On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 07:21:38 +0000, Michael Sutton wrote:

If I want to put a fridge on my boat I can go buy a 12v Marine fridge
for $500 or so.

Why can't I go buy a $100 dorm size fridge from Walmart/Home-Depot, etc
and use a $50 inverter to power it?

any advice?

I don't understand why items used on boats have to cost more just
because they are 'marine'.

-mike

Short answer: effiency and longevity.

The bar-fridge/inverter will work fine, but would draw a LOT of power from
your batteries. My NorCold (?) DC fridge draws 4 amps, which on a hot day
converts to under 100AH a day (including other draws like stereo,
lights...). The barfridge/inverter would probably draw 6-8A, resulting in
150AH a day or so (depending on duty cycle). You could stay on a hook for
about a day, tops, without Major Recharge, using golfcart batteries. I can
stay 2 days with a bit of help from my solar panel.

The barfridge is probably NOT stainless-steel. In a marine environment, it
would last 5 years, tops (and look pretty ratty after a year or two). I
replaced the compressor after 10 years of constant use, and the fan
several times, but the rest of the fridge is still fine.

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36