After having our Norcold fridge fail on us (fuse blew on the DC heater) during a long slog up the coast on a rainy Thanksgiving (fortunately all the leftovers were in another ice chest!), I decided that I needed a way to monitor the fridge temperature remotely. I found that Engel (makers of electric coolers) have a remote temperature accessory – Amazon link that looked to be a perfect solution.

For my recent month long trip to Peru*, I needed to keep certain medical supplies between freezing and 46 degrees – so monitoring the temperature was critical.

I mounted the unit on the dashboard using INDUSTRIAL Velcro, as well as creating a mounting spot next to the fridge:

There is a remote sending unit that I mounted on the inside “roof” of the fridge (no photo). The Amazon link shows the displays on the device.

The unit uses AAA batteries, and they will last you AT LEAST one month of 24/7 operation. The unit could use a backlight for nighttime, but I don’t mind the tradeoff for long battery life. It also displays the time and ambient temperature.

The remote connection was “lost” only 3 times during my trip – twice I feel it was due to the iPhone located nearby starting up in the AM. Repairing the connection requires removing the batteries from both units, then installing the batteries FIRST in the receiver, THEN in the remote. This also requires stepping through the menu to set the time and choosing Centigrade or Fahrenheit, but that process is simple.

This should be standard equipment with all fridges.

*(Indiana)

Decided to tackle the job of removing the Norcold fridge (one of our favorite parts of the van) to check just what IS the condition of the burner box (the part that can be sometimes hard to start, or hard to keep lit). If you own a Camper, you really owe it to yourself to pull this fridge out and see what makes it tick – it will take the mystery and fear out of the thing.

If you are comfortable working with a gas barbecue, you can do this! Before you work on your fridge, just make sure the propane is OFF, that you are not plugged into “shore” power (AC), that your “house” battery is disconnected, and put out any cigarettes or open flames. Make sure you have some ventilation, too (like the van door open and maybe working in a carport or garage with the door up).

This is not that difficult – just sorta fussy, and you do need to be able to lift and move the fridge. You need the following tools and supplies:

• 2 crescent wrenches (maybe 3, you’ll see why later) or a 13/16, 5/8 and probably a 9/16 (depending on what era your fridge is) open end wrench
• Good philips screwdriver – make sure you have a good one – some of these screws are tight!
• Compressed air or a “can” of air
• Shop vac
• Round file to modify the mounting flanges in the van to ease reinstallation and later removal
• Permatex 81878 “Ultra Copper” silicone – for resealing the burner box – the existing gasket will fall apart when you remove it – or a new gasket
• If you have never done this, you will likely need a NEW burner – Norcold part #621951
• Soapy water or “gas leak detecting fluid” from a hardware store
• Piece of thin plywood or similar to protect the van floor

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