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Old 10-11-2017, 04:32 PM   #21
madmaxmutt
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve/ View Post
http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums...1&d=1507764827

I do not know what to say, My operating Instructions are revision A also and Page 5 "C." has Operating Refrigerator at High Altitude
I read the same thing in my Dometic paperwork (2018 Outback). I have only been able to use this fridge on LP for a few hours of driving, thus far. I hope as JRTJH said, this problem has gone away and the document just hasn't been updated.
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Old 10-11-2017, 07:09 PM   #22
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I may be causing undo concern about the Refrigerator. This is a new trailer to us. On our second camping trip we went to Twin lake near Leadville Co (9200 Ft). The Refrigerator was not lighting and the check light came on. Pulling out the manual I see the 5500 ft limit. Then 2 weeks later I see the post about the trailer cannot run the Refrigerator on gas for a week with two battery. I check mine and see it pulling over 1 amp on 12 volts when the gas is not even running. I post the Refrigerator is junk and here we are.

I called Dometic ( I was talking to someone with in 5 min, thought that was a good sign) asking if they had a high altitude kit and was told no. I ask what I should do, he said I could go to a shop here (Denver) and they could re-jet it but it would void the warranty and be a pain to change back when I went to lower altitude. He also said the Refrigerator was only warranty to operator up to 5500 ft. After doing a web search it looks like most people are not having problem running the Refrigerator at higher altitude then 5500 ft. It looks like some/few are starting to have problem around 7500 ft.

I still do not understand why the Refrigerator draw over an amp when all it is doing is looking to see if it need to turn on the gas.

I still have problem that Keystone is using a Refrigerator that is only warranty to work below 5500 Ft on gas. It seen with their buying power they could have the 5500ft change to 7500 ft.
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Old 10-11-2017, 08:06 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve/ View Post
...
I still do not understand why the Refrigerator draw over an amp when all it is doing is looking to see if it need to turn on the gas.

I still have problem that Keystone is using a Refrigerator that is only warranty to work below 5500 Ft on gas. It seen with their buying power they could have the 5500ft change to 7500 ft.
If you read the owner's manual and locate a schematic for the refrigerator, you'll find a "door heater circuit" installed in line with the interior light circuit that prevents condensation on the refrigerator cabinet at the door gasket. That circuit is "always on" in the DM2652/2852 models and there is a switch to turn it off (located under the eyebrow panel) on the DM2662/2862 (upgraded models). The additional amperage draw is that "door heater circuit" which can be disabled with a modification. You can find the "how to" by doing a search on the forum. A couple of members have posted extensive instructions complete with pictures on their modification.

As for Keystone using a refrigerator that only works under 5500 feet, by your own admission, you really don't know if you have a problem or not, and honestly, with the number of Dometic refrigerators being installed by ALL the trailer manufacturers (not just Keystone), they aren't going to change the manufacturing process to accommodate the "less than 5% "who camp above 5500 feet by jetting refrigerators so they will operate above 7500' at the expense of causing problems for the other 95% who never camp over 1000' elevation. It's "cater to the masses". With the half million RV's sold this past year, that's "cater to the 95%" (475,000) and "work with" the 25,000, a small percentage (maybe 2% which is 500 people) of who might have a problem. Dometic isn't going to re-jet all their models to operate above 7500' and have problems with all those "sea level campers"....
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Old 10-12-2017, 03:51 AM   #24
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It's about fuel/air mixture... and yes he technology is available to make a gas burner orifice that will work at both sea level and altitude but a computer controlled fuel volume modulation and air injection would be just a little cost prohibitive for most RV owners..

When we moved up to Denver from Central Texas back in the early 70's we took our propane cook stove with us and in order to make it burn properly at our new residence up on the Hogback in Little Deer Creek Canyon we had to change the orifice and adjust the air damper to regulate the air/fuel mixture.. That's life in the fast lane...

I will say that if I still lived above 5,000 feet and did most or all my camping above that... I'd re-jet all my propane fueled appliances to accommodated the altitude.. It really ain't a big deal.. But I design gas fireplaces and grills for a living...

Added note... As for properly jetting the burner to operate at your altitude, voiding a warranty on said device.. I'd make them put that in WRITING... bet they won't do it..
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Old 10-12-2017, 04:06 AM   #25
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As far as the fellow trying to run the fridge and assorted parasitic devices in a modern RV on two 105ah 12V batteries, and expecting to get a week out of it... that right there is just flat an exercise in futility.

It is certainly possible to build a reasonable battery bank to accomplish his desired task, especially if you include a solar charger or small gen-set backup.... but that weren't it..
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Old 10-12-2017, 06:05 AM   #26
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I put an inline switch to cut the door heater on mine. I was able to get the total RV draw down to .5 amps. I just flip the switch when I'm boondocking.
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Old 10-12-2017, 07:47 AM   #27
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Thanks all for the information on the door heater, I will be checking it out to control it.
If i can get the fridge ( the gas solenoid when on is only drawing another .2 amp) and assorted parasitic down to .5 amps that only 84 amp for a week and if you say the gas solenoid is on 24/7 (which it is not) that bring it up to 118 for a week . I can easily handle that.
This is a great place.
Javi thanks for the information on re-jetting.
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Old 10-12-2017, 07:54 AM   #28
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Disconnecting the door heater circuit will help significantly, but I assure you, that with two 6 volt batteries, LED light conversion and very limited electrical use, we can't dry camp for 2 weeks without recharging no matter how "stingy" we are with electrical use. Just between the parasitic drains, the water pump and a few lights at night, getting much more than 3 or 4 days of 'dry camping" before needing to recharge the batteries is about all you can expect, and if you use the furnace, cut that in half or even shorter. In storage, with the battery cutoff switch turned off, you "might" get 10-14 days before the battery is dead. That's just the way these things are wired and operate. Trying to get 2 weeks on a couple of batteries without some significant solar/generator "interventions" just isn't reasonable on a "dual battery system"....

Your Passport is significantly smaller than our Cougar, you don't have slides to deploy (more battery requirement) and you've got less space to heat, but even with that reduction in space/size, it's going to be a stretch to get more than 3,4 or 5 days of "dry camping" on a single charge with a dual battery setup unless you plan to spend some "significant bucks" on either a relatively large solar system or a generator.
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Old 10-12-2017, 09:13 AM   #29
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That’s why I like two, 2000W gens. For boondocking, run one as necessary to top off the batteries and run othe AC appliances. Quiet and not burning a lot of gas. Need air cond? Run two. Where we boondock there is no restriction on generators.

Solar or gen is a way of life when boondocking.
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Old 10-12-2017, 01:26 PM   #30
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OK I disconnected the door header and here are some number. Before the mod with fridge on 1.65 amp, With fridge off 0.215 amp, With door heater disconnected(parasitic drains), Fridge on 0.475 amp. This is on a RB195 (24 ft ) 2017 Dometic DM 2652 fridge.

JRTJH I know what you are talking about. I had a A-Frame before this and when camping we could get 2 night per group 27 battery, ran the heater some. I am getting only one night per group 24 battery now. If I do not charge. I was on the edge keeping up with the power needs, With the door warmer off I know I will be good.
Now if I had a 200 amp battery bank and a 40 watt solar panel (and yes a 100 watt would be better, but he had the 40 watt ) and the trailer was in storage I would think it would run for a week without battery going dead with the door heater off.

Again, Thanks for the door heater information, that is 1 amp 24 hours a day and that is a huge help to my power planning.
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Old 10-13-2017, 05:35 AM   #31
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I have a 2015 Springdale, for the first and second season I had my trailer running continuously for a year in Silverthorne CO @rughly 8000'and had no problem with the gas operation of my refrigerator. This was on and off shore power, however I always used gas for the refrigerator because of irregularities in power supply. Also when off shore power I have two solar panels with a 4 battery base.

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