RV fridge not getting cold on propane, but freezer works?

I've had occasional problems like the OP mentioned with freezer cooling, but fridge not or little. In each case a quick look showed a flame that was yellow or very small. A blast of air in the tube to the flame and taking the propane orifice off and cleaning fixed everything. The flame for a fridge is very small, and a very small orifice, so it doesn't take much debris, rust, spider web, etc. to plug it up.

My "spring cleaning" each year is to take the orifice off, clean it out, and use compressed air to clean out the tube for the flame.

1. The LP on the refer. Only 3 things. A. Dirty Burner B. LOW LP pressure and you need a manometer test to determine that. C. If in a slide out room the Rubber LP line is being pinched.
2. There are some Trailers that have 3 AC units and even with 50 amp service, the OEM's install a 2 out of 3 Compressor run kit. Try running the malfunctioning AC alone and see if it cools. These kits prioritize the AC units. Usually the Bedroom ALWAYS has power to the Compressor. The LR and Garage AC, the FIRST one to be run that locks out the 3rd. This system is very rare. Only lasted for a few years. Odds are you have a problem with the AC unit. Doug

AS to the freezer versus the lower section of the refer. The freezer in an RV fridge will always get colder with a malfunctioning LP system. The Freezer will get down to 0 to 10 degrees. The main refer will be 32 to 38 degrees.

wanderingaimlessly wrote:

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
Put some 2 liter cokes in the fridge, along with a few bottles of water, all cool to start with from being in your home fridge. Then check a day later to see if the unit is cool/cold.
Often the absorbtion units are very slow to start, but work well once up and running.

Looking again at your post, are you using a 50 amp unit? and could one leg have dropped causing both issues?

When we use electric it is hooked up to the 50 amp. We checked the jacks and the camper is level.

I’d bet your LP pressure is low. If the fridge cools fine in AC mode but not LP, you need to have the LP pressure checked with a manometer. You can’t judge the pressure just from the flame appearance.

I’m assuming you DO have a flame when it’s running on propane, or you would have mentioned a check light or error code indicating a flame failure.

Your regulator should be adjusted to maintain the gas pressure at 11” of water column with one of the bigger LP loads running, like the water heater or the furnace.

:):)

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
Put some 2 liter cokes in the fridge, along with a few bottles of water, all cool to start with from being in your home fridge. Then check a day later to see if the unit is cool/cold.
Often the absorbtion units are very slow to start, but work well once up and running.

Looking again at your post, are you using a 50 amp unit? and could one leg have dropped causing both issues?

Put some 2 liter cokes in the fridge, along with a few bottles of water, all cool to start with from being in your home fridge. Then check a day later to see if the unit is cool/cold.
Often the absorbtion units are very slow to start, but work well once up and running.

Since the fridge works on electric power, the cooling unit is functional, and so the problem must be something with the propane burner or associated bits. My guess is something needs cleaning or adjusting in the burner.

The air conditioner problem is entirely unrelated. You have a broken air conditioner (or maybe a broken wire from the thermostat, but that's not too likely), but you already know that much.