Gas Absorption Refrigerators in RVs

Last updated: 12/1/2022

In the camping and the recreational vehicle world, the gas absorption refrigerator, also called a propane refrigerator is the king. In a nut shell gas absorption refrigerators use a heat source to boil ammonia, which then cools and draws heat from inside of your fridge. They are found in almost all RVs including toy haulers, travel trailers, 5th wheels, camper vans, popups and class A RVs. They are also found on houseboats for the same reasons they are in RVs.

The heat source is typically propane or a 120V power source. This is called a 2-Way Refrigerator. There is also a 3-Way which can use a 12V power source as a heat source. Using 12V to heat is not as efficent and so they are not as popular as a 2-Way. 

Many people think that a propane fridge doesnt require any electricty to run and this is incorrect. All gas absorption fridges will require 12V power. The 12V is used to ignite the propane and runs the control boards and cooling fans.  

The gas absorption refrigerator has one major advantage, when running on propane it uses very little electricity. Requiring only minimal 12V power. This is perfect for campers that boondock a lot or for when you are traveling down the road and are not plugged in to the powergrid. This is why it's by far the most popular option for the RV, Travel trailer and Toy haulers especially.

Unfortunately this fridge type is not very efficent compared to a standard household refrigerator.  They take around 12-24 hours to initially cool down. You also have to make sure you open and close the door as quickly as possible as they do not recover very quickly. The outside air tempature also plays a role. Above 90 degrees F, they start to really lose efficency and don't work very well. 

Most RV refrigerators use door panels. This allows the RV manufacturer to match the refrigerator to the cabinetry. If you are replacing your existing refrigerator with the same same brand and model you can usually reuse the door panels. If its a different model and or brand, then you will have to either purchase a panel set from Dyers or some people will make there own out of wood paneling to try and match their campers cabinetry. Some of newer fridges with stainless steel fronts do not use door panels though. Something to keep in mind if you dont feel like dealing with the door panels. Dyers RV carries a good selection of black acrylic panels that blend well with all inside decor. 

The two biggest names in RV refrigerators are Dometic and Norcold. Both make a quality product and have been around for a long time. Regardless of which brand you go with, its imperative its installed correctly for optimal performance. Unfortunately many RV manfuactures do not install them with the proper clearances and venting. This leads to subpar performance!