how bad did i screw up my Dometic fridge

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cully

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Well I did it but i'm not sure what I did to my fridge so I'm back here asking you folks. I fell asleep while out boon docking and I was on uneven ground. When I woke my refer no longer works. What do you all think I'm in for as far as repairs, components or a whole new refer? My rv is a 1992 fleetwood jamboree. All the appliances are original. Fridge worked terrific until I killed it.
 
cully said:
Well I did it but i'm not sure what I did to my fridge so I'm back here asking you folks. I fell asleep while out boon docking and I was on uneven ground. When I woke my refer no longer works. What do you all think I'm in for as far as repairs, components or a whole new refer? My rv is a 1992 fleetwood jamboree. All the appliances are original. Fridge worked terrific until I killed it.
Click to expand...
Have you driven it after?

If not, simply take it for a drive on a bumpy road and see if that helps. It could be just a temporary thing, which has happened to me a couple of time in my Y2K RV and is again working fine after a short drive.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
Is it just not getting cold, are there codes, lack of power? Not lighting on propane. Need more information to be of any help. Our Dometic in a 1996 Holiday Rambler quit. Just needed a new control box. Other problems could be thermocouple or the propane heating unit.
 
I did drive in to town, about 25 miles since the fridge problem but all smooth blacktop. I'll try a bumpy road today. Seems weird, rv goes looking for bumpy road, sounds contradictory but I understand the idea kinda. My type of repair is usually with a hammer when all else fails. Glad I don't have a hammer on the trip with me.
 
Is it just not getting cold, are there codes

I don't know where to look for codes. I do have the ordinal fridge manual. I'll try and find a code referral, thanks
 
Those absorption type refrigerators need to be fairly level to operate properly. The bumps might restore some operation, but it's also possible that too much off-level operation can damage the unit, so a careful physical inspection (including from outside) should be done.
 
Check for yellow powder on the coils in the back. If there is powder or yellow residue, you have an ammonia leak. Have someone try to start it on gas from inside while you are outside and can observe the gas system. If you can hear the ignitor clicking but no gas going through it might be the control box. If you can't hear the ignitor, that might be the problem. These are all pretty easy fixes. When mine quit, I just started replacing parts. Ignitor, thermocouple and finally the control box. Your older fridge might not have a code system, you'll just have to "trial and error", but you can replace all the parts I mentioned for about 300 with the most expensive being the control box.
 
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An RV refrigerator that is 30 years old and still in use is way past the typical life expectancy and so it might have failed at that same moment even if it had been perfectively leveled. We could probably give you more and better advice if we at least knew the model of your refrigerator. I would suggest that you do as Bill Nourse has suggested, but I would not spend a lot of money on it as even if you get it working again, you will then have a 30 year old refrigerator that has 1 new part. I suspect that finding the right parts will not be easy and you should at least consider upgrading to a newer refrigerator.
 
Our Dometic in our ‘95 Bounder needed a new ‘motherboard’ about 3 years ago or so.
$100.00 or so later, via the internet, all is good. Easy peasy switch out.
 
Model# ?

You may need a new cooling unit. I had to do this last year on my 92 Fleetwood trailer.

I bought a new cooling unit from the "RV Cooling Unit Warehouse" It was only $525 and it was easy to change. You do need to pull the fridge out and replace the assembly on the back with all the tubes. It's easier than it sounds or looks. You can probably remove and replace it all in one day. Lots of youtube videos are available to show you how. No special tools or refrigeration knowledge are necessary, anyone with some handyman aptitude can do this.

The alternative is to buy a beer fridge but that means you need inverters and batteries to go dry camping or boondocking. I chose to replace the cooling unit so I could run on propane.

BTW - the new units from the RV cooling unit warehouse are an upgraded design and work better than new.
 
You fell asleep while on uneven ground.. How uneven was it if you were able to fall asleep.

I once did the math to figure out what 3 degrees was multiplied by 8 feet (Just a tad over 5")

That's not going to be comfortable for sleeping.
 
John's point is valid. 3° is pretty unlevel. Good chance that was not the issue.

We still need details from Cully to help more. As has been asked, is it lighting? Staying lit? How's the flame look? Getting cold at all? Does it work on AC?
 
Bill Nourse said:
John from Detroit, great answer. I'm sure this will get his fridge working right away.
Click to expand...

Actually I'm not so sure.. Though coincidence is not something I am not a great believer in it does happen.

It may be the Cooling unit picked that specific time to give up it's yellow/brown powder and fail.

What I'm saying is odds are HE did not screw it up.... Not saying it's not screwed royally.
 
Kirk said:
An RV refrigerator that is 30 years old and still in use is way past the typical life expectancy
Click to expand...
I ain't so sure.

With the exception of the full-timers, many RVs get very little use even over 30 years. I would think a refrigerator 30 years old could still be much like new, in many cases.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
If it's not rusty inside or around the door, replacing the cooling unit + control board pretty much makes it a new fridge at 1/4 the price of a replacement (assuming you DIY, that is).

A 1992 vintage fridge probably doesn't have any diagnostic codes. Likely just a "Check" light or similar.

Still haven't seen any description of the symptoms, e.g. what control panel shows, burner lit of not, any cooling in the freezer, etc. "I killed it" doesn't give much to diagnose.
 
My 1992 RM2512 doesn't even have a circuit board. No check light or codes at all. It has an electric igniter but it's not automatic, you still have to push the pilot button in to get it lit. I also have to manually turn a dial to change from propane to 120VAC (or OFF). The upside is that it will run without battery power.

The RV Cooling warehouse had my part in stock but the OP hasn't posted his model yet.
 
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