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Topic: 3way fridge not getting cold ( help )

tricky787

10/5/2015 at 7:57am
Location: littlehampton
Outfit: fiat ducato autoquest 400 1988

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Can anyone please help, just baught a old fiat auto quest 400 camper it has a three way fridge, I plugged the electric in at home and the fridge got cold now at the camp site it hasn't got cold, I tried to run on the gas it lit up but after four hours it had not got cold, I tried again to run it on the electric but by this morning it's still not cold, does anyone have any advice as at a lose what to try... Am staying at a lovely site in swanage with my son and daughter , look forward to any advice thankyou

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Tricky.

Bridie

10/5/2015 at 10:00am
Location: Hants
Outfit: VW Trooper

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Did you have a habitation check done on your van before you bought it, or before you went out in it? We have a 20 year old VW Trooper and have the habitation check done every year so everything is checked. That way we discovered that the fridge isn't reliable running on gas , for example, but that doesn't worry us. Do you run the fridge off your battery as you're driving? Does it work on that?
PS we also take freezer blocks with us and a freezer bag as belt and braces so if the fridge packs up we can use a freezer at a camp site to freeze the freezer blocks and freeze contents of fridge if necessary.

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bridie

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billy

10/5/2015 at 10:36am
Location: North Essex
Outfit: Caravelair Alba 400

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Is the van level? Fridge will not work unless level. Performance of an old fridge may not be that good for various reasons, poor seal on door or coolant separated, are examples. It can help to remove fridge & leave upside down for a few hours to remix coolant. Feel the pipes inside ice compartment, if they feel a bit cold then fridge is actually working, even if not that well.

tricky787

10/5/2015 at 7:55pm
Location: littlehampton
Outfit: fiat ducato autoquest 400 1988

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Well that does make some sense I didn't think about being level, the site was very much to one side as only just got my first van didn't know about levelling ramps, ok will try fridge in the morning in my drive, many thks for all advice

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Tricky.

Rhj296

10/5/2015 at 8:34pm
Location: Sweet Home Inversneckie
Outfit: Swift Elegance 565 Volvo V70 2.4

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I had a similar problem. It was the levelling that done the trick. I had started to get seriously worried. The fudge was on a tilt. It wasn't substantial but enough to upset things.
Levelled it up and off it went. I watch out for it now every time.

pepe63

10/5/2015 at 8:51pm
Location: Shropshire
Outfit: Toyota Granvia (Wellhouse)

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Is this a relatively "old" fridge then..?

Because we've had to pitch at some quite pronounced angles with our vans(on festivals sites) and we've never had any problem with our fridges...

If the van is level enough to comfortably "live" and sleep in, then the fridge should be okay..surely...?....

billy

10/5/2015 at 9:20pm
Location: North Essex
Outfit: Caravelair Alba 400

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Older 3way fridges can be quite sensitive to being level, they don't need much slope for them to fail to work.

pepe63

11/5/2015 at 10:16am
Location: Shropshire
Outfit: Toyota Granvia (Wellhouse)

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..Oh, I see.

..it's obviously something I've read of - even a couple of our handbooks have advised/warned of it - but it's not something we've ever actually experienced.

Hopefully for the OP, it just that then.

valerie fallows

11/5/2015 at 7:31pm
Location: Burnley
Outfit: Vango airbeam infinity 600

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We find if the fridge has been stood for a while not being used, turn it upside down for a few hours then turn it back and connect, we do this at the start of each camping season and it always works.

tricky787

11/5/2015 at 9:53pm
Location: littlehampton
Outfit: fiat ducato autoquest 400 1988

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Well it seems the problem was just not being level, something I had given no thought to, all is good now and fridge nice and cold, yes I do feel a little silly but a good lesson and it's nice to know there are people who help with good advice, thanks to all who posted.

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Tricky.

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