Hot weather fridge failure

The same thing happens with MHs and I’ve heard of several people fitting cooling fans.

It's the old old story of manufacturers throwing together something they can rely on us mugs buying without them (manufacturers) giving due thought to fitness for purpose.

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 Hi out of interest did you take food over in your fridge? I understand you aren't supposed to since Brexit?  I am just packing to go on Saturday and would hate to get it all confiscated.

With the higher temperatures we at times have in the UK it may well suffer the same problems ,

 Do Continental. LV manufacturing companies  issue a warning about high temperatures and the fridges they fit usually the same makes as fitted to LVs over here 

Lynne, check out the overseas section. There are numerous references to carrying food there.

We were in France for a month with temperatures up to 34 deg. and the Dometic fridge coped reasonably well considering (although we were in full shade most of the time). When we had a caravan I fitted two fans salvaged from computers. I didn’t find that they helped a lot but most people agree that the proprietary fans work OK. Easy to fit but you have to pick up a 12 volt supply from somewhere.

As Tinwheeler says, the question of taking food to mainland Europe is discussed in the overseas section. I’m afraid we disregarded the rules and took several days supplies of dairy products etc. Haven’t heard of any checks being carried out but you have to make your own decision as most meat and dairy products are legally banned from being carried.

On our recent trip to a very hot Italy our fridge struggled when on 220v.  We have had this happen before and solve it by removing the vent covers and directing a fan at the lower vent.  The fridge will probably work better on gas but who wants to use their expensive gas!  However, a boost on gas after loading the fridge with room temperature items may help.  However, the ice in the freezer never melted so no real crisis!

Lynne. basically no dairy or meat produce can be taken into the EU.  Our fridge was not checked but s...s law says that ours would be if we took any prohibited items!  We got an afternoon tunnel crossing, stayed near Calais and went shopping first evening.  No real inconvenience.

Ours seemed to cope OK in high 30’s temperatures for over a week. The fridge freezer is larger than any we had in caravans but the vents are disproportionally larger, perhaps that helped. Although we were careful to site the MH so the fridge side was in the shade, or extend the wind out awning to prevent the sun from heating that side up.

"Poor" fridge performance is not a new thing. When first abroad back in 1999 I noticed our trailer tent fridge could not cope.

When I bought our first caravan I fitted initially one, and later a second fan just inside the bottom vent to blow air through.

On subsequent vans I have fitted two fans at the top to pull the air through and found this more effective.

The kits you buy have a temperature sensor on them. I do not see the use in this expensive route, they cannot react quickly enough. Buy a couple of 125mm computer fans and a switch with in-line fuses. If it is going to be hot turn the fans on and leave them on.

I have noticed the fridge in our 2017 van is better than previous 2007 van, but have also continued to take a second mains powered table top fridge, and sometimes a freezer, abroad. Make sure you get an St rated unit.

We have now swapped to a 12/230v combi fridge/freezer that we ca run in at temperatures down to - 15.We are away in NL at present and a couple of weeks ago when we had temps of 36c our caravan fridge was 8c during the height of day and the combi holding - 12.

 

Colin

We have a Dometic fridge with an attempt to improve its performance by removing the gauze behind the vents and adding proper proprietary fans. Which made no difference. Several calls/emails to Dometic revealed that the fridge is designed to achieve a 20 Deg drop below the ambient temperature. That’s down to 10 Deg on a 30 Deg day - food needs to be stored below 8 Deg for safety, though 5 Deg is conventionally regarded as desirable. In short the Dometic fridge fitted to various caravans and motorhomes isn’t entirely fit for purpose. And they are advertised at well over £1000 to buy brand new. Add in a replacement cooler for £500 after five years and now a replacement control panel for £200, and Dometic aren’t going to get ***** from us. Let’s not blame British, they’re a Swedish product.