fridge help?

[scgentleman]

Im having trouble trying to figure out if I can use my fridge with just the electricity. The pop up has a small gas leak or something so I don't use it anymore. It looks like I can use it with either a battery or by plugging it in to the power at the campground. I have never had a pop up before and never had a fridge like this either. Any help you can provide would be a great help. Thank  you.

[dkutz]

if its a three way fridge like mine, it will run on Propane, battery or shore power just turn on the approriate switch and turn the others off.....

[wavery]

It will only run for a few hours on your batteries.........

[PattieAM]

As I do not have a 30amp outlet at my house to plug my camper into, if I need to cool the 3-way fridge before a trip, I will either use the Propane setting (which you've said is defective in your unit), or, remove the outside vent covers, and plug the refrigerator into a heavy duty extension cord and run to the house outlet.

There are no moving parts in the 3-way, so there's no noise.  It will take several hours for the unit to cool, and the best way to be sure it's cooling is to feel the vents/fins on the back - if they are heating, the unit is cooling.

To assist in the cooling, load your unit with pre-cooled foods, and/or frozen water bottles and try not to open the door for several hours!

It also helps if your PUP is level side to side/front to back - so the fluids can circulate properly and effectively cool your fridge.

Hope this helps.

[coach]

with make/model info, one can find a manual at slough of places, care to share that info?

[scgentleman]

I'm not sure about the year of the camper but it's a Dutchman. I think it's somewhere in the late 90's. I can look for a vin # or something once I get home. I also want to thank everyone for all of your help. This is my Father in law camper, as I'm rebuilding mine and It won't be ready before our camping trip to Disney World for the 4th. The one that I'm rebuilding is 30 yrs. old and all it has is an ice box. I'm very new to camping but love it more each time we go.

[coach]

I meant the fridge make and model.

Dometic2193 manual and Norcold (thetford) N260 manual

Ya turn off the gas, turn on the AC, the controls on the back are a tad different for each kind

[bgambino]

Yes depending on the year of your pop up you there are vent covers on the outside of your popup. At the bottom of the vent covers you can turn the little levers, lift the vent up and slide it out to take it off. You should see your the switches to turn on your fridge by either battery or electric. Make sure your pop up is connected to power and turn on the electric (its typically a green switch). You can buy an adaptor to plugs into the end of your 30amp plug that will enable you to plug it into a standard wall outlet at your home. They sell them at Walmart for just a few dollars. Once you do that let it run for a little bit and there is a black cylinder in that area where the switch is. If it starts getting hot your fridge is working off of your electric. We usually use the campsites electric for our fridge but when we are in route we use the propane. If you run it off the battery for to long it will drain your battery. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy your pop up they are great.

[austinado16]

I'd suggest getting that "suspected" leak inspected and if you do have a leak, get it fixed.  These campers are super easy to work on, so it's not going to be an expensive issue.

Just remember that no matter how you power the fridge, your camper (and the fridge) must be level.  If you operate the fridge out of level, the amonia inside won't flow properly through the tubes.  This will cause a build up of christals which wind up blocking the tiny orifaces inside the tubing of the amonia system.  Once this blockage occurs, the fridge is ruined because it either won't make cold at all, or will make only marginal cold.

The 12 volt function of the fridge is for when towing only...and it doesn't matter if the fridge is level when towing, because the camper is bouncing around.  But you still want to set up your hitch so that the camper sits level when hitched up, or just slightly nose down.  If you have the camper slightly (or worse) nose up, it will sway at speeds above 55mph and get real exciting, real fast.:yikes:

[scgentleman]

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of your help. I can tell you that the fridge works just fine. I will be inspecting the gas leak this weekend, so hopefully that goes just as easy. Once we get back from Disney this summer I will be starting the remodeling of my Pop Up. This may be a slightly harder job, but I can't wait to start. Again thank you for all your help.