We just picked up our 2016 30' Airstream Serenity with 8 cu ft Dometic Gas/AC fridge.The coach is parked outside our home while I am doing the test of the new fridge operation.Here is the scenario:-Outside temp is around 100 degrees daytime, down to 85 or so at night.-Temp in the parked trailer (all windows open) is around 100 degrees daytime, 85 night tme.-Fridge is empty-Cooling setting is on HIGH (Coldest)Empty fridge has been running on GAS, on HIGH, for 24 hours. Freezer temp is 16 degrees. Seems good to me! Fridge temp is 45 degrees in mid morning. Not so great.So, early afternoon I switched over to running it on AC. Now, freezer temp is still 16 degrees, but fridge is at 52 degrees. (During the afternoon, the dropping sun has been beating on the fridge side of the trailer.)The fridge side of the trailer is facing west, with hot western sun hitting that side of the coach all afternoon.Obviously, we are not occupying the trailer. It is parked beside the house. And the heat of the environment and temps inside the trailer cannot be helping the fridge do its job at all. And the fact that the fridge is empty... may be a factor as well?Considering all this, does it sound like our fridge is doing its job as best as can be expected, or should it be cooling the refrigerator section a LOT better than it is?Freezer performance looks great. Fridge performance is really causing us some concern, but we're not sure how much the environmental factors are influencing the performance.What should/can I do to improve the cooling of the fridge. Would just filling the fridge with pre-cooled stuff and running the AC in the coach to lower the inside temps in the coach make all the difference to bring the fridge temp down to mid 30's?

An empty fridge is very hard to measure, I would put a couple of gallons of water in it, at least , and put a thermometer in a glass of water to see what it is actually doing. That said, 16 is not good in the freezer, either, it should be zero, and the fresh food should be in the 30's.BTW, very nice rig!

OP, you need to decrease the width of your picture to 600.Normally I'd recommend that you replace the roof vent with a solar powered one BUT not on one that looks that nice. You need to increase the airflow over the coils on the rear. On my 31' there is too big a gap between the coils and the inside wall BUT I'm not in an area that HOT so mine works OK. If there is more than a 1" gap to the wall, a baffle needs to be added Plus 12V computer fans need to be added at the top and bottom to increase the air flow. You could power it with something like this mounted on your roof behind the vent and out of site.The freezer sections needs to be close to 0 before the refer section will get cold enough.I would find the Dometic installation instructions which will have info on how big a gap and if it's more than that, I'd make Airstream install your refer properly. I think you will find a big gap at the bottom, getting a little better at the top of the coils.

Pretty hot temps where you are. I would add a 12v fan to your fridge vent stack. RV dealers sell them or just use a 12v muffin fan in the stack. Cooling the inside of the TT down would help some. I've camped in the CA & AZ desert for a lot of years. It is a problem. Years ago dry camping in the summer desert with my TC I had to add 2 stack fans. Check out the 12v computer muffin fans.

You need to draw the heat out better from the vent stack. Add a fan. Type "fridge fan" into the search box and you'll see a bunch of posts on how/what to do. Nice rig!

As a Tech for an A/S dealer, I will bet the rear cooling fan is inop. A/S has Dometic add the rear 12 volt fan in their installs due to the way the roof curves and the fact of the aluminum sidewalls. To test, just open the rear outside door and install a 120 volt small fan blowing upwards for 24 hours. Then measure the temp again. You should also HEAR that fan if it is running. One of the biggest complaints we get from A/S owners is the sound of that fan running. They do not understand why they hear a fan. Doug

Please help me get new fridge cooling better...

DHart
Explorer
Aug 13, 2015
dougrainer wrote:
I made a mistake on your refer model number. The Model number MUST have an F in the model number for a Dometic installed fan. You do NOT have that fan(not really needed). On your model, the refer is NOT installed all the way to the sidewall. Due to the curved wall the bottom of the refer is about 10 inches IN from the outer door and that means the curve of the A/S roof is NOT a factor in removing convection air. The odds are, you have a bad cooling unit. I confused your model with the A/S models that have two side vent doors and no roof vent. Those models have the fan. Doug

Doug... thanks for that additional info. Two days ago the dealer service person said he would look into this and call me right back. Still waiting to hear what he has learned.
dougrainer
Nomad
Aug 13, 2015
I made a mistake on your refer model number. The Model number MUST have an F in the model number for a Dometic installed fan. You do NOT have that fan(not really needed). On your model, the refer is NOT installed all the way to the sidewall. Due to the curved wall the bottom of the refer is about 10 inches IN from the outer door and that means the curve of the A/S roof is NOT a factor in removing convection air. The odds are, you have a bad cooling unit. I confused your model with the A/S models that have two side vent doors and no roof vent. Those models have the fan. Doug
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Aug 11, 2015
THE "SMART" FIX.....

NO, NOT SPOKANE. THE FACILITY
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 11, 2015
DHart wrote:
I put a small 120v fan in the mechanical compartment of the fridge pointing upward. After about a day, this doesn't seem to have made any significant difference. Freezer still around 14* and fridge around 44*.

I have a call in to local Airstream service. They are discussing with their tech to determine next step.

If there IS a fan higher up in the flue (where I can't see) would it be easy to HEAR if it was on?

See if there is a 12V DC line coming off of the DC Terminal Block with an in-line fuse holder (3A fuse)
That is what would be used to power thermalfuse controlled fan IF fan was installed as it should have been.
DHart
Explorer
Aug 11, 2015
I put a small 120v fan in the mechanical compartment of the fridge pointing upward. After about a day, this doesn't seem to have made any significant difference. Freezer still around 14* and fridge around 44*.

I have a call in to local Airstream service. They are discussing with their tech to determine next step.

If there IS a fan higher up in the flue (where I can't see) would it be easy to HEAR if it was on?
downtheroad
Explorer
Aug 11, 2015
To the original poster DHart
What happened? Did you resolve the issue?
dougrainer
Nomad
Aug 11, 2015
lawrosa wrote:
DHart wrote:
There is a drain tube with a perforated plug in the end of it. If water was in the tube, it would drain out of the perforations.

It would when the trap fills. The trap should be always filled with water.

While it is BEST to loop the drain tube I have found that 99% of OEM installs NEVER make the loop or P trap. AND, that has never caused an operational problem even here in Texas with 100 degree heat right now. The plastic plug end is enough to keep hot air from migrating up. The temps the OP has has NOTHING to do with
1. Drain Tube
2. Thermister placement
3. 4 hours is not correct. BOTH Norcold and Dometic will state 24 hours to check for correct cooling.
4. The reason I asked him to use a bottom fan was to help the Service Center diagnosis the problem. IF the extra fan allowed correct cooling, then the Dometic installed fan system is not working.
5. You make the assumption(wrong) that only slide out or side door upper and lower vent doors require an extra/optional fan. It all depends on the Model of the Refer and the install of the refer. In an A/S, the roof vent is NOT directly above the bottom like on a non curved roof, and the Convection air needs extra help to push the hot air out the top. Doug
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 11, 2015
Dometic Drain hose plug

Which has NOTHING to do with freezer temps only being 16*F

Lack of proper DRAFT

YES OPs fridge should have an external fan.....due to the curved design of Air Stream (Model LBX is FAN)

3A In-line fuse from 12V DC terminal block in outside compartment feeds the thermalfuse (on condenser fin) for fan (above absorber tubes)
lawrosa
Explorer
Aug 11, 2015
OPs Fridge comes with an external fan (LBX

Are you sure??? Those units that have the fan have no roof vent and have two doors on side of RV for fridge ...AFAIK....
lawrosa
Explorer
Aug 11, 2015
Dometic has been using that drain tube plug for decades.
Norcold uses a drip tray that drain tube sits in

I have the same fridge. He has the tray. Its a dometic...

Condensate goes in tray from the fins and exits a tube. If no water in the trap hot air enters the fridge compartment and it stays warm.