Anyone convert their fridge from Absorbtion Compressor?

Tons of folks on IRV2 have done this conversion.  Looks simple enough.  I would rather do that job than a CV lol.

 
Converting from absorption to DC compressor is a great idea, however IMHO, there's a better way to do it.

With this kit, you're using the same fridge and just replacing the cooling system. They sell complete 12v DC fridges that have more interior volume, just slide into the existing wall opening and they're cheaper. The ones I've seen replaced an 8 cuft unit with a 10.7 cuft unit (30% more usable volume), slid into the existing location and cost only $1,000, the last time I looked.

The ones I looked at might not be the same model you have, but they might have a 12v model that fits. When you convert an existing absorption unit, there's wasted space in the back from the old system.

 
Lord of the Dunes said:
Converting from absorption to DC compressor is a great idea, however IMHO, there's a better way to do it.

With this kit, you're using the same fridge and just replacing the cooling system. They sell complete 12v DC fridges that have more interior volume, just slide into the existing wall opening and they're cheaper. The ones I've seen replaced an 8 cuft unit with a 10.7 cuft unit (30% more usable volume), slid into the existing location and cost only $1,000, the last time I looked.

The ones I looked at might not be the same model you have, but they might have a 12v model that fits. When you convert an existing absorption unit, there's wasted space in the back from the old system.
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So far the ones I have seen are wider than the one I have installed and I do not have much additional room to spare.

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How do you get them in the motor home? Remove the windshield?

 
Usually...yes the windshield, some guys have been able to take off the refer doors and get them in.  

 
what is so bad about the propane fridge   mine work fine only problem is the temp isnt all that stable it usually starts freezing stuff in the fridge after a few days. bad for vegetables but i can live with it 

 
Jersey_Jeff73 said:
what is so bad about the propane fridge   mine work fine only problem is the temp isnt all that stable it usually starts freezing stuff in the fridge after a few days. bad for vegetables but i can live with it 
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When they fail they are about 4k to replace. After time they don't keep temperature, doors sag gaskets tear and so on.

05 American Eagle went in through the entry door.

05 Monaco went in through the driver window

03 Travel Supreme went in through the slide window behind the driver.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

 
Jersey_Jeff73 said:
what is so bad about the propane fridge   mine work fine only problem is the temp isnt all that stable it usually starts freezing stuff in the fridge after a few days. bad for vegetables but i can live with it 
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Because mine is mounted in the slide there is no roof vent. It has always struggled to maintain lower temps. Even with external fans it struggles to cool properly.  Buddy has the same unit that has a roof vent and it cools drastically better. Pretty common issue with all slide mounted units. 

 
does it have a vent out the back?  seems like you need bigger fans drawing the hot air out. 

 
Just swap it out for a residential and don't look back. I was hesitant, took almost 2 years to make the decision, but I could not be happier with the results. Mine fit in through the entry door, after the fridge doors and brackets were removed. 

Can go 24 hrs easy without running the generator, longer if im alone, and I plan to add a few solar panels to offset the usage anyway. 

All I have is 4 golf cart batteries....

 
Do you already have the batteries and inverter? 

If you want to take another stab at making the absorbtion fridge work better i know some tricks. 

Like Larry said i would suspect the fans might not have been working as good as they could.

 
wopachop said:
Do you already have the batteries and inverter? 

If you want to take another stab at making the absorbtion fridge work better i know some tricks. 

Like Larry said i would suspect the fans might not have been working as good as they could.
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I do already have both, Dual 6 volts and a inverter. 

I have added fans on the inside as well as two massive 10 inch fans on the upper outside vent to help draw heat out of the unit. Most people with this unit installed in a slide have the same issues.

Based on the JC website its only about 1200 for the unit plus shipping. Looks only to take about 4-5 hours for install.

I think this will be my best option as I don't have to trim any of my cabinets and it runs on 12 volts which between my solar and HF genny should not have a problem running.

Plus its already a double door fridge so I have plenty of room.

What trick have you used before to make them more efficient?

 
Does your model use the temp probe on the fins, or a temperature knob? 

A big issue with these absorbtion fridges is a mistake by the installers. On the back of the fridge are cooling fins. The design approach is that natural convection will draw cooler air up passed the fins drawing heat away.

Problem is there is often too big of gap between the fins and the back wall. So even after you installed those (2) 10" fans all that air just went around the fins. Ive read the fix is to add sheets of foam behind the fridge so the gap is closer to spec. My manual lists the gap as being no bigger than around 1". 

I was able to climb on my roof and look down to see the fins and the gap to the wall. I bet you could remove your top vent and use a small mirror to look down. If you see a 2-3" gap between the fins and the wall that could be your issue. 

If your model fridge uses the temp probe there are other tricks for that. You can disconnect the probe at the back of the fridge and test its resistance to confirm its working. THat would be ideal if your probe is broken. $20 fix and youre back to 37 degree fridge temps. 

Its been high 90s around here. My fridge used to struggle big time. I keep thermometers inside the fridge and by habit look every time i open it. Never gets over 40F anymore. 

One simple trick is to cut a piece of carboard the width of the fridge and about 1 foot tall. Place that at the bottom of the fridge to catch cold air. Its similar to a chest freezer. Open the door without all the cold air falling out. I recently made a mod to that idea. Now i have more of a drape version. Made from a long strip of packing foam. Its like what you see in a warehouse with those plastic strips a forklift can drive though. But it traps some of the cold air.

 
I did the JC 12v compressor conversion on my Norcold 4 door fridge last summer.  Towards the end of the Glamis season previous to that, my absorbtion fridge was struggling bad.  It just couldn't hold temp any longer if the weather was even a little warm.  My fridge is also mounted in a slide.  I considered replacing the fridge entirely, but I have a space issue.  When my slide is closed, the front of my fridge is within an inch or so of the island. When it's open the walkway between the fridge and island is pretty narrow too.  So I couldn't have anything deeper at all, so that made it difficult.  Anyway, I went with the JC conversion. The install wasn't too bad except for the process of removing the fridge from the cabinet and getting it back in there.  It's just heavy and not much room to work.  Swapping out the cooling unit was not a problem and there are instructions, plus lots of videos online.  The performance is a lot better than my old setup, but not like a residential fridge.  I was hoping it would be super kick ass and I don't feel like it is.  IMO, the cooling unit might be kinda small for how large the fridge is.  Also, I think the doors probably don't seal great compared to a residential fridge.  All that said, I have not had any issues holding temps so far, but it does take a bit longer than I'd like to get down to temp sometimes.

 
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