This simple installation can help to maintain your caravan fridge at peak performance on even the hottest days, says Nigel Hutson
WEEKEND WORKSHOP
SOME YEARS AGO, I fitted a fridge fan kit, the CBE MCV-2, in our previous van. Whether it was down to the fridge itself and/or the fans, we still had a working fridge that kept things cold during our holiday in the South of France, where at times, the temperature (in the shade!) was over 40°C.
Basically, caravan fridges rely on good air circulation to work effectively. I have noticed that many vans with the layout that we now have (side island fixed bed, end washroom) have the fridge located on the nearside, just forward of the entrance, which is possibly one of the worst places they could be for good air circulation.
On a warm day, you naturally open the door, which then covers the fridge vents and restricts the air around them.
Add to that the possibility of an awning, and the poor old caravan fridge doesn’t stand much chance, does it?
A simple fix
The solution that I found, the CBE MCV-2 fridge fan kit, works as follows.
On a small control panel, you can elect for the fans to be Off, On (running at full speed) or on Automatic, where they kick in at a reduced speed between 28-35°C and 50°C (you set the start temperature via a rotating switch), and then at full speed if the temperature reaches 50°C. The fans are mounted inside the upper vent and draw air from behind the fridge and blow it out through the vent, thus keeping the air circulated.
Before starting this task, I safely disconnected the 230V main supply and the 12V battery, and gathered up a few ‘extras’ that would be required, along with some tools:
A length of about 300mm of 40 x 40mm angle aluminium
Piece of 25 x 15mm timber
Sikaflex 512 adhesive/sealant
Doublesided Gorilla Tape
Selection of screws
Cable ties
Crimp wire connections
Drill and a small drill bit
Circular holecutter
Screwdrivers
Small round file
Wire strippers and crimp tool
The first step was to remove the vent covers. These unclip (on some, you have to turn the clip 90° with a screwdriver to release them) and then ‘hinge’ outwards from the clip end.
The instructions for the CBE MCV-2 fans show them being screwed to the vent frame, but on our van, this was not possible, because there’s a plastic frame with a lip around the vent. This is where the alumi
