frig on or off during storage?

[Montana_597]

I have always believed (Don't know why) it is better to keep the refrigerator turned on even during extended storage periods....Now for the first time, I'm going to put a cover on the Fifth wheel....can I still leave the frig on (electric) or will the cover prevent proper venting?

[joe2speed]

I keep my refigerator on all summer, but i cannot understand why you would want to keep it on all winter while in storage. By having a cover over the fiver you would surely prevent proper venting of the refigerator. Just clean and leave the doors of the freezer and refigerator open so it won't get musty.

[Chester]

We leave our refrigerator on only if there is something to keep cold. The doors must stay open to prevent mildew. We find that we need to turn the fridge back on the night before we plan to use it. This gives it time to cool off. Leaving it on in my opinion is a waste of precious energy.

[stiles watson]

In storage, we have it turned off. It will have been cleaned and wiped down. Baking soda controls the mustiness and, believe-it-or-not, crumpled newspaper pages prevents mold and mildew by absorbing the condensation. We don't have to leave the doors open.

If the newspaper ink offends, then use clean packing news print. It really works and remember we live on the humid Gulf Coast.

[DHenry]

Mine is off with the door proped open during storage.

[sreigle]

We used to leave ours on the entire camping season, then turn it off with door open during winter storage. I didn't know about the newspaper trick. We usually did leave some food in the fridge during the camping season but it also seemed the fridge did a better job if I didn't turn it off between trips. Might be my imagination, though.

[Merv]

Hi,
I keep mine on from the first trip of the year to the last trip of the year. then i shut it off and open the doors. take the light out of the socket so it doesnt run the batteries down.(if you leave the batterys in)
Merv

[Parrothead]

Speaking of frig, are these self defrosting? We've had ours 2 months and still don't need to defrost. All of our other units had to be defrosted about every month.

[sreigle]

Alas, they're not self-defrosting. We (usually Vicki) have to defrost ours about every two to three months. Less maybe if not in humid areas.

[Montana Sky]

I keep mine off while in storage with the doors open. I also leave baking soda in to help with any possible odors. I just have to remember to go in and close them before pulling the coach out of the storage building in the spring.

[Montana_597]

Thanks for all the replies...I just turned the frig off and took out the bulb ...now comes the fun part...putting on the fiver cover for the winter...thanks again

[NJ Hillbilly]

I leave it on all camping season. I fill it with crumpled newspaper with the doors closed and have never had problems. Coffee also works well to keep out mildew. A moving co. told us about that, we had a house fridge in storage for 3 yrs and it was fine when opened up.

John