Defrosting the Norcold freezer/fridge

[PeppyPilot]

This summer we plan a 10 week trip. Previously our trips had always been shorter, so this was not an issue.

I know it's dependent on weather and frequency of opening the doors, but any ballparks as to how often we'll need to defrost?

How long should it take? Any tips to speed up the process?

How to keep frozen food frozen while defrosting?

[Dennis37]

Depending on the weather we can go weeks to months (we full time). When needed we turn off the frig and use a hair dryer. Use a plastic knife to help the process along (be carful). We leave the food in the freezer. We place a towel(s) under the ice bucket to catch the dripping water/ice. If the frig side needs defrosting we just remove the items below the iced up area. The job takes less than a half hour.

[pulsar]

Before our current rig, we would defrost twice on a 8 to 10-week trip. Our current refrigerator is (almost) frost free in the non-freezer compartment. Now we only defrost the freezer once on a long trip. Of course, usage and environment plays a role. As the manual says, "Defrost as needed."

We place the frozen food in the sinks and cover with towels.

We place bowls of warm water in the two freezer compartments. The manual will warn you not to use hot water or a hair dryer - Most of the time, we do use a hair dryer on cool - heating element off.

Make sure the drain for the water catch tray under the fins is working properly. Ours has a plug on the outside that is used to keep bugs from entering, while in storage.

How long? Not really sure We do it in the evening, while watching a movie. And we're finished by the time the movie is over.

Tom