getting the fridge ready for a trip

[anon125]

we have to have the fridge and freezer working before we go.
how long does it take to be fully cold?
does it take much propane?
is 2/3rds full still the normal 'full' for propane - maybe to allow for expansion.
it is 3 years since we RVed - so we are a little rusty!
thanks all



2006 Itasca sunova 29R

[JiminDenver]

We have a procedure that lets us use the fridge within a short time of turning it on. In your case I would at least let the fridge run long enough to see that it is functional before doing it. Within a hour or so the freezer will start to cool and you will be able to jump start it.

We keep frozen gallon and half gallon jugs in the bottom of the freezer. I may find out today the the work for the week is moved and we can go camping. I'll take a charged battery and the jugs to the camper, get it running and put the jugs in the freezer and fridge. Then I'll go to the grocery for food and by the time I get back the jugs have cooled the fridge to the point that the food can go in and it will act like a cooler until the mechanics catch up.

[anon125]

thanks all

[time2roll]

anon125 wrote:
there is no power where the MH is stored.
thanks all

When did you last check the batteries?
Battery is priority one. The fridge is easy.

[atreis]

Overnight has always worked for me - start it in the evening and it's cold the following morning.

I recommend getting at least a small solar panel in order to keep the charge on your battery up so that it's ready to go.

[old_guy]

on thing they, the pros tell us, is to make sure the food and drinks you put in the frig are cold. this helps the frig maintain it's coolness.

[bigfootford]

wolfe10 wrote:
Yup, the refrigerator PC board, ignitor and propane solenoid are all 12 VDC powered. Should be off the house battery bank.

So OP should make sure his battery is in good shape and fully charged..

Make sure all unnecessary 12vdc items are OFF.

Fridge and safety devices, propane, CO etc will pull about .5 amps when the fridge is cooling.
Once the fridge is cooled down figure on .2 amps..

.5 amps an hour = 12ah for a full day of initial cool down.

Jim

[wolfe10]

Yup, the refrigerator PC board, ignitor and propane solenoid are all 12 VDC powered. Should be off the house battery bank.

[2oldman]

anon125 wrote:
there is no power where the MH is stored.
thanks all

Your batteries must be in working order.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

It will burn very little propane but will take six hours before it starts to cycle on and off.

Bring freezer "bricks" with you and place 3 in the freezer and one in the fridge. That tends to "jump start" the cooling process.

Be sure the RV is level.

[anon125]

there is no power where the MH is stored.
thanks all

[bigfootford]

I use shore power to do the initial cool down and leave it on that mode until we are ready to go. I do make it run on propane for an hour or so to make sure that function works! No surprises when you are firing up the truck, ready to go.
I always run the hot water tank and furnace too for a bit just to make sure they operate.

I Keep a gallon ziplock bag full of ice cubes in the house freezer.
I put it in the freezer compartment of the rv's fridge... That helps a lot. Also put 5-6 cans of soda pop or beer in the tray below the cooling fins of the fridge compartment.
This get's the fridge cool quite quick....
I do not know how long it takes. I always start the fridge up on the day before leaving.

As for how long a 40# tank will last.

Our fridges take about 1000btus/hr when cooling..

If the fridge is in the process of cooling down it will use about 24,000 btu's (24 hrs).

There is about 92,000 btu's in a gallon of Propane.

Easy math eh? Rounding you can figure the initial cool down will take about 1/3 gallon.

A 40# tank holds about 4 gallons. Depends on the fella filling...

After the fridge has cooled down the big variable will be the outside temperature.

At around 100deg I think the fridge is in cooling mode almost 100%... So 1 gallon every 3 days...

At around 70 deg maybe it runs a little less than 1/2 of the time... You do the math.



Jim

[wolfe10]

Unless ambient temperatures are below 50 degrees, I would start it 24 hours before you want it cold.

And, if it has been three years since you have used it, you need to do a complete propane system check and a refrigerator "burner area tune-up".

[sch911]

I start it up in the evening, then load it the following morning. Doesn't take much gas at all. If you have shore power hooked up it'll take no gas...

[2oldman]

4 hours, no, I don't know