PLEASUREWAY REFRIGERATOR ISSUES

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BHASSELBRING

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Joined
Dec 5, 2016
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3
HEY THERE,
WE PURCHASED A 2015 PLEASUREWAY EXCEL THAT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN A RENTAL. EVERYTHING WORKS WELL EXCEPT THE THREE-WAY DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR DOESN'T COOL WHILE RUNNING (ON GAS OR BATTERY). IT COOLS GREAT ON GAS OR SHORE POWER WHEN STOPPED, BUT HEATS RIGHT UP AS SOON AS WE START GOING DOWN THE ROAD. WE'VE HAD TWO DIFFERENT RV PLACES WORK ON IT AND A REFRIGERATOR SPECIALIST (WHO REPLACED A SWITCH THAT DIDN'T HELP) AND WE'VE SPENT MORE THAN $400 WITHOUT SUCCESS. ANY THOUGHTS/SUGGESTIONS? ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM? THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE. FEELING FRUSTRATED. BOBBIE
 
Fuse?? Under 12V DC (battery) cooling it will draw a lot of power and likely has a separate fuse for that mode of operation. !2v is required for shore power or propane operation but these are very low 12V power requirements, that is why I suggest that perhaps a second fuse is installed.

Searching Using Google (or other engine) for the Make and model of this particular Dometic and you can likely find the manual for it on line.
 
Any luck so far?? BTW, this Dometic is not special to Pleasureway, many different small RV's/boats use them. The model number is usually written on a sticky paper just inside the door and appears to be an RM8585 according to this 2015 orientation video at http://pleasureway.com/orientation-walk-thrus/

May be different on a rental model. Operation on 12V for more than a short period is NOT recommended on the video, but you can use propane while underway, many do.

Nice motor home by the way!!!!




Just an FYI, using capital letters in a posting is often viewed as shouting and is harder to read. Please refrain!!!
 
BHASSELBRING said:
IT COOLS GREAT ON GAS OR SHORE POWER WHEN STOPPED, BUT HEATS RIGHT UP AS SOON AS WE START GOING DOWN THE ROAD.

If the refrigerator continues to get 12 volts (for the control board), the only difference between running it on gas while stopped and running it on gas while traveling down the road is air circulation.

The refrigerator needs air to circulate behind it to carry off the waste heat created by the refrigeration process.  No heat dissipation = no cooling.

Or it could be going the other way, with too much air blowing in behind the furnace and snuffing out the flame when you're in motion.

As previously mentioned, running the refrigerator in 12 volt mode is not recommended - use the gas mode while traveling.  The 12 volt mode cools less than using either 120 volts or gas modes, because there just isn't enough 12 volt power available to make enough heat to keep the refrigeration system operating at full capacity.
 
Thanks for the replies. No luck so far in getting our 2015 Pleasureway Excel Dometic three-way refrigerator to work while driving. In other RVs, we've always run the refrigerator while driving on propane. We only tried using the 12v after the propane stopped working while we're driving (of course works great as soon as we stop on both propane and 120v shore power). A mechanic told us we weren't supposed to be using propane while driving!

I read somewhere that the propane flame might be blowing put while driving. Anyone ever heard of this? Would some kind of baffle system work. Someone suggested this baffle http://www.adventurerv.net/baffle-kit-p-21023.html but I have no idea if this would work on this tiny Dometic refrigerator. Any ideas? Thanks so much for any help you can provide.
 
Yes, it is conceivable that the propane flame gets blown out while moving, but you say it doesn't cool on 12v power either.  I don't think your battery/alternator blows out!  Likewise the fuses are the same whether parked or moving, so that's not it either. It is true, though, that the 12v heater uses a separate (larger) fuse from the normal circuit board 12v supply.

QUESTION: does the fridge not cool at all while moving, or does it simply not get as cold as it should? In other words, is the cooling unit not working at all, or working but not providing enough chill to keep the box cold?  Two entirely different problems, so that is a key distinction.

Does the Pleasureway have a generator? If so, does the fridge cool adequately if you run the genset while driving?

As Lou says, if the fridge works in all three modes when parked, it should also work while driving.  If it is unable to cool adequately when moving, odds are that the problem is air flow and heat surrounding the fridge. The cooling unit is trying to chill, but external heat is too much for it and either the cooling unit is not able to shed waste heat, or the fridge box itself is getting heated by external hot air. The latter is lack of proper seals & baffles to isolate the fridge from the rear area where the cooling unit resides.
 
First, Flame can blow out yes, Rare but it can happen.. HOWEVER.

RV Fridges tend to be DSI devices (Direct Spark Ignition) on this type of system if the flame blows out the control board will attempt a re-light, usually 3 tries,, Then lock out in safe mode till you manually reset it.

Is this lock out happening?

Now, you say it works great stopped, on both propane and Electric (120) forget 12 volt by the way, Do not even bother with it.

The fridge should "hold cold" for 6-8 hours with the door closed.. You should not drive more than 8 hours in one day, and even then you should take a break for Lunch.. and turn the fridge on then extending that "8" to perhaps "10"  So it should not be a problem    Also the FULLER the fridge, the longer it holds cold.

Next: "Should not run on propane"  Have heard that too, there is a very very very tiny chance of a fire and in a very specific type of crash increased fire danger..... Again very very tiny.  But there is also a danger with any electric or gas appliance.  And the greater danger has nothign to do with parked or in motion...

I feel the safer course, in many cases, may be to run with it on.  on the small chance it does catch fire I'd much rather be awake, able to see the smoke and flames in the mirror, than asleep or worse yet not even be there so it not only burns my RV but the more zeros on the price tag than I care ever to see in one place Prevost beside me.

 
I run my generator and use 110 for the fridge and AC in the rear. when it dies I'm going to lowes and buy a standard mini-fridge to fit in it's place and use 110 only
 
Own a 2004 Pleasure Way Excel. I eventually discovered that if engaging the backup battery switch while driving, and the refrig set to DC, the refrig stayed very cold.  Bob
 
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