Dealing with moisture in the fridge

We have our camper in storage at the beach which is 4 hrs away. When we go down for a weekend, we don't use the fridge, just for this reason. By the time it cools off anyway, we would only have a day. And then we don't have much food or items to keep cool then as we try to just eat out then as its easier and less mess. We might have one mea there. If we are down there longer, like a week, then we turn off the fridge the night before and transfer anything we are taking home to a cooler. That way, in the morning when we are packing up, the fridge/freezer has warmed up and any condensation can be wiped up. We've also done it this way, when we had the camper closer to us. Unless we were going to keep it in the driveway for a couple days.

2oldman wrote:

JoeTampa wrote:
We've been propping the fridge and freezer open after each trip when we return the RV to storage, only to find that the next day, there is tons of condensation.

You DO remember to turn the refer OFF.. right? :)

If the fridge is ambient temp, I see no reason there should be any condensation there.

X2

I turn my frig off several hours before we leave it. I dry it out with a Sham Wow as best I can and put margarine tubs of charcoal and some with baking soda around in the freezer and frig. I bought a special wedge that holds the door open from Camping World.

I am fortunate because our MH sits in my 2nd lot next to our house. After turning off and emptying the fridge I leave all 4 doors open overnight. The next day if any moisture is left I wipe it dry then a quick wipe over with a paper towel lightly sprayed with bleach and shut the doors.

Moved to SW FL. in 1986 and never a problem.

It is probably defrosting. Mine takes about an hour. You could defrost freezer the day before you head home, then turn off for ride home and open doors as soon as you get to storage. Wipe down and try to get it dry before you leave storage.

rockhillmanor wrote:
Sorry to hear you can't take your RV home. That makes for creative packing and unpacking at best.

Explains why you have the moisture if you are shutting it off and immediately parking it in storage. The freezer alone has to defrost and the fins in the back of the fridge will drip also.

If it were me to totally avoid any mold, I would shut down and clean out the fridge at the last CG I am at before heading home. That mold gets into the rubber seals too.

Pick up a cheapo ice chest and put what ever food you want to bring home in it at the CG. Shut the fridge down, wipe it down,lay a towel in it. And when you get to the storage unit dry wipe it down and prop the doors open.

X2 on this - excellent advice!

WoodGlue

OK - so you can't stage it at home - missed that. So why don't you just go back to the storage place the next day and wipe it dry? Or do what rockhillmanor suggests if pressed for time.

Sorry to hear you can't take your RV home. That makes for creative packing and unpacking at best.

Explains why you have the moisture if you are shutting it off and immediately parking it in storage. The freezer alone has to defrost and the fins in the back of the fridge will drip also.

If it were me to totally avoid any mold, I would shut down and clean out the fridge at the last CG I am at before heading home. That mold gets into the rubber seals too.

Pick up a cheapo ice chest and put what ever food you want to bring home in it at the CG. Shut the fridge down, wipe it down,lay a towel in it. And when you get to the storage unit dry wipe it down and prop the doors open.

2012Coleman wrote:
Are you saying that you drop off your TT at storage as soon as your done camping? When I come home, I put mine in the driveway to unload - the fridge and pantry usually gets emptied first and I them turn it off. I then go in and wipe it down while cleaning up. The doors are then put in storage mode - which means they are partially open to allow air circulation. Most models have this option. After a few days of sitting in the driveway, I hook up and take it to storage with a dry fridge. Not sure I'd leave it cold rght up to the point of storing it.

Dittos to this.

When we get home and unload and shut down, there's a first class water puddle after about 4 hours- probably due to both frost AND condensation.

I wipe it up, AND check it again around 24 hours.

Not only that, but we make an extra special effort to prop the doors full open (bungee strap jury rig)- one year, they closed up while driving to the storage place- and even though I genuinely tried to dry things out- things were a a bit nasty the next time we got the camper out.

I highly recommend putting the Damp-Rid into another container like a plastic tub or bucket just in case. If it spills, it is pretty caustic stuff.