Dometic refrigerator

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by razahoryin

If you have not yet,
purchase a wireless refer/freezer temp gauge so you are not opening the doors frequently to check temp.

Ooh, I never realized such things were available! Thanks for the link!

I lucked into a fire sale on small Taylor 3509 glass thermometers ($1.50 ea, $5 ship from Zoro, but they're gone) and invested in a dozen for all the fridges and freezers on the Ranch, including our RV, so I can monitor that they are maintaining proper temps... but of course you have to open the doors.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Got it!! I was in law enforcement (prison) and no computers for 29 years. LOL

With 4 fans already, I don’t really see the need for more myself, haven’t seen any cooling issues in 100+ degree heat.

I mounted a 117V muffin fan to the outside of the vent on my power converter to draw more air through. The fan installed in the unit is puny. I used 117V as it was easy to wire from the converter and is a fan just like the one pictured. Most are DC fans but look identical.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by LHaven

Ooh, I never realized such things were available! Thanks for the link!

I lucked into a fire sale on small Taylor 3509 glass thermometers ($1.50 ea, $5 ship from Zoro, but they're gone) and invested in a dozen for all the fridges and freezers on the Ranch, including our RV, so I can monitor that they are maintaining proper temps... but of course you have to open the doors.

I've been use tat wireless fridge & freezer thermometer for years. Not only do you not have to open the door it records the min and max Temps as well.

[GeekSquadOfUn]

If this is any help, I've installed additional fans :

1- outside on the upper vent to pull hot air up and exhaust it out

2- inside on the top shelf, to improve air circulation inside the fridge.

Also installed a wireless Acurite thermometer that displays the real inside temp for both fridge and freezer.

It did make a difference. It is cooler.

See the attached pictures.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I've been use tat wireless fridge & freezer thermometer for years. Not only do you not have to open the door it records the min and max Temps as well.

I use one of these also, find it very helpful. I also move the receiver to the TV when traveling and I can monitor the temps while on long, hot drives. Yes, it actually transmits that far. As a matter of fact, I can monitor from the kitchen window out to the backyard while pre-cooling prior to a trip, and that's twice as far away. Well worth the money in my book.

[Newk]

Sorry for opening an old thread, but I’ve got some questions on this refer. I have same trailer as the OP. Spent 8 nights in it in over 90 temps with no issues. Kept it plugged in at home for 10 days between trips. 90+ days, didn’t seem to have issue the few times I was in it.
Now, we drag it 300 miles and it is struggling to keep up. Did something change or did I just luck out first few days.

Second question, where are these fans? Should I be able to see them? I don’t see any fans.

[EMTPRescue]

Do you have a Norcold or a Dometic. Our's is a Norcold 2118 four door.
The fans on that model are very visible. One can be seen with the lower rear access panel removed. I is just below the cooling fins. it points upwards and blows air up towards the top of the fridge cavity. The other two are visible when removing the top rear access cover. They are a a height that below the bottom of that top access area. They also blow upwards. All three are thermostatically controlled and turn on somewhere around 140F to create a positive pressure ventilation environment. As,I have put in this post I installed three more attached to the upper cooling fins. They are at a height where they blow directly out of that upper cavity through the vent cover. I thermostatically controlled those independently and set that stat at 25C or about 75F. The fridge on electric now pulls down as low as -17C and 1C respectively. But it still runs a lot to accomplish those temps.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by Newk

Sorry for opening an old thread, but I’ve got some questions on this refer. I have same trailer as the OP. Spent 8 nights in it in over 90 temps with no issues. Kept it plugged in at home for 10 days between trips. 90+ days, didn’t seem to have issue the few times I was in it.
Now, we drag it 300 miles and it is struggling to keep up. Did something change or did I just luck out first few days.

Second question, where are these fans? Should I be able to see them? I don’t see any fans.

Regarding the difference between then and now. Sometimes the heat of the sun baking the same side of the trailer as the refrigerator vents can hamper the ability to keep temps. Keeping that side of the trailer in the shade will help. Especially if your fridge is in a slide. Roof vented refrigerators have better ventilation.

[Newk]

Mine is dometic. Is roof vented. Good point on shade. At home it’s inside. Last trip when it was the hottest it was facing away from sun. This current spot is towards sun most of day, other than putting our canopy there, not much option for shade today. Also it’s not as full as it was last trip. Cold food stays cold longer than air.
Good news is we got it cooled down. I put a bowl of ice in it. Temp cooled down and ice isn’t melting very fast at all. We had a residential for the last few years. When we had RV fridge in our previous campers they were the smaller versions.

[Bill-2020]

We’ve used a canopy as well in certain times. Although this larger unit does better than the smaller one we had in a different camper. That camper had a gutter/rail at the roof line I could attach a small tarp to and tie the other end out at about a 45 degree angle shading that area of the side of the camper where the vents were. When I spoke to Dometic about our problems back then, I questioned if the 95 degree heat was just too much for it and the tech assured me they design and test to work up to 115 degrees. They also suggested the shade trick. Funny to tell me to shade it but they are designed to work in 115 degree heat. If I was a full timer, I’d have a residential unit if possible.

[chuckster57]

First thing I did was to add a fan at the bottom access, My refer works very good in all temps including keeping ice cream frozen in 100 degree heat. Mine is roof vented.

[JRTJH]

OP,

Have you done any "close tolerance checks" on the bottom of the left "closing flap" on the refrigerator door?

Typically, that flap doesn't close completley, it either hangs up on the paper sticker that's there or it hangs up on the rubber gasket on the other door. It's supposed to slide under the right door gasket, but often the door is about 1/8" too low and it hangs up.

The fix is to remove the left door, put a couple of washers on the lower pin and reinstall the door. I use nylon washers from Lowe's. They're white plastic and wear very well in that application.

[Bill-2020]

John, your post reminded me of the “dollar bill” test on the door gaskets.

[turbo]

Originally Posted by GeekSquadOfUn

If this is any help, I've installed additional fans :

1- outside on the upper vent to pull hot air up and exhaust it out

2- inside on the top shelf, to improve air circulation inside the fridge.

Also installed a wireless Acurite thermometer that displays the real inside temp for both fridge and freezer.

It did make a difference. It is cooler.

See the attached pictures.

Hi GeekSquad....looks like you have 2019 cougar 315rls as do I. Looking to do the same fridge mod. can you tell me
1) where you connected the wire to power the fans
2) what model of fans did you buy and where?
Thanks!
Tiurbo