Keeping Your RV Fridge Running Cool In Hot Weather

Above, the motorhome's fridge during the Rice Army Airfield trek. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my trip to Rice Army Airfield for a clampout and then visiting friends in Lake Havasu, I used the motorhome's refrigerator during the whole time. Fortunately, I found a camping spot at Rice that had the refrigerator facing away from the sun. It got pretty hot at times.

Which reminds me, I have refill the propane tank before my trip to Colorado next month. 

That's the subject of an article in RV Life. It is 10 essential tips for keeping your RV fridge cool in hot weather. 

The article begins with:

Your RV fridge has a very important job to do. After all, you can’t eat certain foods that haven’t been kept cold enough, and nobody wants to drink warm soda or beer. 

Unfortunately, we have had our fair share of refrigerator problems while traveling full time. The good news? We’ve also learned a lot about how to keep an absorption RV refrigerator running smoothly.

To read more, go here. 

Save Your RV Refrigerator: Leveling Tips For Overnight Stops

Above, my nine-year-old RV refrigerator works fine
 since I always level the RV. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My motorhome is now nine years old. My refrigerator is the original one and works perfectly. 

The reason being is that no matter how long I am staying somewhere, I always level the RV. 

However, based upon an article in RV Travel, there are those who feel that leveling the RV for an  overnight stay is unnecessary. To call this wrong-headed thinking is an understatement.

They begin with:

I read this tip on RVtravel.com:

Do you level? That’s a question repeatedly posted on RV forums, regarding leveling an RV when stopping at the end of the day. Here’s a typical response: “I try to get it relatively close unless it’s just for an overnight stop, in which case I don’t bother.” Unless it’s an overnight stop? ALWAYS level your RV. Another comment tells you why: “I’m on my second Dometic 4-door. I level METICULOUSLY every time I stop to camp and I check level every morning. I refuse to go thru all that replacement AGAIN.”

RV refrigerators need to be level to work properly, and to prevent damage. No absorption-type RV refrigerator has ever read the fine print that says, “Don’t count the damage caused by operating off-level if it’s only overnight.” Seriously, damage to an RV cooling unit is CUMULATIVE, and every “only overnight” adds up. Can’t level? Shut off the fridge.

I was rather shocked by people’s thinking that running an absorption refrigerator out of level overnight or for any length of time is an acceptable practice. As mentioned above, the damage is cumulative, adding up each time you operate your refrigerator out of level.

To read more, go here. 

Safe Summer RV Medications Storage

As one gets older, dependence on medications becomes more frequent.

Since two stents were put into one of my coronary arteries five years ago, I have to take medications daily. So when I pack, the first things that go into the travel bag are my medications. I don't store any in the RV.

There are some who have medications that require refrigeration. Luckily, I'm not one of them. But it is good to know how to safely store them and other medications in the RV during the summer.

RV Life has an article on this topic.

They begin it with:

Summer is the prime travel season for a lot of RV enthusiasts. It’s the perfect time to visit the beach, enjoy wildflowers, and bask under the sun. Unfortunately, this season can cause issues if you travel with refrigerated medications.

Many medications require refrigeration to maintain their potency and stability. Refrigeration often helps to preserve the drug’s efficacy and to prevent degradation that can be caused by higher temperatures. The need for refrigeration can depend on the medication’s chemical structure, formulation, or intended use.

To read more, go here. 

Quick! Hide Your Refrigerator, Biden's After It!

Everyday, it seems there's not much remaining in our lives that His Fraudulency Joe Biden and his minions won't target for elimination.

Now it is the family refrigerator!

From The Western Journal:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new rules on Friday that would restrict the use of refrigerators, air conditioning equipment and heat pumps that utilize hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

The EPA’s proposed rule would crack down on the manufacturing and importing of goods containing HFCs, which would restrict the use of HFCs in refrigeration units, air conditioning systems and heat pump equipment starting in 2025, according to an agency press release. In accordance with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, a global climate treaty that the Senate ratified in September, the agency intends to reduce the production and consumption of HFCs by 85 percent by 2036.

“With this latest proposal under the bipartisan AIM Act, EPA continues to advance President Biden’s ambitious climate agenda while investing in American innovation and ingenuity,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement.

To read more, go here.

RV Refrigerator Fires

Above, the refrigerator and galley of my Minnie Winnie. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The only really tedious thing about RVs to me is having to level them so that the propane RV refrigerator inside will properly work. 

Another aspect about RV refrigerators is that they can and do catch fire.

Do It Yourself RV discusses this in a new article.

They begin it with:

Today’s modern RVs are equipped with all the niceties and technology you’d find at home. Of course, this includes refrigerators. While very large RVs have gravitated towards residential refrigerators, most smaller RVs still rely on the gas/electric absorption refrigerator that has been used in RVs for decades. This is due to the cost, efficiency, and power requirements of smaller RVs. Knowing which RV refrigerator you have is vital. 

While a residential refrigerator might not operate at its highest efficiency when off-level, a gas/electric absorption RV refrigerator may not operate at all. At worst, it can be a dangerous fire hazard.

To read more, go here. 

RV Refrigerator Tips

Above, my RV has a refrigerator/freezer combo with all the controls in front. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A recreational vehicle's refrigerator operates differently than the one inside a house. So before loading it up, it has to cool inside first.

RV Travel says to turn it on 12-24 hours before leaving home. I usually turn mine on about 8 hours before and keep occasional tabs on it with a thermometer I have inside. But they have some very useful tips on making sure the RV refrigerator stays cool during a trip.

They begin it with:

If it’s not already, it’s going to get hot pretty soon, and your RV refrigerator is going to need your help!

Here are some tips for keeping your RV fridge cooling effectively all summer long:

To read the tips, go here. 

RV Refrigerator Tips

Above, the refrigerator/freezer in The Beast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following article in Do It Yourself RV is rather timely since I am going on a little weekend camping trip to Arizona this weekend and I do need to get batteries for the little "muffin" fan inside my RV refrigerator.

But, that aside, they have five tips for RV refrigerator maintenance.

It begins with:

As full-time RVers, we’ve learned to manage fitting our family’s food into an RV refrigerator rivals that of a college freshman’s dorm fridge. 

What we will not accept is an RV refrigerator that doesn’t keep our food fresh, beer cold, and popsicles frozen. Here are 5 things you can do to make your RV refrigerator work the best it can.

To read the article, go here. 

RV Refrigerator Tips

Operating a RV refrigerator is different from the one in residences. Air must be circulated throughout a RV refrigerator for it to keep foods cold. That's why it is recommended that circulating fans be used inside the refrigerator.

It takes several hours for a RV refrigerator and freezer to be sufficiently cold enough for food to be loaded in. Before heading out on a trip, I turn on the propane refrigerator the night before. After 6-8 hours, it is ready to use.

There are other tips on how to make a RV refrigerator more efficient. RV Life has three important tips.

They begin with:

Learning to organize your RV refrigerator is like an art that develops with practice. The more miles you put on your rig, the easier it is to carry all of your favorite foods wherever you roam. There are many cool tips for your fridge and these three quick tips will help you get started.

To read more, go here.