Refrigerator leveling - how quick do you have to be?

[drboyd]

OK, it's pretty much the consensus that it's ok to run the refrigerator while you're towing, on the assumption that enough "sloshing " will occur to keep the unit from boiling dry.

Cool deal - I believe it.

Now, here's the question: You stop for momma's potty break. Or lunch. Or to look at the pretty view off the top of the ridge. You stop for the evening, and you're unhooking, etc.

How much time do you have to level the trailer before you're boiling the fridge dry and screwing it up?

What's everyone do?

[Pahaska]

I don't worry about it. In my experience, a few minutes off level isn't damaging. I do try to either park reasonably level or else turn it off when making longer stops such as meal stops, For short durations such as a pretty view, a potty stop, hitching, or unhitching, I simply don't worry about it. In about 15 years with 3 different trailers, I have never had a cooling problem.

I don't know how old your unit is because you have not filled out your profile, but refrigerators made in about the last 20 years aren't terribly sensitive to levelling. Dometic says that if you are comfortable living in the trailer, it is levelled well enough that no damage will be done. A Norcold rep claimed some time ago that you could park with one wheel up on the curb and not harm their units.

[jcanavera]

I'm somewhat of the old school so if we stop for lunch (say more than 15 minutes) I will shut the fridge down. Normally the lunch stop is also time for a fuel stop so the shut down serves a dual purpose.

For an overnight I try to get the trailer level without unhitching. If I can't get it fairly level I will unhitch if necessary. Normally the side to side level is easy to adjust for when you stay hitched for an overnight.

Jack