Hot summer days can mean more RV refrigerator problems - what to do?

When temperatures are blazing,  your refrigerator is working hard. Any additional help you can give it will ease it's load.

1. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Decide what you need to take out or put in beforehand, do it quickly and close that door.

2. If you find you are opening the fridge door often for beverages or cold water, consider using a separate ice filled cooler to store these items.  You also might want to consider installing a small dorm room type of refrigerator in the outside pull out storage drawers that are a feature on some larger RVs.  There are some models of these types of refrigerators that fit perfectly in that space like this 3.1 cf model. Rocky Mountain always has a few in stock to choose from.  3. Allow for air currents to move around inside the food storage compartment - proper air circulation is a must for adequate cooling. One hint that was suggested is to open both ends of a soda can and insert these at strategics spots to aid in air circulation. Small battery operated fans can also be placed in the compartment.

4. A fan can be installed in the rear compartment to assist the flow of air up and through the condenser fins at the top of the cooling unit. These fans are thermostatically controlled and available with solar power options.

5. If you can arrange it, park with the refrigerator side of your RV in the shade.

6. A simple test can determine if you have a leaking seal.  Check the seal on the door by inserting a dollar bill between the door and the refrigerator cabinet and close the door on it. There should be a slight resistance felt when you pull the bill out and repeat this test all the way around the door opening. If there are any places where the bill is loose or simply falls out then the seal should be replaced, as it is also leaking out cold air.

7. Start the refrigerator the day before you will be using it to let it get cold while it is empty.  Cool all foods in your home refrigerator before loading into the RV refrigerator. While on the road allow hot foods to cool before putting them away by placing the container in cold water or an ice bath.  A large pot of food like soup or stew should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers before being refrigerated. A large cut of meat or whole poultry should be divided into smaller pieces and wrapped separately or placed in shallow containers before refrigerating.  Just be sure to practice food safety and not leave any food out longer than necessary. 

Any assistance that you can give your overworked cooling unit will help during the heat waves.

If your refrigerator is still not performing the way it should be, Rocky Mountain's service department technicians can examine the refrigerator's systems to make sure that everything is in order.  Our parts department carries replacement seals for the door and we can explain how to install it.  If necessary, a new refrigerator that's appropriate for the space in your RV can be ordered and installed quickly.