Fridge Basics: Best Performance & Troubleshooting
Fridges are one of the biggest “comfort items” in your Mars caravan — and also one of the most sensitive to setup: ventilation, load, ambient temperature, battery health, and how you pack it.
This guide focuses on the most common real-world issues: “not cold enough”, “battery draining fast”, and “fridge won’t turn on”.
Best performance habits (these fix most issues)
- Pre-cool the fridge at home before you leave (big difference).
- Keep airflow inside: don’t pack it wall-to-wall.
- Minimise door openings in hot weather.
- Use shade where possible (especially if fridge side faces sun).
- Don’t put hot food straight in.
Why it’s not cold enough (common causes)
- Hot ambient temps + constant door opening
- Overpacked fridge blocking internal airflow
- Power supply issues (low battery voltage under load)
- Ventilation restricted around fridge area
Battery draining fast with the fridge
- In hot weather, fridges work harder and draw more power.
- Solar shade or short drives can mean you’re using more than you’re charging.
- Set-point too low can increase run-time dramatically.
Tip: If battery % drops rapidly overnight, review your charging (solar/240V/vehicle) and overall loads.
Fridge won’t turn on (fast checks)
- Confirm 12V system is ON and battery is not extremely low.
- Check fridge fuse/circuit (if labelled).
- Try turning it OFF then ON again.
- If on 240V at a park, confirm your 240V system is working (RCD/breakers).
What to include in a support ticket
- Model + year
- Fridge brand/model (photo of label if possible)
- Symptoms (not cold enough / won’t power on / error code)
- Battery monitor photo (voltage/% while fridge running)
- Photos of control panel error codes (if displayed)