Loaded the fridge up last Tuesday, running on 110V. Left the house last Thursday, fridge and freezer was full. Everything in the freezer was frozen, everything in the fridge was cold. No "fail" light. Turned on the gas for the drive down to the campground. Got to the campground late Thursday afternoon and plugged in to 110V. By Friday morning the fridge was at 40F. Switched to gas - no improvement. Thought it might be the heat - figured it would cool off over night. Saturday mornng - 45F and went down hill from there.Got home last night and plugged everything back in. Still no fail light. Just touched the coils in the back (outside) of the fridge a few minutes ago. They are probably around 95F (guessing by touch). So the electric heater is working. Do not see any yellow stains on the back or funny smells that I have heard about in the past. The fridge is as old as the camper. Could it be dead?It is a Dometic RM3663 with a Dinosaur board Micro P-711. (Dinosaur board was installed two years ago)

The "Fail" light only comes on in the event your 12V is low or you run out of propane or it fails to light for any reason. It won't detect a problem with the cooling unit.It sounds like your cooling unit is blocked so sadly, yes, it's probably time for a new CU or fridge.

Our Dometic (original equipment in '02) died just before we went on a trip down the Oregon Coast in May. I found the powdered sulfur round the bottom of the flue, so it was obviously a dead cooling unit.Discussion with our local repair shop provided the details that replacing the cooling unit would cost a lot more in labor charges (about 10% less than replacing the fridge) and we'd still have 11-year old everything else.We replaced the fridge and got one with an adjustable temperature control for only $50 more. The old unit was a Swedish-made Dometic with the "we know how cold your food needs to be" system.We discovered what a pain it is to be buying ice every day and having to park a 32' Class A in grocery store parking lots. I think we visited just about every Fred Meyer store between Astoria and Brookings!

ScottG wrote:The "Fail" light only comes on in the event your 12V is low or you run out of propane or it fails to light for any reason. It won't detect a problem with the cooling unit.It sounds like your cooling unit is blocked so sadly, yes, it's probably time for a new CU or fridge.Ug!and I did verify I have 13.4 volts right now and 116.7 VAC so it definately is not a power issue.I am going to start researching the 12V compressor units. Unless someone can make a suggestion as to something else to check....???

I have the same unit. It quit three weeks ago. I had the yellow leaking mess in back. For $680 I got a new cooling unit from rvcoolingunit.com. It shipped right away and I put it in myself. So far I am happy with everything. The website has videos so you can see what is involved.

Check for loose wiring. Vibration going down the highway can do it to you. Ours failed once because a wire came loose after a 270 mile trip. It was not working and I was pushing on the wires at the terminal strip when one just slipped out from under the screw. Replaced it and tightened all the screws and it fired back up. The coils can get pretty hot.

Did my fridge die? - UPDATE it fixed itself! | Good Sam Community

15 Replies

h2guy
Explorer
Jul 03, 2013
Our trlr came with a Dometic New Dimensions when we bought it in 2001. Had no fans.

10 1/2 yrs throughout the SW with LOTS of heat but it functioned flawlessly. Eventually, the tubing, at a weld point, failed, and it had to be replaced. Same model but came with twin muffin cooling fans up near the top.

Not saying fans can't help, just our experience.
portscanner
Explorer
Jul 03, 2013
Executive wrote:
Before you go too far, do this...your temps on the cooling unit are too high so it sounds like the fans on top of the cooling unit are not working.....remove the exterior door, take a regular 120V AC fan and bungee cord it with the fan blowing on the coils. Plug it in and see if there's an improvement in an hour or so...if there is, then you can either travel with the fan or replace the muffin fans on top of the cooling unit....do the simple stuff first....Dennis

I have no fans. Although, maybe I need to install some. Good point. I will run your test this weekend.

I will post what I discover.
Executive45
Explorer III
Jul 03, 2013
Before you go too far, do this...your temps on the cooling unit are too high so it sounds like the fans on top of the cooling unit are not working.....remove the exterior door, take a regular 120V AC fan and bungee cord it with the fan blowing on the coils. Plug it in and see if there's an improvement in an hour or so...if there is, then you can either travel with the fan or replace the muffin fans on top of the cooling unit....do the simple stuff first....Dennis
Highway_4x4
Explorer
Jul 02, 2013
The fridge has to work. Only working on AC or when it wants is not acceptable. the cost of having an RV. Replace it.
Wind_River
Explorer
Jul 02, 2013
An RV refrige does not have a compressor unit.
portscanner
Explorer
Jul 02, 2013
ok - now I am confused. It has now started cooling. I have touched nothing (as I have not had the time to try to work on it) except for opening and closing the door (inside) to see what the temp is and opening and closing the outside (lower) vent to visually inspect the bottom of the coils.

I did just check the temperature of the coils on the back/outside and they are 130F. A lot hotter than what is was this morning.

Cant do it today, but on Thursday I am going to check every single electrical connection in the back.
ScottG
Nomad
Jul 02, 2013
When you run it out of level the different components of the refridgerant boil off and the tubes are blocked with a solid material. It certainly won't hurt to turn it upside down and try again though. On rare occasions this has helped.
pasusan
Explorer
Jul 02, 2013
portscanner wrote:
I remember reading somewhere that someone took their refrigerator and turned it upside down, then turned it back upright, re-installed it and that fixed it. Any truth in that?
Well - you sure could try it. It does work if the problem is one in which a burp is necessary... Which is blocked cooling unit - usually from running the fridge off level.
portscanner
Explorer
Jul 02, 2013
I remember reading somewhere that someone took their refrigerator and turned it upside down, then turned it back upright, re-installed it and that fixed it. Any truth in that?
jason4598
Explorer
Jul 02, 2013
You could check that the thermistor is at the top of the right fin. Also I think the dino board has a temp adjustment also. I have a dino board too, since it and the cooling unit are new there is not much left to go wrong with my 11 year old fridge.