-rv-w-ext-tv-residential-refrigerator-new-class-c-tx-i2372369, California Consumer Privacy Act Notice for California Consumers. Please try refreshing or going back to the previous page. What is a Class C Motorhome (With Pictures! High towing capacity. I own an Isata series3 and I think it is the best made Class c made in America. MHSRV does, thats who! I now use my RVs built in fridge to store dry goods. MHS retains the right to apply partial or all said NON-REFUNDABLE deposit to a future purchase. Do you want a fridge that works 24/7 come rain or shine, night or day, works out the box and works in tandem with your heating and hot water? If your motorhome is equipped with an RV-type refrigerator, you may be wishing for something with more residential features that's less expensive to replace. We think the condenser unit is out. This is generally accomplished by selecting the correct cabinet depth that will position the door to protrude out from the surrounding cabinetry by about the doors thickness. This, in most cases, will result in the need to add some additional batteries, usually two more. You probably have not attended a fire safety course, so you probably do not know you need combination detectors. If you want it professionally installed, you just need to do your homework and find a reputable dealer/installer near you. We built a chest-type fridge/freezer combo. Next problem: find a Cat big enough for a big fridge. Class C RVs have varying towing capacities but most can tow a separate car so you can leave the motorhome when parked. The Top Drawbacks Of Class A Motorhomes: What To Know Before You Buy, Create Your Dream RV Campsite: Tips For A Perfect Setup, The Best RV Resort in Louisiana: Sun Outdoors New Orleans North Shore. God bless you all!! Of course if there is full sun then we would be able to run almost anything as if we were plugged into the grid (we could even run our rooftop Air Conditionerfor a couple of hours). Even for a res mini fridge it is said to dedicate a 100 amp hour battery just for it. A 90% discharge ability means you actually get 90% of the rated amp hours from a lifepo4 battery instead of the only 50% you can safely get from lead acid. Remember to verify the selected refrigerators direction of door opening as it will near certainly need to match the existing door swing. We ended up purchasing from an individual because no dealer made me feel good about our purchase! Most of the time, I dont need to run a generator to charge the batteries even if we need to use the furnace at night. Avanti RA7306WT 2-Door Apartment Size Refrigerator 6. They have the cab-over profile that usually boasts a bed or additional storage. Terri and her husband, Todd, are full time RVers and work campers. Older fridges (like 20 years old) may not need DC power, but newer ones are wired into DC power to operate the controls and without power it will shut off. That is your opignion, but certainly not mine. Very instructive ! Were pretty used to managing our power even though we use more than the average camper! I have a 10kw Balqon LiFeYPo battery (48v), 1200w flexible panels and a large Magnum inverter. I dont think theres anything wrong with the concept of a 12v boat fridge its just that Curiosity is now a 14 year old girl, and 14 years is a lot of years for an appliance to perform when you factor in the harsh environment on salt water. Pete, you may want to consider charging the fifth wheel using the alternator of the truck. When you were out boon-docking in the hot weather and checking on your fridge power requirements, were you also taking into account your A/C usage? You cant stop the residential fridge, its like a freight train thats always usingyour power. Hey Paul, thanks for the suggestion! Then we would set the thermostat back to normal cool for the rest of the day. Speaking of solar: Ever since your earlier solar panel videos Ive been looking for the gifted do-it-yourself mechanic to come up with a powered tilt mechanism. The easy lever action release seems like a great idea. From the paperwork that Katy had prepared to the coach itself all was ready for us. Buy on Amazon. Hi Joyce, thanks for your comment and opinion! The chassis helps keep drivers safe with attention assist, lane-keeping assist, collision prevention assist, and load adaptive electronic stability (ESP). No warning; it was working perfectly, keeping proper temp, etc. I guess part of that question is how long can you safely leave fridge with no power, I am assuming 8-10 would be to long to be safe and I will need to power it for the day. Catamarans, RVs and Refrigerators: Any thought to refreshing this article, post-catamaran life? If so, are they easy enough to go and get groceries in? Plus, there is an outside entertainment center. You might be able to remove a window from your Class C and get one through, but thats a lot of work.
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