New owner with fridge problems

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   Hi all,
 I've been checking out this forum for while now and just purchased a 2015 179 last weekend and we love it! My wife and I live in wilmington NC and we just recently sold our 36 foot motor home and opted to go smaller, we ended up driving to Ohio to a dealer (Jeff Couchs RV Nation) that gave us a deal a lot less than a local dealer was able to, and included the R-Dome which was a $700 add on here locally. We picked it up and headed out on the 11 hour trip back home. Half way we stopped to camp and we found that the fridge would not start, in any mode. We were plugged in, and strangely when it was dark, I could see the panel just barley glowing, and when I pushed the on button, it lit up just a bit more, but failed to turn on. I went to the access panel and un-plugged it from the AC for now for safety. So I called the dealer yesterday twice, was sent to the warranty department both times and had to leave a message both times, they never called me back. Emailed the dealer I worked with, and within 5 minutes he replied and said he talked to the warranty dept. and they would get back to me.. but still haven't 8 hours later, dissapointing to say the least. Now I guess I will have to go to the local dealer (the one I refused to buy from) and I'm sure they will drop everything and schedule a repair, in a month or two! Now the sales staff at RV Nation was great, but I'm still waiting on someone to call me back to let me know what to do. I guess maybe for the extra money I would have been better off buying from the local dealer.

The other part of this trip was towing it with our Xterra, with a now check engine soon light flashing, but thats for another time. I swear it was up hill all the way to NC! 

Anyone have any tricks I could try to get it working?   

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danmarkian Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: NC Coast Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Topic: New owner with fridge problems Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 4:34pm
	Hi all, I've been checking out this forum for while now and just purchased a 2015 179 last weekend and we love it! My wife and I live in wilmington NC and we just recently sold our 36 foot motor home and opted to go smaller, we ended up driving to Ohio to a dealer (Jeff Couchs RV Nation) that gave us a deal a lot less than a local dealer was able to, and included the R-Dome which was a $700 add on here locally. We picked it up and headed out on the 11 hour trip back home. Half way we stopped to camp and we found that the fridge would not start, in any mode. We were plugged in, and strangely when it was dark, I could see the panel just barley glowing, and when I pushed the on button, it lit up just a bit more, but failed to turn on. I went to the access panel and un-plugged it from the AC for now for safety. So I called the dealer yesterday twice, was sent to the warranty department both times and had to leave a message both times, they never called me back. Emailed the dealer I worked with, and within 5 minutes he replied and said he talked to the warranty dept. and they would get back to me.. but still haven't 8 hours later, dissapointing to say the least. Now I guess I will have to go to the local dealer (the one I refused to buy from) and I'm sure they will drop everything and schedule a repair, in a month or two! Now the sales staff at RV Nation was great, but I'm still waiting on someone to call me back to let me know what to do. I guess maybe for the extra money I would have been better off buying from the local dealer. The other part of this trip was towing it with our Xterra, with a now check engine soon light flashing, but thats for another time. I swear it was up hill all the way to NC! Anyone have any tricks I could try to get it working?

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128	Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 8:11pm
	Please explain "failed to turn on" the fridge is an absorption system, no clicks, "whirrs", or dings, and it takes hours to start feeling cold from a warm start..

yalilminx Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Apr 2015 Location: ohio Online Status: Offline Posts: 14	Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 8:17pm
	I also purchased mine from Couchs last week. Had a few issues and they are working on it right away. I did notice it took forever for the fridge to get cold. It never felt really super cold to me but our drinks were cold the next morning.
	2015 rpod 176t

CharlieM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797	Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 8:34pm
	The ammonia absorption fridges cool very slowly. Common practice is to let it run a full 24 hours before loading, an then only with precooled food. While traveling it's in/out quickly and infrequently. It's very different from your household motor compressor fridge.
	Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD

danmarkian Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: NC Coast Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 8:54pm
	When I say Failed to turn on it just doesn't do anything, no light inside, no indication on the front panel, I tried holding the power button for 10 seconds, nothing happens. When I got home today I went out to plug a house fan into the outlet the fridge uses to see if there was power and there is. I also tried to turn on the microwave, no luck. I checked the circuit breakers, all are on! Air, heat, tv, stereo, pump all work. I'm not sure what's going on, when we got it I know the micro worked, now nothing. I'm going to explore the wiring under the couch end to see if something pulled loose while the slide extends.

Podster Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 16 Sep 2014 Location: San Antonio Online Status: Offline Posts: 1108	Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 9:07pm
	Check the GFI plug inside the POD. See if it has tripped and need to be reset.
	Cliff & Raelynn Ranger 4.0/178 (1/2 ton 5,800lb tow capacity)

danmarkian Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: NC Coast Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 9:19pm
	Thanks CharlieM, I'm used to rv fridges taking a long time to cool, this one just won't turn on at all. is there a way to post a pic? I have a pic that shows what a working unit looks like with the indicators glowing blue, mine does not do that...

danmarkian Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: NC Coast Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 9:21pm
	Podster, I checked and also ran a indoor fan from the outlets to test, power works.

CharlieM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797	Posted: 15 Apr 2015 at 7:42am
	The fridge requires good 12 volt power to operate in any mode. All the controls run on 12V. Except fort the dim glow I'd say lack of 12V. Check the 12 volt fuse in the power panel. Don't rely on the fuse marking - very unreliable. Best thing might be to pull several fuses around the marked one at night. Maybe you can see the dim display go completely out. Replace the fridge fuse. There should be a terminal for the 12V connection in the fridge compartment outside. I don't know what model is in the 179. Maybe a present owner can jump in and help. If the fuse is good and no or low 12V at the fridge I'd start tracing 12V connections from the fuse panel to the fridge. Not easy. Take a blood pressure pill or a beer before you start. Good luck. Edited by CharlieM - 15 Apr 2015 at 7:43am
	Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD

HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 15 Apr 2015 at 8:33am
	As CharlieM said, it sounds like low battery to me. Low battery = no fridge in any mode. If you noticed this half way home it also sounds like your tow vehicle isn't sending charging voltage through the trailer harness back to the pod. The fridge only runs a few hours on battery power.
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: 2018 rPod 180 :.