Maintaining Refrigerator while RV being serviced? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

aztrekker · RV-Dreams Community Member

Maintaining Refrigerator while RV being serviced?

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

It will depend on the repair facility but in our case we’ve always been able to keep the rig plugged in to run the fridge as necessary.

As to leaving it on LP gas: Keep in mind that LP gas / electric RV refrigerators require 12 volts to operate even when running on LP. (12 volts runs external fans and the control “computer.”) Depending on your battery size if the motor home is in the shop for some extended period you would still need to be plugged in to keep the batteries from running down. No 12 volts, no fridge.

Also keep in mind, as you mentioned, you can have refrigerators off, residential or RV type, for 8 hours or so without a major problem IF they are “cold” and haven’t had the doors open before turning off the power.

Mostly this isn’t a big problem and the shop will keep the rig plugged in – but always ask. You are not the first RVer to have food in a fridge and need service. “They do this.” But that’s a great question.

BTW, welcome to the Forum. This is the place to ask questions.

Bill

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

These fridges are not that big....eat a lot, cooler with ice if you must, throw out and restock....welcome to the Forum...

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

For unexpected repairs, places are willing to work with you. We even had one separately power the fridge with an extension cord. For planned upgrades, etc., they might tell you in advance to empty the fridge and turn it off. This happened to us on a planned body repair, we moved into an extended stay motel along with our food.

I also hate to disagree with the other Bill, but our freezer got to 25 degrees in 4 hours when turned off when boondocking in cool weather, so 8 hours might be too long.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 26th of October 2014 03:56:05 PM

aztrekker · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thanks for all the information. One more question, slightly off topic. Are you ever worried about leaving all your belongings in the MH while it is out of your control for servicing? I guess it would be prudent to remove items like laptops, etc., but how about everything else?

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I should probably say that the body work was the only time we have been kicked out since becoming fulltimers. All other nights we stayed overnight in the RV. As parttimers with a house in range to drive to, we did leave the RV multiple times. But, even as parttimers when we were a long ways away, we slept in the RV.

Don't leave things laying out for temptation. But the workers do not have time to go through your stuff and often they are not alone. We have had many repairs and have lost none of our stuff.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

aztrekker wrote:
Thanks for all the information. One more question, slightly off topic. Are you ever worried about leaving all your belongings in the MH while it is out of your control for servicing? I guess it would be prudent to remove items like laptops, etc., but how about everything else?

One other thing I would point out is that if you have firearms, it might be a good idea to remove those before having the RV "serviced," especially if you will not be in it in the evenings or won't be around during the service period. I don't remember where I read it, but I did read once that the ones doing the work called the owners back and insisted that they remove the firearms before their employees would do any work on the RV. That might have been a rare case, but one never knows.

Terry