anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?


Michasi

New Member
Wondered if anyone out there has issues with their refrigerator warming up as they're driving down the road. Trying to help family members with the issue. Any information would be helpful. Thanks.

Michasi
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

Hey Michasi, welcome to the forum. I use frozen blue ice to keep the refrigerator contents cold while driving. 1 in the freezer and 1 in the crisper. Keeps everything ok for full day of driving. I do not subscribe to using the propane option on the refrigerator during driving. All it takes is 1 accident with the propane on to ruin your day or 1 stop at the gas station with it on to ruin everyones day. Be safe, use the blue ice. It works great. I'm sure this will get the Rv'ers that blissfully drive down the road with their refrigerators sucking propane all riled up. Be safe. :clown:
 

Poppa

Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

You didn't state wether or not you are running the unit or not and is it on elect or propane.

I have a class a and use elec on the road and propane when parked most of the time
 

Bush70

New Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

If it works well on electric and warms only on gas it could need a cleaning. Mine did that this summer and the flame was not burning big enough or hot enough. Cleaned it and it is fine. As far as using propane as you go down the road that is a subject we could debate forever. I use mine all the time and I am very comfortable with it. I sometimes use the heaters if it is really cold out too. I am also in the propane bussiness. I guess that helps.
 

Michasi

New Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

Thanks for the replies. The refrigerator is not electric and it warms while functioning and while driving down the road. I believe its a gas absorption frig (so my family says). They said it's been cleaned well and nothing is obstructing. Any other thoughts?
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

One point I didn't make. Propane will be going up in price as will all forms of energy. Blue ice doesn't cost anything to keep your goods cold while driving. All it takes is one ignition of your propane while refuling and everyone goes bang.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

Wind could be the culprit if it cools ok sitting still.
 

SnowbirdInFlight

Senior Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

We've always ran the fridge on gas since we've had the trailer and have never had a problem.
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

You would never know it if you had a problem. Toooast :clown:
 

Kirk

Senior Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

The fact is that the RV propane systems were designed to use while traveling. If you are not comfortable in doing so, they by all means, only travel with it turned off. For those who do choose to travel with propane on, I sat in on a seminar about propane safety that was held at the Great American RV Rally (alias Good Sam) in June of 2003. The speaker was an expert witness and investigator for the insurnace industry, and the RV industry as well as the owner of a propane realted service company. He is nationally recognized as an expert. He stated that there have been no documented cases of the use of propane while traveling having had a significant effect on an RV disastor. All modern RVs are equipped with a "stop flow" valve that will close if a line should be ruptured. But that does not answer the problem of this thread.

quote:The refrigerator is not electric and it warms while functioning and while driving down the road. I believe its a gas absorption frig (so my family says). They said it's been cleaned well and nothing is obstructing. Any other thoughts?
Michasi
It sounds to me as though you may have a cooling unit that is failing. Have you ever smelled amonia around or inside of the refrigerator? Or have you seen any yellow powder in the rear of the refrigerator? The coolant for an absorbtion refrigerator is a mix of ammonia and distilled water. If it has either of those symptoms, it has very likely leaked at least part of the coolant. Amonia will also in time crystalize and block the passages of the cooling unit. Either will mean the replacement of the cooling unit. If the refrigerator is pretty old, you might be wiser to replace it with a new one as a new cooling unit will cost at least 1/2 of what a new refrigerator will and it won't have any warranty on any of the other parts that could fail.

How old is the refrigerator that you are speaking of?
 

rioritaf

New Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

Hi!
Yes, we had that happen. We had it checked out, and our refrigerator needed to be replaced. It cost $1500 for a new one, but there was nothing we could do. Our rig was 16 years old though and saw plenty of use in it.
Rita
 

Johnny-O

New Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

Michasi,
If your having this problem only while your traveling, you could have an air leak on the back side of the fridge. What I mean is, the card board paper on the cooling unit should be taped down or sealed in some way. If it's not sealed, the wind currents in the back of the refer comp. can force warm air into the refer and it doesn't take much to warm things up. You might find a leak by holding a match inside the empty refer box while traveling down the highway. Work the match close to the cooling fins and around the condensation drain tube. If the match flickers or blows out, you need to pull the refer and seal the backside.
Good luck;
The Boz
 

stardate

New Member
anybody get refrigerators warming when driving?

Just keep in mind that these reefers aren't quick recovery, and if your opening and closing them on a regular basis, they won't feel like they are staying cold
 
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