Dometic Fridge not working...again

[COboondocker]

We had problems with our dometic fridge and the pilot getting blown out while driving. Our dealer fixed it under warranty (it's still only 8 months old and has never worked properly.) It wasn't cooling properly and they fixed that as well saying there was some insulation in the wrong place. We took it out camping for the first time since the fix and it didn't work. Running on LP, haven't checked 110 since the repair. After one day the fridge was 68 degrees inside. It was in the 20's overnight and highs in the low 50's. The dealer told us not to run the fridge on the coldest setting because it would freeze up and stop working. We tried the 1st (warmest) and 2nd setting to no avail. We were PERFECTLY level just to make sure that wouldn't be an issue. Is this normal? Do we have a lemon? Should I be taking a brand new fridge back the dealer for a 4th time in 8 months or ask for a replacement?

[j-d]

It should be doing FAR better than what you're reporting. Have you had an RV fridge before? Compared to residential fridges, they take much longer to cool initially, take much longer to recover from warm food being put in them or the door left open while you figure out where something is, and don't freeze anywhere near as hard.

BUT, it should still be doing FAR better...

Are you able to look at how it's installed? In from the back vent on the side of your coach? Is the fridge in a slide? Or does it have a roof vent?

Installation is VERY critical!!! Our friend Chris Bryant is an RV tech and has a website with lots of information HERE! Take a look at Installation and Troubleshooting. It'll at least arm you with some understanding.

As I said, installation is critical. Insulation, baffling, and clearances all matter. If the fridge is in a slide, special attention is required. If air flow upward over its coils is restricted or there's too much back clearance it'll have trouble cooling. Same if a baffle above is required and missing. Again, in the slide is a special case.