How cold does your fridge get?

Folks, I completely agree with you.  However, when the dealer says Dometic requires this as the diagnostic method, then I have the choice of working with it or thinking the dealer a liar.  I am not going to have any trouble showing that the fridge does not hold temperature over a four to six hour drive, as time-stamped photos of the thermometer in the water bath will prove it. 

In support of the method, it is true that absorption (compressor-less) refrigerators do not respond quickly to changes in external conditions, and air temperature will change rapidly.  I also have a digital thermometer hanging in my fridge.  Both the air and water thermometers will be in the pictures. 

We'll just make sure easily perishable food is in an ice chest/ cooler, where it won't spoil, until this is settled.  The next long trip is from NC to the MI UP -- does anyone know a GREAT dealer around East Jordan?

again, thanks!

Hate to say it but that is bull.  I had a service manager try to tell me that last year.  Fridges - of all types - cool the air, which then cool the contents.  Any air temperature gauge will give you an accurate reading of how cool it is inside the fridge, and many many campers use the wireless thermometers to keep an eye on the fridge while going down the road.  Reading the temperature of a cup of water gives you a delayed reading of how the fridge is operating - so it can be warming up and you'll think it is still cool (or think it is too warm when it really did cool down to 35 fairly quickly).

We left the freezer compartment out of ours so it was all fridge, and we always measured around 35 F.  Upper 30's in the fridge in our Salem with the freezer compartment down to 12 F.  104 outside on the way to camp today and when we pulled in the fridge was reading 38.

I'm in San Antonio and usually run between 37 and 41 degrees. Initial cooling take 24-48 hours. Recovery is slow. Every time the door is opened, the temp goes up 1 degree. The ammonia absorption fridge has no moving parts and gravity plays a key roll making level operation critical when sitting still. To determine if the unit is level place a circular bubble lever inside the bottom shelf of the freezer. It doesn't have to be level when driving because the bouncing around ensures things keep flowing. Good ventilation is another key element. Some folks have reported better performance in the heat by removing the outside grills allowing more free air flow.   

We did have a little trouble back when we had our 171 and was camping down in Florida when the temps were between 90-95 degrees.