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Refrigerator Cooling

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fandj

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Refrigerator Cooling
« on: June 14, 2016, 06:46:28 pm »
My previous RV had a Dometic refrigerator with the upper vent in the vertical wall rather than the trailer top.  Proper heat transfer relies on proper convective air flow for efficient refrigerator operation.  To achieve adequate cooling I had to add baffles and insulation according to Dometic's recommend installation method.  I was able to avoid the addition of auxiliary vent fans with proper baffling.

I have on order a PC 2552 that has the refrigerator mounted in the slide with vents in the vertical wall.  I notice Norcold has specific baffling requirements as well. For those of you that have the refrigerator mounted in the slide have you had any issues with being able to maintain proper temperature and if so what have you done to improve operation.

Also I was just looking at a Norcold refrigerator operation manual that recommended 110 volt operation instead of propane when operating above 5,500' elevation.  I am planning a trip with our new PC in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming.  Has anyone experienced cooling problems when camping at higher elevations.
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TomHanlon

Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2016, 07:25:38 pm »
We normaly run ours set on 4 to 6 and it stays very cold. We have been to both Colorado and Wyoming and never had a problem. What ever the factory did behind the outside wall is what we have. My ice cream is always hard and the beer is cold. 2o2
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Denny & Barb

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2016, 07:44:51 pm »
as below... we have had no problems with camping using GAS at even 10,000 feet Plus in Wyoming's Medicine Bow campground. IceCream is HARD!.   
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Pax

Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2016, 07:16:42 am »
Same experience with our 2552.  No problems with the refrigerator, even in the 7,000-9,000 ft elevations.  Longest continuous operation has been about 1-1/2 months.  Like Tom, we keep ours at a setting between 4-6.  Anything higher and it gets really frosty in there.

   - Mike
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2 Frazzled

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2016, 07:32:13 am »
Same with us. We spent about a month and a half or better in the Rockies. I don't know exactly what altitude but we never did anything special and never had any problems. I do know we were up high enough that altitude affected our breathing - but not the refrigerator or freezer in any noticeable way. We also have the 2552 with fridge in the slide and vents on vertical wall.
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fandj

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2016, 10:50:20 am »
Thank you all for the reply.  That is good news that the refrigerator works well.  It certainly concerned me after seeing the note in the Norcold manual about the degradation of performance at higher elevation and the need to run on 110V.  We are planning on staying in campgrounds without electrical hookup and I certainly did not want to run the generator for extended periods.
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keelhauler

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2016, 02:03:35 pm »
Note that the 2552 refer. comes with an automatic fan in the back and never had a problem,. With our 2551 which had a roof vent I had to add a fan in back in hot weather.
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RichardP

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2016, 10:28:18 pm »
Add one more to the "no problems in high altitude" crowd.  We go to Eagle Nest, NM every summer -- 8200'  Never a problem.  Sure beats the hot summer weather we are already having in TX.  Just enjoy it and keep the ice cream cold for us.

Richard and BJ
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RheaNL

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2016, 04:03:09 pm »
I live in Colorado well above 5,500 feet and camp mostly in national forests with no hook-ups. Never had a problem with fridge temp. Most issues seem to be when the weather is extrdmy hot.

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Doneworking

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2016, 08:49:23 am »
We just got back from almost three weeks in the CO and NM mountains at between 8 and 9 thousand boondocking in NF campgrounds.   Refrig worked perfectly.  200 watts of solar kept our twin sixes charged well.   No worries.

Paul
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Polish Prince

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Re: Refrigerator Cooling
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2016, 11:59:53 am »
Quote from: Doneworking on June 18, 2016, 08:49:23 am
We just got back from almost three weeks in the CO and NM mountains at between 8 and 9 thousand boondocking in NF campgrounds.   Refrig worked perfectly.  200 watts of solar kept our twin sixes charged well.   No worries.

Paul
Happy to hear the 200 watt solar is enough to keep the batteries charged.  That's the same combo we ordered on our 2351.
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