They’re big! They’re small! They’re too big! They’re too small! We’re talking about your RV refrigerator, and whatever the size, we bet you have feelings about it!
Do you think your RV’s fridge is too big? Too small? Or is it a “Goldilocks” size, juuuust right?
RV refrigerators come in all shapes and sizes, from compact under-counter units to residential-style models that seem to take up half the kitchen. Some campers love the extra fridge space for fresh produce, cold drinks, and leftovers.
Others find that a giant fridge isn’t necessary, especially for weekend trips or when traveling light. A large unit might even feel like wasted space when you’d rather have more drawers, shelves, or room to maneuver inside your tiny kitchen.
On the flip side, many RVers get creative when they feel their fridge is too small. Some keep a dedicated cooler outside, invest in a portable 12V fridge/freezer, or make more frequent grocery runs to work around the limited capacity.
Others have considered upgrading to a residential-style fridge, even if it means sacrificing storage or making electrical upgrades. How do you deal with your fridge space (or lack thereof)?
If you think it’s too big, would you rather have a smaller fridge and use that extra space for something else (like an additional cabinet or pantry, maybe?). If it’s too small, have you ever thought about replacing it? If it’s too small, do you use something like a cooler for excess refrigerated items? Please leave a comment with your answers. Thank you!
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RVDT2684
Both of our TTs have full-size absorption refrigerator and freezers – in fact our larger RV has two. We use one and the other is used for highly bug resistant dry storage. We live about 6 months a year FT in our larger TT. While at times it has been pretty darn full, our larger problem has to do with dimensions. We cannot for example buy standard size frozen pizzas. Ribs typically have to be half-rack packages.And putting in larger items (pre-make a casserole for an upcoming potluck) can make it difficult to store the everyday items.
Our RV came with an 8cf absorption refrigerator, and a 1.7cf dorm type residential. We added a 12vdc freezer under the bed for packing meat from our favorite market when snowbirding.
Got rid of the piece of junk NotSoCold 1200 and installed an 18 CF Samsung RF-197 residential fridge back in 2012. I will NEVER own any RV that doesn’t have a residential fridge ever again.
Until you can’t find a current bush to plug your cord into.
Solar, not current bush. Works fine!
9.0 cu ft., and seems to be fine. For about a week anyway.
Our 2018 Rockwood has the original fridge, but when it stops working, I’ll install a residential one.
Our 6 cu ft 12v is adequate. We do around 1/3 to 1/2 of the time dry camping, so it’s finding the balance of enough space and power demands.
M…………..My 48 year old Dometic 3 way fridge is adequate and still functions well.
The fridge in our 2019 Transcend (Grand Design) is nice and big. Just about right for us.
Must be one of Murphy’s Laws – we went from a small RV refrigerator to a large residential refrigerator and it seems even more crowded.
Thank you for the question, RV Travel! Yes, at 22 cubic feet, our refrigerator is fully adequate for our travels. Our trip to Alaska will be about 4 1/2 months, so we added a 53-quart freezer to one of the storage bays. Have a great day and safe travels!
When we first bought our 10 year old RV, I thought the fridge looked small. It is shallow but so far we have not needed anything bigger. I know we can’t put large casserole containers it, but that hasn’t been a problem yet.
It is a Norcold gas absorption fridge and it has kept our food cold.
No matter how big it is, we will fill it up.
More than suits our needs … propane/electric (must have), double door fridge and double door freezer …