Just joined this sight. Great reading. Anyone had trouble with their fridge running on gas and smelling very fumey inside? Have cleaned the exhaust pipes, had a gas fitter check the burner and igniter..all good flame burning ok, no gas leaks. Not a gas smell, but ends up stinging eyes. Frustrating.... Help!!!
I don't know much about caravan fridges, but could there some kind of broken seal, crack, etc within the body of the fridge? This would explain the smell coming from the pilot light behind the fridge.
Can you get a gas detector from somewhere and place it in the fridge and close it, to see if there is a leak. If all this is negative, it might be you have a really sensitive sense of smell.
There should be no access for fumes from the rear of the fridge into the van.
The rear of the fridge should be sealed off, the fridge should sit in its own compartment, also all fumes from the gas heating should escape thru the vent on the right hand side of the top vent there is usually behind this top vent a small angled pipe to direct heat and fumes this can get out of place.
If it is an ammonia smell you have a leak in the cooling system and can only be repaired by replacement of the cooling system.
I think your fridge probably needs checking by a fridge technician that is conversant with absorption fridges rather than a gas fitter.
When these fridges are new you will get a burnt paint smell for a short period till the dust and paint gets burnt away.