Refrigerator; Operation; Start; Defrost And Cleaning - Airstream BAMBI 2023 Owner's Manual

Interior

Refrigerator

Your Bambi is equipped with a 12V refrigerator� Review
all refrigerator literature supplied in your owner's
packet or stored in the refrigerator prior to operating�

Operation

All units are supplied with a wide range thermostat
designed to sense the evaporator temperature� The
coldest position on the thermostat is reached by turning
the knob to the right (clockwise); conversely turning the
thermostat knob to the left (counterclockwise) yields
a warmer setting� To turn the refrigerator off, turn the
knob counterclockwise to the STOP/OFF position (in
some refrigerators this is reached by turning the knob
counterclockwise past the click)�
Start up
Turn the power on and set the thermostat between
3 and 4, or near the center� You can make further
adjustments to suit your personal requirements after
the box has cooled down� Allow the refrigerator
to come down to temperature before loading with
product� Adding pre-cooled product will help keep
the temperature stable when loading� Setting the
thermostat to a higher setting will not decrease the
time required for the unit to cool down to its normal
operating temperature�

Defrost and Cleaning

The frequency of defrost is dependent on the number
of door openings, the ambient temperature and the
humidity level� Typically, it is a good practice to defrost
once there is 1/8 to 1/4 inch of frost buildup on the
evaporator (cooling plate)� When defrosting, the unit
is shut off by turning the thermostat counterclockwise
to the STOP/OFF position (in some refrigerators this
is reached by turning the knob counterclockwise past
the click)� Prop the door open� We suggest placing a
towel in the bottom of the refrigerator to catch excess
moisture�
Now that the unit has been defrosted, the interior can
be cleaned with a non-abrasive cleaner� Do not use
"Brillo" or "SOS" type abrasive pads, as they will score
the surfaces� Baking soda is recommended�
CAUTION
Do not use mechanical means to remove frost,
such as pointed or sharp objects to accelerate
defrosting as this could result in puncturing the
refrigerant circuit.
5-16

Solar System

If equipped, the rooftop solar panels installed on
your Airstream help maintain battery health, reduce
operating expenses, and extend the battery life of the
batteries� The solar system's solar charge controller
gathers energy from the individual solar panels and
stores it in your batteries� The system features a
display (shown above) that allows you to view live
status information like solar watts and battery voltage�
To optimize solar charging, ensure the panels are
clean and not shaded by trees or structures that might
block the sun� Please refer to your owner's packet for
reference material that discusses the solar system and
its operation�
The charge controller is configured for a three-step
charging process:
1� Bulk - The controller delivers as much charge
current as possible to quickly recharge the
batteries�
2� Absorption - The controller switches to a constant
voltage mode�
3� Float - Voltage is applied to the batteries to
maintain them in a fully charged state�
Airstreams manufactured without the solar option have
been pre-wired to support solar panels� These units
will have a 3-port rooftop-mounted plug-in that allows
installing rooftop solar panels without running wires�
In addition, a quick plug-in port suitable for a portable
solar charging kit has been pre-wired at the front of the
unit, near the battery box;
page 8-23.
see Solar Panel Wiring on
2023 Bambi