Differences Between an RV Refrigerator and a Residential Refrigerator

Traveling the open road in an RV is a great way to explore the country. Not only do you have many of the comforts of home, you also have the freedom of traveling where you want, when you want. One of the best features of RV travel is having an RV refrigerator available to keep all of your favorite foods fresh and cold.

Many RV owners have debated over which RV refrigerator option is best – an RV absorption refrigerator or a standard residential refrigerator. Here are some of the main differences between the two types of refrigerators available:

The most important difference between the two types of refrigerators is that in an RV refrigerator there are no moving parts. Meaning, there are less things to get damaged from being jolted around when driving. Plus, the RV refrigerator is smaller, meaning it can fit into just about any space available.

Another benefit of an RV refrigerator is that is does not always need to be plugged in. Why? Because it can operate off of electricity, LP, gas or battery power. Meaning you can go camping to some more secluded locations, including ones that do not have electricity hook-ups available and still have the comfort of an operating refrigerator.

Benefits of installing a standard residential refrigerator include:

• Runs more efficient during hot weather
• Bigger in size and storage space
• Less expensive – purchase and repairs

One of the biggest downsides to a residential refrigerator is that is only operates on electricity. To operate a residential refrigerator without electricity requires a large invertor and bank of house batteries. Meaning it will eat up battery power when the RV is not connected to a power source.

As you can see, there are a variety of differences between an RV refrigerator and a residential one. Determining which one is best for you will depend greatly upon your camping needs.