I have a 2004 Weekend Warrior toy hauler with Dometic fridge that tooka dump last week. I opened up the back access panel and found refigerant (bright green color and smells of amonia) had leaked out. The leak looked like it originated inside the burner area so I removed the cover pulled back the insulation and found everything inside to be pretty rusted out.Question is whether this is repairable or am I goign to need a whole new fridge. WHat am I looking at $$? This sucks because I was getting ready to sell the thing this spring to upgrade to something bigger.

Cheapest is a new cooling unit.It maybe possible to find a replacement working fridge at an RV salvage yard.Depends on model for price. Cooling unit about $700 new about $1200+Used about $250

Upgrade to residential. Cheaper and a better refrigerator.

enblethen wrote:Cheapest is a new cooling unit.It maybe possible to find a replacement working fridge at an RV salvage yard.Depends on model for price. Cooling unit about $700 new about $1200+Used about $250Thanks I found the following site that sells refurbished cooling units. http://rvcoolingunit.com/Default.aspxMy only question is does the refer have to be removed to replace the cooling unit or can this be accomplished through the outside access door?

Dog Folks wrote:Upgrade to residential. Cheaper and a better refrigerator.How do you run a residential unit off of propane?

Going to a residential means adding and inverter and probably upgrading your entire battery system. I have helped friends replace cooling units, it cannot be done through the access. You will need to pull the fridge from its mounting (not all that difficult.) Then you need to remove the cooling unit, the cooling unit is the entire back of the unit from the freezer on down.

Dometic took a dump - leaking refrigerant | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

enblethen
Nomad
Oct 24, 2013
The refers had problems with the installation of the refer. It added a thermal cut out and a piece of metal shielding to contain heat. Fire was the main issue.
Dometic recall
N-Trouble
Explorer
Oct 24, 2013
C Schomer wrote:
I think it was 97 - 03 domestics that had the recall. I had one and put in a rebuilt unit. You probably got one of the last faulty units. Craig

Any details on the recall?
C_Schomer
Explorer
Oct 22, 2013
I think it was 97 - 03 domestics that had the recall. I had one and put in a rebuilt unit. You probably got one of the last faulty units. Craig
John_Wayne
Explorer II
Oct 22, 2013
Just got through going through this I replaced with the Amish unit. the refrigerator does need to come out. I replaced mine in the RV just laid it on the floor. took me two days with some clean up work in the refrigerator area once the frig. was,out. working by myself.
mlts22
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2013
I'd just replace the cooling unit with the "Amish" one and call it done.

I just wish Truma would start selling their propane fuel cell in the US. It doesn't do much, 250 watts max, but coupled to a decent battery, inverter, and compressor, it would replace absorption fridges completely.
time2roll
Nomad
Oct 21, 2013
Might be a selling point if you can get the warranty to transfer.
N-Trouble
Explorer
Oct 21, 2013
Well considering we boondock a lot a residential unit is out of the question. Our Dometic is the DM2652 which is listed at $525 to replace the cooling unit at the link I provided. It just sucks I'm going to be throwing a new cooling unit in this thing for the next owner...
JamesBr
Explorer
Oct 21, 2013
The costs alone are enough to say replace the cooling unit.
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2013
N-Trouble wrote:
Dog Folks wrote:
Upgrade to residential. Cheaper and a better refrigerator.

How do you run a residential unit off of propane?

Therein lies the issue. If you will always have power hookups, residential may work out just fine. Lots of big coaches are doing that now.

If you dry camp, another story, propane wins over batteries and inverter every time, by a HUGE margin. yes it can be done, but I defy you to run a residential fridge off a pair of batteries for even a week without recharging several times. But a weeks of propane for a fridge is a few gallons of propane at most and very minimal battery drain for the 12V control stuff.
Dog_Folks
Explorer
Oct 21, 2013
N-Trouble wrote:
Dog Folks wrote:
Upgrade to residential. Cheaper and a better refrigerator.

How do you run a residential unit off of propane?

You don't. If you a lot of boon docking, there are battery banks and inverters to keep them going. From what I read on the forums, they don't draw much electricity. Residential refrigerators are showing up in some motor homes as original equipment.

It seems the RV industry cannot build a safe, dependable absorption refrigerator.

If you camp like us, you always have electrical hook ups, nothing extra needed. Just shut it off, and not open it when traveling.