Forum Discussion

cljward's avatar
cljward
Explorer
Sep 11, 2017

3 way dometic fridge LP issue

On our last trip with our camper our fridge would not operate consistently on LP. It is a Dometic 3 way unit so it kept defaulting to the DC mode. Good thing we had a generator and 160 watts of solar as we were dry camping.

Any suggestions to what I should look at before I run the camper in for service. Both the heater and generator are also on that side of the camper and there were no supply issues to either of these.

At first I thought that it may have had to do with the elevation we were at, near 8,000 ft, but we also had the same issue when we got back to near sea level.

At night the unit would Switch off LP about every two hours. During the day it would run for longer intervals on LP but it would eventually switch over to D.C.

Thanks in Advance
Truck Campers
  • Dave_Pete's avatar
    Dave_Pete
    Explorer II
    Sep 14, 2017
    Believe it or not a broken plastic selector switch can prevent full gas selection while other positions work. Check the knob. Just one possibility.
  • sbryan's avatar
    sbryan
    Explorer II
    Sep 12, 2017
    Just another data point. When we were camping at around 8,000 feet in Denali I had the same issue with the fridge. I did clean debris out of the burner and it helped but until we got to lower altitudes the propane was problematic. Not clear to me why this would be an issue and there is no adjustment on the burner that I could find to adjust for altitude but I did have similar issues. Coincidence? Perhaps but I'd be curious if anyone else has had similar issues.
  • GeoBoy's avatar
    GeoBoy
    Explorer
    Sep 11, 2017
    My 2 way refer would go out for no reason this season. I replaced the burner nozzle and all was well until the refer went out and when trying to relite it would make a popping sound. Traced that popping problem to a new cylinder not having the air properly purged.
  • HMS_Beagle's avatar
    HMS_Beagle
    Explorer
    Sep 11, 2017
    I've had two problems with a gas refer: one is the debris on the burner, either occluding the slots that make up the burner or partially bridging the igniter, making ignition intermittent. The other was low gas pressure caused by the regulator going off spec. That one has happened twice. Another was the electronics board going bad, +1 on the Dinosaur board. I guess that was three problems.
  • cljward's avatar
    cljward
    Explorer
    Sep 11, 2017
    Thanks for all the good advice. I will start with checking the burner.

    I really appreciate this truck camper forum as I have picked up some great tips and advice by monitoring it from time to time.
  • cljward's avatar
    cljward
    Explorer
    Sep 11, 2017
    Thanks for all the good advice. I will start with checking the burner.

    I really appreciate this truck camper forum as I have picked up some get tips and advice by monitoring it from time to time.
  • Tiger4x4RV's avatar
    Tiger4x4RV
    Nomad
    Sep 11, 2017
    Do you hear it try to spark? If no, check the igniter. And everything everyone else suggested.
  • deserteagle56's avatar
    deserteagle56
    Explorer II
    Sep 11, 2017
    rrupert wrote:
    Check the voltage coming to the fridge and also the gas pressure. I had a gas regulator problem and it affected the operation. If you can access the burner look for spider webs, mud dauber deposits and carbon buildup. LP seems to attract the little critters.


    This. I was having a similar problem with my Bigfoot. Cleaning the burner assembly cured it - couldn't believe the buildup of debris in there.
  • rrupert's avatar
    rrupert
    Explorer
    Sep 11, 2017
    Check the voltage coming to the fridge and also the gas pressure. I had a gas regulator problem and it affected the operation. If you can access the burner look for spider webs, mud dauber deposits and carbon buildup. LP seems to attract the little critters.
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Sep 11, 2017
    Control board, blown fuses. Before you spend $$$ for someone else to look at it, contact Dinosaur boards and ask then. There good about helping you diagnose things. Plus their boards are better than factory ones.

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