Refrigerator baffle

eric1514 · 06-27-2015, 09:27 PM

I reported earlier that the refrigerator in my 59g would not stay lit while traveling down the road. So here is a baffle I built.

I started with a piece of galvanized step-flashing from HD. It's 8"x12" to begin. I snipped it to 8"x10" and snipped a slot in it to clear some tubes. Took it for a ride and so far so good. Monday I'm leaving for a two-hour tour and we'll see for sure.

Before

The baffle. I rounded the corners so it wouldn't be as sharp.

Installed

Begreen · 06-28-2015, 02:35 AM

Should work. It looks similar to the baffle shielding on our Roadtrek.

wincrasher · 06-28-2015, 02:54 AM

Please report back on your findings.

eric1514 · 07-01-2015, 06:10 PM

I just got back from camping. Mostly slower 45-55 mph roads but I did some freeway miles at 65-75 and I am pleased to report that the baffle performed as advertised. The flame never blew out and the refrigerator ran for 3 days on 1 lighting, as it always should have.

AK49er · 07-01-2015, 06:33 PM

Nice DIY! Sounds like others will be following your lead.

stanw909 · 07-01-2015, 07:13 PM

Thanks. I'm stealing that idea for my Bounder. My Saratoga doesn't have the problem.

eric1514 · 07-30-2015, 01:54 AM

It seems, after more trips, that the temp dial needs to be set higher than a 4 or 5 o'clock position. Any lower, and the flame is just too small and will blow out. Mine works fine at 6 o'clock or colder with the baffle in place at any speed.

ds10 · 08-16-2015, 01:39 AM

Temp adjustment due to the shield, or just in general? Want to make & sell these little baffles?

eric1514 · 08-16-2015, 02:20 AM

Not sure I understand your question. If the flame gets too small because not much cooling is needed, it will be blown out even with this baffle in place. If you set the fridge temp. dial to 'colder', the flame is larger and so far, stays lit.

That baffle was 95 cents worth of metal from HomeDepot. That and a pair of snips or scissors you don't love will get you a baffle.

Eric

ds10 · 08-16-2015, 03:12 AM

Was trying to understand the need to set colder, wondering if it was because of the shield affecting the unit. But you explained it was to keep flame from going out. Makes more sense now. Baffle looks like a simple enough project. Thanks.

wincrasher · 08-16-2015, 03:16 AM

I guess I don't get it - why drive with the refer on propane? Why waste your propane at all - our tanks are pretty small. It works fine on battery once it is cold. It's just a matter of restarting it on propane when you are parked.

eric1514 · 08-16-2015, 03:40 AM

Fridges with automatic ignition can turn their flames on and off to regulate the temperature. Manually ignited fridges like the one in the 59g, modulate their flame, making it larger or smaller as needed but never fully extinguishing it. It just goes into a standby mode with as little a flame as possible. Setting the fridge colder hopefully keeps that flame from getting so small that it gets blown out even with the baffle in place.

This is a work in progress and it may turn out that I have to make the baffle larger. We'll see.

bobojay · 08-25-2015, 10:47 PM

wincrasher, us for one like to set it and forget it just leaving it on gas. On a 3 week trip last year with no other propane usage, we used about 1/4 of a tank. On the ERA, it's a 16 gallon tank, of course 80% of that is full.

eric1514, thanks for the flame info. Never realized it modulated the flame for temp control. Incidentally, we've only had one instance of it blowing out on ours, and the cabinet area there looks the same size and layout

mkguitar · 08-26-2015, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobojay

...us for one like to set it and forget it just leaving it on gas...

I hope you are not rolling into gas stations with that lit.

If so- please post a description of your van, so i can get to a safe distance.

Mike

bobojay · 08-26-2015, 07:14 AM

Mike, no issues with diesel engine

eric1514 · 08-26-2015, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkguitar

I hope you are not rolling into gas stations with that lit.

If so- please post a description of your van, so i can get to a safe distance.

Mike

Mine's red.

mkguitar · 08-26-2015, 04:24 PM

I was afraid of that- there are dozens of videos online of news reports of RV pilot lights starting fires at gas stations.
Even if the RV is diesel, gas may be spilled nearby or in areas with no recovery systems, fumes may be present.

here's a gasser:
Gas-station fire destroys Indiana couple’s RV | HoumaToday.com

I've seen people smoking while gassing up too.

I move on

Mike

eric1514 · 08-26-2015, 05:04 PM

I'm old. Sometimes I forget. You've been warned.

bobojay · 08-26-2015, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric1514

I'm old. Sometimes I forget. You've been warned.

Ditto here too....

ohiobmwbiker · 08-30-2015, 02:03 PM

Just got back from a 9 day trip, 1655 miles. With my baffle (very similar to Eric's, sorry no pics) and the temp set around 7 o'clock most of the time the refrigerator stayed lit the entire time we traveled. We did switch to electric when parked at campsites.

As a side note, the propane level is still 3/4 or better, depending on how you are parked. We have not used propane for anything else, other than burning the production oils off the furnace heat exchanger and have not filled the propane tank since we bought it in May of this year.

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