fixing or buying new fridge in slide in camper

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chaperall lite

chaperall lite

Well-known member
Joined
May 23, 2012
Posts
107
Location
Minnesota
We have a 1994 Skamper we bought when only a year old, but the fridge never seemed to work, or we didn't know how to get it running, so we never used it as a fridge..  now we are thinking of getting it fixed, but would it cost more to fix or should we try and find a new one that would fit in it's spot.
 
Personally, the electric house fridges today take a lot less energy to run than they used to. I would get a small bar fridge that fits the space and run it on battery....Of course, this all depends how much dry camping you do
 
;D  never thought of that!  and while going down the road, could just plug it into a "Power Pack"...right? not even bother with the battery hookup.
 
Fixing a fridge may or may not be expensive - depends on what's wrong. You didn't give any clues, so hard to guess.

An electric fridge is an alternative, but people with truck campers are usually off-grid more often than not, so propane may be a better choice in this instance. But you can run an electric fridge via an inverter and battery. If that battery is charged form the engine alternator while driving, you have plenty of power available. How long it lasts after you stop is another question and depends on your battery set-up.
 
Yes more clues, if it has never run right from almost new, it begs the question of whether it was being started correctly.  Being a 92, vintage, it is possibly one with manual start for propane. 

To replace with a new gas/elec you are in for sticker shock. 

To install a dorm style elec, you may need to bump up the available battery power, plus an inverter to make the 12v DC into 110 AC.  Then again, as mentioned before, where do you camp?  with or without elec hookup?

More clues please.
 
We had tried starting it with gas,, but it would never stay running, so we just used dry ice...  maybe it is worth taking to an RV repair as we do like to get off the grid.    tearing it out could be a big job, as there is a cabinet right over the top, but we haven't looked closer at it... have to wait now until the shed  door thaws out enough to get into the camper.  we are in the deep freeze called "Minnesota"....thanks for the advice.
 
When you can get at it.
What make and model # fridge?
There are people here that know there stuff. Maybe you can be walked through cleaning the gas side of cobwebs and tuning it up. You learn something and lot less money spent.
Does any propane appliance work?

 
The flame not staying lit should be an easy fix - either some  debris is partially clogging the burner or you have a bad flame sensing thermocouple.  I'd let a shop take a look at it, if that's all that it needs you're set.
 
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