Norcold N400 performance

Pretty normal it seems for the smaller Norcold. A fan in the rear is suppose to help, but I haven't really noticed the difference with a fan yet.

I have the same problem any time the camper gets above low 80s. Solved the problem by putting 3 frozen water bottles in the freezer and 3 in the fridge. The ones in the fridge will last a couple of days but I change them out with the ones in the freezer each night when I go to bed. Since I started doing this in the summertime, I can usually hold the fridge about 37* when not going in it much and 40* with use.

I think how level the refreg has some impact on how well it cools when its real hot. I don't have the same model, but I notice the cooling fan runs more if I am off level.

I did order a fridge vent fan. Hoping it helps. I also saw a little curved flashing people put to direct flow across the top coil fins. I may fab something up there.

Kohldad, thanks for the ice tip. I'll do that on the warm trips.

Couple things..

Keep the fridge side of the camper out of direct sunlight is possible

Install a second fan blowing up and out the overhead camper vent

Refrain from opening the door to check interior temperature, get a remote thermometer (10 bucks at Wally-World). Ammonia fridges will always have recovery issues when you open the door a lot.

The only time I open mine is to remove food or add something.

Check the cavity space around the fridge for adequate insulation and add insulation if it looks even slightly sparse. Unfaced kraft R12 is 8 bucks a roll at Lowes. Stuff the space with insulation on all 5 sides (bottom too).

On a top (roof vented fridge, no baffle is required at the top. Thats only for a side vented fridge.

Finally, add an interior cooling fan to move the air inside the fridge. The warmer / colder air inside stratifies. Moving the cold are inside the fridge will hep cool it. (Available on Flea-Bay for less than 20 bucks).

On a fridges, there should be a baffle at the same level as the coils to force the air across the coils as it rises. My manual says there should be 1" or less gap between the coils and baffle.

On a side vent, certainly, a top 'chimney' vented unit, no. You want the airflow to rise (convection) naturally (cool to warm) warm air rises and / or the addition of a fan or fans blowing upward in the lower cavity (where the burner and brains are). Any baffles in the upper cavity on a top vented fridge would compromise the airflow.

The only possible place for a 'baffle' really a deflector, would be a vertical one behind the evaporator at the top of the unit to smooth the airflow. Thats it.

I have a Norcold 300 and have similar issues. i have a side vent only and have installed two fans. We recently left on a trip where it was 101 with nearly 60% humidity for multiple days at home. With how my house faces sun was beating on fridge side. Temps were in high 50's after nearly 36 hours. It cooled to high 40s the first evening after leaving town. The following day I was able to bring temps down to 30's or colder but temps in 60s and not running fans.

There is no top baffle so I may try that to help direct heat. However my little fans pump a good volume of hot air out. I don't have space to add any insulation without removing fridge.

QFamCA wrote:
I have a Norcold 300 and have similar issues. i have a side vent only and have installed two fans. We recently left on a trip where it was 101 with nearly 60% humidity for multiple days at home. With how my house faces sun was beating on fridge side. Temps were in high 50's after nearly 36 hours. It cooled to high 40s the first evening after leaving town. The following day I was able to bring temps down to 30's or colder but temps in 60s and not running fans.

There is no top baffle so I may try that to help direct heat. However my little fans pump a good volume of hot air out. I don't have space to add any insulation without removing fridge.

If it's a side vent, even if the upper vent is louvered metal, you can remove it and the lower access vent panel and access the insulation.

The upper side vent on my TC is louvered metal, attached with 12 screws (square drive typical RV screws) and sealed with Butyl tabe. I removed it and the lower plastic access panel and that allowed me to stuff a bunch of extra insulation into the space between the fridge body and the outer cabinet and install a curved aluminum (I used a piece of aluminum flashing from Lowes) to fabricate a curver upper baffle to channel the air out the upper vent...smoothly. When I replaced the upper metal vent, I removed the old Butyl tape and applied new tape and screwed it back on.

Stuffing in the extra insulation (unfaced R12 glass wool), I used a wooden yardstick to jam in the insulation. I managed to get in about 1/2 roll, the more, the better. RV builders really skimp on insulation around the fridge. Never could figure than, insulation is dirt cheap.

SidecarFlip wrote:

If it's a side vent, even if the upper vent is louvered metal, you can remove it and the lower access vent panel and access the insulation.

The upper side vent on my TC is louvered metal, attached with 12 screws (square drive typical RV screws) and sealed with Butyl tabe. I removed it and the lower plastic access panel and that allowed me to stuff a bunch of extra insulation into the space between the fridge body and the outer cabinet and install a curved aluminum (I used a piece of aluminum flashing from Lowes) to fabricate a curver upper baffle to channel the air out the upper vent...smoothly. When I replaced the upper metal vent, I removed the old Butyl tape and applied new tape and screwed it back on.

Stuffing in the extra insulation (unfaced R12 glass wool), I used a wooden yardstick to jam in the insulation. I managed to get in about 1/2 roll, the more, the better. RV builders really skimp on insulation around the fridge. Never could figure than, insulation is dirt cheap.

I'll see if I can add some more insulation. I recently had to take the fridge out to replace the thermocouple, and it had a tiny little square at the top of the unit.

I'll see if I can add some more insulation. I recently had to take the fridge out to replace the thermocouple, and it had a tiny little square at the top of the unit.

How mine started out. Had a 'token' amount of insulation on the top a bit on the sides and nothing on the bottom. Come to the conclusion that RV builders figure if you cannot see it, why do it.