refrigerator problems
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10419
Printed Date: 01 Jul 2025 at 2:18pm
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Topic: refrigerator problems
Posted By: funks
Subject: refrigerator problems
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2017 at 10:11pm
Hi fellow podders. I have a problem mybe someone can help me with. I have a 179 2014 with a Dometic RM 8501 refrigerator. The refrig is working great on AC and DC top and bottom but on gas only the top fins in the frig are getting cold and the bottom fins are not working. The burner and the tower are very clean and I get a good blue flame. Everything is heating up in the back but the frig is warm.  Help needed Thanks |
Replies:
Posted By: spydie
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2017 at 12:31pm
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I have been testing my dometic (2018 Rpod 176) for a week now. I'm trying to simulate traveling (towing) so I leave it outside in the 100 degree heat with no A/C running and have been testing the refer on all three circuits (120 v, 12 v and gas). To my disbelief, gas is the worst. Traditionally gas is the best, 120 volt 2nd, and 12 volt a weak 3rd. We used to tell everyone that 12 volt was just a "maintainer" if your refer was already cold, but I just proved on mine that it actually cools the best, reaching 36 degrees at night (night outside temps in the 70s), 120volt got down to 38 degrees and gas about 43 degrees. During the day, gas runs about 7 degrees higher than either of the others getting up to 57 degrees. Tomorrow it goes in the shop to have a tech look at it and see if he can determine why the gas is not out-performing the electric heaters like these Dometics have traditionally done in the past. ------------- 2018 R-pod 176 2017 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi 
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2017 at 7:36pm
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Very interesting. Our dometic is (2011 Rpod 177) is going on year 7 and performs very well. Last year was the first time we ever had an issue, outside temp was over 100 and the refer was not very cold inside. My brother came over and told me that the muffin fans should be running being this hot, my response was like a deer looking into headlights before impact. We opened up both outside access panels, found both muffin fans and then relocated the thermal switch that activates the fans. We moved the switch from near the middle to the top of the coils. Fans immediately came on and within about 4 hours the fridge was down to 37 degrees.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: spydie
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2017 at 7:42pm
In 40 years of RVing, I've honestly never seen an absorption refer that will get down to 37 degrees in 100 degree heat. Of course it helps if you are air conditioning the inside, but the thermocoupler switch should be at the top of the coils, like you put it. According to a local repair shop, It should take 140 degrees to turn them on. I just verified this with a non-contact (laser) thermometer. I'd be so happy if I could get 37 degrees in the middle of the day on my refer. ------------- 2018 R-pod 176 2017 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi
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Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2017 at 7:47pm
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+1 to Spydie. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2017 at 8:43pm
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Well, to clarify, when the 4 hour time frame was up, it was nearly 9 pm, the outside temp at that time was probably in the upper 70's. You are totally correct, it the middle of the day I would be fortunate to get it to 40 with the outside temp being that hot. Beside, we don't have an A/C unit on our 177 and we were boondocking at the time. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: osage
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2017 at 9:13am
| has anyone ever washed the fins on the fridge. if so how did you do it? |
Posted By: spydie
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2017 at 10:22am
You're talking about the outside fins? Never seen any dirty enough actually need washing but if I did I think I would take a wet rag and work it between the individual fins. I don't think I'd spray it down because that area isn't supposed to be wet. ------------- 2018 R-pod 176 2017 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2017 at 9:20pm
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+1 Spydie. Our 177 is going on year 7 and the back of the fridge still looks quite clean, very little dust. I suppose the little bit that may settle probably gets blown off as you travel down the roadway.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2017 at 9:35am
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On our recent trip, we experienced a range of temperatures. When we were headed North and the temperatures were in the 90's, then the refrigerator had a hard time of getting and staying cold. Temperatures would only get down to around 40 at night but climb into the 50's during the day. Once we got to New York and Vermont which had lower ambient temperatures, the refrigerator would consistently have temperatures which got down into the mid to lower 30's at night, but still climbed into the lower 40's during the day. On the return trip south into higher ambient temperatures, our refrigerator once again was having trouble getting down below 40. My practice is to run on gas except when I have AC available. I have had prior experience with the TV not being able to both charge batteries and run the refrigerator. That is why I use propane. I have cleaned the burner and orifice, but it made no difference in the refrigerator's cooling ability. What I have not done is taken it to get a check of the propane pressure to the burner. I should do that soon. I just don't want to haul the R-Pod to our dealer since that is a 2 1/2 hour drive (110 miles) away from where we live. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: spydie
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2017 at 9:46am
I took mine into the shop yesterday and they'll have it for a few days while trying to get the gas operation to be as efficient as electricity. Really weird that it runs 5-7 degrees warmer on gas. I called Dometic but for liability reasons, they will only talk to the dealer about gas problems. I don't believe they'll be able to do anything to fix it but I wanted them to look at it anyway. I'll be carrying my Engel chest freezer/refer along with me when I start camping in the new Pod just so I can have a real refrigerator. ------------- 2018 R-pod 176 2017 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi
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Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2017 at 12:56pm
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I had a problem with my Dometic refrigerator not cooling on gas, though it worked fine on AC. Took it to a local repair shop and they said it was the burner nozzle. They and I priced the replacement and after shipping it was nearly $200; for a little 3 inch long, 5/8" burner. I tried to call Dometic and their customer service was horrible and they would not even discuss the sale of parts. Concerned that there may be more than just the burner problem lurking there and not wanting to pay lots of labor plus parts trying to fix the problem, I opted to buy a new fridge. I got the Norcold equivalent and discovered they're as bad as Dometic on customer service. They told me, as did a dealer, that the door swing was fully reversible. It isn't. You can change the door hinges just fine, but the circuitboard control above the door is really not reversible without substantial modification, and even then it isn't quite right. And their service people also refuse to talk to anyone but dealers. I talked to the dealer about the door reversal and he knew less than I did. I finally got the replacement installed and thankfully it works fine. But both companies are just plain awful to deal with. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: spydie
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2017 at 1:15pm
I personally think absorption refrigerators have outlived their usefulness. How many years have we been putting up with them? Since the 1960s in travel trailers according to Wikipedia. And we haven't replaced them with something better yet? I did replace the one in my last motorhome with an Engel built-in (swing-compressor) 12 volt fridge. It was a dream and not bad on battery power. I think all RVs should have either the Foss or Engel swing compressor refrigerators in them and then nobody could complain about how they cool (they can cool things into the 30 degree mark even when it's 100 degrees outside), but they would complain about having to install a second (or third) battery to handle long times dry camping. I'm already thinking out taking out my brand new Dometic and installing one. ------------- 2018 R-pod 176 2017 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi
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Posted By: spydie
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2017 at 1:22pm
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Here is some interesting information on the absorption refrigerator which was developed by Albert Einstein. Most of the patents were eventually bought out by Electrolux which became Dometic. Dometic, as Swiss company, had their own absorption refrigerator much earlier, but Einsteins must have been better. Also it appears there really have been advances in absorption refrigerators that will quadruple their efficiency, but none have made it into production yet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator ------------- 2018 R-pod 176 2017 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi
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Posted By: sailor323
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2017 at 4:25pm
| Einstein improved a pre-existing technology. Absorption refrigeration was invented in the 1850s. Commercial production began in 1923. Einstein improved the technology in 1926. Thomas Edison dissuaded his researchers from developing electric, compressor driven refrigeration saying that since it required no moving parts, it was far superior to compressor driven refrigeration. Today absorption refrigeration is used to cool large buildings. I have used absorption refrigerators since the 1960s, once for 15 years in a commercial enterprise when we didn't have electricity. In my experience, absorption refrigeration is quite efficient. That being said, I like my Engel fridge/freezer and the Engel fridge on the boat. Both run on either 120 AC or 12 DC. The propane feature of the Pod's fridge is very attractive. |
Posted By: spydie
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2017 at 12:28pm
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I just made a trip to my local RV dealer to see how they are progressing after a week with my new 2018 Rpod refer (which cools fine on AC and DC but runs 5-7 degrees higher on LP). They were able to duplicate my complaint while the Dometic was in the Rpod. But Dometic told them they had to take it out of the Rpod to run the tests, so when they put it in the shop, it's working fine, about 34 degrees only turned up about half way on the temp controller. He said that today he's going to call Dometic back and discuss the mounting in the Rpod. He said the sides were hot when he took it out and that indicates the insulation is packed too tight. He's going to discuss all the mounting problems with them and see if there is some way to increase efficiency. I'll let them have it another week and see if it does any good for me.
------------- 2018 R-pod 176 2017 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi
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