Newbie first trip this weekend

[VaBuckeye]

Hi everyone! We purchased our first RV last week, a Class C 2006 Dutchmen Kodiak with the Duramax/Alison drive train. We are going on our first weekend trip starting today. After reading posts on the site about what to expect and to bring, I am really excited. Now, we aren't going anywhere crazy, just 45 minutes from home tonight, which is 2 minutes from where I work, and if everything goes smoothly, we are moving campsites to the lake, which is an hour from home and staying until sunday. I look forward to using our new home on wheels as much as possible!!

[VaBuckeye]

I did notice when I took the pieces apart yesterday, that fitting was kind of "stuck" and I had to work it a little bit before it started moving freely.

Thanks guys!

[woody0331]

I second the pol mechanism. Didn't know what they're called but I've had them go for me too. They are designed to shut when they get a big rush of propane. After a while they won't reset or want to close no matter how slow you pressurize your lines. Propane shops or even ace carry replacements.

[VaBuckeye]

The what mechanism?

Never mind, google is a wonderful thing.

[westend]

T fittings don't get blocked. Your issue was probably a bad mating between container valve and regulator fitting. That, or the POL mechanism is closing from opening too fast.

[VaBuckeye]

Ok, I know everyone is dying to hear an update to the issues.... 😉 I replaced the board for the fridge and tested it. I no longer get the "A" error code.

I also replaced the LP 2-stage regulator with no success in finding the LP pressure issue. However, I did notice that the T fitting wasn't allowing gas to flow to an accessory either, and that fitting was prior to the regulator. I decided to take the fittings apart again and blow compressed air into the T fitting to ensure air was passing through properly. Everything checked out so I reassembled the fittings and tried everything again, and presto, all LP appliances started working with proper pressure. No flame fades, everything staying lit for several minutes with all appliances on at the same time. For kicks and grins, I tried everything again this morning and they still worked. I plan on getting an extra T fitting to keep on the rig just in case I have this issue again. I am also keeping the regulator I took off for the same purpose.

Has anyone had this happen to them, where a T fitting was stuck or the gas pressure just started working again?

[VaBuckeye]

SkiingSixPack wrote:

VaBuckeye wrote:

I also found out my onboard coach batteries are bad, so those are getting replaced today.

From personal experience, the coach batteries need to be working in order for the fridge to operate properly, on either battery, electric, OR propane...

I'm sure that was part of the issue too. we will find out come Wednesday when everything is replaced.

[SkiingSixPack]

VaBuckeye wrote:

I also found out my onboard coach batteries are bad, so those are getting replaced today.

From personal experience, the coach batteries need to be working in order for the fridge to operate properly, on either battery, electric, OR propane...

[VaBuckeye]

SO, after some more searching, I got brave and looked under the black cover on the back of the fridge, the one covering the board. The board is fried. Nice black burn mark around one of the diodes. a replacement is coming tomorrow, I hope. We think we did it when we first hooked it up to a lower service than what it should have been when we were trying to find what worked and what didn't. lesson learned!

As far as the LP situation, i
m still at a loss. the lines will build pressure after sitting for several hours, but will only let the fridge run for an hour before fading again. I am going to see if amerigas will do a LP systems check on the rig this week.

I also found out my onboard coach batteries are bad, so those are getting replaced today.

Other than that, the trip went well, we thoroughly enjoyed our weekend and are already planning on a second trip to the same locations this weekend, hopefully with all of the bugs worked out.

[VaBuckeye]

I found the main breakers but none say fridge on it. The manual states that some appliances may have their own breaker at their locations, but I didn't see one.

The fridge gives an error code when there is no AC power available or the lp didn't light, that's how we know something isn't working right. Though I woke up this morning after leaving the fridge on AC all night, even though it was throwing an error code up and I found that the freezer is frozen and the fridge is cold cold. So, i'm not sure what is going on since the 12v power to it is only supposed to maintain the cold level during transport so I wouldn't think that is what cooled it down over night. I'm going to try and find a tech today to look at it, I hope.

I'm also going to have to find a lp tech because I couldn't bleed the lp lines through the stove or anywhere else for that matter. I think the regulator is frozen. good thing there's an Amerigas service station 5 miles away.

It has been a good trip so far, just a few things that need to be fixed. We are certainly glad that we decided to go close to home/work the first night to try and get the bugs worked out, what a great suggestion this site had!

[Mote]

When you plug in the fridge you won't hear anything "kick on" like you do your fridge in your house. These work differently. It takes ours a few hours to cool down. You can open the access panel on the outside and you should feel the tubes getting warm if it's working. Then in a hour or so you should be able to feel in the fins on the inside of fridge getting cool.
Since these things take a while to cool down we always plug the camper in a couple days before a trip.

[BulldawgFan]

check the breaker

[Sillybugs2]

Try turning on the burners for a few to fill the lines then try again on lp. No idea why shore power isn't working.

[DrTanTodd]

Have a great time and a safe trip!

[VaBuckeye]

So, guess we can't get through one night without issues, haha. Our fridge works fine on battery but won't on shore power. Tried using the lp setting and it lights the first try but then the flame fades. To see if I had an lp issue I lit the water heater lp side and it lit just fine the first time. So I tried the fridge again and it still wouldn't work. I tried unplugging the fridge and ran an extension cord to a known working plug and it still wouldn't kick on. Any suggestions?