2 way or 3 way

[Stefandmissy]

I'm about to replace my fridge in my Caravel and I have been getting conflicting advise as to wheather one really needs a 3 way fridge. I am also getting conflicting advise as to wheather it is advisable to cruise down the road with the propane running to the fridge. What's your take on it?

[wkerfoot]

I went with a Dometic Tundra Danfoss compressor refrigerator, which runs on electric only in our Liner rebuild. 12V and 110V when hooked up. Only downside is you need some way, such as solar, to keep the batteries charges. Plus the compressor creates some noise. Depending on the size the unit uses a similar amount of power as the fantastic fan.

Bill

Originally Posted by Stefandmissy

I'm about to replace my fridge in my Caravel and I have been getting conflicting advise as to wheather one really needs a 3 way fridge. I am also getting conflicting advise as to wheather it is advisable to cruise down the road with the propane running to the fridge. What's your take on it?

[polarlyse]

you'll get conflicting opinions regarding running with propane on / off. We run with it on and have never had any problems. There are a few places that will require turning the propane off but they are few and it's only while crossing the bridges / tunnel. Personally I think it would be pretty limiting to not have the propane option. But then we do occasionally dry camp in our travels. To each his own.

[Condoluminum]

As noted, there are dozens of previous threads on this subject over past 8 years.. Search for "fridge" and "Driving" and you'll get a taste.. I'll add another voice to "yes we drive with propane burner running.." side of dialogue, though we do shut down before entering gas stations (or at least before lining up next to pumps..). Risks of doing so include larger insurance claim/mess in event of major accident while driving (totaling the tow vehicle and trailer would probably also include some flames..). Also higher possibility of fire at gas station in event of spill or excessive fumes adjacent to trailer. Downside of 12V units is that they consume huge amount of battery capacity heating element, and can drain battery in few hours, wiping out pump, lights, and heat capabilities.. Some will suggest full fridge will stay cold all day driving when turned off, but we haven't noticed that.. Perhaps because for us full day of driving is more than 8-10 hours...

[jcanavera]

My last 3 trailers which included 2 Airstreams came equipped with 2 way refrigerators. My first trailer which I kept for 14 years had a 3 way and I used to travel on battery with that one. In a few cases I got to the campsite with a dead battery due to insufficient charge coming from my tow vehicle. In my case it was specifically bad since that trailer was a Hi-Lo and required battery power to raise the upper section of the trailer.

Quite honestly if you are afraid of traveling with gas on, then get a 3 way. Be sure your 12 volt connectivity between your tow vehicle power receptacle and the power cord on the trailer are kept clean, and that your wire that powers that receptacle is proper gage to provide the amperage needed to keep the battery power up when you are towing.

I am satisfied at this point however, that traveling with gas on is safe and see no need to have a 3 way unit.

Jack

[TBRich]

Another "yes" to having a propane option (you never know when you are going to be without electricty) and "yes" to towing with gas on, epsecially on modern units. We only turn ours off if we are are required to in a tunnel, or we are at a gas station with the frig compartment next to a pump ... which is rare because our frig is on the curb side and our truck's gas fill is on the street side.

[eubank]

Our "new" fridge came as a three-way, but I hooked up only the two-way system. The two ways now functioning are propane+12v(battery) and 110v+12v(battery).

The system I didn't activate involved running an additional 12v line directly from the tow vehicle and operating the fridge as 12v(tow)+12v(battery). The instructions were pretty specific about this, though that may have been because this particular Dometic fridge is a European model, not marketed in the US.

Here's a thought: For the fridges that you're considering, see if you can download the installation manuals and check into how they're set up.


Lynn

[warbler5]

We use ours in propane mode much more often than 110v. I would LOVE to have a 3-way fridge....like my old, 29' Traveleze and my grandparent's 1960's era Boles-Aero had....it's nice to by able to run the fridge off the tow vehicle when traveling on the road. I was shocked when we bought our 2004 30' Classic and found that it ran only on propane and 110v!

[wahoonc]

I use gas more than I use 110v and can't recall ever using the 12v. On very cold days I do tow with the LP on to keep the trailer warm as a sanctuary, fridge not so much.

Aaron

[blkmagikca]

We boondock, so propane is necessary. When towing, we leave the fridge running. While ours is a 2-way, we have a Xantrex Freedom 3000 inverter/charger, so I tried switching on the inverter and running in electric (110-volts). The power consumption was more than the charge rate from the TV plus the 365-watts of solar, so that idea was scrapped. The only time we use the electric (110-volts) is when we are hooked up to shore power, otherwise it is propane and 12-volts for the control circuit.

[Stefandmissy]

I would like to thank all of you who responded. It is really great to get your input. I probably did not make myself completely clear so I will clearify that the two way would be 110 v and Propane. As long as it is cool to drive down the road with the propane on I see no need for 12 volt. It seems that a lot of veteran RVers only use 110 and propane. Would that be safe to say?

[idroba]

Originally Posted by Stefandmissy

I probably did not make myself completely clear so I will clearify that the two way would be 110 v and Propane. As long as it is cool to drive down the road with the propane on I see no need for 12 volt. It seems that a lot of veteran RVers only use 110 and propane. Would that be safe to say?

Yes, 120 V and propane are the most common way to cool. Airstream trailers only come from the factory that way, and that has been true for many years. The "3 way" operation adds a 12 volt heater to the cooling cycle, but it takes in the range of 20 to 25 amps at 12 volts and that is beyond the capacity of the charge system from the tow vehicle to the trailer, so it does not work out very well.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Stefandmissy

I would like to thank all of you who responded. It is really great to get your input. I probably did not make myself completely clear so I will clearify that the two way would be 110 v and Propane. As long as it is cool to drive down the road with the propane on I see no need for 12 volt. It seems that a lot of veteran RVers only use 110 and propane. Would that be safe to say?

Both of my campers (the Airstream trailer and the Cayo truck camper) have 2 way fridges. On the Airstream I run the propane while on the road, as do around 90% of RV owners, as near as I can tell. The Cayo has an older fridge and the flame tends to blow out when I try to run it on the road. It is a smaller fridge and I might replace it with a 3 way when the time comes. Or not, it's an extra $100 or so.

In general 3 way fridges aren't used in travel trailers. Their main use has been in B vans and other small motorhomes where 12v power from the alternator is close at hand. With older fridges it saved the hassle of lighting the gas and then also the problem of it blowing out. Newer fridges with electronic ignition don't really have these problems.