Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook” as well as the Managing Editor of the RV Repair Club. Today he discusses Everchill refrigerators.
Dear Dave,
I have an Everchill refrigerator in my Forest River Puma fifth wheel. There is no outside access panel to check the drain tube. This unit also does not use a chimney. How do I check the drip tube for blockage or disconnection? —Al
Dear Al,
There are so many new products and technologies coming into the market that it’s hard to keep up with them all! Everchill is not a new product and the technology is over 90 years old. However, it is new to the RV industry, as more companies are offering a compressor-driven version rather than the absorption models. Way Interglobal is the distributor for the Everchill product line and has been supplying the RV industry for more than 10 years.
According to a company representative, the 12-volt compressor-driven Everchill model produces less cavity heat, cools down faster, and does not need to be vented, so they can be placed just about anywhere in a floorplan. And just like a residential compressor-driven refrigerator, they are auto-defrosting and do not need a drain tube or catch basin. That is also why you do not have an outside access panel.
It’s a pretty impressive unit and company. They have gotten quite a bit of press lately, also, with new warehouse facilities in Elkhart and a driven customer service approach. And the price on Amazon for an Everchill refrigerator is a fraction of a comparable absorption model!
According to the rep, they have tested operations of over 43 hours holding cooling temperatures on one group 27 battery! Check out the video here.
Read more from Dave here.
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I watched the video ON YouTube so I could read the comments. I’d say most who own this fridge complain that the test shown in the video does not reflect real world use. Most say that for successful off-grid use you need a lot more battery power, and a bunch of solar power (HUNDREDS of watts!) to make it work as desired. I have looked into this 12 volt compressor fridge option extensively (from different mfg’s too) and finally decided to stick with my old fashioned stock 120/ac 12v propane fridge. It works fine, though in 120° temps it’s a bit questionable. I’ve run the ac side with our inverter while running down the road and have had good success with that, avoiding the use of propane while under way.
I think Dave answered and saved some lines of text by not over explaining.
If your Everchill doesn’t have an outside panel or a chimney it is most likely (or may be) a 12v compressor model. Check your manual or model number to be sure. You should also find specific removal & repair instructions there. IDK about Everchill but I assume it slides out or forward for service like a residential unit.
As far as condensate / defrost it most likely uses a fixed evaporation tray and compressor waste heat to aid in evaporation. I would assume (hope) the designers engineered it to be spill proof for a mobile application.
Not sure what happened but it looks like the photo of the ref blocked or deleted the middle of the text for this article. I removed the photo and you should be able to see the paragraph that answers the question? Dave
A google ad blocked the answer to this question. Only the last complete sentence was showing. Please reformat the article.
So often you don’t answer the question. {bleeped}?, Over
Sorry Primo. It was a technical glitch. Dave fixed it (although he didn’t cause it). Thanks for fixing it, Dave! –Diane
At the risk of sounding too critical I don’t think Dave answered Al’s question. Does he just assume Al knows that his fridge is a 12 volt compressor unit and won’t need a chimney? And now I’m curious too about how the Everchill deals with condensate.
Agreed! He didn’t answer the question about possible condensate.
I have this fridge. I like this fridge. But I don’t like the test they did. How about they run the test again and open the door every couple of hours. This will have an affect on their results I’m sure. Who keeps their fridge door closed for 40+ hours at a time?
Agree it’s not a ‘typical use’ test, but I don’t believe it is intended to be. It’s a best case scenario to show max capability. You wouldn’t want to run your battery down below 50% either but it’s still a good demo of fridge capability. If you have more batteries or use LiFePo batteries you would add to this performance.
I have this fridge in my Forest River Wildwood 5ver and had the same curiosity as the questioner here. I think Dave answered exactly the question that was asked … Why no access to the rear of fridge? Because this unit’s design does not NEED it.
Thanks Dave