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RV Tips #001: Level Your Rig or Lose Your Beer

Updated: May 28


Category: RV Tips

Vibe: Funny, useful, affiliate-possible

Location: Washing, by the Puget Sound


Here’s the thing most people don’t realize until it’s too late:


If your RV isn’t level, your fridge might stop working — permanently.


And not just in a meh, maybe way.

I mean hot mayonnaise and warm beer at sunset kind of way.


🧊 Here’s What Happened


Me and a friend found this dream campsite up in the Pacific Northwest — somewhere off the Puget Sound. Nobody around. Ocean-meets-lake vibes. Whale sightings. Beach clams. Like something out of a cinematic indie film.


There was one site with a slight downhill tilt, but it had a perfect view of the water through the trees — like it was designed to be watched from the front seat of a camper with a cold drink.


So naturally… we parked there. For four days.


By day two: Fridge = dead.

Beer = warm.

Food = done for.


I pulled out my multi-meter (the tool you use to see if the Refrigerator is actually getting power), because if it IS NOT getting power - than that means the fridge is probably not the problem, something else is (like blown breaker, out of propane, low battery, etc).


🧠 The Science (sort of)


Absorption fridges (like the propane/electric ones in most RVs) need to be level to let the coolant circulate. If you’re off-kilter for too long, the refrigerant can get “stuck” in the coils, and the whole system stops working — even after you re-level. Which is why you should buy a pair of leveling blocks first thing when you buy a camper - most spots won't be perfectly level.


Some folks say turning the fridge upside down for 24 hours can push the bubble through and reset it. I read that online when I got back home and wanted to see whats up with the fridge before spending $2k on a new 3 way (propane, battery, plug in 120) fridge.


Did I try it?

Sort of.


🧰 My Actual Fix


I took the fridge out (which, by the way, SUCKS — thanks RV manufacturers for installing furniture around a permanent appliance).


To get the fridge out I had to do more calculations that I was prepared for and decide if taking apart and moving furniture and cabinents was worth it.


There were:

  • Dinette seats and cushions in the way

  • Cabinet doors fighting me and being threatened by the fridge to scatch TF out of them.

  • Zero room to tilt it like the Internet said there would be


But I eventually got it out, by going straight out, a little over to the right, and then flipping it upside down on a step (the only room I had), and proceeded to get above it on the bed, and gave it a few solid smacks to the base.


Boom — it started humming again after I plugged it in.

Swear on Kala.


🪜 Bonus Scene


Just for your FYI, since this was a cabover camper (they almost put the kitchen in the bathroom in those things), I had to crawl up into the bed, climb around the step holding the fridge,, and smack that fridge like I was disciplining a misbehaving VHS player from 1998. Because there was absolutely not enough room to set it down on the ground without it scratching, hitting, breaking something.. The step was there, so I balanced it on it, carefully.


You haven’t lived until you’ve yelled at a fridge from a footstool.


🧠 Takeaway


Always level your RV.

Not just so you don’t roll out of bed — but to protect the literal brain of your cold food system.


Use leveling blocks.

Use a bubble app.

Use your eyeballs.

Just do it.


🛠 Helpful Tools I Use (Affiliate Stuff That Actually Helps)

(Yes, these are affiliate links. No, I won’t recommend garbage.)



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💬 Got your own “I almost lost all my food” story?

Drop it here — we’ll feature it in the next RV Tips fail-log.




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