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jornvango's avatar
jornvango
Explorer II
Aug 11, 2022

Refrigerator is dead

We have a 2009 Casita trailer with original Dometic fridge. We're full-timers and typically boondock so the fridge uses propane and 12V. Today, out of nowhere, the fridge went dead. The "ON/OFF" button doesn't do a thing. I figure it may be time for a new fridge looking at the age, but, as these things usually break in the worst possible location, I'd like to see if I can get it going again as we're currently in the middle-of-nowhere Alaska for the summer and are not going back to the lower 48 until the end of September and there's no RV repair shop in hundreds of miles here.

Anyone have any troubleshooting steps I can try? I already checked the 15AMP fuse and it's good (that would have been too easy a fix!).

Thanks!
  • You checked the fuse. There are probably more than one fuse, one on the board and one in your 12 volt panel. Which did you test and were you testing for continuity of the fuse or 12 volts at the output of the fuse?
  • Check that 12v is making it to the back of the fridge. I once had an issue with power not making it from the fuse to the fridge. I just ran temporary wires until I was able to fix it.
  • I would start with attempting to jump the "ON/OFF" button.
  • So does that mean you are not getting a flame on the burner? No spark ignitor or anything?

    Could be the main control board... But, seeing where you are, you aren't gonna get one from Amazon anytime soon I'd think?

    No idea on your trailer or model of Dometic fridge and what they came with, but does it have a 120v option?

    You would need a generator to test that, so if you don't have one or 120v nearby to at least test it, no real idea...

    Good luck! Mitch

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