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Does anybody's fridge work really well?  And I don't mean just when it's cold outside.  I have followed all the tips - precooling and putting in already cool food.  But my fridge still is just barely cold.  I'm gonna get a temp gauge so I can better monitor.  I expect the thing to get really cold.  Is that asking too much of these fridges?  If so, is there a better product I can look at to replace the Dometic?

I know a lot of people have trouble with these fridges.  Hard to light the burner when using the gas setting.  Here's a dumb question.  How does the burner light when using the 12V or 120 setting?

My fridge is the Dometic RM 2191 and/or RM 2193

Thanks

Quote from: DrayDoes anybody's fridge work really well?  And I don't mean just when it's cold outside.  I have followed all the tips - precooling and putting in already cool food.  But my fridge still is just barely cold.  I'm gonna get a temp gauge so I can better monitor.  I expect the thing to get really cold.  Is that asking too much of these fridges?  If so, is there a better product I can look at to replace the Dometic?

I know a lot of people have trouble with these fridges.  Hard to light the burner when using the gas setting.  Here's a dumb question.  How does the burner light when using the 12V or 120 setting?

My fridge is the Dometic RM 2191 and/or RM 2193

Thanks

I've got the same fridge that you do. Mine works fine, even when it's hot out. I do have a baffle that directs the air through the coils.

Quote from: waveryI've got the same fridge that you do. Mine works fine, even when it's hot out. I do have a baffle that directs the air through the coils.

I've a Dometic 3 way-and it works REALLY well!-even in extreme heat-it'll chill beer, pop and food with no problem!
I think you may have a problem with yours.

Quote from: thefryingScotsmanI've a Dometic 3 way-and it works REALLY well!-even in extreme heat-it'll chill beer, pop and food with no problem!
I think you may have a problem with yours.

You may be right.  I'm gonna check the troubleshooting section in the back of my manual.  It has some info abou cleaning some things.  

I wonder how cold they are supposed to get?  Does anyone who has temp gauges have some numbers you can share?  Do you get ice in there at all that you have to defrost?

Quote from: DrayYou may be right.  I'm gonna check the troubleshooting section in the back of my manual.  It has some info abou cleaning some things.  

I wonder how cold they are supposed to get?  Does anyone who has temp gauges have some numbers you can share?  Do you get ice in there at all that you have to defrost?

At the least, when turned all the way cold, it should freeze when outside temps are 80

Stupid question, but why would you light the burner when hooked to 120VAC or 12VDC?  My instruction manual says to use only ONE source at a time...with the outside fan mod, brown pop or most anything else will freeze in the bottom if left overnight.  Gotta get a fan for the inside...Plus, we always hook up to 120VAC a day before leaving.  Gets it cold in there before we start our trip.

Quote from: DrayYou may be right.  I'm gonna check the troubleshooting section in the back of my manual.  It has some info abou cleaning some things.  

I wonder how cold they are supposed to get?  Does anyone who has temp gauges have some numbers you can share?  Do you get ice in there at all that you have to defrost?

Check that manual and clean out the burner and gas orifice. That helped mine.
I have a thermometer in mine and the best I can do (with temps in the 90s) is 40-45 degrees. Twenty below ambient temp is, I believe, the industry standard for these under-ventilated fridges in our low-walled pups.
If I forget to cut the temp control back and the overnight temp gets low enough, stuff will freeze.
Get one of those fan "cubes" that run on 2 D-cell batteries and put it inside the fridge. They run forever and distribute the cold well.
I also put a computer muffin fan inside the outside, upper compartment to draw air across the coils. This has helped, too.
It ain't a home frigermarator and won't be as efficient at cooling. Also, ignore most things someone with a high wall or TT tells you about their fridge. Ours is a problem unique to low-walled pups.

Quote from: SPXTraderStupid question, but why would you light the burner when hooked to 120VAC or 12VDC?  My instruction manual says to use only ONE source at a time...with the outside fan mod, brown pop or most anything else will freeze in the bottom if left overnight.  Gotta get a fan for the inside...Plus, we always hook up to 120VAC a day before leaving.  Gets it cold in there before we start our trip.

I know.  I'm confused about it cause once someone told me it wasn't a pilot light and is a "burner" instead.  So I guess that little blue flame only is on when I use the gas setting?  I'll check today.  

I'm really showing my ignorance now!  Smile

Quote from: 'tiredTeacherAlso, ignore most things someone with a high wall or TT tells you about their fridge. Ours is a problem unique to low-walled pups.

I have a highwall - whats the difference between the fridge in mine vs. a normal PU?  I always thought they were almost the same setup, just a bit bigger.

Quote from: HackkerI have a highwall - whats the difference between the fridge in mine vs. a normal PU?  I always thought they were almost the same setup, just a bit bigger.

The high wall I saw had more space above the condenser coils (outside), thus providing more air flow. On my Starcraft 2107, the coil is at the very top of the compartment, where hot air can be trapped. I don't pretend to be an expert on all trailer makes. I just figured most high walled ones were like the one I saw (don't remember the brand or model).
Wright

Quote from: DrayDoes anybody's fridge work really well?  And I don't mean just when it's cold outside.  I have followed all the tips - precooling and putting in already cool food.  But my fridge still is just barely cold.  I'm gonna get a temp gauge so I can better monitor.  I expect the thing to get really cold.  Is that asking too much of these fridges?  If so, is there a better product I can look at to replace the Dometic?

I know a lot of people have trouble with these fridges.  Hard to light the burner when using the gas setting.  Here's a dumb question.  How does the burner light when using the 12V or 120 setting?

My fridge is the Dometic RM 2191 and/or RM 2193

Thanks

I thought I read in Trailer Life (maybe 2 months ago?) that there was a recall by Dometic.

You might want to check their website to see if your model is/was affected (and to make sure that they even had a recall).  

Hope that helps!

Quote from: cmack98I thought I read in Trailer Life (maybe 2 months ago?) that there was a recall by Dometic.

You might want to check their website to see if your model is/was affected (and to make sure that they even had a recall).  

Hope that helps!

Wow!  You're right.  But not mine.  Thanks anyway.  

I'm gonna do a test this weekend.  Gonna plug it in tonight and put some water bottles inside to see if it gets cold by Monday.  This is kind of difficult cause the thing is folded up.  Sometimes I send my 6 year old in there to do these kinds of things!  Smile

(Cut and Paste from my reply from another thread)
all temps are in celsius   0 celsius is 32 degrees F
All this talk about fridges..... after reading about all the bad experiences I was leary about using my fridge. My 19month old son is dependant on growth hormone, I needed to bring a supply for 2 weeks. so we decided to use the dometic 2010(?) not sure right now. fridge that came with my '94 jayco 1207

anyways I found a few things helpfull...

I cooled it down on 120vto 2 degrees.
I know it worked from before as i had tested it. I have never used the 12v and the propane

I did no know how long the propane would last, I calculated it would work for ~20 days on a 20 lb tank this is leaving lots of unknowns
.

anyways I cooled the fridge filled with food down to 3 degrees on our way for a 15 day camping trip.
before I left with the truck, I switched it to the 12v trailer power. When we got there 4 hours later, the fridge was 12 degrees. I turned it to propane and it cooled off more down to 4 degrees(celsius) then it was up and down for a week between freezing ,0 and 12 degrees so we were a bit worried. then we discovered after reading the instructions for the fridge that if you block the shelves with paper or something large, the flow of air is impeded. After that we were careful as to how we packed the fridge and it made a big difference. we were able to keep a decent temperature ~4 degrees with the knob on 9 (the outdoor temps were 35*c daily.)

After selectively packing the fridge we had no problem keeping it cool and was confident in it's operation.
So to make a long story short, pack your fridge with lots of airflow and there should be no problems as long as your system is working.

I think my fridge is working ok I just need to get smarter about using it.  That's why I'm talking with you all.  : )  

One thing is that my PU lives in my garage which is always HOT even at night it doesn't cool down much.  So I'm trying to precool my fridge in a HOT garage where there is no air moving around.  I'll bet this is a factor.  

Another thing is we jam the fridge full.  I'm gonna tell DW to just put what you need to in there and everything that can get wet into the ice chest.  

Also gonna go to Camping world today and buy one of those fans to put in the fridge as well as a thermometer.  

Another thing i'm gonna try is this.  I got a rain cover from one of old tents and am gonna use it to create a shade for the back side of my PU.   I think this will help keep the fridge and the PU cooler inside.

I'll let you know how it goes.  My next trip is in a week.  Going to Lake Tahoe CA!  (Emerald Bay)

Quote from: DrayAlso gonna go to Camping world today and buy one of those fans to put in the fridge as well as a thermometer.  

Those fans make a big difference. Remember......refrigeration is NOT  about adding cold.....it is all about removing heat. Understanding that concept is paramount to understanding all refrigeration. A small amount of circulation inside the fridge will introduce more warm(er) air to the cooling fins, allowing the fins to remove more heat.

Also.....it is important to remember that cold air is much more dense (thus heavier) than warm air. Every time that you open a front opening fridge, the cold air (literally) falls out of the fridge onto the floor, That cold air is immediately replaced by warm air. That is why ice chests are designed to open from the top. When you open a top loading ice chest, the cold air stays put and there is a definite divide between the warm and cold air. It actually makes little difference if the top of the ice chest is open or closed (however it does make some difference).

We just got back from our maiden voyage in our '87 Starcraft Nova (with Dometic 2190 2 way fridge) where we went to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Prior to leaving, I cooled the fridge on propane for about 18hrs.  I had just installed one of these nifty digital refrigerator thermometers (see my thread on the "Mr. Fix It" section) so I could monitor fridge temps without opening the door.  It was cooled down to the mid 30's prior to loading cold food and switching to 12v.  I'm at about sea level, temps are 65*F at night and maybe 85*F in the day.

Off we went, across central California....Bakersfield.....Tehachapi....The Mojave Desert...Barstow.....Needles and into Arizona.....Kingman....Seligman.....Williams...and then up to the Grand Canyon at 7,000'.

10.5hrs spread over 2 days with an overnight in the middle of nowhere in AZ.

Temps were well over 100*F the entire way during the day, and at night in AZ, maybe 80.  Cooler at the rim of the GC though.

Anyway, the fridge temps were in the mid 40's on the digital, and high 30's on the calibrated mechanical thermometer inside while towing on 12v.  I did pull over and wedge a bag of ice inside on the way there.

Once at the GC and we started opening and closing the door, the temps got to the high 40's and even low 50's.  Even at night, with outside temps down to 60*F and the fridge dial turned to 9, I wasn't getting the fridge to recover and get good and cold again.  I also had the little cube fan running inside.  The ice in the little ice try always stayed frozen and there was always frost on the coils, so it was definately cranking away......but no where near what I think it should do.

We were gone for 2 days hiking inside the canyon so the fridge stayed "on" and the door closed, temp setting on 9 for that entire time.  When we got back, the digital temp was reading 38*F, but as soon as the sun came around onto the back side of the PU, the temp was back up to the low 40's and that's where it stayed until we left this morning.  We had milk, meat, eggs, yogurt, non of which spoiled over the 5 days it was in the PU fridge......so that's good news.

One thing I will say after reading the advice here; we did have it crammed full, so circulation was definately an issue.  I don't have an external fan on the outside coils, or a sun shade, so those will be the next mods.  I have previously added a baffle to improve the air flow over the external coils.

I'll do a back yard test with it precooled, then loaded with ventilation space and the cube fan running, and see what it does over a 2-3 day time period.

Someone should design a better fridge.  Someone once told me something that I think applies to this situation.  They said, "If you walk up to a door and you PUSH when you should have PULLED, don't feel bad.  It's not you who is dumb.  The doorway isn't desing properly.  It should be intuitive when approaching a door whether to PULL or PUSH."  That's the way I feel about these fridges.  They should be easier to use.

Quote from: DraySomeone should design a better fridge.  Someone once told me something that I think applies to this situation.  They said, "If you walk up to a door and you PUSH when you should have PULLED, don't feel bad.  It's not you who is dumb.  The doorway isn't desing properly.  It should be intuitive when approaching a door whether to PULL or PUSH."

I know exactly what you mean.  If you come up to a door with a horizontal bar, it should be a PUSH door.  If it has to be a pull door, it should have a pull handle, not a push bar.

I go through a number of very different doors in different buildings with different owners as part of my commute.  A couple are designed wrong.  I try to remember which ones are wrong, but there are still times I bump into a "pull" door with a push bar.  :confused:

QuoteThat's the way I feel about these fridges.  They should be easier to use.

I bet they'd cost a whole $25 more (if that) to build with a thermostat inside.  Adding a 12V fan to the coils can be done for less than $10.

Austin

well I was the dumb one who  even when it was plugged in for 12 hours prior to departure thought I could put warm bottles of water in there and think they would be cold ! DE DE DE!!!!

Now we take the big cooler and load it down with waters, juice, small cans of pop ( I'm amazed at the fact while camping none of us care about pop) and that kind of stuff and save the fridge for the meats and stuff. I make sure everything is already cold and or frozen before I put it in the fridge.

but now reading all of this I want one of those little battery operated fans..and can somebody tell me the best place to put this when I get it? And at what temperature is safe in degrees for like hamburger or pork?

Quote from: punkmomto2but now reading all of this I want one of those little battery operated fans..and can somebody tell me the best place to put this when I get it?

Campingworld has them for about $15:  http://tinyurl.com/ozkpf

I've had missed results with mine. When I'm in a site that has tree cover. The fridge is about 46 degrees when it's 85 degrees outside. It goes to 40 degrees when outside temps are in the low 70s and goes under 40 degrees when outside temps dip below 70 degrees.
 
In a site that had no tree cover and was in the mid 90's outside, my fridge wouldn't get cold staying in the low 50's. Same fridge but different camper. I had a 2005 Rockwood 2290 then and now have a 2007 Starcraft 2406.
 
I now added the popular coil fan that's sold everywhere but bypass the themoswitch because the fan was to far from the coil to sense the temp.
 
I also now use an interior fan to circulate the air since I like to pack the fridge. Now my temps are under 40 degrees while outside temps are in the mid 80s. That's attained using an AC setting of only 5 out of 7.
 
Here's some pictures of the exterior fan mod (//%22http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/559431056udQRPJ%22)
 
Have a good one.

Excellent photo Mike! Thanks for sharing those.  My 2190 performs just about the same way, so looks like the fan mod is the only way to fly for me too.  What kind of amperage does that fan draw?

Surprisingly, it doesn't have an amp rating but it can't be but in the low milliamps with such a small motor.

 
Have a good one.

Hi Mike,
Can you tell me where you purchased your fan?

Quote from: austinado16Hi Mike,
Can you tell me where you purchased your fan?

Nevermind, found it!

Valterra Refrigerator Fan $29.43

I see there is also a solar version for twice the price.

I called Valterra (here in CA) this morning to get some specs on their fans.  They move 12CFM(cubic feet of air per minute) and draw .8amps of power by itself.  If you use the lighted switch that comes with their installation kit (included with the fan) then the whole shebang draws 1.5amps.

The little radioshack 1-9/16" square computer fan I just installed moves 7.7CFM and draws .13amps of power (1.56watts).  

Edit:  Had my amps info incorrect. Thanks for catching that Austin.

Quote from: austinado16I called Valterra (here in CA) this morning to get some specs on their fans.  They move 12CFM(cubic feet of air per minute) and draw .8amps(80milliamps) of power by itself.  If you use the lighted switch that comes with their installation kit (included with the fan) then the whole shebang draws 1.5amps(150milliamps).

The little radioshack 1-9/16" square computer fan I just installed moves 7.7CFM and draws 1.56amp(156milliamps) of power.  Wish I would have found the Valterra fans before wasting my money on the radioshack fan.

Just two nitpicks: 0.8 amps is 800 milliamps, not 80, and 1.56 amps is 1,560 milliamps.  the "milli" prefix means "1/1000."  So are the amps right, or the milliamps?

Don't confuse them with Millie amps, which were amplifiers used by a mostly forgotten rock star from the 80's.

Austin

Quote from: AustinBostonJust two nitpicks: 0.8 amps is 800 milliamps, not 80, and 1.56 amps is 1,560 milliamps.  the "milli" prefix means "1/1000."  So are the amps right, or the milliamps?

Don't confuse them with Millie amps, which were amplifiers used by a mostly forgotten rock star from the 80's.

Austin

[UPDATE INFO]
Oops, sorry about that.  Pulled the trigger before I had my info loaded properly!  I've corrected it as noted, thanks for catching that.  I even had to call them back and talk to someone who knew better what they were talking about.  Here's the corrected and updated information!

Valterra fan:
12.5cfm @ .11amps

Valterra Solar fan:
1.2cfm @ .10amps

Radioshack's little 1-9/16" fan:
7.7cfm @ .13amps

Radioshack's standard size computer case fan:
32cfm @ .15amps

Someone else posted info about an "Orion" case fan:
40cfm @ .18amps

I looked on the Orion.com site and they have another version:
22cfm @ .12amps
(This version almost seems like the best of both worlds.  It's almost double the cfm of the Valterra fan, at basically the same amp draw.  And it's probably $9)

I have done both the baffle mod and the exterior fan mod. On a recent two week trip to Yellowstone, we ran the fridge on 120V when set up, and 12V on the road. Daytime temps ranged from mid 80's to high 90's, depending on where we were (spent some time in the Badlands & Black Hills as well) We ran the fridge on the "medium" setting. I have a wireless thermometer, and I was finding the fridge was typically around 22-25F in the morning, and would rise to about 28-32F during the day. We spent about four days in Cody WY on a totally treeless site, and this did not seem to have any effect on the readings.
I have the interior cube fan, and that definitely helps even out the temps throughtout the fridge. We also have a Coleman Powerchill, and we use that as well, for the stuff that is not so temperature critical. Having them both lets us spread the food items out for good airflow, which is important in both types of coolers.
My exterior fan was just a cheapie computer fan that I got for a few bucks from Best Buy. I usually stay on sites with electric, so power consumption wasn't a concern.  
Since this was all done on the medium setting, I think I have some reserve if I ever have to deal with hotter outside temps. I agree that the problem with these is not their design, but with the shortcuts taken by the trailer manufacturers when they are installed. A properly installed baffle + a little fan to assist with airflow can make these babies sing!  :D

I replaced the frig in my 98 Coleman sunridge with a normal 120v mini frig. It is the best thing I did to my camper.

I replaced the 3 way frig because I got tried of trying of fooling around with and the cost of parts. I bought a mini frig for 100 bucks and spent about 20 dollars installing the unit. I have used it for 2 years without any problems.

I precool the frig before leaving and put a block of ice inside for the trip to the campground. I keep the food in a cooler on the trip to and from the camp ground. I use the cooler for drinks during the stay at the camp ground.

joe

One thing to watch out when replacing fridge to home style 120VAC is the amp draw.
 
Both of my PUPs were 30 amps, 15 amp breaker for camper outlet circuits, and 20 amp breaker for the AC.
 
So you only have 15 amps. My toaster convection oven draws 12 amps alone when used on it's max setting of 500 degrees. 1500 watt heaters can draw 12.5 amps and 1100 watt microwaves will draw 9.2 amps.
 
You'll run out of amps real quick if you use electric appliances in place of gas appliances. I remember the day we could run our microwave, lights, and TV at the same time because of limited current. We kept blowing fuses. The TV had to be off to use the microwave.
 
I try to stick with gas when ever it's possible. The 3 way 1.9 CF fridge I have is about $450 at camping world. I enjoy it because I precool my fridge without needing to hook up electric. With the addition of the cheap under $30 fan, it works efficiently now. The cost also includes the thermoswitch that is included on the fan. With my installation, the switch was to far away from the coil to detect the heat so I bypassed it.
 
Have a good one.

I've got the 3.7 c/f 3-way fridge, and it works very well.  I do not pre-cool as that would require raising the roof before a trip.  I carry cold stuff in the cooler and once set up transfer it and fill the ice trays.  For the first hour or so I will run the unit on the propane setting as it cools faster, then switch over to 120v.  I will have ice cubes overnight.  Naturally, the thermostat is on the max. setting.  Second day I will adjust the thermostat to about 3/4.

The only times I've had issues was when my PUP was not leveled properly - guess the ammonia compound couldn't circulate properly.