It's Friday! - The Classics!

[Greg A]

Congratulations Santiago, on your successful pick up! Glad it went so well for you. We'll see you out there soon in the wild.

[Carla Jean]

Been following your posts, Santiago, and enjoyed your attention to detail and your choice of options. Looking forward to seeing your new refer. We have the solar panels on top, as most, and as with our Casita, carry our portable solar panels in the Toyota 4Runner for cloudy days (of which we have our share of up here). My question is this: Unless you're plugged in and solar panels are not charging, (cloudy), how will you charge the refer? How many amps will your refer draw?

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by Carla Jean

Been following your posts, Santiago, and enjoyed your attention to detail and your choice of options. Looking forward to seeing your new refer. We have the solar panels on top, as most, and as with our Casita, carry our portable solar panels in the Toyota 4Runner for cloudy days (of which we have our share of up here). My question is this: Unless you're plugged in and solar panels are not charging, (cloudy), how will you charge the refer? How many amps will your refer draw?

Hi Carla Jean,
To answer the simple question first: approximately 63 amps per day based on estimated 50% duty cycle. Actual cycle % will likely be different depending on air flow past the coil, enclosure and any additional customer added insulation.

Charging can be from adequate solar capacity, 120 vac plug in, generator and from the tow vehicle while driving as 120vac plug in NOT 12vdc.

The best option depends on your travel/camping style.

If you normally stay at a commercial place, simple - plug in. You are done. Make sure you have enough battery capacity to get to your destination.

If you normally stay at a no hookup campground you implement a solar/battery combination that will allow extended stay. If solar is not enough, you can augment with a generator every few days, plug in the generator to the trailer's 120vac cord.

Our travel style is different. We do full hookups especially when in a metropolitan area and pretend our trailer is a hotel we return to after daily sight seeing. Here its strictly plug in charging.

Short stays with no hook ups we live off batteries. If stay is more than several days (dependent on battery capacity we install) and running low, generator buys few more days. We normally don't stay more than a few days as there is so much to see. We prefer to keep moving exploring all the great people we constantly meet and sights we see on blue roads. We use truck stops for overnight stays a lot while "touring". Reason we bought a 21ft is to tour the USA mainland, Alaska and all of Canada. We expect trips to last months. No time to stay somewhere for more than a few days. My design will implement 120vac plug in charging while we are driving using a pure sine inverter connected to the rear bumper via pvc conduit using a weather sealed marine style connector for safety ( 120 vAC! ).

We have no plans to add roof mounted solar. At home yes of course as solar is great.

Most people will add solar and if large enough will work very well. A forum member, Steve ( FishTacos ) has a Nova Kool 12vdc refrigerator unit in his Escape 19. He added a lot of solar and battery capacity. He does not need to plug in or run a generator. I don't plan to add roof solar nor stay in one location more than a few days.

Years from now, when we officially become super seniors++ and have seen it all, we expect to stay close to home and stay long periods of time at lovely locations. The usual, barbecuing, reading, hanging out, etc. Then we will add roof solar. Now I am only 67 and we want to see all North America.

I have to say this. There is a reason adsorption RV refrigerators are like 99% of the market. They are simple, cheap to run on refillable fuel for extended stays, requires no special equipment such as big batteries, fast chargers, solar, etc. They work well and hard to beat. Keep that in mind as what 99% of the RVs use works well. My understanding on the new style Escape trailers is that their new adsorption refrigerators work so much better than the old models. What I like the most about adsorption units is that they run on propane.

[Kent]

Santiago, this 12 volt refer with compressor (residential style) has peaked my interest and very interested in the results. I imagine these units would be more consistent and perform better than standard RV absorption refers.

In reading your previous post are you saying you will be adding ventilation to move air from the back of refer to inside the trailer? Based on what I see on Nova Kool web site. Only the RFU9000 has built in ventilation that moves air from back of unit to front of unit.

I see these units are also available with combination DC/AC connections and you can change out the door panels to change color or put in stainless steel panels.

Originally Posted by Santiago

No external vent needed just like we don't vent our home refrigerators to the outside. Most Nova Kools have their inlet/outlet grill below facing the room. Simplest install of all. The smaller units do this air exchange in the rear and requires two grills, inlet and outlet. More discreet grill (smaller) can be fan powered when connected to the fridge board that controls an optional fan so that it only runs when needed. I suppose grills to the outside would work but I want the shell sealed as much from wind, dust, water, outdoor temperatures and bugs as possible.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by Kent

In reading your previous post are you saying you will be adding ventilation to move air from the back of refer to inside the trailer? Based on what I see on Nova Kool web site. Only the RFU9000 has built in ventilation that moves air from back of unit to front of unit.

Hi Kent,

Bozeman Montana - home of Dana Gleason and his wonderful and expensive Dana Design Terraplane mountaineering backpack. I had two, gave to daughter husband as my packs are now smaller and lighter.

Yes compressor design have many advantages over adsorption units. I like that I will be able to run it on my 5% slope driveway. As we make the rounds, unless we are staying for a few days any reasonably level is good enough and nothing will plug up. They cool down fast and perform under difficult environmental conditions. Because I bought a new trailer, had the option of eliminating two big vent to the outside just like your home fridge has no outside vents.

The Nova Kool 9000 and 8220 (7.3cf) have mechanicals below and direct all air exchanges, via fan, directly to the cabin. The rest of the box is sealed all around. This is my preferred unit BUT the height due to the mechanicals below makes inserting into existing factory opening a lot more challenging, doable but challenging. No venting required.

The alternative is a smaller 6800 (6.8cf) unit with the mechanicals and condenser coils in the back. This unit is not as high or wide and is a perfect fit to the factory cutout. This unit will require two grills. One below and one above, likely facing the U shape dinette area. These will allow air flow to pass through the coils via convection. An auxiliary fan can be installed that only runs when the refrigerator runs should that ever becomes necessary. Obviously the RFU 8220 and 9000 (7.3cf) is a better choice but being taller and wider will require a bigger cut out which is do-able if you have the time, skill and patience. The wheel well and nearby plumbing do not interfere thank God but I am warming up to accepting a smaller grill and add a fan to help flow.

Having said all that, I still do not recommend installing a 12vdc unit due to the cost, large batteries are expensive and heavy, and owner installation issues UNLESS you really want to take this on.

[Playdog]

We received our final photos today! I will try to post them here but I also wanted to take a minute to thank Bill and Earline and Tom and Arlene for taking the time to show us their lovely trailers, answering our many questions and explaining the options to us. A big thanks also to all the helpful forum members for offering advice and giving us dimensions of things and spaces.

[Marry]

All done and ready! Nice, that mirror on the bathroom door!
Enjoy your first trip!!!!

[Playdog]

Thanks Marry. We plan to pick up on Groundhog Day and spend 3 or 4 months coming home. Now we are praying for a mild end to January so we can get up to Chilliwack without going the southernmost route.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by Playdog

We received our final photos today!

Yay! I know the excitement!

And which bed is for the airedale?

[Playdog]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

Yay! I know the excitement!

And which bed is for the airedale?

Miss Liz will be sleeping on the lounge at night but I suspect she will occupy the bed for extended periods of time during the day. She is the main reason we felt too cramped in our Casita. We sure hope she likes her new trailer!

[Playdog]

Oops I almost forgot to thank our "almost neighbor" Kevin Stock for having us over to visit his nice 19. Thanks Kevin, you will have to come see Paddy when we get home in the spring.

[Kent]

Santiago, thank you for the response and it helps confirm I do understand how it would work in RV configuration. For me I would go ahead and buy the 5.0TA with regular Dometic and if it does not perform well enough or when it breaks down. Switch at that time to Nova Kool. Looks like the RFU6800 would be perfect replacement for standard cut out.


Regards,
Kent

Originally Posted by Santiago

Hi Kent,

Bozeman Montana - home of Dana Gleason and his wonderful and expensive Dana Design Terraplane mountaineering backpack. I had two, gave to daughter husband as my packs are now smaller and lighter.

Yes compressor design have many advantages over adsorption units. I like that I will be able to run it on my 5% slope driveway. As we make the rounds, unless we are staying for a few days any reasonably level is good enough and nothing will plug up. They cool down fast and perform under difficult environmental conditions. Because I bought a new trailer, had the option of eliminating two big vent to the outside just like your home fridge has no outside vents.

The Nova Kool 9000 and 8220 (7.3cf) have mechanicals below and direct all air exchanges, via fan, directly to the cabin. The rest of the box is sealed all around. This is my preferred unit BUT the height due to the mechanicals below makes inserting into existing factory opening a lot more challenging, doable but challenging. No venting required.

The alternative is a smaller 6800 (6.8cf) unit with the mechanicals and condenser coils in the back. This unit is not as high or wide and is a perfect fit to the factory cutout. This unit will require two grills. One below and one above, likely facing the U shape dinette area. These will allow air flow to pass through the coils via convection. An auxiliary fan can be installed that only runs when the refrigerator runs should that ever becomes necessary. Obviously the RFU 8220 and 9000 (7.3cf) is a better choice but being taller and wider will require a bigger cut out which is do-able if you have the time, skill and patience. The wheel well and nearby plumbing do not interfere thank God but I am warming up to accepting a smaller grill and add a fan to help flow.

Having said all that, I still do not recommend installing a 12vdc unit due to the cost, large batteries are expensive and heavy, and owner installation issues UNLESS you really want to take this on.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by Kent

Santiago, thank you for the response and it helps confirm I do understand how it would work in RV configuration. For me I would go ahead and buy the 5.0TA with regular Dometic and if it does not perform well enough or when it breaks down. Switch at that time to Nova Kool. Looks like the RFU6800 would be perfect replacement for standard cut out.
Kent

Hi Kent,

Since you are getting the new and improved 2017 model, your Dometic box is totally different from what the Classic trailers have. From what little I have been reading here, the new Dometics work great. Unless you are a 12vdc fridge person like me, I would not go through the trouble and expense ... not worth it. I can see converting to electric IF it's a Classic with the problematic Dometic, not on the 2017 models.

I decided to order the RFU 6800 (6.8cf) since its a simple install as it perfectly matches the factory cabinet opening. The lower slot will have a decorative grill and become the ventilation inlet. Around the cabinet facing the dinette will be a round grill with a 12vdc computer style fan inside the cabinet pulling air through the inlet grill below the box, through the cabinet hitting the condenser coils and out the round grill. Nova Kool tells me the fan should not draw more than 0.25 amp so that the board can power it when the refrigerator runs and that this is far superior to natural convection air flow.

[SFDavis50]

Originally Posted by Santiago

Hi Kent,

Since you are getting the new and improved 2017 model, your Dometic box is totally different from what the Classic trailers have. From what little I have been reading here, the new Dometics work great. Unless you are a 12vdc fridge person like me, I would not go through the trouble and expense ... not worth it. I can see converting to electric IF it's a Classic with the problematic Dometic, not on the 2017 models.

I decided to order the RFU 6800 (6.8cf) since its a simple install as it perfectly matches the factory cabinet opening. The lower slot will have a decorative grill and become the ventilation inlet. Around the cabinet facing the dinette will be a round grill with a 12vdc computer style fan inside the cabinet pulling air through. Nova Kool tells me the fan should not draw more than 0.25 amp so that the board can power it when the refrigerator runs and that this is far superior to natural convection air flow.

The Dometics vent outside because they produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct of burning propane.

The Nova Kool vents inside but it will be venting heated air. That is probably good in most situations as it will help warm the trailer during cool nights and the heat can easily be vented out by the MaxxFan or open windows on temperate days and nights. Maybe a problem in hot weather without shore power or a generator to run an air conditioner.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

The Dometics vent outside because they produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct of burning propane

Yes. Anything with a flame has to vent to the outdoors. The second reason for the adsorption unit's side wall and roof vents is to generate air flow past the condenser coil.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

The Dometics vent outside because they produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct of burning propane...

Yes... and carbon dioxide, and lots of water vapour, and much more heat than a non-absorption refrigerator.

[Fox hunt]

Anyone know when the new 5.0 comes out? I'm heading up to look at it when it is available to tour!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Kent

I see these units are also available with combination DC/AC connections...

Yes, but that normally means a 12 V DC appliance with a provided or built-in AC to DC adapter. Since these refrigerators only use a few amps of current at 12 volts DC, and your trailer has a high capacity AC to DC converter/charger anyway, you don't need the AC feature of a compressor-based refrigerator. Any time you might run it on AC power, the converter will be on the same AC power source and so you'll have DC power available without running down the battery.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

The Dometics vent outside because they produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct of burning propane.

The Nova Kool vents inside but it will be venting heated air.

Kind of mixing apples and oranges here. The Dometic vents its' byproducts of combustion through a flue which makes it's way to the exterior with ventilation air used to remove waste heat from the condenser.

The Nova Kool uses ventilation grills to remove waste heat from the rear.

I had a Nova Kool fridge/freezer in my boat for years. Loved it. Wish the unit was going in my trailer.

Ron

[Kent]

Been a while since I spoke with Tammy, but I believe December or January time frame. Always best to ask ETI for update as things are starting to move quicker with new facilities etc.

I will be going end of April 2017 to see the demo unit and get all my questions answered while there.

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

Anyone know when the new 5.0 comes out? I'm heading up to look at it when it is available to tour!