3-Way Dometic Refrigerator During Long Travel

[live4fun]

I have a 2019 2720 that came installed with a Dometic, 3-way refrigerator, Model RM-2354. This unit works way better than my older Norwood? refrigerator that was in my 2008 TM. But there is a travel situation that I have not solved yet.

1. When I setup at home or at a campsite everything works great, it automatically switches between propane and A/C depending what is on and plugged in. No complains. All perfect.
2. When folded down and traveling less than 4hrs I usually leave it in propane mode (even though I realize it is not be vented) and I see a 10-15 decrease in indoor refig temps depending on the outside temperature summer/fall/winter. Not good but not bad for me.
3. When traveling 7+hrs with the TM folded down and in the summer, then I don’t like the heat buildup in the refrigerator compartment that I feel. I have tried the DC mode because I have installed two 100ah Lithium batteries. The DC mode knocks down my batteries over 8hrs about 60%+. No good for starting at a new campsite. So I’ve done better by turning down the refrigerator setting to 1 or 2 and that’s improved the situation, but still lowers the batteries more than I like for a camping startup.

Does anyone have a better solution to DC on lowest cooling setting for driving 7+hrs with TM folded down??? Maybe keep all my super perishable items in a iced cooler and not worry about the other refrig items? Is is better on propane or DC?

3A. I recently had this new travel situation. With the TM fully loaded for a month long trip head of us and refrigerator pre cooled and full, we decided to drive two super long days (8-9hrs) and stay in a motel so we won’t have to setup the TM and break it down early in the morning. When I got to the motel after 9hrs (on propane), I got worried about the refrigerator getting to hot, so I needed to open up the TM and let the refrigerator work in the propane mode over night. yuck what a pain in the butt after planning not to open up the rig?

Does anyone have a solution to this when you need to stop the TM overnight but don’t have a A/C plugin nearby? My immediate thought for the next time is to put all my chilled and perishable items into a portable cooler on ice over this time. Then do I keep the refrigerator uncooled during travel? Or does anyone have a really good solution for traveling folded down for 2 days with the refrigerator filled?

thanks for thinking about this because it is mentally challenging me right now. Any thoughts on refrigerator performance welcome.