Refrigerator Problem

[chuckster57]

There is a specific test for the RM1350, it involves bypassing the thermistor and using another one hanging out the back.

[billstuart]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Bill Stuart,

Changing to a residential refrigerator brings a whole new "set of issues" to camping in an RV. Essentially that change "limits" you to campgrounds with electric utilities or to packing a generator for most "dry camping" situations. For some people, it's not an issue but for many, it simply won't work.

As for your dealership not being able to diagnose your problem, have you contacted Dometic Customer Service? They have a technical service department that should be able to provide you with solutions for your refrigerator problems. Believe it or not, the dealership is not the "only place in town" that services Dometic products and in many situations, depending on the training of their "Dometic technician", they may be the "worst place in town" to get your problems addressed and repaired....

I'd urge you, before trading your RV for one with a residential refrigerator, talk to Dometic, see if they can direct you to someone who can get your refrigerator "up and running" so you won't need to spend the money on a new fifth wheel.

I tried calling Dometic once and they told me that temps in the 40's were to be expected when humidity was high, which it was that day. I call BS. It worked fine for the first 2 years or so even in high ambient temps & humidity. Right now it's 66 deg.F outside, 74 inside and 45 in the fridge. I'll try calling Dometic once more. We don't dry camp, so I think a residential fridge would work well for us.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by billstuart

I tried calling Dometic once and they told me that temps in the 40's were to be expected when humidity was high, which it was that day. I call BS. It worked fine for the first 2 years or so even in high ambient temps & humidity. Right now it's 66 deg.F outside, 74 inside and 45 in the fridge. I'll try calling Dometic once more. We don't dry camp, so I think a residential fridge would work well for us.

I agree with you. Refrigerator temps in the 40's is not acceptable. It's been my experience that even on the "hottest days" the refrigerator temperature should be in the mid 30's. I can't remember ever having a Dometic refrigerator that wouldn't keep the temp below 35 or so. Something's wrong with your system. Now, whether or not Dometic will fix it ???? At 2 years of age, it's a matter of warranty or how much you're willing to spend on repairs. Good Luck !!!

[billstuart]

Dometic warranties the fridge for 3 years. Ours is about 3 1/2 years old, so probably SOL as far as Dometic covering repair. We do have a service contract, though, that should cover it - if we can find a repair service that will
acknowledge that there is a problem and has the know how to fix it.

[billstuart]

I want to share with you how I fixed our fridge. It's easy and best of all, free! I hope it works for you, too.

The "flap" attached to the left door always appeared to be moving into its closed position when we closed the door. What I discovered in our case was that it was not.

Two days ago with the left door closed and the right door open, I pulled on the flap and bingo - it move outward a half inch or so. Since making sure that the flap is fully in its closed position, our fridge has returned to the set temp of 34 deg.F and stayed there. In Tucson.

This may or may not be your fridge's problem, but it's worth a try. Hope this helps!

Won't be a problem for us at all in a week or so. We'll be taking delivery of a new Lifestyle 39 FB with a residential fridge. Here's a link to a YouTube video if you'd like to check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6vVnWcDawY

Happy trails,

[B-O-B'03]

Originally Posted by billstuart

...
Won't be a problem for us at all in a week or so. We'll be taking delivery of a new Lifestyle 39 FB with a residential fridge. Here's a link to a YouTube video if you'd like to check it out.

Happy trails,

Wow, very nice, much better than any of the several apartments I lived in, congratulations!

-Brian

[larry337]

Thanks for the update, I'll check that out. And congrats! That's one way to fox a problem!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[crowderd]

I am having much the same problem. The refrigerator warms up to as high as 45, it will cool on its own. Goes down to as low as 36, but then the next day warms again. We have had no food spoilage and the freezer is not a problem, but it is frustrating to watch it go up and down in temperature.

[tom37]

Our refrigerator is seventeen months old and having similar problems as others are having. We had a Dometic Tech. come to the Campground and run the test required by Dometic. He determined the cooling unit wasn't cooling properly and Dometic agreed to send a new cooling unit and allow 3.5 hours service charge. It still cost me six hundred dollars because 3.5 hours wasn't enough time for the repair.
I was aware that I was required to pay for the service call. I also have Good Sam's extended service plan but since it is under Dometic's Warranty they refuse to pay what it cost me.

[Pull Toy]

While you're waiting for the dealer...

1. Does it cool/stay cold on Gas, and does it switch back to 110 when plugged in?

2. Have you checked the 110v outlet for voltage?

I had a problem with a malfunctioning GFI. The Breaker wouldn't throw, but the GFI would take out the Fridge, Kitchen Counter, and Bathroom outlets. without tripping all of the way. Try the test button, and a reset. You should hear a definite clicking noise. I wound up replacing the GFI, and have had no problem since.

Good Luck!

[Jca3]

These fridges are terrible. We had an 02 Jayco that I could fill with food right before we took off and it was fine for 9 years. Never a day of trouble. On the Laredo we had a lot of trouble year one. It whomped when starting on gas very scary sound. Cut out completely on a month long trip and ruined a fridge full of food. Took it back to the dealer several times and they cleaned lines. They said some insulation was in one.
Still not a good fridge. I don't know why they can make a freezer work fine and not the rest. We make sure to start it days before or if we need it sooner we will put a bag of ice in and fill it with food. It works better as an ice chest.

Plus we take it back to the dealer in the spring and get them to do a thorough cleaning.

We can't go with an all electric fridge because we dry camp a lot out here in the West.

[GaryWT]

I have never checked the inside temp but I do set it cooler when it is hot out and sunny as the direct sun on the trailer will cause the temp to rise. Do you run it on gas while traveling to maintain the temp. Have you tried to leave it on gas for the weekend to determine if it is an electric issue or not.

[bobbecky]

After losing two cooling units on our 12 cu ft Norcold last year, the first one due to crystals clogging the orifice, the second one to a leak, I installed an ARP protective device when the second cooling unit was replaced. This device does not replace the recall device that was installed in this fridge, but adds a higher level of protection to the unit by keeping the operating temperature of the cooling unit to a safe level, which avoids the crystal development and also the higher pressure within the cooling unit's plumbing which can contribute to a leak. This device will not fix a problem that already exists, but I can definitely say our fridge is working better than new, and that is probably just luck. There are quite a few different problems that can cause cooling issues with these units, and all brands have a very good diagnostic procedure to follow to find the problem. To save time and spoiled food, it is best to get a qualified tech to trouble shoot the unit. One thing to remember is, look very carefully at the rear of the fridge to make sure there are no yellow deposits which would indicate a leak. If there are signs of a leak, turn the fridge off, both gas and electric, as ammonia is very toxic and flammable, and a fridge fire will take out the entire rig.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by billstuart

I want to share with you how I fixed our fridge. It's easy and best of all, free! I hope it works for you, too.

The "flap" attached to the left door always appeared to be moving into its closed position when we closed the door. What I discovered in our case was that it was not.

Two days ago with the left door closed and the right door open, I pulled on the flap and bingo - it move outward a half inch or so. Since making sure that the flap is fully in its closed position, our fridge has returned to the set temp of 34 deg.F and stayed there. In Tucson.

This may or may not be your fridge's problem, but it's worth a try. Hope this helps!

Won't be a problem for us at all in a week or so. We'll be taking delivery of a new Lifestyle 39 FB with a residential fridge. Here's a link to a YouTube video if you'd like to check it out.

Happy trails,

I think this was the root cause of our Dometic crystallizing the refrigerant. I should have caught it sooner and the tech that did our PDI durn sure should have.
With the right door open, get down there on your hands and knees and open and close the left door. Be sure that the flap enters the "guide" on the bottom shelf. Mine was hitting the shelf and not entering the guide. I just thought I was closing the fridge door! I got some "half moon" cir-clips for a .250" shaft and added them to the hinge pin to raise the door. There is likely a better way to adjust the door height though.

[JAbraham03]

We have similar issues with ours. Stays on 34 when on electric but add food and it will go as high as 53 and stay there and not go down. Turn it to propane and it seems to go back down and then electric can hold it. This has happened twice and is frustrating. Have an appointment in 3 weeks to have it looked at. The fans arent running non stop on electric when its temp goes up so the thing something is wrong. will let everyone know what they find. If anything.

[Campntwins]

Originally Posted by bobbecky

After losing two cooling units on our 12 cu ft Norcold last year, the first one due to crystals clogging the orifice, the second one to a leak, I installed an ARP protective device when the second cooling unit was replaced. This device does not replace the recall device that was installed in this fridge, but adds a higher level of protection to the unit by keeping the operating temperature of the cooling unit to a safe level, which avoids the crystal development and also the higher pressure within the cooling unit's plumbing which can contribute to a leak. This device will not fix a problem that already exists, but I can definitely say our fridge is working better than new, and that is probably just luck. There are quite a few different problems that can cause cooling issues with these units, and all brands have a very good diagnostic procedure to follow to find the problem. To save time and spoiled food, it is best to get a qualified tech to trouble shoot the unit. One thing to remember is, look very carefully at the rear of the fridge to make sure there are no yellow deposits which would indicate a leak. If there are signs of a leak, turn the fridge off, both gas and electric, as ammonia is very toxic and flammable, and a fridge fire will take out the entire rig.

Ordered ARP and two fans a couple of days ago. We refer to our Dometic frig as the Beast. If we don't touch it, it is happy. As our luck would have it, the frig would seem to work fine the two times we had it at the dealership to be checked out. Interesting though, by chance after the two trips to the dealership, I found the drip hose closed off with a wax plug with an attached placard to remove before use. I didn't check that and neither did the dealership.

[Larryplbg]

Originally Posted by bobbecky

After losing two cooling units on our 12 cu ft Norcold last year, the first one due to crystals clogging the orifice, the second one to a leak, I installed an ARP protective device when the second cooling unit was replaced. This device does not replace the recall device that was installed in this fridge, but adds a higher level of protection to the unit by keeping the operating temperature of the cooling unit to a safe level, which avoids the crystal development and also the higher pressure within the cooling unit's plumbing which can contribute to a leak. This device will not fix a problem that already exists, but I can definitely say our fridge is working better than new, and that is probably just luck. There are quite a few different problems that can cause cooling issues with these units, and all brands have a very good diagnostic procedure to follow to find the problem. To save time and spoiled food, it is best to get a qualified tech to trouble shoot the unit. One thing to remember is, look very carefully at the rear of the fridge to make sure there are no yellow deposits which would indicate a leak. If there are signs of a leak, turn the fridge off, both gas and electric, as ammonia is very toxic and flammable, and a fridge fire will take out the entire rig.

Our freezer operation is pathetic. Frig is okish. Appreciate the help

[Elvis]

when running refrigerator with propane how long will it take it to get cold?

[Jca3]

Originally Posted by Elvis

when running refrigerator with propane how long will it take it to get cold?

The freezer works immediately. We have to start the fridge days prior to using. We also put a bowl of ice in there to help cool.