Anyone with a new 535 having problems with the fridge? Quite hot here in Wales currently but nothing like what we’re used to on the continent. Food is going off as the fridge just isn’t cold enough. It runs only from the leisure battery and there is no option to switch to mains when on hookup.

Very frustrating as we are nowhere near any shops, so bought quite a lot of food here.

Isn't it a compressor fridge, rather than the absorption 3 way (mains/12V/gas) type on other Eriba's? If so it should run on 12V, via the van's battery, at all times, unless switched off. In other words it should run whilst towing, whilst hooked up and when not on hook up, until the leisure battery runs out of power. If it doesn't run at all times it's been wired incorrectly. If it's not cooling enough to freeze water in the freezer the thermostat needs adjusting. If that doesn't work you need a replacement fridge. Basically compressor fridges are the same as your home fridge but built to run on 12V.

As I said, it will run on 12V all the time and doesn't need any switching over, just switch it on and it should run at all times, unless off hook up and with a flat leisure battery. Even then you can get them to work off the car battery but that's only in extremis.

Luckily on this great site they have industrial size fridges for campers, so I have emptied it and it’s running again. Maybe I overfilled or covered some vent or something. Yep Andy, only running on battery is possible. Cameron at AL was quick to respond to my email. When we are somewhere less remote I am going to buy a thermometer and monitor how it works with different stocking, different outside temps and fridge settings.

No alcohol allowed in campsite fridges obviously, so the first experiment is a fridge full of beer and wine and ice cubes in the freezer for the gin!

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Compressor fridges have no exterior vents, indeed I suspect that's why Hymer fitted one to the 535 as the van frame was in the way of any absorption vents. They sometimes have vents into the interior, but even they aren't really necessary.

I once had probs with a 3 way fridge when the thermostat sensor got knocked off it's perch, but compressor fridges tend to have their sensors built in and not floating about.

Isn’t it basically the same as the one in your T5?
I thought compressor fridges were supposed to be very efficient. The small one in our Bilbo’s Nexa would produce ice much quicker than our Eriba fridge.

ps how’s the awning fit?

TandF

I think I'd be far happier with a 3-way fridge, even if the ice takes longer to freeze. Any site without EHU, which are often the most lovely, would be impossible for us, if the fridge could not be run on gas. Our leisure battery would keep a compressor going for a while, but then what?

Yes it is as the t5 Tony, I think I crowded it with too much stuff and turned it right up, which is the wrong thing to do. We need to have a bit of time to get to know it!

The Unico awning is great. They put the rear bracket just on the curve, so the front is only 300 mm short, so it doesn’t look like it doesn’t fit the van at all. Very pleased we kept it. The factory wind out we haven’t tried yet, bought some storm straps for it though. The winding pole is a pain in the **** though, storing it that is! Only place is across front window, or on the floor. Going home to do some tweaks in a few weeks but very pleased so far (although heating and hot water just feels....weird!!).

Fiamma winding handles come in three sizes.

A short fiddly one, a sensible standard one and a gurt long extendable one.

I know this because the 'Eriba Car Non' came to us with, of all things, the long one. In my opinion you'd have to be a midget to actually need such a long handle, even before you extend the darn thing. Trouble is that it's too long to fit anywhere but the 'rear garage' and in there it just gets in the way.

I'm seriously thinking of investing in the standard length one, which we had on our previous Innovation. I know that one will fit in the overcab locker, acrossways, indeed Fiamma supply clips with it, so it can be secured away neatly.

It's normally because there's something structural in the way, that stops the holes for the vents being cut in the wall. Compressor fridges are mostly used in boats where you wouldn't want a vent in the side.

Our Innovation has the fridge right behind the offside rear seat and there's a structural member that is part of the Transit right behind it. On it's sibling model, the Cavarno, the fridge is right at the rear just forward of the back door/s and it's just plain steel panelling. So they are able to fit a 3 way and cut vent holes in the steel.

Quote: Blueyonder wrote in post #9

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The factory wind out we haven’t tried yet, bought some storm straps for it though. The winding pole is a pain in the **** though, storing it that is! Only place is across front window, or on the floor.

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Thanks RS, I’ll look at the winder in the morning. The fridge is definitely defective. Can make ice for G&Ts in the ice box but fridge is doing nothing. It’s just got a couple of beer bottles in it and after 12 hours, they are only marginally colder than the rest of the box under the van. Milk going off within 2 days. We are loving the rest of the van, so it’s a shame. Hey ho, at least we’re just in Wales and not heading off 8000 miles like we usually do!