Forum Discussion

mikemc53's avatar
mikemc53
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2022

12V Fridge Issues

OK, new Class C (Gulf Stream) with 12V Dometic fridge. I have had the unit plugged into shore power, at my home, for a couple of months and have been using the fridge to keep some small things in (overflow from house fridge). Everything was fine until today (very hot day) when I went out just to check things, early evening, and the fridge was strangely quiet. You can normally hear the compressor running and now it wasn't. Thought maybe it had just reached temp and had cycled off but when I opened it things were not cold. It appeared to have stopped cooling, probably 3-4 hours prior. Checked the fuse and it is good. The light works and the controls work - I'm able to change settings, etc. - but when I clicked it to a cooler temp it seemed to engage something, but no compressor noise. Hope this is something I can look into because there are no dealers anywhere near me. Maybe some kind of reset? The manual has almost no information so I am hoping someone here might have some experience with this type of thing.

Thanks gang.
  • mikemc53's avatar
    mikemc53
    Explorer II
    Aug 08, 2022
    Well, I think I have figured this out and a good part of the issue stems from the fact that I...am an idiot.


    I got to start digging into this, later in the day, and wanted to check things as close as possible before actually removing the fridge to look at the guts of it. I checked the voltage at the fuse block, and it was extremely low (abt 10.5V). This fridge requires a minimum of 10.5V so any fluctuation at all would shut down the compressor. I went out to check the batteries and that is when I noticed that the GFCI that I am plugged into was tripped. Have no idea how long it was tripped, or why, because that particular outlet has never tripped in all the years I've been here. Any way the batteries, were quite low so I needed to charge them. Funny thing is I never noticed the lack of shore power because I hadn't used any 120V appliances and my lights inside worked, albeit a bit dimly, so I never considered that possibility. Also, I am impatient, and not super efficient, so I just jumped into analyzing the fridge itself.


    Anyway, once the batteries were charged up the fridge ran like a champ so...


    One more funny thing: Even with low batteries my generator started up and that surprised me but, hey, I'll take it. Now I will troubleshoot the outlet on the house but that is a different matter. I am just glad that I don't have a bad fridge in a new unit since I am heading out to camp with the family in about 2 weeks.


    Later gang.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Aug 07, 2022
    I am on my second 12 volt chest freezer/Fridge. the first one lasted about 16 years then failed (Compressor cycled on/off/on/off/on/off almost as fast as I type and I type fast. So I got a replacement.. (Liked the original better but the 2nd one is good) It's kind of a spare/backup/ transport unit only a couple cubic feet. Right now it's got Perogries. Turkery Burgers.. 6 pounds of IQF Blueberries (it froze them the think is set to -4° F) And a bunch of "Ice blocks" I toss in my thermal bag before I go shopping for cold food. Works great.
    I still like the other one better (All freezer) no "Refrigerator" compartment)

    Oh both of 'em could be adjusted to "Refrigerator only" if needed.

    The moral of this post: Like most everything made by man.. Failures happen.
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    Aug 07, 2022
    This should be resolved under warranty. Call Gulf Stream or Dometic to get directions on how to proceed.
    Local dealer or a mobile technician is the most likely solution.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Aug 07, 2022
    Without an adequate solar system and battery bank when not plugged into 120 volt power, running a 12 volt fridge isn’t fun.
  • fj12ryder's avatar
    fj12ryder
    Explorer III
    Aug 07, 2022
    It seems as the 12V fridges become more popular, I've been reading about more problems with them. They were supposed to be the absolute solution to refrigeration issues with RV's. Now it would appear that they also have their issues.

    Just a thought, but can you kill the 12V power to the fridge, let it sit a bit and then reconnect? Maybe a reboot will help.
  • enblethen's avatar
    enblethen
    Nomad
    Aug 07, 2022
    It could have a relay. Control operates it because the control cannot handle the load. Bad contacts would be the problem in this case.
    Didn't see much for wiring diagram for 12 refers.
    Have you looked in the back for a fuse inside the unit?
  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    Aug 07, 2022
    12v don,t no anything ,except if your batteries are dead it won,t work. some thing to check, maybe a fuse.

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