The RV fridge is one of those things you dont think about until it stops working. And let me tell you — ours stopped working on a 95 degree day in July somewhere in central Texas with two weeks worth of groceries inside.
That experience taught us everything we now know about RV refrigerators. Let me save you the heartache.
How RV Fridges Work
Most RV fridges are absorption fridges, not compressor fridges like at home. They use heat (from propane or electric) to drive a cooling cycle. Sounds backwards but it works. The key thing to know is they work best when level. Even a few degrees off and the cooling cycle gets disrupted.
Travel Day Tips
Turn the fridge on the night before travel day so its fully cold. Pack it tight — a full fridge stays cold longer than an empty one. We fill gaps with frozen water bottles.
Run the fridge on propane while driving. Some people worry about this but its safe and keeps things cold. If you go through a tunnel with no-propane rules, a few minutes off wont hurt.
At Camp
Level your rig. This isnt optional for the fridge — its critical. Use a fridge thermometer (not the one built in, get a separate digital one) and check that its below 40 degrees.
Leave space behind the fridge for air circulation. Most RV fridges vent through the back and if that airflow is blocked they overheat and stop cooling. This is what happened to us in Texas.
When It Stops Cooling
Check the basics first. Is it level? Is the vent clear? Is the burner actually lighting (you can hear it click on propane mode)? Is the thermistor working?
If all that checks out you might have an ammonia leak in the cooling system. That means the fridge is done and needs replacement. Sorry. We spent $1,400 on a new one after Texas.
Take care of your fridge and it takes care of your food. Ignore it and you're eating gas station sandwiches for two weeks.
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Bookmarking this entire site basically. So much good info.
Really useful for anyone starting out. Wish this existed when we began.
After retirement RVing became our whole world. Best decision we ever made.
Single lady RVer here — this is gold. Bookmarking immediately.
We tried this last summer and it totally worked! Lisa was skeptical at first but now she swears by it.