Frig in TC ????

[lap527]

Asking questions about our frig in TC. Here is what has happened... we went on northeast trip to Maine and across to Niagara falls. Somewhere along the way frig started getting warm. After returning to Fl we took it in because it was only cooling off to 52 degrees. Domentic said it needed a fan, which it didn't have so they replaced frig and added a fan. This morning we left ST. Augustine and the frig was 34 and bounced around 35, 36, 37. We put sensor in frig so we wouldn't have to open door. Now it's on 42.9. What is normal? It appears to get warmer while on gas. There is no roof vent and it's vented on the side of camper and that was the reason for the purpose of fan to move the air. We also have one of those battery operated fans running in it also. If this normal fine, but if they are supposed to run cooler, then we still have a problem. Thanks again!

[mobeewan]

I don't remember seeing it in my Northwood manual.

[joeshmoe]

beemerphile1 wrote:
I'd love to see that in the manual. Northwood is the trailer so why would they give this info? Dometic and Norcold are the common refrigerator companies, I would believe their manual.

Not that it matters, it's in a Truck Camper. Haven't looked over the Norcold manual in detail, but I can't say I recall seeing the same language about not driving as it stated in the Northwood manual.

As it is, after researching it more (somewhere on the internets lol), I went ahead a fired it up on LP mode and drove around, even off-road. Not a single problem.

[Chris_Bryant]

beemerphile1 wrote:
I'd love to see that in the manual. Northwood is the trailer so why would they give this info?

That part was written by the lawyers- classic cya speak.
FWIW, these refrigerators were designed from the start to work with a flame (whether kerosene or LP gas), and the electric elements were an add on. The majority of the recalls are due to defects with the electric side of things- bad welds combined with concentrated heat from the element.

[beemerphile1]

I'd love to see that in the manual. Northwood is the trailer so why would they give this info? Dometic and Norcold are the common refrigerator companies, I would believe their manual.

[joeshmoe]

mobeewan wrote:

joeshmoe wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:


So that you can run it on LP while traveling.........no harm/no foul doing so.
MFGs even talk about it in the manuals......and they have a team a lawyers that approve what they publish.

Everything I've read and been told said NOT to drive while in LP mode.

1. The pilot will blow out.
2. The fridge must remain steady and level when powered on.

1. Misinformation. You "read it somewhere" on the internet. Please cite the manufacturer who states it will blow out. The "pilot" is really the burner flame and is shielded in an enclosed box. If it blows out there is a problem with air blowing into the enclosed burner box while the trailer is moving.

2. "The fridge must remain steady and level when powered on". This is during normal stationary operation and includes a plus or minus amount that it can be off level while stationary. Please cite the manufacturer who states it cannot be run while being towed.

1. I didn't read it "somewhere" on the internet.
2. I was told by the technicians who we're performing the PDI on my camper.
AND, it's stated in my Northwood manual.
3. And pardon me, but isn't rv.net "somewhere on the internet"?? Or does that not apply here? LoL

[mena661]

I ONLY run fridge in propane mode and I don't turn it off while driving either. I drive down dirt roads, up mountains/hills with no issues whatsoever.

[mobeewan]

joeshmoe wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:


So that you can run it on LP while traveling.........no harm/no foul doing so.
MFGs even talk about it in the manuals......and they have a team a lawyers that approve what they publish.

Everything I've read and been told said NOT to drive while in LP mode.

1. The pilot will blow out.
2. The fridge must remain steady and level when powered on.

1. Misinformation. You "read it somewhere" on the internet. Please cite the manufacturer who states it will blow out. The "pilot" is really the burner flame and is shielded in an enclosed box. If it blows out there is a problem with air blowing into the enclosed burner box while the trailer is moving.

2. "The fridge must remain steady and level when powered on". This is during normal stationary operation and includes a plus or minus amount that it can be off level while stationary. Please cite the manufacturer who states it cannot be run while being towed.

[Old-Biscuit]

beemerphile1 wrote:

joeshmoe wrote:

Everything I've read and been told said NOT to drive while in LP mode.

1. The pilot will blow out.
2. The fridge must remain steady and level when powered on.

Well, you've read and heard incorrectly. If the pilot blows out - fix what is wrong with it. The motion while rolling down the road is better than parking off level and causes no harm.

They are designed and built with the intention that they will operate while going down the road.

Exactly.....

The following is a quote from manual

"When the vehicle is moving, leveling is not critical as the rolling and pitching movement of the vehicle will pass to either side of level, keeping the refrigerant from accumulating in the piping"

[beemerphile1]

joeshmoe wrote:

Everything I've read and been told said NOT to drive while in LP mode.

1. The pilot will blow out.
2. The fridge must remain steady and level when powered on.

Well, you've read and heard incorrectly. If the pilot blows out - fix what is wrong with it. The motion while rolling down the road is better than parking off level and causes no harm.

They are designed and built with the intention that they will operate while going down the road.

[joeshmoe]

Old-Biscuit wrote:


So that you can run it on LP while traveling.........no harm/no foul doing so.
MFGs even talk about it in the manuals......and they have a team a lawyers that approve what they publish.

Everything I've read and been told said NOT to drive while in LP mode.

1. The pilot will blow out.
2. The fridge must remain steady and level when powered on.

[beemerphile1]

Any refrigerator that vents through the wall rather than the roof is at a serious disadvantage.

Do some research on refrigerator baffles. Most camper manufacturers do a terrible job of installation. If the space is too large the air circulates around the cooling fins rather than through them.

Also do an LPG pressure test. My refrigerator was acting up and I discovered that I only had 9" WC in the system. I adjusted the regulator to provide the correct 11" WC and now the refrigerator operates much better.

[Gene_Ginny]

lap527 wrote:
.... the frig was 34 and bounced around 35, 36, 37. We put sensor in frig so we wouldn't have to open door. Now it's on 42.9. What is normal? It appears to get warmer while on gas. ...

First, it WILL bounce around. When it cools to whatever it is set for the heating (AC or gas) will shut off and the absorption cooling slows to a stop. The box warms a bit and the heating cycle starts the absorption cooling cycle again. There is a lag before it really starts removing heat (cooling) again.

I just went through investigating the poor cooling I had on gas with my Dometic and have a lot of measurements and high/low readings made with my wireless thermometer. Did the usual burner cleaning and etc. To make a long story shorter, my LP regulator was giving me a gas pressure of 8 inches Water Column, it should be 11 inches WC. I have replaced the regulator.

Now to what is normal ? - Consistantly my box high / low readings are 30.2 low to 36.8 high. This is with an empty box and a small computer fan inside the box for circulation. The temp inside the trailer has varied from 85 or more to about 65 and I get the same high / low readings over a 6 hour time span.

Hope this helps a bit.

[Old-Biscuit]

joeshmoe wrote:

billtex wrote:
I don't know what is wrong with your friggin TC...but it sounds like the fridge in your TC is acting up.

Keep in mind absorbtion refrigerators only cool to < below ambient.

🙂
Bill

LoL... I almost fragged my friggin fridge the other day. Forgot to shut it down and proceeded to drive about 10 miles through Grants Pass before I remembered it. I don't understand the reasoning behind putting a AC/propane fridge in a truck camper.

So that you can run it on LP while traveling.........no harm/no foul doing so.
MFGs even talk about it in the manuals......and they have a team a lawyers that approve what they publish.

[joeshmoe]

billtex wrote:
I don't know what is wrong with your friggin TC...but it sounds like the fridge in your TC is acting up.

Keep in mind absorbtion refrigerators only cool to < below ambient.

🙂
Bill

LoL... I almost fragged my friggin fridge the other day. Forgot to shut it down and proceeded to drive about 10 miles through Grants Pass before I remembered it. I don't understand the reasoning behind putting a AC/propane fridge in a truck camper.