RV Fridge Add-On Fan

meganjoe · 05-23-2015, 06:11 AM

I've been looking at these add-on fans that are supposed to make your fridge run more efficiently..

We have a small trailer with a Dometic RM2351.

It looks like some of them hook up to the interior light for power. Ours does not have an interior light.

Does anybody have any experience with these??

Thanks, Joe

**KyDan** · 05-23-2015, 06:52 AM

Wondering what you mean by more efficiently? Our last 2 fridges would cool to 40 in the fresh food area and keep ice cream pretty hard in the freezer. That's about all
you're going to get. There is an aftermarket thermostat upgrade you can buy/install that
will let you adjust the cooling temp but the factory setting is pretty much gonna
be 40. We have a little slider in the fresh food area that is supposed to adjust the
temp but again- with it all the way up (coldest setting) we get 40.....

Have you put a thermometer in the fresh food area and checked??

meganjoe · 05-23-2015, 07:05 AM

I guess I'm always looking at things to make stuff work better..

To be honest it's a new camper and may well be just fine..

I'll buy a thermometer and see where it's at..

Thanks for responding, Joe

camper1999 · 05-23-2015, 07:12 AM

I added computer fans to the top of my refrig. They run constantly and prevent the factory fan that was very noisy from running. That was the main purpose of me adding the fans. But the added benefit was the refrig seemed to stay cooler in warmer temps and when the refrig was being opened more often.

meganjoe · 05-23-2015, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camper1999

I added computer fans to the top of my refrig. They run constantly and prevent the factory fan that was very noisy from running. That was the main purpose of me adding the fans. But the added benefit was the refrig seemed to stay cooler in warmer temps and when the refrig was being opened more often.

Camper1999.. Could you give more detail on your install?? Where did you mount the fans and where did you hook them up??

Thanks, Joe

ksignoles · 05-23-2015, 07:19 AM

Look up ebay seller "dforce1029" for accessories. Also search "Dinosaur electronics" dometic thermistor adjuster. I have added the adjuster and double fan inside and fridge gets down to 30 now. Too cold and had to adjust higher to stay around 37.

Fans wire runs down drain tube and connects to hot 12v wire behind fridge. Ground is a clip attached to fins.

Factory was 40. After opening the door a couple times in morning, it would shoot up to 45 and not drop until evening. Too warm for me from the factory.

2013 Sierra 346 RET
2010 Ford 350 6.4 l CC SRW
Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

youroo · 05-23-2015, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meganjoe

I've been looking at these add-on fans that are supposed to make your fridge run more efficiently..

We have a small trailer with a Dometic RM2351.

It looks like some of them hook up to the interior light for power. Ours does not have an interior light.

Does anybody have any experience with these??

Thanks, Joe

If this Fan is what you are referring too,they come with a LONG wire for external 12V power,it is a (Cut to Length) wire! They should come (Standard Equip.)

Youroo!!

youroo · 05-23-2015, 07:33 AM

PIC for above!

ksignoles · 05-23-2015, 07:33 AM

Check out this link.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/181208057633?nav=SEARCH

This is what I use inside.

2013 Sierra 346 RET
2010 Ford 350 6.4 l CC SRW
Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

mike.t · 05-23-2015, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meganjoe

I've been looking at these add-on fans that are supposed to make your fridge run more efficiently..

We have a small trailer with a Dometic RM2351.

It looks like some of them hook up to the interior light for power. Ours does not have an interior light.

Does anybody have any experience with these??

Thanks, Joe

I believe they run the power wires through the drain hose of the fridge. Or there are fridge fans that run off of batteries.
Start here.battery operated rv fridge fans - Bing

Grampa Jim · 05-23-2015, 12:37 PM

I use the CAMCO, 2 D-cell fans that are light grey in color. The have another one out there but it's not worth a flip and doesn't move the air that the CAMCO does.I change out the two D-cells about once a month. My ice cream is harder and on a hot day in Texas, the refrigerator, which USED to only get to the high 40's will now get down to the low 30's and sometimes the high 20's when we get up in the morning. I was in the refrigeration business for 40 years, and I want my food preserved as cold as possible. I have a fan in my freezer as well as the refrigerator. I'm very satisfied with the results. Also,,,,the whirring noise from the fan outside that blows air across the coils? Somebody on this post a while back recommended disconnecting it because of the noise. Don't evern THINK of doing it. You'll destroy the refrigerator.

meganjoe · 05-23-2015, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grampa Jim

I use the CAMCO, 2 D-cell fans that are light grey in color. The have another one out there but it's not worth a flip and doesn't move the air that the CAMCO does.I change out the two D-cells about once a month. My ice cream is harder and on a hot day in Texas, the refrigerator, which USED to only get to the high 40's will now get down to the low 30's and sometimes the high 20's when we get up in the morning. I was in the refrigeration business for 40 years, and I want my food preserved as cold as possible. I have a fan in my freezer as well as the refrigerator. I'm very satisfied with the results. Also,,,,the whirring noise from the fan outside that blows air across the coils? Somebody on this post a while back recommended disconnecting it because of the noise. Don't evern THINK of doing it. You'll destroy the refrigerator.

i'll check those out.. Thanks

NeilM108 · 05-23-2015, 01:32 PM

I have the eBay one in my fridge. Wire goes out the drain hose and connects up to 12v on the outside. Neat and simple. Keeps temperature even inside fridge. Well worth the $18!

Jim Sloan · 05-23-2015, 01:57 PM

There is a very good TECH SAVVY Hands-On article in the November 2014 Motorhome magazine about the add-on fan box from Smart RV Products. It installs as described by the ksignoles post and gives the fridge a shortened cool down time by circulating inside air 10-12 times per minute. That appealed to me since I frequently put a gallon jug of water into my Georgetown motorhome Dometics fridge and that air-temp water can quickly warm up the other contents. Can't tell you how effective it is cause I haven't received the Fridge-Fit kit. Read the article and make your own judgement.

hkreck · 05-23-2015, 02:05 PM

I got a Fridge-fix add on fan unit last year. There was an article about it in Motor home magazine. It uses very strong two sided tape to hold the unit in place next to the refrigerator fins and is powered by a connection to the light in the fridge. Works very well at cooling the fridge down quickly and keeping it cool. Article was in the Nov. 2014 issue.

305RESGUY · 05-23-2015, 02:39 PM

With my previous small travel trailer (a Pal), I installed a Camco fridge fan that was operated by a solar panel. The fan was essentially an exhaust fan that dissipated the heat generated by the fridge. The solar panel was mounted/attached to the roof fridge vent. It cost under $100 and it made a *huge* difference. I did a lot of dry camping - off the grid at race tracks - and when my friends saw it they all ordered one and every single one of them thanked me the next time they saw me. Even in cloudy conditions, the solar panel would charge enough to operate.

I had that camper for three years with that fan/solar panel installed when I traded it in for the new rig and I never, ever had an issue with the fan nor cooling of the fridge.

cfiowa · 05-23-2015, 04:04 PM

http://www.smartrvproducts.com/fridge-fix.html

this is what is used inside my fridge nice and tidy. and added some extra fans on the back side 5 each 92 mm computer fans with a fan baffle up to the fins for extra cooling. my factory fan no longer run--which were really loud when they did run. Now my new ones only run when I want them to. fridge stays at 32 degrees all the time except when its in defrost cyle. once done i cools back down to 32 degrees

lynn brownlee · 05-23-2015, 04:25 PM

Added computer fans also

fredcrowley · 05-23-2015, 09:43 PM

In our Dometic fridge, I was having trouble with the interior cooling fins icing up. I bought our rig new, and to keep things cool enough I had to set the thermostat to a maximum setting. Also, there was a significant difference in temp within the fridge. I installed an after market fan from smartrvproducts.com. It consists of two fans mounted in a housing that fits on the upper surface inside the fridge and is wired to the 12v light socket. Solved the problem immediately. Even cooling throughout, no ice on the fins, and at setting "4", the interior temp registers 36. The freezer seems to work better as well.

I also installed an additional 12V fan that blows air around the external cooling coils on the exterior back of the fridge for when the outside temp really warms up. In Texas we encountered 100+ degree days. I installed a manual on/off switch and with the fan running, the fridge worked great with the motor running less. You can buy these fans from an RV supplier for about $50. I bought my fan from Northern Tool for $6 - turns out it is identical to the one from RV suppliers.

jtownstumpjumper · 05-23-2015, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youroo

PIC for above!

X2....this is the one we're using with our fridge.....wiring as described in previous post.....run 12V power from fan thru drain tube to back of fridge to a hot 12V terminal and then clip to fins inside fridge....you'll be off and running distributing the air more evenly throughout the fridge......no longer have those warm spots and extreme cold spots inside. running fridge on lower setting by using these fans.

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