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Old 06-14-2016, 03:52 PM   #61
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Originally Posted by Scuba55 View Post
I don't even try to get my beer cold in the fridge, I always keep it on ice in the cooler. After all, this is camping in my view. One thing that helps is to start your fridge the night before leaving, and then put in your frozen and chilled items before departing the next day. This has served us well.
That's what you do . Pat
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:05 PM   #62
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We rented an RV and drove around Nova Scotia for three weeks. The fridge used propane or electric and we never had one of the problems I've seen here. No broken shelves. No warm beer. No need for a cooler and block of ice. And believe me, the roads in Nova Scotia were in need of as much tender loving infrastructure money as any I've been on.

I get that I'm camping. Been doing it in a tent for years. I just didn't realize that with all the advances in technology / engineering, refrigerators in trailers had somehow been overlooked! LOL.
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:10 PM   #63
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The fridge in your rented RV was most likely Dometic, just like the ones discussed here.
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:14 PM   #64
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I guess I'll just hang onto the 3 Coleman coolers we have then! :-). Can't have warm beer!
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:20 PM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by runnergirl View Post
We rented an RV and drove around Nova Scotia for three weeks. The fridge used propane or electric and we never had one of the problems I've seen here. No broken shelves. No warm beer. No need for a cooler and block of ice. And believe me, the roads in Nova Scotia were in need of as much tender loving infrastructure money as any I've been on.

I get that I'm camping. Been doing it in a tent for years. I just didn't realize that with all the advances in technology / engineering, refrigerators in trailers had somehow been overlooked! LOL.

Refrigerators in large units are like the ones at home and such units are usually plugged in. Small trailers are probably used much more for boondocking and may not be plugged in, therefore, a different kind of refrigerator is usually used which is absorption. They do not generally work up to the temperatures of a home version.

Smaller trailers also are likely moved more, and to more remote locations and roads. It makes sense to remove or completely secure liquid items.
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:23 PM   #66
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Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
The fridge in your rented RV was most likely Dometic, just like the ones discussed here.
Yes, and, by the way again just in case I have not said it enough, I love our two-door which was the "new" one less than a year ago. Everyone does not have refrigerator problems. Now they are on to another brand, I guess.
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:25 PM   #67
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Originally Posted by BCnomad View Post
The 2017 fridge will be better matched to warm/hot summer camping. The demo at the rally had a massively improved latching system as well (imho).
Where are the pictures Bruce
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:30 PM   #68
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One of the reasons you are allowed to walk around in a Class B motor home while under power is the fact that it is fairly stable. One of the reasons you are not allowed in a travel trailer is it is not fairly stable.
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Old 06-14-2016, 04:40 PM   #69
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Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Where are the pictures Bruce
http://www.dometic.com/ProductImages...4f4f2deaa6.jpg

Until Laura takes her new round of pics, here you go. Note I just grabbed that one, not sure if its the Escape model.


I do remember the latch being waaaay better than the classic SN fridges. No half closed doors likely with 2017 fridges. Someone will no doubt explain better, but its like a double latch walk in freezer type to me.
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Old 06-14-2016, 05:20 PM   #70
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Wow, I have to confess that reading this thread and others like it I am not getting a warm fuzzy about the refrigerator in an Escape trailer.
...
Are all these cases the exception or the rule? Because if they're the rule, I'm not sure I see value in having the fridge at all.
Unfortunately, the feeling is too warm, the contents get fuzzy, and it's not just Escape.

They're the exception, but not rare. Traditional RV refrigerators are great because they can run on propane; that's their only redeeming characteristic, but it's important and I'm sure that the vast majority of people with RV experience find overcoming the issues to be worthwhile. RV refrigerators are expensive, and they have many problems, but that's just part of the challenge of combining a house and a vehicle.

The big thing specific to Escape about these issues has been that the classic Escape door has turned out to be a bit too narrow for the available selection of refrigerators, limiting Escape's ability to change to a better-working model. The new "2017" body style means a new door, and that has been taken as an opportunity to go a bit wider and allow a more desirable model of refrigerator to be installed.
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Old 06-14-2016, 05:30 PM   #71
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One of the reasons you are allowed to walk around in a Class B motor home while under power is the fact that it is fairly stable. One of the reasons you are not allowed in a travel trailer is it is not fairly stable.
That's one theory. I think that you are allowed to walk around in any motorhome because it's not a passenger car and thus exempt from all sorts of rules (even if they would be good rules - you're not safe walking around any motorhome). I think you're not allowed in a travel trailer at all while it is in motion because there is nothing about the trailer which is designed to safely transport passengers. I don't think it has anything at all to do with stability; the well-known and widespread problems with 15-passenger vans rolling over prove that these vehicles (which are the same as Class B motorhomes other than having seats instead of other furniture) are not particularly stable.

As for the relevance to refrigerators... vans typically ride more smoothly than trailers, but nothing riding on tires running at 90 psi (such as most big motorhomes) is very smooth. Big coaches (buses running between cities, such as Greyhound uses) have air-ride suspension, and are still rough compared to an ordinary car; the biggest motorhomes are the same vehicle but with an RV interior.
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Old 06-14-2016, 05:43 PM   #72
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That's one theory. I think that you are allowed to walk around in any motorhome because it's not a passenger car and thus exempt from all sorts of rules (even if they would be good rules - you're not safe walking around any motorhome). I think you're not allowed in a travel trailer at all while it is in motion because there is nothing about the trailer which is designed to safely transport passengers. I don't think it has anything at all to do with stability; the well-known and widespread problems with 15-passenger vans rolling over prove that these vehicles (which are the same as Class B motorhomes other than having seats instead of other furniture) are not particularly stable.

As for the relevance to refrigerators... vans typically ride more smoothly than trailers, but nothing riding on tires running at 90 psi (such as most big motorhomes) is very smooth. Big coaches (buses running between cities, such as Greyhound uses) have air-ride suspension, and are still rough compared to an ordinary car; the biggest motorhomes are the same vehicle but with an RV interior.
And a 5th wheel is a trailer and you can ride in it, at least in some states.
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Old 06-14-2016, 05:55 PM   #73
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Refrigerators in large units are like the ones at home and such units are usually plugged in. Small trailers are probably used much more for boondocking and may not be plugged in, therefore, a different kind of refrigerator is usually used which is absorption.
I'm not sure what you mean by "large units", but my 34-foot fifth-wheel trailer and 37-foot motorhome both have ordinary RV absorption-type propane-fired refrigerators, just like those in Escapes except larger, one by Dometic and one by Norcold. I've looked at many larger trailers and motorhomes, and most have absorption refrigerators (almost all by Dometic or Norcold)... even new diesel pusher Class A models.

Some of the largest RVs, especially those who which are not expected to be used without either shore power or a running generator do have home-style compressor-based refrigerators, because they have nicer features and because they simply work better; large motorhomes all have generators so this is more a distinction in style and intent of use, rather than size or format of RV (trailer versus motorhome). The ones with "home" refrigerators are typically diesel pushers or fifth-wheel trailers, so there's no consistency in practices for either of these RV types.
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Old 06-14-2016, 07:22 PM   #74
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Another Refrigerator Solution

There's definitely no consistency of style, although the absorption fridges are still the mainstay.

I have noticed a slight trend away from absorption fridges to compressor based ones, as larger capacity solar and advanced battery options become more common on the higher end units.

That, and the generators you mentioned.

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Old 06-15-2016, 06:25 AM   #75
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fridge

I have asked Sara at ETI if i could get a compressor type 12 volt fridge .She said i could delete the fridge and put my own in . Not really what i wanted to hear . We live in SW Florida for 6 months it's in the 90's so a propane probably will not work that well . Some of my friends have truck campers always having problems with their absorption fridges . I will talk to ETI again and try to find out the dimensions and how much $ they will give me for delete ? Also get the Solar and Gulf cart batteries . Jim
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Old 06-15-2016, 06:28 AM   #76
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I assume you are not boon docking for 6 months and will have hook ups, if so, the refer operation is fine while plugged into 120v, it is only while operating off propane that it struggles to make cold from heat.
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Old 06-15-2016, 06:42 AM   #77
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fridge

We are at home and day time temps are at 100, night down to 75 and we have been cooling the fridge down on 120v and it is now -5 and 31f. Today we pack it full with cold stuff so there is less air space to cool. When we hit the road, hopefully tomorrow I'll run it on 12v and maybe propane just to compare, it has been near the same before.
We are heading to western CO and there is a huuuge high pressure area over us and to the North, I may try to sneak around the East side through ABQ and also head for higher elevations asap looking for 80*. Just like flying an airplane, looking at the weather.
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Old 06-15-2016, 07:31 AM   #78
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fridge

So if running fridge on 110 AC it will cool down?? On our Snoozy we have a apt type AC fridge and it works Great when hooked up. On a 8 hour drive the Fridge stays cool . we keep frozen
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Old 06-15-2016, 07:39 AM   #79
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So if running fridge on 110 AC it will cool down?? On our Snoozy we have a apt type AC fridge and it works Great when hooked up. On a 8 hour drive the Fridge stays cool . we keep frozen
It should work the same in the Escape, but you have the option with 12v and propane operation if electric is not available, with Snoozy you do not.
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Old 06-15-2016, 07:55 AM   #80
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I must have missed something, don't understand why you say it won't work on propane, mine works better that way.

If you're thinking of getting a 2017 model, the fridge may be a non issue. I'm under the impression it is supposed to work better.
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