Fridge Fan Installation (Long Post with photos)

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   On a recent trip we were fortunate enough to have some really nice hot weather, but the fridge seemed barely up to the job, at times creeping up above 40 degrees, which is OK for a while, but unsafe for exended periods. Anyway, I decided to add an auxillary fan behind the fridge to help remove the heat faster. Dometic's version was around $135, the one I ended up buying from Camping World is made by Valterra and cost $35. It has a small thermostatic switch that turns the fan on at 100 and off at 80. Here's the wiring schematic from the package:

First of all, be sure to disconnect the battery as well as the AC power from your Rpod. At the risk of stating the obvious, the power supply has both AC and DC going into it and you don't want to be sticking your fingers and your wonderfully conductive metallic tools into that space with the power on. 'Nuff said. As a bonus, once you get the power supply pulled out, it will give you a chance to vacuum up all the sawdust and crud left over from the construction process that ends up inside on the floor after every road trip. Here's the power supply pulled out ready for surgery:

The switch for the fan has a light in it that glows when the fan is on, so I put it where you could monitor it, next to the power supply.

The fan is installed behind the fridge between the top and bottom grilles, so it pullscooler air in through the bottom and blows the hot air out through the top. Wires for the fan exit the photo to the right and are secured inside the compartment away from anything hot or sharp. Then the wires go through the bottom of the compartment in the corner near where the AC power comes in and reappear inside the camper, under the fridge, behind the power supply. Goop the hole in the bottom of the fridge compartment up good so no stray rain or road spray can drip through into the camper.

The power comes from one of the unused 12V circuits in the power supply, in this case circuit #9. Ground goes to the 12V ground buss you'll find under the fridge. Dometic's version of this fan takes its power from the fridge 12V power supply module terminals located inside the compartment behind the fridge, and I suppose I could have done the same thing here. But since I wasn't using Dometic's parts I thought it best to just keep everything separate just in case Dometic and Valterra don't like each other, not to mention possibly voiding my fridge warranty by using unauthorized parts.

Finished! I'll let you know how it works out next time we get some hot weather.

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HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Status: Offline Points: 860	Post Options Post Reply Quote HuronSailor Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Fridge Fan Installation (Long Post with photos) Posted: 19 Aug 2009 at 10:21am
	On a recent trip we were fortunate enough to have some really nice hot weather, but the fridge seemed barely up to the job, at times creeping up above 40 degrees, which is OK for a while, but unsafe for exended periods. Anyway, I decided to add an auxillary fan behind the fridge to help remove the heat faster. Dometic's version was around $135, the one I ended up buying from Camping World is made by Valterra and cost $35. It has a small thermostatic switch that turns the fan on at 100 and off at 80. Here's the wiring schematic from the package: First of all, be sure to disconnect the battery as well as the AC power from your Rpod. At the risk of stating the obvious, the power supply has both AC and DC going into it and you don't want to be sticking your fingers and your wonderfully conductive metallic tools into that space with the power on. 'Nuff said. As a bonus, once you get the power supply pulled out, it will give you a chance to vacuum up all the sawdust and crud left over from the construction process that ends up inside on the floor after every road trip. Here's the power supply pulled out ready for surgery: The switch for the fan has a light in it that glows when the fan is on, so I put it where you could monitor it, next to the power supply. The fan is installed behind the fridge between the top and bottom grilles, so it pullscooler air in through the bottom and blows the hot air out through the top. Wires for the fan exit the photo to the right and are secured inside the compartment away from anything hot or sharp. Then the wires go through the bottom of the compartment in the corner near where the AC power comes in and reappear inside the camper, under the fridge, behind the power supply. Goop the hole in the bottom of the fridge compartment up good so no stray rain or road spray can drip through into the camper. The power comes from one of the unused 12V circuits in the power supply, in this case circuit #9. Ground goes to the 12V ground buss you'll find under the fridge. Dometic's version of this fan takes its power from the fridge 12V power supply module terminals located inside the compartment behind the fridge, and I suppose I could have done the same thing here. But since I wasn't using Dometic's parts I thought it best to just keep everything separate just in case Dometic and Valterra don't like each other, not to mention possibly voiding my fridge warranty by using unauthorized parts. Finished! I'll let you know how it works out next time we get some hot weather.
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: "arrrr"Pod 172 :: My Albums :: OurPod Blog ::

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Status: Offline Points: 442	Post Options Post Reply Quote techntrek Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Aug 2009 at 10:36am
	There aren't existing fans behind the fridge? When I read through all of my owner's manuals, the fridge manual showed 2 temperature-controlled fans, next to each other. I know this mod works well, we did this on our popup years ago. I just thought the manufactuer had learned the lesson already and it was already there! Edit: I just looked at your pics again and I see the two small biscuit fans in the background. I think the problem isn't that you need an additional fan; I don't see an air-tight baffle that seperates the bottom area from the top. Without that the fans just stir the air up instead of drawing a good stream of cool air from below and exhausting the warm air out the top. Try adding something that wraps around the fans and seals off "up" from "down". Some foil securely taped in place will do the trick.
	'10 Forest River R-pod 171

HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Status: Offline Points: 860	Post Options Post Reply Quote HuronSailor Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Aug 2009 at 10:46am
	There are indeed already two fans there. You can actually see them in one of the installation photos in my other post, and you can hear them kicking in and out when the weather gets warmer, but for "extended hot weather" they sell the auxilliary fan. Dometic recommends you always try to park with the back of the camper in the shade to keep the temp in the fridge compartment down, but that just isn't always a practical option. We do have a very small white vinyl tarp that we may try to rig up to try to keep the sun off that part of the camper if the situation arises again. Thanks for your suggestion about a baffle. I'm going to do that too. In the Dometic fan installation info I downloaded they mentioned the importance of a baffle. Back out to the workshop!
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: "arrrr"Pod 172 :: My Albums :: OurPod Blog ::

TerryM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Status: Offline Points: 633	Post Options Post Reply Quote TerryM Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Aug 2009 at 11:48am
	HuronSailor: As usual, a good job in describing what you did! Terry

Phil H Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 27 Jul 2009 Location: Burlington, On Status: Offline Points: 239	Post Options Post Reply Quote Phil H Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Aug 2009 at 12:40pm
	Great job, I look forward to seeing your baffle fabricating skills in a future update :)

geneowens Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 05 Jun 2009 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 99	Post Options Post Reply Quote geneowens Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Aug 2009 at 2:18pm
	I have removed the freezer compartment in my fridge. I'm hoping this will produce an overall lower temp in the fridge. I had not used the freezer area in previous trips so I can use the added fridge space and I'm hoping for an overall cooler fridge.

HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Status: Offline Points: 860	Post Options Post Reply Quote HuronSailor Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Aug 2009 at 2:55pm
	Update to Fridge Fan Installation According to the Dometic Manual, "if the distance between the wall and the refrigerator is greater than 20mm the gap can be reduced by fitting a suitable baffle piece." Hopefully the quick sketch below showing a cross section of the fridge, and the space behind it, will make it easier to picture: Well, the distance between the fridge and the outside wall of my Rpod measured around 4 1/2", waaaay more than recommended, and a lot of dead space for all that hot air to build up in. Back to the shop for some 1/4" plywood to make up the baffle shown above. Like the existing baffle at the top of the fridge compartment, the new baffle is approx 25" wide, so it stretches completely from one side of the fridge opening to the other. It had to be cut in half and reassembled after shoving the pieces through the grille holes. The newly installed auxilliary fan had to be moved, so now instead of being between the top and bottom grilles, it's now located near the top of the new baffle. We've got the "shore power" plugged into the Rpod right now so we can test the fridge for the next few days. Hopefully the new baffle will increase the chimney effect and the greater airflow will keep that fridge temp down into the safe range a bit easier. This is especially important since She Who Must Be Obeyed is making noises about going down to Florida with the Rpod this February. Thanks to Techntrek for pointing me in the right direction.
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: "arrrr"Pod 172 :: My Albums :: OurPod Blog ::

tabkld93 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 22 May 2009 Location: Union, KY Status: Offline Points: 565	Post Options Post Reply Quote tabkld93 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Aug 2009 at 5:28am
	Can you post a photo of the new baffle?
	Todd, Karen & Leah '13 Surveyor 240 '12 Ford F150 EcoBoost Former owner of 2010 R-Pod 172

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Status: Offline Points: 442	Post Options Post Reply Quote techntrek Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Aug 2009 at 5:43am
	No problem HS, now I know what my next mod is going to be. And I thought the manufacturers understood this basic problem since they include fans now... but no, still no proper baffle...
	'10 Forest River R-pod 171

HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Status: Offline Points: 860	Post Options Post Reply Quote HuronSailor Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Aug 2009 at 6:16am
	I didn't get any shots during the installation process, but I'll get a few later today of the completed installation. It's not much to look at since it's an experiment. I've been out to check on the fridge a couple of times since I finished, and all seems OK - nothing melted or caught on fire or exploded. If you put your hands near the upper vent, you can definitely feel the heat coming out, so it seems to be working like it should. I also have several sheets of 1/4" thick, foil covered, flexible insulated material that was used to line the boxes that some Christmas hams were shipped in. (You wouldn't believe the junk I have in my shop.) That would have probably been just the ticket, you can cut it with scissors and assemble it with duct tape. But I didn't think of it until I was done. Nuts.
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: "arrrr"Pod 172 :: My Albums :: OurPod Blog ::