Add vent to reduce 2-way fridge energy use?

ckjs

There are many reports of the Norcold 740 fridge in a CS using 500-something watt-hours per day. The CS kitchen area is well sealed off from the outside, so all the heat pumped out of the refrigerator is trapped underneath the clamshell — which can get really hot from the sun on its exterior. I think the poor fridge is spinning its wheels heating up the kitchen. How about an exhaust vent to reduce its energy consumption?
   I’m thinking of adding an opening and a small fan to at least circulate the kitchen airspace with the interior of the cabin. The outside sidewall is right there, but cutting a hole in the side is a scary mod.  
Has anyone added ventilation so that the waste heat of a two-way fridge has somewhere to go? 

Sharon_is_SAM

Someone else had issues with the heat from the CS Norcold.  The TaGs have a chest-style Norcold installed and there is a vent in the floor under the frig.  We have a factory installed ARB in our CSS galley and we had them place the same vent in our galley floor.  So far, no problems. 

Verna

@Bill_in_Tulsa has a Silver Shadow teardrop with the galley in the rear like your CS/CSS. He put an extra vent on the outside wall to help ventilate the heat. He covered the hole with a “cowbell”. Hopefully he will chime in when he has time during his travels. 

gregndeb

I added  cold air intakes and ducted the hot air out.  So far it is working well.
https://tabforum.nucamprv.com/#/discussion/9920/mod-for-better-fridge-cooling-in-clamshell-t-bs

BDA123

ckjs - Did you ever end up doing the Mod to your TAB 400?

ckjs

@BDA123 : I haven’t done anything To my 320. @gregndeb’s mod looks darn nice.