Quote:
Originally Posted by funpilot
So, has anyone replaced the standard TM 3-way refrig with a better one that they would like to suggest?
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Dometic/Waeco 1100 E/F-S (marketed as a "luxury boating fridge") fits the Norcold installation area almost exactly, if you remove the decorative flange from the Fridge and plane about 3mm from one of TM's vertical "front trim" boards for extra width. It worked much better than the Norcold on its single outing so far - it kept interior temps in the mid-30s,
easily, while outdoors reached nearly 90F. (A "good" Norcold would have reached high 40s, maybe even 50F inside on that day). 'Boondock' USFS conditions, running off my Solar. But it's costly.
Upgrade from Norcold to Dometic CR-110 E/F-S (compressor fridge)
Edit 6/15/2017:
I've done several trips since the original 2014 post, and a major upgrade: At the flick of a dashboard switch, I can now make the 4Runner deliver 24V on the Bargeman "Trailer Battery. Under clouds on the road, I just flick the "magic dashboard switch" to invoke the switch to 24V mode: The TM detects this voltage change, and switches the connection of Bargeman "Battery Charge +" to run as Solar Input to the MPPT, disconnected the Bargeman from the 12V TM electrical system. Whenever the batteries are run down and Solar conditions aren't great, I can use the 4Runner as a generator - it's not very noisy when idling, the gas consumption is low, and the gas tank is very large.
My Fridge (Dometic Compressor, 12VDC or 120VAC, auto-switching) stays cold (sub-40) in 100-degree ambient temps. The only real issue with my setup is cost: The Fridge cost about $900, the "genuine" Solar system cost almost $500, and parts for the "fake Solar" capability cost about $100 more. (The "genuine" Solar would be a bit cheaper these days, but it's still a big ticket item.)