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Fridge not getting cold.

TexasBorn
Explorer
Explorer
My fridge in the trailer is just a small home unit. The little freezer upper part is like 20* but the lower is around 50*. Do you think it's not cooling off because it's in the hot trailer? Thanks in advance.
2007 Outback 29BHS TT
2004 F350 DRW PSD, 4 Door, 4X4, 4.11

"You can never have enough truck or power"
16 REPLIES 16

eend
Explorer
Explorer
I have a 12/110 volt truckers fridge in my little boler, I think it draws about 5 amp on the battery but it works well, It does get pretty warm but I have not had any issues.
2019 VW Tiguan
2015 F150 ecoboost
2013 Arctic Fox 22G
1971 Boler 1300

marcsbigfoot20b
Explorer
Explorer
westend wrote:
I have one of these small 120V fridges, too. Mine works well. It is some Asian brand bought from Target. A lot of these small 120V dorm fridges have the cooling coils in the wall sections rather than the rear like a typical 120V fridge. Make sure you have some ventilation around the outside of the fridge. If you do have adequate ventilation, it may be time for a replacement. A fridge full of food and frozen stuff can have more value in the food than the cost of a replacement.

If you have a big budget, the small 12V compressor freezers and fridges are easy to power and are built better than their 120V counterparts.


Yeah the 12/24/110 volt Engel, Norcold, Dometic, ARB etc are way better in every aspect except price.
My Engel 45 with transit bag has no problems maintaining -5 F in the back of my truck enclosed with cap (no airflow) in 110 degree ambient running off a group 27 battery drawing 3 amps.

westend
Explorer
Explorer
I have one of these small 120V fridges, too. Mine works well. It is some Asian brand bought from Target. A lot of these small 120V dorm fridges have the cooling coils in the wall sections rather than the rear like a typical 120V fridge. Make sure you have some ventilation around the outside of the fridge. If you do have adequate ventilation, it may be time for a replacement. A fridge full of food and frozen stuff can have more value in the food than the cost of a replacement.

If you have a big budget, the small 12V compressor freezers and fridges are easy to power and are built better than their 120V counterparts.
'03 F-250 4x4 CC
'71 Starcraft Wanderstar -- The Cowboy/Hilton

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
I run...โ€and generator power when boondocking.โ€

Exactly why I boondock...to hear your generator...with the dorm size compressor. If the compressor is โ€œdorm size,โ€ how big is the fridge? If you can hear me...over your generator.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

turbojimmy
Explorer
Explorer
carringb wrote:
TexasBorn wrote:
It's a 100*+ outside so I bet its 120*-130* in the trailer.


Small compressor fridges seem to max out around a 50F temp reduction from ambient.


I missed that part. Trying to squeeze blood from a stone. They can only do so much.
1984 Allegro M-31 (Dead Metal)

carringb
Explorer
Explorer
TexasBorn wrote:
It's a 100*+ outside so I bet its 120*-130* in the trailer.


Small compressor fridges seem to max out around a 50F temp reduction from ambient.
2000 Ford E450 V10 VAN! 450,000+ miles
2014 ORV really big trailer
2015 Ford Focus ST

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
โ€œabsorption type (no compressor)they will not work very well in hot climates.โ€

JCR, mine works fine. Last time 105F at Stovepipe Wells in March.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

TexasBorn
Explorer
Explorer
Funny
2007 Outback 29BHS TT
2004 F350 DRW PSD, 4 Door, 4X4, 4.11

"You can never have enough truck or power"

turbojimmy
Explorer
Explorer
TexasBorn wrote:
Thanks for the reply. It's in my 77 cavalier tt. We are restoring it. The trailer came with the dorm room size compressor driven ac powered fridge. I run it at home under shore power and generator power when boondocking.


If it's getting enough ventilation it might just be done. They're fairly inexpensive. Back in May the rich kids at my stepson's school were tossing them out rather than moving them. If I had known I'd have grabbed you one ๐Ÿ™‚
1984 Allegro M-31 (Dead Metal)

TexasBorn
Explorer
Explorer
It's a 100*+ outside so I bet its 120*-130* in the trailer.
2007 Outback 29BHS TT
2004 F350 DRW PSD, 4 Door, 4X4, 4.11

"You can never have enough truck or power"

TexasBorn
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for the reply. It's in my 77 cavalier tt. We are restoring it. The trailer came with the dorm room size compressor driven ac powered fridge. I run it at home under shore power and generator power when boondocking.
2007 Outback 29BHS TT
2004 F350 DRW PSD, 4 Door, 4X4, 4.11

"You can never have enough truck or power"

turbojimmy
Explorer
Explorer
20 degrees is too warm for the freezer, too. Should be 0 or better. How are you powering it? Does it have enough ventilation? Did it work previously?
1984 Allegro M-31 (Dead Metal)

Old-Biscuit
Explorer
Explorer
Small home unit :H

OEM is a 6 cu ft absorption fridge

Did fridge get changed out to a residential compressor type fridge?

Post the Brand/Model of fridge for better info/responses
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

JCR-1
Explorer
Explorer
If its the absorption type (no compressor)they will not work very well in hot climates. You will need to add fans on the heat exchanger and hope for the best.