Dometic RM8551
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12749
Printed Date: 13 May 2025 at 3:33am
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Topic: Dometic RM8551
Posted By: Brianh
Subject: Dometic RM8551
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 6:01pm
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My Dometic RM8551 crapped out in my RP171. Has anyone been able to order this online in the US, or do I need to go through a FR dealer? RM8555 is a newer replacement. Any other 3-way refrigerators that anyone has used as a replacement? BTW...my problem has been going on for over a year. It stops working on LP, I take it in, they clean it and it works. When I take it home and travel, it stops working. Not entirely, just the flame dies down and it does not get cold enough. Had it cleaned 4-times, and the regulator replaced as the tech said maybe that was plugged and not getting enough LP. I've had it. Time to replace.
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Replies:
Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 6:39pm
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You may have some contaminated propane and/or deteriorating propane lines or contaminants inside the lines. ------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 6:41pm
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I ended up buying a new fridge directly from FR after a bad experience with someone else installing and messing up a Norcold. It's an RM8501 and the price was very competitive. Casita had it also for a pretty good price, but FR was cheaper. If you are a vet, be sure to mention it if you get it from FR. The FR and Casita prices were way lower than anywhere else I could find. The refrigerator was the exact replacement for the old Dometic we had in our 172 that conked out a couple years ago. If you call the parts department at FR, they can look up exactly what fits your 171. My trailer is pretty old so I had to do a minor wiring change for the 12vdc operation to make the wire a little heavier than the original, but it was easy and they were helpful with some technical advice. I installed it myself and it has worked very nicely ever since. I salvaged the pancake/muffin fans from the old fridge and added them up by the upper vent to give a boost to air movement for hot days. Someday when I'm feeling really frisky, I'll put a thermostat switch in to automatically turn them off and on. For the time being I have just a toggle switch. I didn't connect them to the fridge fan circuit because it has a low amp fuse that could blow if two more fans were connected. I gave the old fridge to the RV dealer where I occasionally buy stuff. They wanted it for parts. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 7:41pm
| Contaminated lines? Hadn't thought of that. Are the lines easily replaced? I haven't looked, are they copper or some other material? |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 8:23pm
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Copper and rubber hose (which can deteriorate). ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 9:04pm
| I searched a bit more about clogged lines. Going to try and blow out tomorrow and see if that works. It makes sense this could be the problem as it works for a while, then when I travel it stops working. Thanks again! |
Posted By: DavMar
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 9:58pm
Have you noticed any other problems with your stove or hot water heater when on gas? Long shot thought ..... but you might want to take the regulator to a LP company to check out. I've heard of regulators that go flaky like that so it might be worth a roll of the dice to check it out or replace it. As far as a new refrigerator just ask the almighty Google and I'm sure it will spit out many sources. 
------------- Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 10:34pm
| I had the regulator replaced. Frig worked for 1-day. When I relocated...didn't work again. I'm really hoping, its the line. |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2019 at 10:35pm
| The repair guy said the frig takes lower pressure than stove and furnace, and if regulator plugged would cause frig to not work. This seems in line with a plugged line as well. No...no problems with stove or furnace. |
Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 6:21pm
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Maybe he meant lower volume of gas, since all those appliances are on the same low pressure propane supply. ------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: DavMar
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 7:12pm
To which I say HU??? Really??? The refrigerator runs at lower pressure hmmmm .... I think not. There is only one LP regulator on your camper at the LP tank. There is not another regulator at the refrigerator that reduces the pressure flow. If I'm wrong then I'm sure some member of this forum with allot more experience and knowledge will soon set me straight, but I don't think that will happen. My best advice, take it or leave it, is to find a new RV repair shop. ------------- Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2019 at 9:56pm
| That's true, one regulator, one pressure. New repair guy...that's why I'm asking this forum, LOL. No one has diagnosed this issue yet. |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2019 at 2:52pm
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Well, I removed the LP line at a couple of locations and blew it out. Now, no gas is getting to the flame orifice. What is the connection on the back of the refrigerator that the gas line is connected to, and then downsizes the tubing to the tube that leads to the gas flame? It has three small wires leading into it. I'm wondering if it is a regulator? I have a picture, but can't figure out how to attach to this post. All I can think is this thing is plugged or defective? |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2019 at 3:23pm
| Finally found the part, its the gas valve. What the heck, might as well replace and move on. Think I'm going to replace the burner jet too while I'm at it. |
Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2019 at 3:43pm
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If you blew the line out, it is now full of air, so it may take a while for the LP to flow along that line into the gas valve and burner. Make several attempts before you give up. ------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2019 at 3:48pm
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Brianh, glad you found the problem. Get ready for some sticker shock on the price of the burner and likely the valve (if it's the one on the refer). ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2019 at 6:55pm
| What is more than frustrating, is the model RM8551 is not available in the US. I only found the part in the UK. Hopefully they ship across the ocean. I really just think its the regulator, but am going to look at the flame orifice too. If they are too expensive, I'll just get a refrigerator. I'm not going to keep pumping money into what I think are the problems. |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2019 at 7:51pm
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When I was confronted with replacing the flame orifice on a 8 year old Dometic, I opted replacement of the fridge. I didn't have a lot of confidence in the rv tech and wasn't sure his diagnosis was really correct. The orifice was several hundred dollars and there was no certainty that it would fix it. In the end it was worth putting in a new one myself. And in the process, I learned a lot and had some fun tinkering. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2019 at 8:11pm
| Exactly. I was hoping blowing out the line was the issue. But its not. Gas gets to the regulator and no further. I'm waiting to hear about costs as I've already spent $500 in repair techs that just cleaned the heat exchange tube. I've got a new frig all picked out so that issue is all done. Thanks...your comment was spot on! |