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Old 07-11-2022, 12:35 AM   #4
rich2468
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Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 90
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You'll need to evaluate your tow rig along with your future trip needs to find a solution.

As Bill stated, you could consider picking up a DC powered compression frig (which have come down in price considerably) and use it to store perishables during extended tows. Those are far more DC efficient than your current Dometic RM-2354 3-way fridge and can potentially come in handy if you need refrigeration/freezer space around the home year round (like after a big Costco/Sam's club shopping trip)....

But since you've already gone down the path of upgrading your AC power, I'd consider looking into adding a DC-to-DC charger to your TrailManor (along with additional wiring on your tow vehicle) if your tow vehicle will support that. A smaller (20 Amp range) DC-to-DC charger should keep your battery bank topped off without impacting most TrailManor tow vehicles too bad. That would be a consistent charge replenish solution, but you'll always need to make an additional connection to your tow vehicle to support it.

I've faced the exact issue as you're dealing with and have added additional solar along with a larger battery bank to my 2922KB to offset the Dometic power use needs while towing but that obviously only helps when the sun is available.

Not wanting to lose the flexibility of the 3-way Dometic fridge, adding a Victron Energy Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-Volt 18 amp 220-Watt DC-DC Charger is the way I'm dealing with the need to replenish my battery bank under tow while the Dometic is set to use DC power. (and there's little or no solar)

- one important thing to keep in mind about the Dometic 3-way fridge: it will auto switch between propane to AC power, but it will not auto switch between propane and DC. That's an inconvenient constraint that you've got to keep in mind when not wanting to have to open the TrailManor for a long tow.
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Rich and Lynn: 2021 2922KB

420Ah LiFePO4 battery bank, kilowatt solar, 3K Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter, DC-to-DC Charger, Sealand 711-M28 toilet, Maxxis 8008 Load Rated E
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