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02-18-2016, 01:00 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 33
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Cooling the fridge quicker
I tried something on the last trip to see if I can cool the fridge faster. This should work for any RV fridge or really any fridge. Typically if you just turn the fridge on and let it cool down on it's own it would take many many hours for the RV fridge to cool down on it's own. I have seen where it has take more than a day to get it all the way down to preferred temp.
I did two things to help with this. I bought a fridge fan to help circulate the air better. I also started collecting Gel freezer packs. (I have a friend that owns a clinic and they get alot of meds shipped in cold packs). He gave me about 12 or 15 cold packs a couple of them where the bigger ones. I turned the fridge on, put the packs in all around the fridge and set the fan at the bottom of the fridge.
less than 2 hours later it had gone from 60 degrees down to 38 degrees. I felt good to put the food in and hit the road and let it run on gas. We were at the camp ground around 2 hours later and it was down to full temp and all food was cold.
I just moved the freezer packs to the freezer and we camped for the weekend. Next time I will do this and keep the freezer packs at home.
I hope this helps.
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2015 RAM 2500 Diesel
2015 Lacrosse 329BHT
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02-18-2016, 01:06 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
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That a good idea, I guess you could do the same with frozen water jugs and leave them home after the fridge cools down. I'm gong to try it this spring, I do't have access to the gel packs
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Retired Navy
Jake my sidekick (yellow Lab) 10/04 - 05/20
2017 RAM 2500 CC 4X4 Cummins Diesel
2016 Flagstaff 26 FKWS
AF&AM & El Korah Shrine of Idaho
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02-18-2016, 01:19 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 438
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Since I drink a lot of bottled water, I just freeze the bottles,arrange around the fridgeand then drink the water later after they thaw.. bought a fan recently and trying it out this weekend. Put fan in last night and fridge was down to about 32 this am.
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Sandy and Steve
Chooie, Baby, Grizzly, Sophie the 4 fur babies
2018 Rockwood 8301WS fiver
2003 Ford F-250 super duty diesel
Vinemont, AL
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02-18-2016, 01:30 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,265
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The key here is to remember how a fridge works. It removes heat ( energy) creating cool. An empty fridge ( RV or home ) has relatively little mass to absorb heat. Air has very little heat absorbing capacity. If you add cold mass in the form of gel packs or cold drinks, it will cool down much faster. The same goes for the fridges ability to stay cold in use. If the fridge is full the temp will vary much less upon opening than if it were empty. The simplest way to accelerate cooling is to add all your cold drinks ( already chilled) when you start it. The drinks will help cool things down and can just be left in when you add the other items.
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2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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02-18-2016, 01:38 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kansas
Posts: 1,272
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Since we usually take ice along anyways ... I put a 10# bag of ice in the freezer as I fire up the fridge ... this also cuts down on cool down time before a trip. Your idea is probably even quicker due to placing some in the refrigerator part as well.
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02-19-2016, 07:20 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Ft Myers FL
Posts: 227
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Cooling Fridge Down
Found the trick others talked about, with cold/frozen drinks and a little fan made a big difference in cool down time. I found the fan at the bottom and trying to keep a chimney effect on the shelves above it sort of guides the air around in somewhat of a circle. Seems to get the temp down a little quicker than without the fan... Keep the brews cold, ya know...
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2018 Georgetown 378 XL
Loved her, listed her, sold her
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02-19-2016, 07:40 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 466
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I do pretty much what you do. I keep frozen water in juice jugs which I use in coolers and in the fridge. The day before I wish to load the fridge I pack the fridge and freezer with ice packs and frozen water jugs. The next morning I turn it on and in the afternoon load the fridge. As FlyBob stated the more cold mass you have the better the system works. When the food is loaded the extra space is filled with the frozen juice bottles and ice packs. We keep our water bottles in a cooler and the frozen jugs and ice packs are cycled through there.
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2017 Keystone Cougar 28RDB
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02-19-2016, 11:22 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 141
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I freeze water bottles and put them in the freezer and refrigerator. It is a quick way to get the temperature down. We load up and are on our way in short order.
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02-20-2016, 10:21 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Posts: 5,977
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Frozen 1/2 gallon milk containers work Great,,, in a fridge or on the bottom of a cooler,,, just do not fill them all the way before you freeze them !!!
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02-21-2016, 12:35 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Newfoundland & Labrador
Posts: 146
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Best Fridge Cooling Fan???
What's the best fridge cooling fan to get? When I check on Amazon several come up with varying reviews on each . Anyone have any recommendations / preferences?
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2010 Wildwood XLite 26BHXL
2013 Ram Outdoorsman 5.7l
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02-21-2016, 02:04 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Ft Myers FL
Posts: 227
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ontherock
What's the best fridge cooling fan to get? When I check on Amazon several come up with varying reviews on each . Anyone have any recommendations / preferences?
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I just grabbed the "white one" on camping world for $13/$14... Nothing fancy, no off/on switch - uses 2 D cells - pop it open when done & take batteries out..the 2 batteries lasted us all last season. I have heard the "blue one" doesn't work very well, just some reviews somewhere, no personal experience . .
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2018 Georgetown 378 XL
Loved her, listed her, sold her
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02-21-2016, 02:12 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
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I have had the blue cool can for years and it has worked fine bought it on Ebay. 2 D cell batteries and an off on switch which seems to be the weak link in the cool can. My observation is that it does help keep the temp even in the frig. I think they are worth the few dollars they cost. IMHO
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Retired Navy
Jake my sidekick (yellow Lab) 10/04 - 05/20
2017 RAM 2500 CC 4X4 Cummins Diesel
2016 Flagstaff 26 FKWS
AF&AM & El Korah Shrine of Idaho
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02-21-2016, 02:38 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ontherock
What's the best fridge cooling fan to get? When I check on Amazon several come up with varying reviews on each . Anyone have any recommendations / preferences?
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This is the one I bought several years ago. It has stood the test of time and it seems to be very effective. I can tell the difference when the batteries have died and it is not blowing. It runs on two D batteries and will run for about one month.
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-44123-Fr...ds=Camco+44123
Bruce
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2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
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02-23-2016, 01:53 AM
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#14
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RetiredRVer
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Ohio
Posts: 264
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I don't do anything.....just turn it on at home, and about 2 hours later it's at the proper temp. All we do is refrigerate all the items that will go in the RV frig ahead of time. Too much trouble doing all that frozen stuff, then moving it all, then doing it again every time we go camping! Rather let "Mr. Energy" work then me!!
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02-23-2016, 05:49 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,464
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My rig stays plugged in when not traveling.
Fridge is on. Put cold items in a cold fridge. I haven't yet, run the fridge on propane, and even after 3 hours on the road, everything is still cold.
2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS
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2017 Dynamax Isata 4
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02-23-2016, 07:46 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Posts: 5,977
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We turn ours the night before we want to load it,,, when we do load it we put as much Ice in the freezer as we can,,, we make as much as we can store @ home a few days before we leave !!! I hate sending the wife to the store for a $5 bag of frozen H2O !!!
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02-23-2016, 09:35 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 265
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I think I'm going to try to make sure we have a couple of frozen steaks to include every time we load the 'fridge...
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02-23-2016, 09:42 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Posts: 5,977
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DadOfTwo
I think I'm going to try to make sure we have a couple of frozen steaks to include every time we load the 'fridge...
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Don't forget the Brats !!!
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02-23-2016, 02:39 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 265
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945
Don't forget the Brats !!!
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The brats can eat hotdogs. Steaks are only for the DW and I...
Oh, you mean bratwurst.
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02-23-2016, 02:45 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Posts: 5,977
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DadOfTwo
The brats can eat hotdogs. Steaks are only for the DW and I...
Oh, you mean bratwurst.
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LOL !!! Yes I did !!!
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