Headaches With Dometic 3-Way Reefer

[Rt66West]

We have Flagstaff Model 206 pop-up trailer that we bought new in 2003.  It came equipped with a 1.7 cubic foot 3 way reefer.  It always cooled to around 40 degrees.  Recently we discovered that it does not cool below 50 degrees even when the ambient temperature is low.    We run it on DC en route to the RV park to cool it down and on AC when in the park.  We have always kept it level at the campsite and we are careful not to overfill it.  We never put hot foods in it.  Other than making certain that ventilation is adequate I don't know what can be done.  I know that they are very expensive to replace.  I have considered removing the refrigerator and replacing it with a small "dorm size" refrigerator.  We keep our food cold in our ice chest and transfer the food to the refrigerator when we arrive at the campsite.  I would appreciate and ideas on how to fix it and from any one that has used a "real" dorm refrigeraor in their pop-up.

[austinado16]

Couple of suggestions:
1) It's recommended that the fridge be pre-cooled for 24hrs using either propane or 120v prior to your departure.

2) Prior to leaving, stock the fridge with cold food and switch to 12v for the drive.  The 12v and the cold food will maintain the temp you created during pre-cooling.

3)Upon arrival at the campground, switch to propane.  They work better on propane, and they'll run for about a month on a 20lb tank, so it's not going to run you out of propane any time soon.

4) Make sure that whatever thermometer you're using is, in fact, accurate.

A good time to test the fridge on propane is in camp driveway or camp backyard.  Once you've done the test, report back and we can take it from there.

If you'd like to do some reading on fridge function, mods, etc. scroll down a few posts and find my 4 page thread entitled "Maybe this will keep my fridge cool."  I'm on day 6 of camp back yard testing and playing around with mods to insulation, air flow baffles and external fans.

Hope this helps.

[joe]

I replaced my 3 way frig with a 120v AC mini frig. It was the best thing I did on my pup. It elimates all the problems and worrys associated with 3 way frigs.

I have a 98 Coleman Sun Ridge that had a Norcold 3 way frig. I spent approx 100 dollars for the mini frig and 20 to insatll it. I have had this set uo for 2 years with one problem. I cold the freg at home B4 leaving, storage food in a cooler for the trip and load in the frig upon arrival.

Unless you have a need to run the frig on propane, no eletric at your site why not go with a AC frig?

How many people have had the 3 way frig on 12 volt during a trip, forgot to shut it off during a long stop and the batt in the TV went dead?

joe

[austinado16]

I replaced my 3 way frig with a 120v AC mini frig. It was the best thing I did on my pup. It elimates all the problems and worrys associated with 3 way frigs.

I have a 98 Coleman Sun Ridge that had a Norcold 3 way frig. I spent approx 100 dollars for the mini frig and 20 to insatll it. I have had this set uo for 2 years with one problem. I cold the freg at home B4 leaving, storage food in a cooler for the trip and load in the frig upon arrival.

Unless you have a need to run the frig on propane, no eletric at your site why not go with a AC frig?

How many people have had the 3 way frig on 12 volt during a trip, forgot to shut it off during a long stop and the batt in the TV went dead?

joe

Hi Joe,
Have a battery in the TV go dead during a stop won't happen if you have the fridge power wired with a simple relay that seperates the TV's battery from the PUP when the ignition is off.  See the image below.

Personally, I think it's fun and extremely handy to have a PUP that's all self-contained.  Even if I have to do some minor mods to improve the performance of some items, I'm still happy to do it.  I don't want to go camp where I can plug in.

[Rt66West]

I appreciate your reply. You certainly have done a great deal of research and work on the subject!  This site has a wealth of information and members like you make it special!

[Rt66West]

I plan on removing my 3 way Dometic reefer and replace it with a mini AC type model.  We don't dry camp and don't plan to in the future so an a/c model might be the best answer for us.   It seems to me that removing the 3 way and re-installing the AC model might be a pretty straightforward project. Are there any other members out there who have made the switch with comments to share?

[AustinBoston]

We have Flagstaff Model 206 pop-up trailer that we bought new in 2003.  It came equipped with a 1.7 cubic foot 3 way reefer.  It always cooled to around 40 degrees.  Recently we discovered that it does not cool below 50 degrees even when the ambient temperature is low.

It really ought to do better than that.  Ours is a 2000, and it went down to 18

[joe]

I replace my 3 way frig with a mini frig. I removed the 3 way and measured the space. I went to all the different appliance stores in my area and measure to see which mini frig would fit. I bought the largest mini frig that would fit and placed it in the opening. The frig was about the same size as the 3 way, 1.8 cuft. With a little modification, raise the counter top I could have used a larger frig. I secured the frig to the floor and added extra insulation around the sides. There were some gaps on the front cabinet which I covered with molding and stained the same color as the cabinets.

This was the best thing I have done to my pop up. 3 way frigs are either good or very problematic. This web site has at least 1 or 2 threads concerning 3 way frigs most of the time. The threads consist of questions, problems, and or modifications to improve or fix some problem.

The only thing you have to becarful of is to get a mini frig that has a compressor. Some of the mini frigs use a cooling method which does not use a compressor and is only good if the temp outside the frig is stable and aroung room temperature. The frig only cools so many degrees below ambeint temp

joe