The red on/off switch in the rear wall control panel?

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skater
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The red on/off switch in the rear wall control panel?

Post by skater »

This one took me months to figure out. In mine, there's a fan mounted above the coils of the fridge, and this switch supplies power to it.

However, there's a trick: in mine, there was a temperature sensor wired so that the temperature above the coils had to be above 115 degrees or something for it to work. The first time it got hot enough above my fridge to trigger that temperature sensor was when I was camping in July and parked with the afternoon sun facing that side of the camper. I don't know why you'd want a temperature sensor on it, because the cooler you can keep those coils, the better the fridge will work, so I bypassed the temperature sensor, and now I control the fan directly by the switch.

The switch lights up only when the fan is running.

Note - I'm not sure if this is a standard item, an optional item, or if it was installed by someone else - does anyone else have this fan?
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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Alaskan
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Post by Alaskan »

nope.....never seen or heard of a cooling fan in the rear of the frig from Airstream..

Its a good idea btw as that hot air needs to escape to allow the frig to work properly.

Airstream corrected that problem, maybe as early as 1992, when they started installing a rectangular piece of duct work from that compartment that goes up through the roof of the rig where its covered by an aluminum rectangular elevated cover..
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skater
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Post by skater »

Update: I've seen several places recommend these fridge cooling fans, and they always seem to recommend they have the temperature sensor on them.

I think the idea is that the fan will run only when it's TRULY necessary, not all the time. I've bypassed the temperature sensor on mine, and I plan to stay that way because:
1. I'm not going to get those coils to be "too cold".
2. I don't usually dry camp where I'd be running off the battery.
3. My fridge is 17 or 18 years old at this point and probably isn't up to full efficiency anyway, so any help I can give it, I will.
4. I kind of think the sensor is worn out and triggers it far too high anyway.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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Alaskan
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Post by Alaskan »

Being from the Pacific Northwest & Alaska I seldom have that problem..

If I did I'd want a temp switch that activated the fan at maybe 70-80.

RJ....92 and newer B190's have an entirely different vent system behind the fridge...its a rectangular duct work that exits through the roof...therefore that hot air is released easier than the in the 91 which just has the side panel...

Even with the roof exit the fans are a good idea.
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ChasingRain
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Post by ChasingRain »

Don't think it was 92- my 94 has the upper vent on the side, not on the roof. I've also got the fan with the thermostatic trigger, but my fridge had been replaced before I bought the van, so I'm not sure if it's original or not
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Post by skater »

Alaskan wrote:Being from the Pacific Northwest & Alaska I seldom have that problem.
:) One of my first trips with the camper had me in direct sunlight all day in the campground (no trees to speak of), with the sun beating down on that right side of the camper every afternoon - the worst possible time for it. In retrospect I should asked to move to a different site, even if just to orient the camper so the fridge would be shaded in the afternoon.

Moreover, I hadn't yet cottoned to the idea of starting the fridge the day before the trip. Yeah, I had a LOT of spoiled milk that week, along with various other foodstuffs.

I've learned now to start the fridge the night before I leave, and it seems much better about staying in a good temperature range - but if it's over 85 degrees or so I'll run that fan.

I haven't run into a similar situation since that time, so I don't know how well the fridge will do with the fan and with a good start.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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