Achieving Proper Air Flow Behind Your RV Refrigerator For Better Performance 

Have owned my camper 22 years.(1995 layton with dometic 2611 refrig) Have tried SEVERAL things to improve performance. Nothing made much difference until this chimney change. Dramatic improvement. There were several large pockets to hold hot air around and over back of frig. First time I have been happy with performance. This REALLY WORKED for me! Thank you very much for video. I also added 2 small vent fans with on/off switch which rarely come on unless it's over 80 degrees F outside. Thanks again.

Unfortunately RV manufactures are just like all other manufactures these days building things that only last so long. Remember when a house hold refrigerator,washer,dryer,etc seemed to run forever 20-25 years. Now days consider yourself lucky if they last 10 years. The manufactures goal is when things start to go south on you (especially after the warranty runs out) is for you to return for repair or better yet sell you a brand new RV. I'm glad we have people like in this video that has the heart to show us the flaws of a RV and how to fix the problem. I'm currently cleaning and replacing certain items on our 2000 Fleetwood Prowler 26T model that has not seen the pavement in at least 12 years. My RV is still in very good condition and I'll give credit to the 20x30 awning that houses it from the death ray of the Sun. I live off a main street and have had several people stop by wanting to know if that travel trailer might be for sale, I'll say no I can't replace it considering the ridiculous prices on new RV's these day's. One lady was not going to take no for a answer here a couple years ago saying everything has a price, so I said ok $12,000 and it's yours, that's what I paid for it new. She calmly left the scene, I'm glad she didn't take me up on the price because as I said I could not replace it .

Great Info!

As usual- GREAT JOB!

sweet a new video. Thanks Darren

Good information and right to the point!

Are there any videos on how to install fans with thermostat On the back of refrigerator?

Well done video again Darren, thanks for all you do and show!

Exactly the info I needed !

Another awesome video. Thank you.

Darren, these videos are some of the best out there!! Thank you!

An awesome teacher you are. You are the best.

Love your videos, learning so much.

Nice video! Good job. Thank you

Valuable info especially in the southwest deserts. Thank You and guess what I will be checking tomorrow.

Excellent video! Very informative, as all your videos are. Time to get back on the roof.

Thank you. I will do my homework on whatever RV I wind up buying. Your videos are really helping me prepare for the RV my wife and I will wind up buying. I don’t want to buy junk, so I’m looking for stuff you see during your service calls, and these videos about proper maintenance are a real help. Thank you.

Brilliant! Thank You

Thx for sharing!!

thx u for all ur expertise!

Thanks for the tips appreciated

Enjoyed the video. Subbed.

You the man

We just purchased a 1982 Tioga RV and expect to do a bunch of remodeling and your videos are very informative and easy to follow. thanks.

Great video as usual. Thank you for your time and expertise. Bless you for all you teach.

Thank you so much. Very informational and you explain well. Good job, can't wait for it to stop raining here so I can go up and check.

Love the Ford F-350 Dually! and really enjoyed this video. Liked and subscribed

Thank you for answering things that nobody addresses. I'm putting in a fan kit on top of the condenser fin set and was planning on filling the void just like what you're doing. Perfect answer! Great 👍

From all of us out here, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR VALUABLE INFORMATION!!!

I will be replacing my cover and am glad I found this video, I will definitely look inside before covering up the hole!😃👍

Subscribed, gave thumbs up, because down here in Florida, your videos are helping my RV become more efficient! Thank you so very much for sharing your expertise!

Good info on video.

Having issues with mine.. Thank you... Thank you..

Awesome Video!!!!

Yet another informative video! The raw footage is needed for videos like this because we actually see what is going on. While this video doesn’t apply to me since we have a residential Samsung it may in the future or it may assist in helping someone. Thanks so much for posting helpful videos! Keep up the good work

Thanks so much for your video it's awesome help 😀😀 from Australia with a keystone Montana 5th wheeler from USA

Super good engineering buddy.

I have subscribed after watching a couple of your videos. A 2005 Keystone Cougar TT we just bought has the exact same faults you just pointed out. One of your earlier videos pointed out the gap at the end wall-to-upper fins and mine was about 3.5”. I made a metal V shaped piece that closed that to 1/4”. Tomorrow I will duplicate the luan panel partition like you just demonstrated. I’ve ordered a new roof vent as some dork screwed the original down so it almost completely closed the air flow. In the meantime I’m creating the flue you have described. Thanks for the great videos!

I have the same thing and I didn’t add the wood when I was adding a fan in that area. The fridge started working great after I did add the fans. I think I’m going to add the wood now. Thanks! Semper Fi !

Great video, great information! One small caveat; the flashing / baffle above the refrigerator should not be screwed to the unit, as that creates more work than needed, should the unit need to be removed again, meaning one will have to go the all the nastiness of removing it the top vent and screen in order to unscrew them. A possibility better attachment might be flex seal or caulk. The screws along the top are fine, but I'd avoid driving them into the unit in that location. Thanks for all you do!

Love the few videos that I've watched and will be watching a lot more, now that I have a Class C. My question is will a vent fan at the top of that chimney and one at the lower door, make the fridge perform even better?

Wow! You are amazing Thank you! Very helpful. I watched your refrigerator/air conditioner videos today. I just came across you today and will subscribe. Mama needs all the help she can get.

Very informative love the care you take wish I could use you. Manufacture are very bad, they want get them out and sold. They will pay warranty for year but if use three times year it over before find thing. Keep up good work.

Definitely!

thanks for the info, I actually did same but didnt know about the 1 inch etc. So I re did mine. except I had an old truck mud flap which was stiff I used for the bottom instead of screwing it in and halods up and in place no issue

Mine has a huge void with zero baffle on top of the fridge. I have substantial issues keeping the fridge at safe cool temps in the summer. Called Dometic and they say the same as you, manufacturers don't read the instructions. Building the baffle box now and expect to see a big difference. Thanks for this video. I took away some great ideas to use on my install. Cheers.

Great video. I would have never thought that. I’d a just thought that was good space to put some exhaust fans pushing the air up. Never thought of turbulence and how that affects the flow.

Thanks for caring and sharing. I see you filled the one void with insulation, but why didn't you fill the big void behind the boards you put in? Wouldn't the lower screw you said went in the refrigerator cause any damage? Thanks

Love the video once again Darren. Keep them coming. Is there a target delta T for the refrigeration? Thanks for all you do.

Thank you so much for all that information this is Mark Strand from Fall City Washington just on the other side of Elliott Bay from you guys or close to you Thank you God bless

My 2016 Pleasure Way XLTD has a Dometic RML 8330 that wasn't getting very cold. After watching your other videos I found the burner too rusted to clean (even a soft bottle brush broke the burner tube slots!) and so I have a replacement coming. In the meantime I watched your videos on how these things work, climbed up on a ladder and checked behind the top vent cover. Happy to say PW isn't nearly as bad as your examples! The back could be closer but at least is sealed and angled for less turbulence. Air rising up the front however mostly bypasses the cooling fins and goes right out the vent. I have the sheet metal and other materials, so tomorrow I will fashion a really nice duct to get all that air flowing smoothly across the condenser heat sink fins. Thanks!

I've been dealing with this issue in our Class C because we live in Az. so if the sun is directly on the fridge side it is tough to keep it cooling. Our old 5th Wheel used to have bigger issues with this problem. I will be making these improvements and hopefully it improves the efficiency of the unit. Thank you!

🙋thx

Well done👍 Yep if you don't let the air draft...it won't.

We have a 2016 rockwood 5th wheel that we use not a hole lot but evertime we use it in july aug sept it has problems cooling i was concidering a fan but going to try this first thanks

Those are the most awesome knee pads I have ever seen.

We were having trouble with our Norcold refrigerator when the outside temp is over 80 degrees. Its a single door N8XC on a 2019 Outdoors RV 22FQS. It vents through the roof. When I started to research the issue I came across your amazing channel. I did your homework assignment and sure enough the top of the refer has a space behind it. Not quite as large as the one in you are working on here, but enough to trap a lot of hot air and destroy the chimney effect. I packed the void with fiberglass insulation and used aluminum flashing to cover it. There is also about 1.5 inches on each side of the refer and I added some flashing there too to aid the airflow. I was only able to go down a about 1 foot from the roof down the sides, but it is now smooth and tapers to the top vent opening. I foil taped the joints to finish them all smoothly. While I was up there I installed a Titan 120mm dual fan setup as well just to assure hot weather performance. I turned on the refer when done and it was 92 degrees initially inside. Within 3 hours it was 7 degrees in the freezer and 35 in the fridge. And get this, I only set the level of cooling to one star! I used to set it at 4 or 5 stars, and the refer would be 50 degrees in the afternoon! The difference is simply amazing. I think covering the top of the freezer with insulation made a huge difference as all that hot air was pooling up there making the roof of the freezer inside way too warm, but I think the proper chimney is simply the biggest performance enhancer. I say that because today I turned off the fans and the refer is still very cold even with the temp in the low 90's and the refer grill in the direct sun. All I can say is thank you and WOW what an improvement! I have 2 questions that arose from my observations after doing this. The first is the burner seems to run much hotter with the excellent airflow. I think it may have been starved for oxygen before, and now it is really hot. I could put my hand on the chimney before, and nearly burned myself on it after the changes. Would these improvements increase burner performance? Second question is the roof vent cover looks like it doesn't allow the air to escape easily. I know they are designed to get the hot air out and keep water from entering, but it seems to stifle air flow. Do roof vents vary in air flow, and if so which brand is the best in your opinion? I hope you can answer, and once again, thanks so much for your invaluable help on this. Its simply great what you do for us do-it-yourselfers that want to know how to make our RV's perform optimally in all circumstances.

I watched many of fridge videos and I don't have an rv. But when I do next year, my rv fridge will check all those marks.

When you screwed in the lower screws for the baffle, what did you screw into? I have a void similar to that and want to fix it. Thanks for all the great videos.

I like the video. Well done and good advice. My new 5th wheel does have the fridge in a slide out and it is on the South side so it gets very hot. Would love some help on how to improve it. I has a thermostatically controlled fan that has a irritating squeal. Maybe it wouldn't have to run so much if I could improve the airflow

This is exactly what I found on my Gulfstream MH except the builder used adhesive foil to close off the open space which over time came unglued and completely blocked the air flow through the condenser!

Thanks for the video. Where did you get the Mate that you are kneeling on ?

Thanks did you have a video on installing a fan setup? Also did you add any insulation down the sides of fridge

Hi I have a brand new camper . If I cant put boards in if needed would fans still help out greatly. Put 1 on bottom and 2 on top. Where can I buy a thermostat to turn on and off my fans. What temp for top and bottom. Thank you for this great information.

Ive just replaced my roof. I'm hesitant to willingly put a hole in it for the refrigerator vent. Is there an alternative for a wall vent you might have used/seen?

I wish you showed how to install that (aftermarket?) vent cover on too. I feel mine is a bit too tight for air to get in and out.

Great job! My Norcold fridge gets warm when is hot outside but it works when it's cooler outside. I checked the top air vent (not a slide out) and the baffle is blocking (almost completely) the vent hole. I can't see anything but the wood board. Should I remove it and re-install so I can down the back of the fridge? Thank you!

hi Voids/ empty spaces create turbulent hot spots ,which can 1/ heat fridge casing 2/ block ventilation airflow **** Hot Air from burner must be ducted out typically side wall exit --allowances might have to made for this . Upper air vent in wall or roof must be ducted straight to condenser . Therefore all rising air passes over mechanicals and then exits over condenser fins . Done this way achieves max fridge performance .

Can the refrigerator chimney intake vent be on the inside of the rv rather through the outside to maintain the stealth qualities of the camper?

Helpful & informative info as I'm about to take delivery on a new TT! BUT as a retired HVAC service tech🤔 I'm equally interested in those knee pads of yours! Who, what, when, where??😉

You make great videos. I constantly see on Facebook Toyhauler Groups- folks complaining about fridge in slider not cooling properly. If you could do video on this explaining proper chimney airflow is critical for good air flow. Many folks don't understand. Mine had no baffles installed to help air flow, dead air space above and sides. I insulated, HVAC taped and thin plywood added at top to direct air out top vent in slider. Mine works well now but sorry to say many manufacturers don't install like they are supposed.

How much of a difference did this mod make. I am having trouble keeping my fridge cool above 90 deg

Thanks! My brother in arms. I'm going to try putting aluminum foam board in there and the fans, maybe. Are the foam boards safe? Recon 80-84. Semper Fi.

Hi I forgot one thing . How big of fans can I use. 120mm or 140mm up top. How big in the side

What is your opinion on driving with LP on to refrigerator? And what are your thoughts on Camco refrigerator with solar cap with small fan? Great video by the way.

Hey don't forget the computer fan to make it even more better 😃

Wondering what material he screwed the boards into at the fridge edge side - foam?

Air flow and 'levelness' of the fridge as sitting in the RV chassis are the two critical issues of RV fridge operation, correct? And the more critical of the leveling axis for the fridge is 'left and right' as you look at the fridge from the front, correct? That's where the path of the heat exchanging chemistry flows down it's zigzag circulation tubing. If it's not so level from 'front to back' as you look at the fridge, it would probably be less of an issue since the downflow of the zigzag tubing wouldn't be very affected, right?

What's your feelings on a power (fan) vented Exhaust cover? As she a lot of people/videos where they're forcing The exhaust through the chimney By use of a fan. Seems like an easy enough fix. But you Sir are The experience expert in RV Refrigerators. Thanks for the videos with your help I was able to fix my refrigerator In my Majestic

I'm just wondering I'm building a bus. This is great information for me. However, driving down the road. Is there any air that Can Enter through that top vent. Because mine does just wonder if I should put a baffle or something in front of the vent.

Can i use foam foil board for this application?

Hi Darrin I have watched a few of your videos going to attempt the bagel when I get home the problem I’m having is the freezer is -10 top of fridge 38 and the bottom is at 47 I have replaced the thermister added a small fan behind the fridge to blow more air when I put a dollar bill to ck the seals it all feel snug Oh an have a fan on the inside of the fridge So I’m not sure why the such a difference in temp from top to bottom It’s a dometic dm2852 3 yrs old Any help would be great

Question? Does my propane tv fridge heat up my tv inside temperature? I’ve heard it does and doesn’t. I feel my fridge is venting properly but maybe not insulated properly like in this video. It’s a 2006 Keystone Everest

I have a 2012 reyo, with a Dometic 8555 fridge. It works great with 120v, maintains on 12v, but doesn't work on gas. If it works ok on 120v, is it posible, to be out of ammonia mixture? I've watched many videos, none ever mention that. I've followed other of your videos, have trouble shot mine, it has proper gas, the burner ignites, but it never even starts to cool. My unit already has a fan installed. Don't know how to test, the fan, either. Can you help me ck further?

What temperatures typically come off the refrigerator? I ask because you are using wood.

What is the possibility of that repair caching on fire

With that wooden baffel screwed to the back of the refrigerator how do you slide out the refrigerator if you need to.

Is this a condensor, residential fridge or an RV fridge? Does the same apply for residential?

Wow! I just subscribed to your channel just because you are sooooo handsome....;-) Thanks for all the amazing videos. I love watching you work on RVs good looking man....lol Marty,

what if there is no vents around the frig?

Did these work lower the refer temp and if so by hw much?

So these systems apparently don't come with any kind of circulation fan inside, just rely on convection??

Bet this what is going on with my daughter's rv fridgerator ex son inlaw replaced fridgerator with a used one never would cool below 50 degrees

Hi, I have watched many of your videos. I don’t see you mounting any fans to cool refrigerator compartment outside. I have made an appointment with you to install fans in the outside compartment to cool my refrigerator. I hope I’m not making a mistake. My refrigerator does not cool very well. the freezer does not get below 10°. Most the time it’s in the 20s. Refrigerator stays between 40 and 50°. The propane seems to work well I have a good flame it doesn’t seem to make any difference whether I’m plugged in or not. My question is when would you install a fan?

What about beechlane fans?

Replaced my roof vent with that generic "universal" Camco vent cover and it caused my fridge to overheat...would not recommend it.

Wait, you mean I don't NEED these 4 Noisy ASS high speed computer case fans anymore?? ;-) I thank you, my neighbors thank you, and the folks in the next county thank you!!

So how did you pre-drill and installed that lower screw?...what tools did you use?...telling us about it and not showing what u did on that screw is useless....

Couldn't you have just filled the space on top of the fridge with insulation????

They build these RVs in 4 hours so yeah... there will be stuff like this.