How Long Will RV Fridge Stay Cold Without Power? Up To four hours. Here we show you how to keep your RV fridge cold while driving, You’ll learn how to keep your food cold, even if you don’t run the fridge while traveling.
Keeping your food cold can be as easy as moving some items around, pre-freezing items to help keep the temperature down, and simply not opening your fridge while the RV is in motion.
These ways to keep the fridge’s temperature in your RV cold while driving are simple and efficient.
How Long Will RV Fridge Stay Cold Without Power?
Without any power at all, four hours, maybe a little bit more if you move the refrigerated items to the freezer.
Related: Best RV Battery Tender
How Do I Keep My RV Fridge Cold While Traveling?
- Fill open space with frozen beverages or ice packs.
- Crank the temperature down the night before or a few hours before departure.
- Do not open the fridge when it isn’t running.
- Use/ Get a Generator
- Pack Your Fridge Properly And Fill Open Space With Cold Items
Since it is not recommended to keep your fridge running while driving, we have a few helpful tips and tricks to help keep your food cold while driving.
Knowing how to pack your fridge correctly will be an essential step in keeping your refrigerator items cold while driving.
The refrigerators found in RVs are usually Norcold or Dometic which have a few small differences in their controls and adjustments, but they remain similar. You should know that RV refrigerators are not like household refrigerators.
More on: How Do I Keep My RV Fridge Cold While Traveling
Should You Leave Your RV Fridge On All The Time?
It is not necessary to leave your RV fridge on all the time.
This will not extend its life. However, before going on a camping trip, you must turn on your RV refrigerator within 24 hours. This will allow your refrigerator to cool down in time for your trip.
Still, if the refrigerator is not being turned off and on repeatedly, it will run more efficiently.

Some people claim that it will extend the life of your RV refrigerator if you let it run, even when you are not using it.
But, this does not include leaving your RV fridge on during the off-season.
Related: Connect Grill To Camper Propane
How Long Will A 20 lb Propane Tank Run A Refrigerator?
11 days! If you’re using a standard 20-lb propane tank, you can expect it to last around eleven days before needing to replace or refill it.
Propane is a clean, portable source of fuel for many RV refrigerator models.
And if you’re boondocking, or have no electrical hookups, it might be your only source of power. So it’s important to plan your propane consumption accordingly.
Related: Best Ice Makers for RV Countertops
How Long Will a 12-volt Battery Run a RV Refrigerator? 35 to 50 hours before it's completely drained.
Wrapping Up
How Long Will RV Fridge Stay Cold Without Power? When you go RV camping, you are able to enjoy some of the luxuries of home
Traditional tent camping requires you to bring a cooler to store your food; in an RV, you often can leave your food in an actual fridge!
Now you are finally ready to get on the road and head off to a nature retreat (but without having to rough it!) Relax, unwind, and grab a cold can of soda while you watch TV or sing songs with the family in your new home away from home.