Ambient temp around refigerator

[mattyj]

I took t/c down to North Carolina and saw the fridge was running very poorly, the outside temps were around 95 degrees ,I had no ventilation in t/c. I was told it could have been ambient temp. inside, probably. I had camper on the gas and 12 volt settings and no difference. Anyone know if the inside temp could have caused this? Thanks (PS) when I got home I parked T/C and left overnight with ac on and empty fridge and the temps went up.

[JimK-NY]

I have a 12v compressor refrigerator so I pay attention to power consumption and the efficiency of the unit. At about 70 degrees the unit runs about 1/3 of the time. By 85-90 degrees the unit needs to run close to full time. Much over 90 and the unit will not be able to keep up and the internal temperature will increase to about 40 degrees. Trying to cool down a load of warm food would not work at the higher temperatures.

A propane operated unit is not likely to do much better under hot conditions.

[TxGearhead]

All the above is good info. I turn mine on (propane) several days before traveling. I put several already frozen water bottles in the freezer and the refrigerator sections. Then later add any frozen food. Then cool food in the refrigerator. I usually leave a few frozen water bottles in it. Like others said....you can't turn it on and immediately fill with food and expect it to work, unfortunately.
I also have one of the little blue battery (D cell) operated fans I put in the lower section to help circulate air.

[Grit_dog]

Not sure what you mean by left overnight with AC on and temps went up. The inside temp of the fridge got worse? Or better?
High ambient temp is hard on an absorption fridge. Propane is the most efficient method followed by AC then DC in my experience.
Lack of airflow through the vents outside the fridge will decrease its efficiency as well. And stuffing it completely full of food that is half cold will take it a loooong time to cool in high ambient temps.
Rv fridges need babied a bit when it comes to these types of considerations.
Wife packed ours FULL of groceries prior to this year's trip, including a bunch of warm cans. Plus added a bunch of food not yet frozen to a packed freezer as well. Fridge wasn't worth a c rap for almost 2 days. Guess she forgot what I told her before shopping. ("Honey, yes we are going camping for 3 weeks, but we are not in Alaska. There are grocery stores, so only shop for 4-5 days, ok?")
If your door seals are good and it otherwise works well you likely just were on food overload combined with high temps.

[mattyj]

I will for sure do the dollar bill test in addition to all the other checks, Thanks everyone, Lou

[jimh406]

Yes, if the fridge is too full, it's harder for it to cool off. This is a pretty good list to consider.

http://www.fmca.com/polks-top-7/2633-polks-top-7-tips-for-maximizing-your-rv-refrigerators-efficienc...

[Ski_Pro_3]

My fridge has a tough time staying cold when it's above 95 outside and it doesn't matter if there is AC on inside. And I just about forget about it cooling down to a usable level in 24 hours if the overnight temps are not dropping below the 70's as well.

[mattyj]

Thanks for the comebacks, my wife loaded it with alot of coldcuts,milk,beer,and other things, could this affect the temp also ?

[jimh406]

Some fridges also have a humidity setting it's essentially a small heater. One other thought is to make sure you are level. Depending on the fridge, some aren't very efficient if not level very close.

In any case, it seems to take a fridge a while to get cold the first time.

[enblethen]

Ambient outside would effect it. Inside may have a little if the reefer's door seals are not tight.
Use a dollar bill closed in the door to test. It should take some resistance on the bill to pull it out. Do it top, bottom and couple places on the side.
Open the outside access to the refer. Check clearance between the outside wall and the cooling pipes. There should be less then an inch of clearance.
If you have more you could use a piece of foam board just above the access to close it off. I used a piece about two inches wide, length of the refer opening and mine required about 1.5 inches thick. Attached with Liquid nails. This should make more air go through the cooling unit to make it more efficient.