The SIMPLE Trick That Made My Caravan Fridge ICE COLD!

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]The weather's arrived, and it's too hot.

[00:00:02]So, we did a little thing while we're away showing you a problem we've got with our fridge. I bet you a lot of people have got exactly the same problem. So, we're going to have a look at what your options are of how to sort of fix the issue.

[00:00:18]Um And what basically happens is the way that the fridge works is it actually heats up the the element, and that creates the cooling with the fridge. But, what tends to happen is that when the weather is so hot, there's not enough circulation of air to be able to cool the fridge. And on our fridge, what was happening is that the very bottom drawer and the top freezer compartment just weren't getting up to temperature. Now, a few eagle-eyed people had sort of said, "Actually, you've got your fridge way too full."

[00:00:52]Which we we had.

[00:00:53]Um and we tried to stuff as much stuff in there as we could to sort of make a point, really.

[00:00:58]Um We're trying to get comments. Uh so, trying to make sure, firstly, that your fridge isn't jam-packed and there's some airflow around. So, airflow outside is as important as inside. So, we'll have a look at a couple of modifications that you can do and a couple of options. And we'll even go into the comments of what people said and what was really good and what was not very useful as well. So, uh we're going to look at a few vans. Uh I thought this was sold. Uh this was the Bailey Cabrera Oh, it's not. It's not.

[00:01:29]No. I'm getting confused. I'm getting confused. This is the Cabrera. Um so, this is the 2022 Bailey Cabrera. I thought it was that big um >> The other one.

[00:01:38]>> Lisbon Yeah. It's not, is it? It's not. I So, that's funny cuz that's 8 ft wide.

[00:01:45]And I didn't really notice the huge difference. Yeah.

[00:01:49]>> What is this like?

[00:01:50]>> No, this uh this isn't 8 ft wide. I'm sure this is 7 ft 6, whereas the other one is 8 ft wide. Yeah. So, for both of us just to have said that, that's interesting. Uh So this is just one iron I picked this up the other week, didn't I? I forgot. [laughter] So much happened. So nice big island bed at back, separate shower and toilet in the middle.

[00:02:08]Um lots of roof lights. So obviously it's becoming more and more of a a thing of do if if this weather's going to become more normal, do do we need air con?

[00:02:23]Um and yeah, I'm sort of So we were away over the weekend and all over the bank holiday and then we came back on the Tuesday night.

[00:02:34]Um so the weather's just been absolutely boiling and we were at that stage and a lot of our friends sort of it's different for us. We're um I'll try and put a picture up of what our campsite looks like, which is completely different to the campsite that you'll be used to. Um but it'd be quite interesting for you to see what our campsite is like. We're normally in a car park jammed next to you. So literally the next vehicle is this close to us. Um so the next big lorry.

[00:03:01]Um sometimes it's better than that and our big sort of week or two weeks away is better and we've normally got big setups and big awnings and whatever you but we're at Aintree. So the Aintree race course, we're on their car park and the car park's not huge. So the amount of people so they just have to cram everybody in. So um that creates a bit of an issue because obviously with the fridge side of things, we've not got the air flow and again if you've got your awning up on the side of the fridge, again you get the same thing. You don't get the air flow through the fridge. So that's what we're going to be looking at in a bit of how we can make that better.

[00:03:35]Um as I said, there's some really good comments and some not so good comments.

[00:03:39]So um we will try and whittle through the comments of what were actually useful. Nice six berth this one. 2015 Sprite Major six. It's 12995. I've We've dual at the front. Bunk beds at the side, so this makes into a bunk bed as well. And then we've got a fixed bunk beds at the back there as well. So, what you'll tend to find, you've got a nice washroom as well on this side, with a shower and toilet, so a good family van.

[00:04:04]Um but what you will find is a lot of the caravans um have the We'll have a look actually as we go through, but a lot of the vans will have your fridge on this side of the caravan, which if you've got your awning, is what creates a bit of an issue with getting getting the air air flow through the um through the fridge vents. And then again, having your awning up also then means that if you open your windows on your awning side, you've not got the air flow sort of running through. So, if you can, just another way that you can try and cool the van down is having your front windows open, and then windows all down the side and down the back. And obviously your roof lights will make a big difference. So, um having a fan length potentially, as some of these haven't been cleaned as yet. We're just trying to work our way back through. So, some new stock in, so this is a Bailey Unicorn Madrid.

[00:04:59]Um but having air flow through the van, so having your roof lights open and your windows open, and just trying to create some air flow. If you've got your front window open, you can put a fan on the front, and then that will blow the air through the caravan through the air lights. Um and it will sort of drag in the cooler air, and then hopefully disperse of it at the back if if possible. So, this is a nice big layout, isn't it, this one? Um interesting on the Madrid that they did a three-berth and they did did a four-berth. Now, the side bunk on this hasn't got the Well, hasn't got the bunk bed. So, that is just another single bed, so it is just a three-berth.

[00:05:35]Um and funnily enough, it's not put on the front whether it's a three- or four-berth, but it is just a three-berth. But again, we've got our big fridge freezer in this one that isn't on the awning side, so that makes this a little bit easier.

[00:05:47]Um but as I say, with these bigger, taller fridge freezers, because the cooling section um on the back isn't as wide and you've not got as big a vent, they straddle more than the traditional type of sort of smaller, dumpier fridges, um which is what we've got in our our lorry is this type of fridge. So, it's it works an awful lot harder and cools a lot less efficiently as a standard fridge. So, our problem is probably bigger than your problem if you've not got this big fridge freezer.

[00:06:21]Does that make sense?

[00:06:24]>> Our problem is bigger than your problem if you don't have a big fridge freezer.

[00:06:28]>> Yeah.

[00:06:29]>> So, if they've got a little fridge freezer, it doesn't matter.

[00:06:31]>> It will matter, but not as bad as that type of fridge freezer.

[00:06:35]>> Why? Cuz it's bigger?

[00:06:37]>> Yeah. So, uh I'll show you in a minute.

[00:06:39]Have a look at the washroom on this in a second and I will show you. You know, they tried to do the wardrobe in there, didn't they?

[00:06:44]>> Cuz it's always on the side, isn't it?

[00:06:46]>> It is. So, this has got the nice big washroom on the back. So, um the Bailey Unicorns, >> [snorts] >> um and it used to be like the the Bailey Senators, so you'd have the Vermont, which was the two-berth version, and then the Arizona. They [snorts] were always known for huge washrooms at the back. So, if you if you used to have, back in the day, a Bailey uh Senator, it would have been Vermont or Arizona, you'll know exactly what I was on about.

[00:07:10]Um So, this is going to have a normal sort of fridging. Um so, that fridge vent is your normal sort of fridge. Now, on this type of fridge vent, we're taller, um but we're quite a bit sort of a normal fridge vent is probably quite a bit longer. So, this is a dumpier type, and then obviously the air flow has got a lot further to travel um to try and create the the air flow to try and keep that fridge cool. So, this fridge, just in general, won't work as efficiently as the one next door. So, we'll have a look at what that actual fridge looks like, which was one like in that uh one there. This might have one actually. So, this has got a the little dumpy um vents on side. So, again, we've got inside there our smaller, dumpier fridge. So, less area um and more confined. So, the actual air flow hasn't got to travel as far in this. Um so, these tend to just work a little bit more efficiently. So, you will still get the problem with this, but it's normally more so when it's getting really up to that sort of late 20° that these will start to fail to work. And as in my little video, the little short that we did on we'll try and put a link to that short, can't we, on YouTube. Uh and it's on Facebook as well. There's a lot of comments on Facebook, wasn't there?

[00:08:38]Um but actually, if you're using it on electric, turning it down to a lower setting. So, instead of a lot of people think, "Oh, I'll turn it up to a higher setting and that'll cool it better."

[00:08:48]What creates then is that the fridge has to work harder. It creates more heat at the bottom. And then, because we haven't got the air flow, and it's so and the air flow that is there is so hot anyway, um it actually becomes less efficient.

[00:09:02]So, turning the fridge down so the fridge creates less heat, um that then actually works more efficiently. And it did on our fridge, a lot of people sort of in the comments have said, "Did it work?" And it does.

[00:09:14]It makes a big difference. It sort of uh it will take a bit of time then on the lower setting, another day sort of thing, till it really starts to see a difference, but it does make a difference. Um but we're then going to look at sort of what other things that we can do. So, we'll start having a look as we go through these at some of the comments.

[00:09:31]So, this is a nice five-berth uh double at the front, single on the side, double bunk beds. Uh nice family van again.

[00:09:39]Um so, this one again is I can't remember how much it is. Can you remember how much it is?

[00:09:46]You're cheating.

[00:09:47]>> 15,495.

[00:09:47]>> You're cheating. You're looking at the sign, aren't you?

[00:09:49]>> Yep.

[00:09:50]>> Um so, yeah, 15,495.

[00:09:53]So, that's another nice one.

[00:09:55]The uh Major 4 EB. Uh so, again, we've got the fridge on the correct side. So, that five-berth again had got the fridge on the wrong side, you could tell.

[00:10:05]Uh this has got the fridge on the correct side. So, again, this as I say, if you've got all in stuff and your fridge is on that side, it's again going to work harder. This should have more airflow down this side and not create as much of an issue. So, not every fridge is going to be the same, but pretty much all the fridges just work it on a lower setting, and that should make the fridge more efficient. And so, double at the front. 2022 at 19,295 this one. And then at the back, we've got a nice I like the big island bed at the very back with our separate shower and toilet in the middle. So, again, our favorite layout, sort of what we find most people are liking at this very moment in time.

[00:10:56]And all I need to do now is try and find uh Facebook page on my Facebook.

[00:11:05]It's difficult.

[00:11:06]Uh so, again, that's fairly newish in.

[00:11:09]VIP 460.

[00:11:11]Um so, is this fairly fresh in?

[00:11:14]Can tell I've had >> I don't think it's that fresh.

[00:11:16]>> a week off, can't I? Uh yeah, no, this was in before. This has got a nice front room.

[00:11:22]Can't do two main things at time. Yeah, this has got a sort of I like the the the bathroom taps on this one.

[00:11:28]>> Oh, yeah.

[00:11:30]>> Yeah, well, the washroom and taps on this one, so again, um fridge [snorts] into the awning, so we get that issue.

[00:11:38]15995, 2018, nice big sunroof at the front, two berth, so again, just sort of makes into two single beds. You can make this into a big double bed, but actually, I think using as two singles makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

[00:11:52]And again, if you're older, you probably want to be as far away from [clears throat] your partner as possible. Just saying it, just saying it.

[00:11:58]And and when it's hot as well, that's And going to make life easier as well, isn't it?

[00:12:04]So, let's try and find some of the comments as we carry on through.

[00:12:13]You've got a little unicorn as well. We looked in that one.

[00:12:18]The Rimor So, 2016 Rimor, so this has got single beds in again. So, it's like that two berth van.

[00:12:26]As I was saying, we couldn't really take any carpets up, could we, really, cuz they're going to get filthy in this lovely sunny weather.

[00:12:33]So, single beds again, you've got the option to make in the front as a double bed or small single beds if it's for children. So, again, that works really well. And again, we've got our tall fridge freezer.

[00:12:48]Um So, we shout 14495.

[00:12:52]It's 1450 kg maximum, 2016, 17.16 m from front to very back. And we've got a washroom at the end with our separate shower and toilet, so Um a lot of people saying on video that I've done about you've got the fridge overloaded, so again, that's one of the things that you can do is obviously, if you're running out of electric, drop it down to a lower setting. Even if you're running on gas, drop it down to a lower setting, and then just try and create as much air flow through the fridge as you can. On these bigger fridges, you can actually remove the freezer compartment.

[00:13:31]Um so, this will then pull out.

[00:13:38]Um so, if you've not got frozen goods in there, by removing that shelf, you can then create more air flow through the fridge as well, and that will help cuz obviously the top section is working as a freezer. So, that will just help to cool the fridge down. So, a lot of them you can do that. Um so, that's another little sort of trick that you can try.

[00:14:00]Um and then all that I've got to do is try and put the freezer door back in correct. And then there's just little clips at the bottom that sort of lock in. Push in, lock back up, lock back up.

[00:14:11]So, to remove it, pull the clip down, pull it over. Pull the clip down, pull it over. Um and that will just slide out then. So, you do have to be a little bit careful with those, but that is another way that you can do the um removing that just to create more air flow. Not having so much stuff in the fridge, and then if you can, obviously this is a bit um it does make a difference, but it's a bit counter-intuitive. If you've gone onto site and you're paying for your electric, it just seems a bit daft for me to go, "Okay, my fridge isn't working quite as well. I'll put it on gas."

[00:14:45]And it's like, "Well, I'm now paying for gas." Yes, it will work more efficiently on the gas.

[00:14:50]Um but again, sort of turn it down to a lower setting. It's not going to make a huge, huge amounts but that is an option that you can do is try on the the gas section. Um the other thing that you can do is on the outside is actually remove your fridge vents. Um so, removing the actual vents quite tricky. Um again, it's just creating more air flow. So, um we'd remove the top and the bottom vents. So, normally they've either got a little screwdriver bit that turns and then they just pop off or the newer ones have got these little slidey bits. So, these slide up like so and then they will pop off like so. And so, you can remove those vents and that will create more airflow again.

[00:15:40]You've not restricted the airflow. So, again, we didn't do it on the on the lorry, um but that's something that we could have done is pop those air vents off.

[00:15:49]Another thing, if we're going to get more weather like this and it's going to get hotter, again, these are a fiddle to actually put back on. So, to get them back into place, try and get this edge in first.

[00:16:04]Make sure you clip this up and then work around and push them back in. So, that's how you put your vents back on.

[00:16:11]Um another thing that you can do is actually do fans that will go onto the back of this top one. And what that's going to do then is draw more air in through the bottom, up through the cooling vents, and back through. So, that will just create more airflow.

[00:16:27]Um and it's literally two 12-V fans. Um you'll put a wire through them for a little on and off switch. You They do do a full kit where you can put a little timer on it um and on and off switch and and really go into details, but basically, a little on and off switch.

[00:16:44]Um they go through. You can just tap into your 12-V system at the bottom of the fridge. Um they attach onto the the back vents. And all that's going to happen as I say is the wiring will go down onto the 12-V.

[00:16:56]You'll have a switch inside.

[00:16:58]When it gets hot, you turn that little switch on. That turns the fridge vent fans on and it just creates more cooling. Um so, that is probably the cheapest and easiest one to really make a difference. That is the ultimate. That is the thing that is going to make the biggest amount of difference and make your fridge work as best as it possibly can it is by fitting those fridge vents. So, that might be something that we do on our lorry um and sort of try try doing that because as I say the problem that we've got is because it's it's it's on our lorry it's even got at the very bottom another salad drawer and then it sort of goes up so we'll have to try and do a video of how that looks and how that works.

[00:17:48]I'll try and find some of the other comments then as we look through we've got a few more vans over to the side that we'll have a look at in a second as well as a nice big twin axle that's just going actually. Um so again some people on the comments were saying take the vents off on the outside get the breeze going through so a bit like we said um I don't have an issue on the gas so again it could be that they've got a smaller fridge but didn't say well I don't really pay for my gas if I'm paying for the I've already paid for the electric I don't want to pay for the gas.

[00:18:16]Take the eggs out you don't need the eggs in there so as I say we've crammed everything in as much as we possibly can. Um just dispersing things throughout the fridge that is going to make a big difference.

[00:18:26]Run it on gas that's going to work better than this. So, that was the biggest one really a lot of people saying use the gas.

[00:18:34]I've fitted the kit that's um a thermostat control six fans so just exactly the same as what we're saying. Kit kit cost him around about 160 pounds. Um Turbo engineer don't pack the fridge compartments full like it was so yeah spot on.

[00:18:52]Get it on the gas.

[00:18:54]Ambient temperature's too hot remove the bottom fridge vent replace the fan so exactly what we've just been saying.

[00:19:01]Uh our fridge is fine but the freezer compartment's not working in the hotter weather so again probably that smaller one and again that that fan then is going to make that work better.

[00:19:13]Um as it's on put a permanent on setting two, so as I've said about putting it on to the lower setting and they said that it's been absolutely fine. There's no need to have it on super high, it's fine.

[00:19:24]Um somebody said um never stop now just eats through the gas if you're using the gas and just use it on setting two on electric and should make big difference. The big one is those fans. Uh and that was sort of the some people saying get get rid of the absorption fridge. Um you won't have a problem. Get a compressor one instead, so you're not going to do that, are you, really? Not going to swap the fridge just cuz of a few hot days.

[00:19:52]Um so yeah, that was sort of the big one.

[00:19:55]Um is put the fans on there. Um again, it's questionable of somebody said that the kit for the the fans for the fridge was about 160 quid, so is it worth it? The fridge was still staying cool. It didn't None of the food went rubbish. It didn't go out of like out of date quicker or went funny.

[00:20:17]Um so I don't know. I think potentially if you don't want to go to the hassle of fitting the fridge vents, just remove the vents and try and get the the air flow as best as you can. Obviously, if you've got the awning, um open up the the doors of the awning, it's going to be like a a sauna in there if it's all closed up anyway, so open it up, let the air flow through it. Take your vents off. That is just all going to help. Um another one, 11995, 2017, a five 65, so five berth this one. Uh bunks, little side bed, and then you washroom at the back. As I say, we've got a lovely couple of big twin axles over on the side that's just come in.

[00:20:56]We'll have a look at as well. Um and we'll have a look where the fridge is positioned.

[00:21:04]So uh again, um we'll start have a look at what other options for air con there is. Um, a friend of ours had sort of said, "Oh, I'm thinking about having air con put in my lorry. Um, is it worth it?" And obviously that's that's a that's a question only you can ask answer.

[00:21:23]If we can, um, find a good portable unit, so something they do a little portable air con unit that sort of hooks hooks onto window and then blows in the cool air. So, it might be that we try something like that. Um, you have got the options as I say is going sort of proper air conditioning roof mounted. If you've got a fan like this, it's going to make it easier cuz you've got some of the power, but you won't have 230 volt power to that. So, again, you've got to run the mains power into that section.

[00:21:57]They also do under seat mounted air con units. So, it just takes up room underneath the seat and then puts the vents around. Normally, they're under underneath the bed and then put some pipe work through it. So, a few different options and it might be that over the next couple of weeks we have a look at those different options and see what is best. Uh, just coming in this one is the Elddis Crusader Zephyr. Um, big twin axle, 22995, 1,800 kilos maximum. It's got four-wheel drive motor movers, big island bed at the back. This has got the, um, slightly better fridge I would say than the one that we've got. So, we'll have a look at that in a second.

[00:22:35]And again, a really really nice van.

[00:22:37]It's been well looked after. Uh, credit to the previous owner. So, even though this is the tall fridge, we've got the extra width. So, we've got the normal width. Again, it's not going to work as efficiently as the smaller unit cuz we've got all this extra difference of height here. And I've got a feeling on the smaller fridges they were like 195 watt heating element and on the bigger ones they're about a 200 W element, 205 W element. So, there's not a huge amount of wattage difference on the electric that's going to sort of cool this better or quicker.

[00:23:12]Um so, realistically, just the same things as what we've already said, but this is going to work better than the fridge that I've got um just because it's wider, bigger vents on the outside. Um so, yeah, that that's a better fridge than what we've got fitted in ours, but lovely lovely van. Um On Sunday's video, I've not planned it yet, so I don't know what we're going to do. Um but, I thought the fridge was quite an interesting one. I think that's going to have been probably over this hotter weather what everyone's going to sort of struggled with is um potentially having that fridge struggling to freeze down.

[00:23:52]Um but, there your options. Remove your vents. If you've not got the fans on there, get the vents on there, and just try and drop the actual setting of the fridge a lower, and that should help.

[00:24:01]Try it on the gas, but again, it's one of those. It's sort of if I've paid for my electric, do I really want to be paying extra for my gas? So, that's your decision. Uh hopefully you've like like the video. If you have, hit the subscribe button, hit the like button.

[00:24:15]Let us know in the comments if you've had the issue and what you've done to resolve the issue. Um am I talking nonsense as normal or as it helped?

[00:24:22]Thanks for watching. I'm Mark at The Caravan Place.