Refrigerator Operation at High Altitudes

Steve/ · 10-10-2017, 11:48 AM

I stand corrected. I just went out and measured the current draw on my RB195 trailer. This is the second time I have been surprise by the Dometic DM2652 refrigerator. The first is it was not design to work above 5500 ft on gas, they tell you to run on 120VAC above that.
The second is the current draw with the unit not running is it draws 1.2 Amp when it is running on gas it is 1.4 amp.
I am just going to say Keystone made a bad chose using this Dometic refrigerator in a trailer that they sell in Denver when we have so many camp site with no power.

To the OP that ask if 2 battery will run a refrigerator for a week, it will not if it a Dometic like mine.

**JRTJH** · 10-10-2017, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve/

...I am just going to say Keystone made a bad chose using this Dometic refrigerator in a trailer that they sell in Denver when we have so many camp site with no power...

Do you have any recommendations on an alternative to Dometic?

B-O-B'03 · 10-10-2017, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Do you have any recommendations on an alternative to Dometic?

I have run my Atwood He above 9,000 feet, on gas, no problems... too bad they don't make them or repair parts anymore

I guess the trailer will become trade in fodder, if/when the fridge quits.

-Brian

**chuckster57** · 10-10-2017, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve/

I stand corrected. I just went out and measured the current draw on my RB195 trailer. This is the second time I have been surprise by the Dometic DM2652 refrigerator. The first is it was not design to work above 5500 ft on gas, they tell you to run on 120VAC above that.>
The second is the current draw with the unit not running is it draws 1.2 Amp when it is running on gas it is 1.4 amp.
I am just going to say Keystone made a bad chose using this Dometic refrigerator in a trailer that they sell in Denver when we have so many camp site with no power.

To the OP that ask if 2 battery will run a refrigerator for a week, it will not if it a Dometic like mine.

Can you provide the link that states that. I just read the entire owners manual and couldn’t find it.

mfifield01 · 10-11-2017, 09:19 AM

I had no problems at Teal Campground (8300ft) last month. We camped at Moraine park (8160ft) a few years ago and I don't remember any issues.

B-O-B'03 · 10-11-2017, 02:09 PM

We have camped at Junction Creek (7,300+), outside of Durango and at Collegiate Peaks (9,800), outside of Buena Vista no fridge or other problems.

Stove, WH, furnace (much needed), Weber Q... all worked fine as I recall.

-Brian

**chuckster57** · 10-11-2017, 02:51 PM

Working on a 2017 Forest River Sunseeker. Dometic refer and the Manual is Revision A, no mention of high altitude changes or advisories

**JRTJH** · 10-11-2017, 03:16 PM

While I never say never..... I truly believed that the absorption refrigerator altitude problems "went away" with the introduction of DSI and the elimination of the dual height burner flame (standing pilot).... That said, operation of any absorption refrigerator in cold temperatures will cause the flame not to heat the "refrigerant" and if the flame can't evaporate it (temp too cold for the flame to get it hot) then the absorption refrigerator won't cool. That's the problem many people have "wintering in cold areas"....

I haven't heard of any "altitude problems" in several years (10+) until this thread. And, I haven't seen that statement (use electric heater at altitudes greater than 5500') in any owner's manual since about 2005. I was surprised to see that it was in a manual from a 2017 Passport.....

Steve/ · 10-11-2017, 03:40 PM

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

Javi · 10-11-2017, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve/

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

If you normally operate above 5500 then a permanent solution is to reduce the orifice 2 sizes ..
Example... if currently 58 drop to 55 and adjust air flow to correct flame.

Javi

madmaxmutt · 10-11-2017, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve/

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.

Steve/ · 10-11-2017, 07:09 PM

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.

**JRTJH** · 10-11-2017, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve/

...
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"....

Javi · 10-12-2017, 03:51 AM

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..

Javi · 10-12-2017, 04:06 AM

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..

mfifield01 · 10-12-2017, 06:05 AM

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.

Steve/ · 10-12-2017, 07:47 AM

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.

**JRTJH** · 10-12-2017, 07:54 AM

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.

Desert185 · 10-12-2017, 09:13 AM

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.

Steve/ · 10-12-2017, 01:26 PM

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.

You may also like: