3 Way Fridge Preformance

[TTBRIDGE]

Hey All,

I have had a search and found a similar topic but hoping for a bit more clarity.

I am hoping someone can help me with a question on the Domestic fridge. For years I have used a Engel compressor fridge, they are great and are always cold. In purchasing the new van we have elected to upgrade to a Dometic RM2553 3way fridge. My question is around the performance of the fridge on 12v / Gas.

As it is a new van I get the chance to put a compressor style (Engel) fridge in for no more money. The word from what I can read is the 3way is very inefficient, and will flatten any battery in no time if left running on it, and that when traveling it struggles to keep up with the fridge rising around 5 deg. Once stopped and on Gas that it takes a good while to recover, and loading it up with hot drinks again kills it’s performance.

So is this true? we have a young family and they are always opening the fridge. So something that can cope with this is a must at this point. I have read so many posts around the web that bag the concept (no just Dometic) Saying if money was no object they would change it, or some saying they use it for storage and use the Engel in their car (I think this to be extreme)

I am leaning towards the 12volt compressor, but then it uses battery power meaning I need more of them and I need sun on the solar panels to keep it going. So less camping in the shade particularly for extended stays. We do a lot of free camping so getting this decision is very important.

The problem with anything like this is, you only hear the bad stories which makes it harder to make an informed decision. So what are your thoughts, would you keep the 3 way or change it and go for the 12 volt only compressor style? Feedback would be greatly appreciated

 

[expanda]

Hey All,

I have had a search and found a similar topic but hoping for a bit more clarity.

I am hoping someone can help me with a question on the Domestic fridge. For years I have used a Engel compressor fridge, they are great and are always cold. In purchasing the new van we have elected to upgrade to a Dometic RM2553 3way fridge. My question is around the performance of the fridge on 12v / Gas.

As it is a new van I get the chance to put a compressor style (Engel) fridge in for no more money. The word from what I can read is the 3way is very inefficient, and will flatten any battery in no time if left running on it, and that when traveling it struggles to keep up with the fridge rising around 5 deg. Once stopped and on Gas that it takes a good while to recover, and loading it up with hot drinks again kills it’s performance.

So is this true? we have a young family and they are always opening the fridge. So something that can cope with this is a must at this point. I have read so many posts around the web that bag the concept (no just Dometic) Saying if money was no object they would change it, or some saying they use it for storage and use the Engel in their car (I think this to be extreme)

I am leaning towards the 12volt compressor, but then it uses battery power meaning I need more of them and I need sun on the solar panels to keep it going. So less camping in the shade particularly for extended stays. We do a lot of free camping so getting this decision is very important.

The problem with anything like this is, you only hear the bad stories which makes it harder to make an informed decision. So what are your thoughts, would you keep the 3 way or change it and go for the 12 volt only compressor style? Feedback would be greatly appreciated

Hey there, we have the Dometic RM2553 and have had a couple of them.

Excellent fridge, works great on gas, electric and 12 volt and does not struggle at all.

We usually turn ours on the day before we leave as we have a 15amp plug at the front of the house.

When driving its running of the cars 12volt system and everything remains cool as it should.

When we get to where we are going we just flick it to gas / electric.

I do find gas is much better than electric but they are both really the same.

The only thing we find with any three way fridge is food seems to spoil more if not sealed etc so we ensure any left overs / cheese etc is all sealed in contianers or bags to keep it fresh.

Hope this helps but I love the Dometic RM2553 makes travelling all the more pleasurable !

 

[Soaring]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but there are different ratings for the Dometic style 3 way fridges. The best being 'Tropical' rated. This is supposed to be able to cope with warmer abbient temperatures. Not sure what comes standard in the Jayco, but it would be worth doing dose research and asking the question.

 

[expanda]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but there are different ratings for the Dometic style 3 way fridges. The best being 'Tropical' rated. This is supposed to be able to cope with warmer abbient temperatures. Not sure what comes standard in the Jayco, but it would be worth doing dose research and asking the question.

That's correct and the RM2553 that jayco supplies as an add-on is tropical rated !

 

[TTBRIDGE]

Thanks for the response so far,

as said above the Jayco is now fitted with the Tropial unit. This adds to the confusion, some forums say you will never look back with a compressor, but with a draw of about 60amps a day in summer you use just over 20% of your batterys in one day (with common thinking now you should not take your batterys under 80%)

So unless you have sun i am in trouble, but they work well when going.Obviously i cannot comment on the 3 way as i have never ised one.

 

[expanda]

Thanks for the response so far,

as said above the Jayco is now fitted with the Tropial unit. This adds to the confusion, some forums say you will never look back with a compressor, but with a draw of about 60amps a day in summer you use just over 20% of your batterys in one day (with common thinking now you should not take your batterys under 80%)

So unless you have sun i am in trouble, but they work well when going.Obviously i cannot comment on the 3 way as i have never ised one.

Compressor has obvious benefits but it depends on your style of camping.

If you are van parks constantly then yes compressor would be an advantage but if you are free camping the added benefit of 12volt and gas is just far to convenient to disregard.

Again horses for courses but for me I am happy with the non compressor unless I committed to only staying in van parks.

 

[Burnsy]

I had the 90L in our other van and now the 186L, very impressed with this one! I put ours on at least 2-3 days before we leave, pack it after a day and then everything is cold so the 12v doesn't struggle, obviously putting cold items in is better. I still have my waeco for drinks, that way the kids aren't opening the fridge as much. So for free camping go the 3 way and maybe a small compressor fridge in the back of tug, I also restock my waeco before bed so I have nice cold beer the next day

 

[Bushman]

Yep definately 3 way for convenence of free camping, and stick the Engel/Waeco etc in the tug for drinks etc, maybe a solar panel for the tug battery for those extended stops and not driving

 

[leesy]

Yep 60lt ARB for the drinks and food inside, i also find the 3 way in van (small one) works better on gas, is that also for other people?

 

[bigman0510]

yeah, we have always used the waeco for drinks and all the food goes inside. Always works better on gas, and when free camping I don't have to worry about the battery charge as much.

 

[Capt. Gadget]

3 Way in the Van and Engel in the back of the Car

 

[chartrock]

Agree, 90L X 3 way in the van and 40L Waeco in the tug.

 

[mfexpanda]

Yep definately 3 way for convenence of free camping, and stick the Engel/Waeco etc in the tug for drinks etc, maybe a solar panel for the tug battery for those extended stops and not driving

Yep thats what we do aswell

 

[fishinglizard]

go the compressor fridge

 

[Xpandafan]

Always run my fridge on gas while away. I get at least 10 days (with bit of cooking and HWS as well) from each of the two 8kg cylinders. Always pre-chill on 240v at home.

 

[gwadir]

Yep 3 way for us, has never let us down so far and we've travelled up north and used them in +38C temps. What does make them work better is a couple of computer fans circulating air around the evaporator fins.

 

[JASA]

We've done more free camping than not, so we opted for the 3 way. No regrets. We run gas while free camping, 240V at the caravan parks and don't really notice a difference. They both work well. Holds temperature well while we are travelling (we use a 12 pin plug). As said above, we turn it on (240V) a couple of days before we leave, put food and drink in cold and use a waeco in the cruiser.

 

[Chooky]

Yep same here 3 way in van and 60L Ironman outside for drinks, cannot complain about the performance of the 3 way in the van i think it works great, stays heaps colder and gets colder quicker than the one that we had in our old swan. Turn ours on the night before we are going to pack it and its ice cold by the morning.

 

[fishinglizard]

go the compressor

 

[Gavin and Brooke]

Thanks for the response so far,

as said above the Jayco is now fitted with the Tropial unit. This adds to the confusion, some forums say you will never look back with a compressor, but with a draw of about 60amps a day in summer you use just over 20% of your batterys in one day (with common thinking now you should not take your batterys under 80%)

So unless you have sun i am in trouble, but they work well when going.Obviously i cannot comment on the 3 way as i have never ised one.

This is incorrect, you shouldn't take your battery below 50%

Gavin