Camp fridge Propane or Solar Power

No doubt about it, propane can be a pain to use especially with a fridge that doesn't run all summer.
So my neighbor says I can install a 1000 W solar powered system that will run the fridge all summer. Probably the lights too. According to him it would cost around $3000 to have it up and running.

I'm using propane right now but don't really have a handle on how much my fridge uses because it doesn't run all the summer.
My manual says gas consumption on low flame is 14 g/h. What the heck is 14 g/h? I buy by the pounds as does most everyone around.
Just trying to figure out whats cheaper and most practical.

I would guess 14grams per hour. 454 grams in a pound. So 32 hours per pound of propane?

A neighbour at my lake just installed a $15K solar/battery system to run a 120V fridge because he was so pissed when his 8 year old, $2k propane one died this spring. Super impressive hardware and batteries but costly. He did it to code and pulled a permit too. They rave about how fast a $400 12 cu ft 120V cools down - in a few hours as opposed to days with the propane.

The other camps just leave the fridges running from June through September and have told me that their 8 cu ft fridges consume just over 1 pound of propane a day. (The numbers above look correct BTW but there is low flame and high flame which is PROBABLY 33 g/h - do the math!)

$3,000 bucks for a budget system? Hard to say but it is possible. I'd like to see a component list and the batteries he chose. A fridge doesn't consume all that much power when it is running (starting the compressor is another thing) and can get by on a modified sine inverter (which would keep cost down). It is deciding that you're going to start plugging other things in that causes the problems.

I'm thinking a generator would be way cheaper and offer some flexibility for other uses. Something to consider.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wahoo

A fridge doesn't consume all that much power when it is running (starting the compressor is another thing) and can get by on a modified sine inverter (which would keep cost down).

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Some compressor motors don't minds MSW inverters and overheat, others fare much better on PSW. Costs more but less aggravation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sawbill

No doubt about it, propane can be a pain to use especially with a fridge that doesn't run all summer.
So my neighbor says I can install a 1000 W solar powered system that will run the fridge all summer. Probably the lights too. According to him it would cost around $3000 to have it up and running.

I'm using propane right now but don't really have a handle on how much my fridge uses because it doesn't run all the summer.
My manual says gas consumption on low flame is 14 g/h. What the heck is 14 g/h? I buy by the pounds as does most everyone around.
Just trying to figure out whats cheaper and most practical.

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I doubt it very much Ken, a fridge is going to use around 750 watts and that's about what you will actually get from a 1000w system, and that is only when the sun is shining. Now you need batteries and enough power to charge them everyday to keep your fridge cold in the dark.

Don't forget when the fridge reaches temperature setting it will not run until temperature drops.