Refrigerator problems.......??

Topic: Refrigerator problems.......?? (Read 1408 times) previous topic - next topic

Refrigerator problems.......??

March 16, 2012, 08:27:34 pm

My 96 U295 caught fire and burned 2-11....I just bought a 99 U320.

Been stored for about 1 1/2 years. Needs some TLC.

Inverter....just blinks 'fault'?? I don't dry camp but I'm getting it fixed monday.
Slight air leak....fixed monday?

Refrigerator comes on, ac or gas, but no cooling....diagnosed as a bad cooling unit.
Need to replace it.

What are your opinions on installing a rebuilt unit??

Quote for new.....$2300 (approx) + tax, installed.
Quote for used....$1100 (approx) + tax, installed.

Some items I prefer rebuilt to new....starters/ alts...etc

All input appreciated.

BTW......I'm new here but not to Foretravel...!

Thanks already.....Ol'Ben

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #1 – March 16, 2012, 09:13:56 pm

I replaced the cooling unit on a 1997 Dometic recently for about $700. Other folk have had good results and good value by putting in residential refrigerators. Use the search words residential and cooling on this Forum to find more information information.

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #2 – March 16, 2012, 10:13:40 pm

In my previous 99 270 36 MOT replaced the cooling unit on my refrigerator. Got to keep the original and it worked great. Still working when I sold it. Replacement cooling units are a lot cheaper than complete replacment. DAN

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #3 – March 17, 2012, 02:42:29 am

Hey Dan......did you replace with a new unit or a rebuilt one?

Rebuilt unit is less than half the cost totally installed.

There's a rebuilder just west
of Little Rock that stays very busy. Must be doing something right...or... a lot of "repeat" biz, eh??

Right on my route to family in LR and further south.

I'd also like more info on a residential unit....we only use the reefer for drinking water from home and ice cream.......both are pure necessities for us old folks....Haw!

Thanks for the info/ input y'all.......Ol'Ben

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #4 – March 17, 2012, 08:14:20 am

Just some info on the repair shop west of little rock.
It is just off I40 between Conway and Morrilton.
I had a unit repaired by them some years ago and they did a very good job! At a reasonable rate.
I live in the Mayflower area now and will get the phone number and info for you if interested.

Barry & Donna

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #5 – March 17, 2012, 08:38:55 am

Thanks Barry and Donna......

I have the contact info......I just need to make up my mind, send them my fridge model # and get the rig to them this next week whilst I'm in the LR area.

He asks for 2 or 3 days to build one, then 1 to 2 days to install.

From the feedback I've gotten, I think I'm gonna give him the biz.....and try and save a few.

Now if only my inverter repair man is rated that highly??? ....especially 'after' the job!!!

Thanks again......I'm just getting started.

Peace...........Ol'Ben

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #6 – March 17, 2012, 08:45:35 am

Hey Ol'Ben
That Sounds Great! Let us know when you will be in town. We are just down the road. We still go the church in Plumberville.
Hope all works out well, let me know if I can be of any help.

Barry & Donna

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #7 – March 17, 2012, 10:04:15 am

....thanks.....did you use the rebuilder in Plumerville?....or the one in Morillton?? (I think)

geez......2 so close together!

...............Ol'Ben

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #8 – March 17, 2012, 10:22:45 am

Ben: The core unit was a new one with warranty. Good Luck with your replacement. DAN

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #9 – March 17, 2012, 05:24:03 pm

on the fridge topic I am just taking out my side by side Dometic (putting in the whirlpool one) and was wondering if anyone wants any of the parts, control board from above door or anything off the back system as I am going to throw it all. I am using one of the wood door panels to make a cabinet door out of for the pantry I will make for alongside this new fridge. The only thing wrong with it is the cooling unit.
John

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #10 – March 17, 2012, 05:39:17 pm

Ben
Guess we better start calling me OL-Barry. We did use the guy in Morrilton. Donna reminded me that he built a cooling room just because he was having trouble charging the system. The unit was a small unit in our horse trailer. He told us that the small units were harder to charge than the larger systems.
They did do a real good job and were pretty quick. I did pull and reinstall the unit.
It did seem that he had Cooling units in stock for most of the larger units.

Barry & Donna

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #11 – March 17, 2012, 06:12:35 pm

Ol'Ben Some 99's had a unique Dometic refrigerator that Foretravel no longer installs and maybe Dometic no longer makes. The refrigerator was absorption but the freezer was a compression unit. This is a fantastic combination, ice maker worked better and ice cream stayed hard AND you could freeze things from room temperature. Its easy to tell the difference (I have no idea about model numbers). The units with the compressor freezer have only one roof vent (chimney). If you have one of these cling to it with your life.

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #12 – March 17, 2012, 07:02:03 pm

My 1996 U320 refer is a Dometic RM7832.

The cooling unit started leaking on January 8th and I ordered a NEW cooling unit from RV Cooling Unit Warehouse for $950 plus $165 shipping to California (must ship truck freight). The folks at RVcoolingunit do not sell rebuilt units for the side by side double door refers because they claim they are not reliable. Apparently it is not possible to properly clean the inside. A FT owner from canada replaced his side by side cooling unit with a rebuilt and it lasted about one year, so he installed a new refer. I did the remove, rebuild, and install myself with help for the lifts. This was not the easy job that the literature indicates. I spent about 25 hours over three days. Installed and started the refer on January 20th. The rebuilt cooling unit stopped working on March 2nd (about 5 weeks) and RVcoolingunit promptly sent a new replacement cooling unit at no cost to me. This time RE & RE took only two days and it is still working today (4 days).

The Dometic RM7832 has a compressor for the ice maker in the freezer which runs when the ice maker is turned on. This compressor cools the coils surrounding the ice maker. I removed the ice maker but am using the compressor to keep the feezer icy cold when the sun is shining.

The replacement of the cooling unit in a double door refer is not an easy job and I would not buy a rebuilt unit, only a new one.

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #13 – March 18, 2012, 01:21:12 am

Compressor for the icemaker went out several years ago and was told it could not be repaired. Freezer still stays close to zero degrees, so cooling must still be coming from the adsorbtion side. I believe the compressor was mostly for faster ice making.

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #14 – March 18, 2012, 08:18:06 am

Like Wyatt, I replaced my 7030 side by side unit a year ago. Mine has not failed. It is also a new unit. BUT......like Wyatt says, it was not easy. If it does fails again, I'm junking it and going with the Whirlpool 9.6 home fridge.

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #15 – March 20, 2012, 12:26:23 am

Just took the side by side fridge out of the M Home thru the door. Boy was that heavy. Had a neighbour help and I think we both got a surprise. I had taken the doors and surrounding frame work off and only the screen door so that gave us a couple of inches spare but boy it was awkward. Now onto the remake of that area. I have designed a slide out unit with a matching door fastened to the front and it will have 6 shelves on it. Should work good. I have to put some framing between it and the new fridge to support the commercial slides I will use. I had to take out the top wood rail that was above old one as needed another inch clearance. Will take pics once I get going on it.
I have also made 2 LED light fixtures to replace those on the sides of bath vanity. They are plenty bright and hopefully are a neater design than those ald bulb units FT used and more efficient too. The LED coiled light strips that Pierce sent me are great and easy to make replacement units for ceiling lights.
John H

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #16 – March 23, 2012, 09:51:27 am

Ben Did you get your repair done yet?

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #17 – March 25, 2012, 08:45:39 pm

well the fridge is in and some replacement wood trim has been cut to fit around the body of fridge to make it look a bit neater. I then used black silicone to fill the minute gap at the joint of wood and metal body as it does not show due to the fridge being black. It also will help to stabilize the unit even though it is fastened down at the back with a couple of screws. I also placed a 1" piece of styrofoam to cover the lower vent opening as there is a lot of cool air coming thru it and the roof vent should suffice. If I find in the summer it needs a bit more air I can remove this foam, as it is held in place with a couple of brackets that allow the foam to be lifted and moved out of the way, but holds it nice and firm while driving. I did set the unit back inside the opening 3/4" so the doors are slightly below the front face of cabinet to give more room to bypass the fridge. It is plugged into the old ice maker outlet as that is wired to my DPDT switch and extra pure sine inverter I added a while ago so when living off solar this inverter uses less power (re Barries web modifications). I have left an 11" opening for a pantry with full slide out on the right side of fridge (mine was a side by side unit) and you can see in pictures what it looks like right now. I am having a door made to suit and match the others so my next job now is make the cabinet and slide unit. I will post pictures on that in a week or so.
excuse the messy look of fridge and cabinets as I have not cleaned up yet, and I still have to do the door lock, not sure on that just now, will think on it.

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #18 – March 29, 2012, 08:21:59 pm

Been on the road/ sorry for the delay...

Yes....I went to Shipshewana, IN and had the Amish builder install my unit.
$1350 installed...no extras!
Worked pretty good thru the last couple weeks on the road. It seems a bit more picky about being level than my old units.......+5 in the freezer?....almost +40 in the refer.

I had a couple of days it stayed at 0 and 35...(that's where I'd like it)
Maybe it will ''level'' out as it runs some more. I never turn it off, even when we ain't running!

Now to fine tune a few more items....gonna take it for a valve and injector tune this coming week(runs fine/ just making sure)

Happy running y'all........Ol'Ben
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Quote from: Modern Day Jipzees – March 23, 2012, 09:51:27 am

Ben Did you get your repair done yet?

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #19 – March 29, 2012, 08:42:57 pm

I have had my fill of fridges . My current coach is my first with a regular home type unit .Could not go back to other type . I have had my fill of the troubles that go with them , spent a bunch and still problems . Brad Metzger

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #20 – March 29, 2012, 08:48:37 pm

Have been reading posts about reefers not operating well a little off level and other assorted failures.

Here is the link to an excellent explanation of RV fridge failures: Why They Fail A good read for all RV owners.

We bought our U300 with a bad fridge but had a new one in our garage. I turn mine off even when stopped for lunch if I can't level the rig.

Pierce

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #21 – March 30, 2012, 11:27:57 am

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – March 29, 2012, 08:48:37 pm

Have been reading posts about reefers not operating well a little off level and other assorted failures.

Here is the link to an excellent explanation of RV fridge failures: Why They Fail A good read for all RV owners.

We bought our U300 with a bad fridge but had a new one in our garage. I turn mine off even when stopped for lunch if I can't level the rig.

Pierce

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Nice link and reading info!!

Now....someone give me a link to the 'home' style refers others are talking about and switching to please.(in case I have more problems!)

How large are they? ....thru the door or window?....are they both ac and gas?....will they operate well whilst unlevel?(to a point I'm sure)
Cost factor?
My horse is already out of the corral but....I'd like to put in a permanent 'gate'....eh?

Thanks.....Ol'Ben

Re: Refrigerator problems.......??

Reply #22 – March 30, 2012, 08:07:09 pm

Ol'Ben,

How they go in and out depends on your Foretravel model and the size of the fridge you want to install. John Haygarth just converted his so he would be a good source of information. I replaced my bad Dometic with a Norcold that happened to be the same width so after I took the hand rail off, it was only about a minute to get it in position and out the door. Two guys of course.

Expect to find only 120V models but they should be much less expensive so you would have to be plugged in or run off the inverter the rest of the time. Would think a couple/three panels on the roof would keep up with the demand if you dry camp but again, John and others would be first hand informed. Once you have the size, you could do research online for sizes that would fit along with the yearly cost to operate. Naturally, the lower the yearly $$ cost, the less demand on your batteries, inverter, panel size.

I have heard the household fridges will run at a lot more angle but ask members that have them. Must be a forum with that topic also.

Aside from the trim, the door(s) would need something that would both keep them closed and not look like the Joads made it.

Another plus is household fridges don't catch on fire like RV units sometimes do. No rust problems with the coils and a refrigerant that won't ignite.

Pierce

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