Caravan Refrigeration 101

We all want our cake and eat it when it comes to caravan refrigeration. I.e., we want the food to be cold. We also want it to be large enough to cool our food faster and to use as little energy as possible. This is not too much to ask, is it?

With that in mind we've put together some simple but effective tips to help you get the most out of your caravan refrigerator.

1. Pre-chill your fridge before you go to bed

When not in use, most people keep their caravan fridge turned off. When it's time to organize for a trip, we turn on our fridge. It has to cool the fridge's interior, but it also needs to cool the insulation. This means that we will use more energy in the beginning. Instead of using the valuable energy from our Caravan (either gas with a 3way fridge or battery power with an 12volt compressor fridge), it is better to save this energy for our trip and instead use our 240volt mains electricity at home.

2. Place cold food in a fridge

You will save more energy .... if you keep cold food in the fridge. It's as simple as that! If you place hot food in a cold refrigerator, your fridge will work harder for cooling it. This means that you are using more energy and power.

3. Keep your fridge stocked

Your caravan fridge should be pre-cooled. This will make it use less energy and power. Fill your fridge with water if it is half full. Keep your freezer full.

4. Keep the door closed

Caravan refrigeration is almost always front loaded with doors, unlike most camping fridges which are top loading with a lift-up lid. When cold air drops, we see a lot of cold air fall towards the ground every time we open a caravan fridge door. This means that our fridge will have to work harder to cool the warm air entering it, which means more of our precious energy/power. It is all about organization and getting everything you need in one place. The more you use a fridge, the less energy/power you will need ..... period!

5. You can replace as often as you like

We have a little tip for those who enjoy a few beverages. It will increase the efficiency of your Caravan fridge. If you take out one or two cold drinks, be sure to replace them with one or more hot drinks. If you want to make your fridge work harder (ie use more energy/power), then there are no worse things than taking out a dozen cold beverages over a long time and then replacing them with a dozen hot drinks in one big ..... hoping it will pull down cold quickly. ).

For more caravanning trips, follow us on Facebook and Instagram or visit subscribe to our email list