Absorption fridges that work in 100+ F?

[JPerodie]

Sorry if this can be found on the forum. I've read lots about people modifying their fridges, and talking about different fridge issues. I couldn't find anything discussing specific available absorption models that work when temperatures reach 100+F. Maybe nobody discusses them because there's nothing to say - they just work?

Can anyone recommend specific 2 or 3 way absorption fridges they've had experience with that work well in 100 +F? Ideally 5cf +?

Thank you.

[Vermilye]

If you could purchase one designed for Australia it might do the trick. Absorption refrigerators have temperature ranges. Unfortunately, those sold in Europe (the ones that fit through generation one doors) are fairly low, the US versions are in the middle, and those sold in the hotter climates are not available in the US.

Since absorption refrigerators are used in the heart of Africa, I suspect high temperature versions are available, just not here. For example, there is a chimney vent that goes on top of the boiler that vents the extra heat to the outside. Standard on the Australia versions, but you can't buy the device here in the US, and I haven't found an Australian company that will ship on here.

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

If you could purchase one designed for Australia it might do the trick. Absorption refrigerators have temperature ranges. Unfortunately, those sold in Europe (the ones that fit through generation one doors) are fairly low, the US versions are in the middle, and those sold in the hotter climates are not available in the US.

Since absorption refrigerators are used in the heart of Africa, I suspect high temperature versions are available, just not here. For example, there is a chimney vent that goes on top of the boiler that vents the extra heat to the outside. Standard on the Australia versions, but you can't buy the device here in the US, and I haven't found an Australian company that will ship on here.

Thank you for the reply. I'm contemplating getting a compressor fridge, just trying to consider other possible options too. In my other thread about fridges, a person posted that after spending much money and many hours they got their RMD8555 to work well up to about 95F, which is fantastic. Our favourite camping destination, where we try to spend weeks at a time, is 100 +F for weeks. I'm hesitant to toil over my RMD8555 knowing that it likely will never achieve what I want.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by JPerodie

Sorry if this can be found on the forum. I've read lots about people modifying their fridges, and talking about different fridge issues. I couldn't find anything discussing specific available absorption models that work when temperatures reach 100+F. Maybe nobody discusses them because there's nothing to say - they just work?

Can anyone recommend specific 2 or 3 way absorption fridges they've had experience with that work well in 100 +F? Ideally 5cf +?

Thank you.

It's a shame that the door on your trailer limits the choices you have for a refrigerator. I have a 2017 and after adding additional insulation / sealing in the fridge cavity, the fridge works well up to about 114 deg F outside temps before it starts to cave.

Have you thought about upgrading to a newer Escape that allows a standard size fridge?

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

It's a shame that the door on your trailer limits the choices you have for a refrigerator. I have a 2017 and after adding additional insulation / sealing in the fridge cavity, the fridge works well up to about 114 deg F outside temps before it starts to cave.

Have you thought about upgrading to a newer Escape that allows a standard size fridge?

That is so great about your fridge! I wondered how the fridges in the new trailers worked.

Although you still had to customize it 🙂. I wonder if ETI would take such sensible steps in the build?

May I ask what model of fridge you have, or even what model of "standard size fridge" you'd recommend?

And yes, we have thought about upgrading to a newer Escape to help resolve this issue, thanks for the tip. We're attending the factory this week to look at the 21NE.

Our family requires 3 distinct sleeping areas, and as far as I know the 19/21NE are the only options? We asked about the 19 floorplan in the 21 when we ordered, Reace wasn't interested.

Of course there's issues with ordering a new trailer. For us, #1 is the expense, #2 is if we can fit it into our backyard, #3 is having a larger trailer to navigate through parking lots, gas stations and so on. Then there's the delay, probably going without a trailer for a while, etc. - all issues everyone likely faces in such a decision. Is the wait time 2 years for a new trailer?

So the 21NE will have to really knock our socks off in order to swap from our beloved ( except for that fridge! )19 .

We are also considering a compression fridge. Even with our current equipment, supposing our rooftop solar contributes zero and the fridge cycles 60%, we can travel something like 1.5 days before we'd need to find hookups. We don't Boondock too much, and we could certainly upgrade our batteries and solar.

Anyways, thanks for contributing.

James

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by JPerodie

...
We are also considering a compression fridge.
...

We have the problematic RMD8555 in a standard installation that barely keeps proper temperature when ambient is above 90F. The easiest solution for us was to purchase a portable compressor type cooler. It is great as a deep freezer - 0F, and no doubt would work well at 37F for meat and dairy. I can run it on a stand-alone 12V-100Ah lithium battery. (Stand-alone battery gives me more flexible charging options independent of the trailer in addition of being able to take the cooler on day trips.)

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by JPerodie

May I ask what model of fridge you have, or even what model of "standard size fridge" you'd recommend?

My trailer has the DM2663. It's been trouble free - as long as you don't make the mistake of adding a "Texas fan" that causes them to blow thermal fuses.

Oh, if like the 19 you could always get another 19 a few years newer with the larger door and fridge. The cost differential wouldn't be as great as buying a new one.

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

We have the problematic RMD8555 in a standard installation that barely keeps proper temperature when ambient is above 90F. The easiest solution for us was to purchase a portable compressor type cooler. It is great as a deep freezer - 0F, and no doubt would work well at 37F for meat and dairy. I can run it on a stand-alone 12V-100Ah lithium battery. (Stand-alone battery gives me more flexible charging options independent of the trailer in addition of being able to take the cooler on day trips.)

Interesting, thank you. We do have a collection of coolers to help us cope, but not one like yours. I'll add your idea to the mix.

I note that you quote 37 F for meat and dairy, which seems sensible. Reminds me of a Dometic Refrigeration brochure I was just reading online. The small print for one of their higher end fridges states that the fridge is rated to maintain 7 C (44.6 F) when ambient temperature is 90 F.

[rbryan4]

For reference, there are four "climate classes" for refrigerators. They are as follows:

SN*(Subnormal) suitable for use under ambient temperature range of*10 °C*~ 32 °C*(50 °F*~ 90 °F)

N*(Normal) suitable for use under ambient temperature range of 16 °C*~ 32 °C*(61*°F*~ 90 °F)

ST*(Subtropical) suitable for use under ambient temperature range of 18 °C*~ 38 °C*(64*°F*~ 100 °F)

T*(Tropical) suitable for use under ambient temperature range of*18 °C*~ 43 °C*(64*°F*~ 109 °F)

The one you want is T rated, or at the very minimum ST, but it's extremely rare to find a T rated (tropical) absorption fridge for sale in North America, and often when you do, it's a very tiny one, or unsuitable for our size of trailer. I have no idea why they don't sell tropical rated fridges here, especially in my neck of the woods, where it routinely gets to triple digits in late summer.

Note also, for those with an all electric compressor based fridge, the climate class is basically irrelevant, because they cool so much faster and more effectively than an absorption fridge, even in hot climates. Most compressor based RV fridges will actually need to have their thermostats adjusted upward in order for the fridge to maintain 36 to 40 degrees, and not freeze the contents.

[gbaglo]

If Dometic chooses to make their new fridges eight inches wider than the ones that were available when ETI built your trailer, are you going to complain that ETI should have built the trailer with a wider door? Or, perhaps ETI should build trailers so that you can remove the entire top half?

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

My trailer has the DM2663. It's been trouble free - as long as you don't make the mistake of adding a "Texas fan" that causes them to blow thermal fuses.

Oh, if like the 19 you could always get another 19 a few years newer with the larger door and fridge. The cost differential wouldn't be as great as buying a new one.

Oh, and another Texan just replaced the same unit with an Isotherm 95.

Suggesting buying a new trailer just for a newer Dometic fridge? Uh, no.

[Doug2000]

The fridge in our 2007 Escape 17B worked fine when we were in Nevada, Utah and Colorado seeing temps to 44C or 111F July 2018. I ran it on propane, not 12V while driving.

[C&G in FL]

I also have the RMD8555 (European model) in my 2015 5.0TA, though I will say my experiences have been different than others here have stated. In 2017 we were in Monument Valley for a week where daytime temperatures exceeded 100° everyday of the week, typically hitting 106° (Fahrenheit). Even at the hottest part of the day, I never saw the refrigerator exceed 38° as measured with an electronic thermometer and verified with a small “mercury bulb) refrigerator/freezer thermometer. It was set on 5 bars (coldest setting). I am currently in the mountains of NC at an elevation around 3,000 feet with daytime temperatures hitting the high 70s/low 80s and my refrigerator is hovering around 35° on three bars. Maybe I lucked out, but I am fully satisfied/happy with the RMD8555. The only modification I made to it was to move the thermistor from the aluminum fins and stuck it to the plastic wall to the side of the fins.
That being said, if the option to have the compressor refrigerator and dual solar been available in 2015, I would have gone that route, and if necessary for boondocking (which I rarely do), would have used a small inverter generator or a vehicle mounted/attached pure sine wave inverter to recharge the onboard battery bank in the absence of sunlight. I believe that the 12v compressor refrigerators are the best way to go.

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

My trailer has the DM2663.

Thanks!

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

If Dometic chooses to make their new fridges eight inches wider than the ones that were available when ETI built your trailer, are you going to complain that ETI should have built the trailer with a wider door? Or, perhaps ETI should build trailers so that you can remove the entire top half?

I'm sorry, but I don't understand? I was asking about absorption fridges that work in 100+ F ?

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Oh, and another Texan just replaced the same unit with an Isotherm 95..

Thanks!

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

For reference, there are four "climate classes" for refrigerators. They are as follows:......
.

Thank you!

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

The fridge in our 2007 Escape 17B worked fine when we were in Nevada, Utah and Colorado seeing temps to 44C or 111F July 2018. I ran it on propane, not 12V while driving.

Awesome! Model?

[JPerodie]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

I also have the RMD8555 (European model) in my 2015 5.0TA, though I will say my experiences have been different than others here have stated..........

Wow, I'm glad your fridge works so great! And thanks for the information.

[bborzell]

We had a Dometic absorption fridge in our Class C MH. It cooled reliably on hotter days in the triple digit range. We were lucky.

The absorption in our Airstream Basecamp was unable to reliably handle ambient temps approaching 80 F. The difference between the two configurations was how each dealt with ambient temp.

The MH had both active and passive venting of cabinet temperature that exhausted heat vertically while the Basecamp started out with a passive system that tried to exhaust horizontally (if heat can’t rise, you usually get stuck with it) and later had one then two fans added (one to draw and the other to exhaust). Results were spotty, at best.

The research I did led me to the conclusion that readily available absorption fridges are lucky to keep food safe beyond 40-45 F ambient temp beyond the desirable food safe temp. If you know the Basecamp design, they started out with the fridge in the very front under a counter that has panoramic windows above it. There is no way to exhaust hot air vertically without destroying the view.

After working with Airstream to address the problem including a factory visit, I concluded that there was no practical way to modify the Basecamp cabinet to increase heat exhausting (thereby lowering “ambient” cabinet temp) and that a compressor was the only answer.

Airstream balked at this fix and waited until all the Basecamps that were affected by poor fridge cooling were past warranty and then began installing compressors in all new models.