Fullsize Propane Fridge Help

I've had many travel trailer campers. They all come with a three way fridge. Those fridges always worked great while on propane and really didn't consume much LP when in use. So I have a little bit of experiance with a propane fridge.

So now we are building this cabin this year and electric is going to be supplied by a propane generator in the 7-12KW range. Since we will only be running the generator while in the cabin and while we are awake (we will be turning it off while sleeping, hunting, or going into town, etc), I’m considered going the fullsize propane fridge route.

That would allow me to turn on the propane fridge when we arrive at the cabin and not have to turn it off till we leave for that trip. If the generator is only on part time then it won’t keep stuff cold which presents a problem.

So how do the full size ones work? Are they reasonably efficient? Where can I buy them?

I did some google searches and there is not a ton of information about them on-line but I see they are available.

Any help about this would be appreciated.

 

They work like the small ones but have you considered just using dry ice in an electric refrigerator when you go to the cabin? That will keep your stuff cold and decrease the time you have to wait for the fridge to cool off. Then you'll have a standard appliance that you are familiar with. You can get dry-ice at many Walmarts, Grocery stores etc... Plus you will have a way to keep a deer or fish cold in your cooler on the way home if needed.

Just a thought.

 

Approximately, How long does it take for the propane fridges to get cold? Half a day?

 

They are pretty efficient and cool off quickly but the larger the slower. I really don't think shutting it off for a few hours once it is cold will be a huge problem as long as no one opens it until the generator is back up and running. Also, I think some generators can be restarted on a timer. You may check into that.

 

We have a propane fridge out at one of the cabins at work and it gets cold in about 4-5 hrs(cold enough to freeze ice in freezer)...very efficient and made by Mennonites in north central WI but I can't remember the name...prob'ly could google it though. The propane tank out there is 500 gal gets filled up once a year(usually down to about 25%) and runs fridge, stove top, oven, hot water and generator(as well as propane heat for cabin(@35 deg), and generator shed(@50) for 4 months). So a 20lb tank would prob'ly last a little better than a week with that fridge would be my guess.

 

We would be on a 1000 gal LP tank so that won't be a problem. Any chance you could try and find me more information about those Mennonites? I'll try and find it also. Thanks.

 

Is this the place? This place is right in Three Lakes which is a place I go to all the time! Sweet!



http://www.propaneproducts.com/catalog/gas-refrigerators-25-1.html

 

Then I might as well just get a regular electrical fridge. The point of the propane is to be able to just set it and forget it. (Did that sound snippy? If so I didn't mean it that way).

 

The Servel looked like what we had origanally but it was a little small for the bossman, so we went bigger and I do believe it was from Three Lakes...We do run the Fridge out there 8-9 months straight every yr and no problems with it.

 

We have an Inverter setup on the generator and a large battery bank for power but if you are not on the ball with generator maintenance/troubleshooting(often nobody gets out there for over a month or 2 if busy in Ontonagon county properties) and sometimes the inverter screws up and no power to the cabin - the fridge on its own propane is a big plus.

 

Thanks. I'll look into those. I like it that I could pick it up and not pay shipping.

 

Where is your cabin at if you don't mind...and in response to the farm raised birds its only in small areas around Glidden, Park Falls, Butternut, that I know of, where the guides have been releasing birds to supplement the natural population so they can stay in business basically...farm raised birds are just that -hatched in incubaters, raised in cages, and released for training and shooting - they almost never make through a season much less a winter. You need a gamebird release permit so it would be a matter of public record as well...though I have raised mallards and my brother pheasants without one - in MI if its under a dozen birds and you're using for training and not release, you don't need a permit(not sure about specifics in WI).

 

Antigo/Wausau Area.



http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?28445-My-80-acres-of-hunting-land-thread

 

Oh yeah - remember the thread...nice peice of property...you could manage a portion for deer and grouse with clover plots and couple 10 acre clearcuts fit in there esp where aspen are already present as they spread best by thier root system(even if/especially if main stem/tree is cut).

 

No... not at all. Turning the generator on and off may get a little old. Its good thinking to be able to leave the propane fridge running with the rest of the house powered down. I was just saying if the electric fridge door stays closed... it should keep your food pretty cold. It's just an alternative to consider if you run into problems finding the propane fridge.

 

I've heard good things about Crystal Cold fridges. http://crystalcold.com/

I got a catalog from Backwoods Solar back in 2009. Full of great off grid information. worth looking into ---> http://www.backwoodssolar.com/

 

Thanks Fitz. I see that place in Three Lakes sells a 15cf. one for around $2k. That is probably the one I will go with.

 

I may be missing something, but I'm not sure I see the connection between the generator and the propane refrigerator. We have a propane refrigerator at the cabin. We light it as soon as we get there and it gets cold in a couple of hours.

We only use the generator for yard lights to unload the truck, to pump water, and to run the vacuum cleaner before we leave.

Honorable Husband can vouch for the fact that the refrigerator will keep his beer cold.

 

I am not sure what post you are responding to but as you said if the generator is not running all the time using an electrical fridge would somewhat suck. Using a propane fridge would allow it to run all the time. Good to hear about the beer. That is crucial you know.

 

You definitely want to go with the propane refrigerator. First thing my husband does is light the gas mantle lights and then the refrigerator. Then I put the food and beer in it while he pumps water to fill our water tank. It works just great. And it's an old one too. A Servel. I don't know if they make them anymore even.