Anybody ever add a refrigerator to their boat?

[Fraryma]

I'm thinking that it would be a fun project to add a small wine fridge like on RegrigeratorFAQ to our pontoon boat. Has anyone done anything similar?

Any special considerations when choosing a fridge type?

I'm thinking that I should have it run off of a second battery in the boat, so that I could still run it when not plugged into shore power without worrying about running the main battery. Any suggestions on how to do power?

The whole rig doesn't need to be very big - just enough for a 12 pack of drinks and a few sandwiches.

 

[onthewater102]

No, but I'm seriously considering a 120v a/c power inverter and a Keurig.

 

[eeshaw]

Do you mean one of the small ones like you'd have in a college dorm room? I don't know how many watts those are but they should be able to run off an inverter. I've ran a small a/c unit off a Champion inverter and it put out 1700 watts.

 

[86tuning]

I have a 12v ARB fridge/freezer that I also use in my 4x4 when camping. It's awesome. Works at funny angles, and would work in my boat if I decided that I want a fridge. Draws less than 1A on low setting, so a large trolling motor battery would keep it running for a couple days. It's a chest style fridge, holds 50qt but will keep icecream frozen if I set the thermostat to -5C. Normally it sits at 4C which is normal fridge temperature.

The downside? It's not cheap. ARB fridges are available from some 4x4 shops like 4wheel parts and others.

I wouldn't use a home type fridge in a boat. But an RV or marine fridge would work. You can get them at Costco

 

[eeshaw]

Jeez, you weren't exaggerating when you said they're pricey! Yee ha! I like it but with just a three year warranty I'll pass.

 

[86tuning]

I've never heard of a warranty claim on an ARB fridge. Also, the unit can be serviced, control panel electronics, etc, are all available parts. And, should you decide to sell, the resale value is incredible.
All requirements for a the car-camping crowd.

 

[jethro]

I have a 12v ARB fridge/freezer that I also use in my 4x4 when camping. It's awesome. Works at funny angles, and would work in my boat if I decided that I want a fridge. Draws less than 1A on low setting, so a large trolling motor battery would keep it running for a couple days. It's a chest style fridge, holds 50qt but will keep icecream frozen if I set the thermostat to -5C. Normally it sits at 4C which is normal fridge temperature.

The downside? It's not cheap. ARB fridges are available from some 4x4 shops like 4wheel parts and others.

I wouldn't use a home type fridge in a boat. But an RV or marine fridge would work. You can get them at Costco

Yup, that's what we did as well in the offshore boat. It works awesome. Ours isn't an ARB, it's a Dometic which is the same idea.