I live in Vegas and need some help to make my fridge out here a little colder. The plastic slide in the fridge is up all the way. What else can I do?

Are you running on gas? The input on gas is around 2,200 Btu's - so that if 20% goes up the flue, then about 1,800 Btu's is left to heat the boiler. While the electric heat element will only put out around 800 - 900 Btu's depending on the model, and the voltage input.Shade the side of the RV that the refrigerator is on, preferably on the north side of the RV. Keep the inside of the RV cooler. Don't know what temp it is inside, but it helps to keep it cooler inside, so that the delta T between inside and refrigerator temp is low as possible. Try a fan on the outside, behind the cover. A small 12 volt computer fan will work well, about 4" diameter, will move around 50 CFM to 100CFM. This will bring more air in to blow across the warm coils. Camping World used to sell a small inside refrigerator fan, it ran on 1 D battery. It would work about 30 days per D cell. You only need it in the middle of summer. Also don't try to add warm food to the refrigerator. Try to only add cooler foods to the refrigerator. Good luck!Fred.

Before you head out buy a case of water bottles and freeze them at home. Then when you load up the fridge and freezer fill er up with these frozen bottles. In fact you can even switch them from fridge to freezer at night. Someone else suggested this and it works really really good. Also when you want a cold bottle of ice water you will have one on hand! I also have a 120 ac small fan on the back of my fridge when it is really hot to keep the air moving. But try the water bottles frozen I think you will really be pleased. I have done this several times know and will continue to. The fridge naturally does a lot better when full of cold items. If your fridge has a lot of air space once you open the door the cold air falls out and it has to try to catch up.

You can add a 12v muffin fan in the chimney flue to help move cool air over the cooling fins.A very common solution

I'm wondering if part of why a muffin fan IN the fridge is that by keeping the air moving, it keeps that fin thermistor from being satisfied a little longer? Your fridge isn't in a Slide, right? Those must have a fan on the outside coils.What's your Fridge Make and Model? If it's a Norcold, they shut the cooling off every so many (36?) hours as a poor man's defrost. It isn't active defrost like a home unit, just stops cooling an hour or so. Is it Frosting on the Fins? If not, and in the Dry West, might not be frosting, and it's a Norcold, turn it OFF for 10-seconds or so every day. That'll keep the cooling unit running full time. If it IS Frosting, needs to be cleared of that frost. I'm doing that now with a pump sprayer with water. Seems to be the fastest way. but the door's still open those few minutes.Speaking of door, do you have good contact at the gaskets? ALL the way around? On our Norcold, we have to physically push the corner opposite the latch, every time we shut the fridge or freezer door.Finally, check installation of your fridge. There should be NO dead space above or to either side. And, nearly no space behind. The idea is for the heat of the outside coils to create a draft that passes only through those coils. Some of us here have put baffles behind the coils (between coils and inside of coach wall) to direct draft through the coils. This is specified in installation directions. I have two little (80mm square frame, 25mm thick) computer fans blowing upward from the bottom of the coils. If you buy those, the very cheapest have sleeve bearings and won't last as long as ball-bearing ones. I still get a couple seasons out of the cheap ones. Walmart has a four-pack of fans for $7.

As suggested above, freeze containers of water overnight and put them in the refrigerator during the heat of the day. Refreeze at night. It really helps. It also helps, of course, if your awning is on the same side as your fridge.

How do I make the refrigerator colder? | Good Sam Community

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jul 15, 2014
Your fridge has an adjustable temp control on upper panel (1-9) so moving the thermistor up/down will NOT have an affect on overall temps (that only works on fridges that have factory pre-set temp control..non adjustable types)

Your thermistor should be on the 12th fin from right if the fridge serial number is SN832170 or lower.
Your thermistor should be on the 2nd fin from right if serial number is higher than SN832170 OR if you have had a new style power board installed.

Fin temp (Which thermistor senses) can be accessed thru Diagnostic Mode
Diagnostic Mode (SN832170 and lower)
Press and hold 'mode' & 'temp set' buttons at same time
Release 'mode' & temps set' buttons at same time as soon as '88' shows in display
Use 'mode' button to scroll thru the 10 different screens

Diagnostic Mode (SN832171 and higher)
Press and hold 'mode' & 'temp set' buttons at same time
Release 'mode' & temps set' buttons at same time as soon as '1' shows in display ('88' will display a few seconds later)
Use 'mode' button to scroll thru the 10 different screens

Service Manual
Pgs. 46-51 Diagnostic Mode(s)

If fins are frosted up where thermistor is located......false readings.
Control thinks it's very cold....so it doesn't operate cooling cycle as long as it probably needs
Raften
Explorer
Jul 15, 2014
It is a good idea to freeze and refreeze water bottles but only near the end of a trip would I have room in the freezer to do that. I sometimes wrap a piece of dry ice in a towel and put in the fridge.
p220sigman
Explorer
Jul 15, 2014
I don't know if our fridge in our Pop-up is different, but adding a baffle to direct all the air flow through the fins in the back and adding a small fan to help the air move made a huge difference down here. I only have to actually run the fan if we are camping in really hot weather. If I run it when the outside temps are in the 80's or lower, things will freeze. I made the baffle out of one of those silver windshield covers that I picked up at Walmart for like 5 bucks. Just cut it to fit and used metal tape to secure it.

As far as installing a fan, you should be able to get 12V power right at the back of the fridge to wire it. I wired mine through a switch so that I can turn it on/off as needed. You may have to make some kind of bracket for the fan. I was able to use a lenght of pipe strap to secure mine.

Whole project cost about $20 and took about an hour.
Lspangler
Explorer
Jul 15, 2014
Search snip the tip for rv fridge. It removes the stupid slider and gives you a rotating dial to set the temp

I bought it but haven't installed yet
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Jul 15, 2014
only open when needed, get in and out quick and make sure it closes tight. Recovery rate on an absorption fridge is very low so constant open/close will not help. and even a slight gap on the door seal can be an issue.
THE-RV-MAN
Explorer
Jul 13, 2014
rexlion wrote:
My 3 cubic foot Norcold was supposed to get coldest when the clip holding the temp wire is all the way down and to the right. I guess different models may have different settings, but check your manual or your dealer if unsure.

Thank you I will
marcsbigfoot20b
Explorer
Jul 13, 2014
You need an internal fan inside the fridge too.
This will circulate the warmer air across the fins and cool the air better. You will have less frost or ice on the fins and the air will be colder. Ice or frost on the fins will hinder the temperature convection. Also this will make the top to bottom temps more even instead of cold at the bottom of fridge and warmer at the top.

Little portable battery operated fans are cheap like $15.
rexlion
Explorer
Jul 13, 2014
My 3 cubic foot Norcold was supposed to get coldest when the clip holding the temp wire is all the way down and to the right. I guess different models may have different settings, but check your manual or your dealer if unsure.
THE-RV-MAN
Explorer
Jul 13, 2014
Thank you all for your wonderful input.
To a answer a few questions:

The fridge is not on a slide out.
I live in my 5th Wheeler full-time.
I'm at a resort for the last 6 months so my spot is my spot. I believe it's on the north side. (It's a great spot I must add)
I'm running the fridge on electric at all times.
It's a NORCOLD 4 door fridge with ice maker. Model 120x-IM
It's frosting on like 4 fins but not to bad. It's the fins with the slide on it.

I'm good gonna take the advise of the fans. Taking off the cover outside is not a problem or buying the fans but installing them is something I don't know how to do.

Any other questions let me no. Keep the advise coming. Thank you all and GOD Bless. :)
2oldman
Explorer II
Jul 13, 2014
THE-RV-MAN wrote:
.What else can I do?
Park with fridge on north side.