Refrigerator NOT being level questions.

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In my new RV, it has two slides on the driver side, none on the passenger side. The refrigerator is on the passenger side.

So I expect a roof vent, but I have not yet checked.

-Don- Reno, NV
In the pic of your new RV I can see the black outside vent just below and aft of the large side window, and the roof vent is clearly visible directly above that.

mynewrv-jpg.148664


Charles
 
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In the pic of your new RV I can see the black outside vent just below and aft of the large side window, and the roof vent is clearly visible directly above that.
I don't know why I never thought of looking there in front of my own eyes . . .

But I am not sure what I am seeing on the roof other than the A/C units. Is the roof vent a pipe I think I am seeing in front the rear A/C cover? And does that mean it's a roof vent system? I ask because you mentioned both a side vent as well as a roof vent.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
The roof vent is a cover that's about 6" wide and 25-30" long, about 4" high. I can't really make it out from the avatar pic, but I can see that there's only one side vent for the fridge, so it's got to have a top vent.
 
I circled the top vent in red, it's sort of low and as wide as the fridge. The top cover has an aerodynamic shape for running down the highway.
 

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The rear A/C is beyond and about half behind the fridge vent in the pic and they are both black, but its there.

Looks like Don has a Norcold fridge. The RV manufacturers use the same brand vents as the brand of fridge (for warranty purposes) and Norcold side wall vents have the two fasteners to unlatch them on the top, while Dometic puts the turn buttons on the bottom. I can see the two above the top slot when I blow up the original pic, and the Norcold roof vent has a very sloped or raked front to it, which this does. Dometic roof vents are symmetrical with the front and rear being the same.

Click the pic, it will blow up rather large.

Charles
 

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Here's a question about the Fridge Defend.

How does it work on a manual fridge?

My fridge doesn't have any circuit board, can the Fridge defend still be fitted?
Edit: I deleted what I originally wrote and inserted this instead.

Follow this link, RV Fridge Wiring | Norcold Wiring | Dometic Wiring | Fridge Defend Wiring

This drawing #6 should have what you need to know. They seem to be somewhat reluctant to show you how it is installed, and just want to show you what it does.

Charles
 
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Thanks Charles

After looking at that I realize that it would shut off my fridge in an overheat but since I don't have a circuit board I would have to manually re-light it.

I'm not opposed to that but I don't think I want to spend $150 for it. There is a lot of circuitry in that box that would be un-utilized in a manual fridge configuration.

Time to see if I can just buy the Norcold Thermocouple Interupter and rig up a simple cut off and a beeper to let me know it's been shut down.
 
Is a half hour way out of level too long?

I would like to start my refrigerator at least a half hour before I leave and it's far from level here. At this house nothing is level except the house.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
I am a believer that the fridge will last much longer the better job you do in keeping it level. I don't level for the trailer I level for the fridge. In my last trailer the fridge was not level to the RV. The freezer had a flat floor, not sloping like some, the mfg had installed the fridge off level. The fridge manual said to level with a bullseye round bubble level on the floor of the freezer and that is what I did. The fridge ran great for 15 years and then I traded the rig in. On the fridge MFG website it said if you have to park off level for lunch or at a campground check in office, turn the fridge off until you are ready to travel again or are leveled at a campsite. I would rather follow the MFG recommendations than what somebody "thinks." Running the fridge off level a lot for a half hour before departing is not something I would ever do...and that would not make much difference in the cooling. Just my and my fridge manufacture's opinion.

It would be great if you could figure out how to get the rig reasonably level were it is parked and could fire up the fridge a day or days before and get it all loaded like we do. I have no experience with loading up the fridge with cold food and then starting it, so I have no suggestions there. I can say this; most people say it takes hours and hours to cool the fridge. My fridge freezer in two trailers would be close to 0 degrees in two hours with the fridge box section taking about another hour and a half to get to it's lowest temp.
 
the MFG recommendation
I guess that means a few minutes is too long.

I am about ready to leave. What I will do is keep it off until the first stop, which will only be a few miles to the local Wally*Mart. Then when it is level, I will turn it on before I do some shopping for this trip.

I will put in a bunch of ice packs for now.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 

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