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Extra vent for fridge, or?

lkc001lkc001 Member Posts: 875
in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Hello all--I have been in the tab every day after work measuring for storage solution ideas. . . you know how it goes!  I'm curious as to what the round vent in the floor underneath the fridge is--it's inside the small narrow drop-down door under the fridge.  I'm guessing it's some kind of a vent and is it critical to keep that open?  I have a 2017 Tab 320S and my fridge has the outside vents plus the factory installed cooling fan with a button switch on the fridge panel.   I was hoping to make some kind of a slide out tray or something for that little cubby area, as I will NOT be getting down on my knee to scrounge in there every time I need something!   :)  Answers & solutions for that little cubby are welcome
2018 Tab 400
2016 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 Crew Cab
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Comments

  • ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,562
    edited March 2019
    I'm assuming you have the older style 3-way fridge with the two round vents in the front and the one vent on the side.
    Those fridges have cooling fins to the left of the box, behind the tall narrow plastic panel on the front of the lower cabinets. That floor vent facilitate convective air flow up over the fins, up though the cavity above the fridge, and out the vent on the side. In hot weather, a thermostatically activated fan mounted below the fins facilitates this air movement. The manually switched fan you mention was a later addition that was more about mitigating hot countertops and getting excess heat out of the cabin.
    You can use that space under the fridge, just make sure air is still able to flow through that vent and get up to the cooling fins above.
    2015 T@B S

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  • lkc001lkc001 Member Posts: 875
    @ScottG--you are correct on the style of fridge I have-- Thank you so much for the thorough explanation!  I understand it better now--I'm going to get down on the floor tonight and look at that area--so I understand how that airflow comes in through that vent & over to the cooling fins---I wasn't going to completely block off that vent, but wanted to make a pull out drawer, which also will not sit directly on top of the vent
    2018 Tab 400
    2016 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 Crew Cab
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  • lkc001lkc001 Member Posts: 875
    OK--I just got off the phone with my service tech & he indicated that the vent in the floor under the fridge has more to do with the combustion cycle of the fridge than cooling?  Surely there is not an open flame directly above that storage in that cubby area?
    2018 Tab 400
    2016 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 Crew Cab
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  • ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,562
    edited March 2019
    You are correct--I'm pretty sure the flame is in a metal box-thingy at the back of the unit. That's why it's such a pain to get to. Regardless, the area is all pretty open back there so theoretically convection between the lower and side vents would also provide air to the combustion chamber. However...
    I do believe the combustion chamber is sealed and receives its air through an intake that attaches to the vents on the front of the camper. While I'm not absolutely certain of these points, I'm suspicious that your service tech is all wet...
    2015 T@B S

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  • lkc001lkc001 Member Posts: 875
    edited October 2019
    @ScottG-- from my limited knowledge of these RV fridges, I too thought that the combustion happened in a sealed metal container.. . at least on my popup with the smaller fridge I know as fact that it is in a sealed metal box.    I should for the record correct myself when I said the "service tech"--because I meant I talked to the OWNER/salesman of the RV dealership, and while I found him accommodating and was upfront & honest during the purchasing process and I did not have to play "the game" with him---I was more impressed with his service tech that did the walk-through with me the day I picked-up the unit.   He actually DID know how the Alde system works!  I need to post my positive experience with this dealer somewhere here so that anyone living in Colorado would know the experience I had with this dealer.  Thanks again Scott
    2018 Tab 400
    2016 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 Crew Cab
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  • ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,562
    edited March 2019
    You are welcome!
    A quick look at the Norcold Service Literature seems to confirm my understanding of the combustion intake location and the need for air flow over the side fins.
    2015 T@B S

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  • jgram2jgram2 Member Posts: 1,522
    @lkc001Also please send an email to mskidmore@nucamprv.com to mention the good service you received-nüCamp does want feedback, whether good or bad, re our experiences with dealers. Thanks.
    John, Judi, Guinness & OD in PDX
    T@Bit@t 2015 S Max Outback, ‘18 V6 4Runner 


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  • lkc001lkc001 Member Posts: 875
    @jgram2-- i will do that & also put up a new post here on this site with my experience
    2018 Tab 400
    2016 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4 Crew Cab
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