Dead Dometic RM8501

I installed a 3" computer fan at the top vent and it significantly helped with the cooling.  So I took out that stupid 3" fan Dometic or FR put on the bottom of the coils that only turns on when it's way past time you should have some cooling help, and I then mounted it next to my first 3" fan.  Not sure two fans do much more than 1 fan, but I figured, "why not?".  each fan draws about 0.15-0.16 amps so I have better cooling for about 3/10s of an amp and I put a switch on them so I can manually turn it off in colder weather when I don't need the help.  Forest River has never replied to the dealer's complaint yet.  It's still several degrees more efficient on electricity than it is on LP but I guess I'll just have to live with that.  I'm able to keep it under 42 degrees now (just barely) in 99 degree weather in the middle of the day.  It gets down to 32-34 degrees at night (depending whether it's on electricity or LP).

Ha ha. Yes. I just tested my Engel chest freezer/refer on an 80 watt solar panel and 75 amp/hr deep cycle battery and it can easily keep up. The Engel draws only about 30-40 watts or about 1.7 average amps per hour. Swing compressors draw little current. I used a built in one in my last RV for almost four years on about 200 amp/hr of batteries (three 12 v batteries ) and we dry camped all the time. Spent six weeks going to Alaska and only spent three nights in campgrounds. It's possible to run a 12 v compressor refrigerator in place of the dometic with only slightly more battery power and a solar panel really helps.

At 80-85 degrees it may work ok. We are talking 95-100 temps here in the great SW. Dometic will only accept temperature measurements via water test. A glass of water measured with a bulb thermometer. My temps were carefully measured the only acceptable way and monitored by dometic. 34-36 degrees at night when it's less than 70s degrees outside and climbs into high 50s and low 60s during the day in 95-100 degree heat . That's totally unacceptable for camping. 42 degrees is the least acceptable for dairy products.

Just picked up my Rpod at the dealer.  Dometic says it's not mounted properly and it's all Forest Rivers fault.  It doesn't have enough space around it so it can breathe and cool properly (the insulation is packed way too tight and the sides of the Dometic get hot).  Dometic looked at 15 pictures the dealer sent them of the installation and they said there's no way it can cool properly in there, there's no space around it.  All the information has been sent by the dealer to Forest River to see what their reaction is.  Probably won't hear from them, but if we do, they won't take any blame with "we've been building them like that for years and nobody else has complained."  (yah, right!).  Buyer beware.  Anybody want to buy a real nice 2018 rpod 176?  Cheap!  NEVER USED FOR CAMPING.  LOL

Originally posted by spydie They told me that when they had it on the bench they took the jet out and cleaned it in alcohol.