Here We Go AGAIN...Fridge!

[lap527]

 I had hoped after getting a baffle kit from Dometic that our fridge problems would be fixed.  Last spring I posted about our problems with the fridge.  Due to other things going on we haven't been able to use our truck camper until last week for 10 days.  We still have the same problems while traveling...the temps will rise at least 7 degrees in 3 hours of traveling.  Heaven forbid if we had been on the road much longer, no telling how high the temp would of been. Once we get to a campground or home then it works perfect.  DH thinks it's an airflow problem with the wind, electric jacks and the swingouts on the camper for the dual wheels.  DH is about ready to get rid of our TC because of it and I, on the other hand, keep hoping for a miracle.  Just venting and hoping for a suggestion that would fix our problem. Thanks for listening!

[gnies]

Maybe if you would put some frozen ice packs in the fridge prior to leave that would help maintain the temp?

[mitch]

Is the fridge on DC or propane when going down the road?

[lap527]

Going down the road it is on propane. Ideas?  After all the RVs that we have owned we never have had any problems with the refrigerator.  We have never put frozen ice in them to maintain temps or anything like that.  It just doesn't seem right to pay all of this money for a camper and then have to put ice in the thing to maintain the temp.  Grrrr....

[mitch]

I'm no expert at all but I've read that propane flame will sometimes blow out while the vehicle is moving and then re-ignite when stopped.  Maybe that's what's happening and it's because of the airflow characteristics of the combined camper and truck.  If the fridge is a three way you could try it on DC and see if that changes the behavior.

[fasteddieb]

Is it safe to have the propane on and fridge running while traveling?

I thought there were specific warnings against that, but I'm not seeing them at first glance.

[charliem]

[quote source="/post/4752/thread" timestamp="1415054612" author="@fasteddieb"]Is it safe to have the propane on and fridge running while traveling?

I thought there were specific warnings against that, but I'm not seeing them at first glance.[/quote][font size="3"]Yes, it is safe. If it's not every camper with a new or larger fridge is in trouble. Most new fridges bigger than about 4 cf no longer have the 12 volt option. In part this is due to the newer limited flow valves on gas bottles that came in with the Overfill Protective Device (OPD) many years ago.
[/font]

[jeffrey]

I had hoped after getting a baffle kit from Dometic that our fridge problems would be fixed.  Last spring I posted about our problems with the fridge.  Due to other things going on we haven't been able to use our truck camper until last week for 10 days.  We still have the same problems while traveling...the temps will rise at least 7 degrees in 3 hours of traveling.  Heaven forbid if we had been on the road much longer, no telling how high the temp would of been. Once we get to a campground or home then it works perfect.  DH thinks it's an airflow problem with the wind, electric jacks and the swingouts on the camper for the dual wheels.  DH is about ready to get rid of our TC because of it and I, on the other hand, keep hoping for a miracle.  Just venting and hoping for a suggestion that would fix our problem. Thanks for listening!

I seemed to have the same problem in my 20' VRV.  It did say something in the manual about shutting down automatically when you stop in anticipation you might be at a gas station and that it's supposed to restart after 15 minutes. I think it's supposed to be flashing when in that mode. When I parked for the night I was up to 60 degrees. I switched it off and than back on again and when I got up in the morning it was down to 42 or something like that. I just moved everything to the freezer but I doubt that's an option in your case fridge being much smaller in a TC. I never thought of the flame blowing out. I'll pay more attention to that next time I use it.

[jeffrey]

[quote source="/post/4609/thread" timestamp="1414676850" author="@lap527"] I had hoped after getting a baffle kit from Dometic that our fridge problems would be fixed.
[/quote]Somebody else recommended Ford's RV Training & Service on youtube.  While they give you way more information than you probably need some of it is really valuable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2olgFfBEAuo

 The jest is the drain vent that sticks out of the bottom assess panel that drains off condensate from your evaporator coil doesn't have a pea trap in it.  While your driving down the road the cold air might be sucked out of the unit faster than it can be cooled.  Same as if you open the door too much. The fix is to form a little pea trap in the tube and stick it back out the top of the assess panel rather than out the bottom as it came from the factory. 

They mention putting a little button on the end of the drain tube to keep bugs out. I wonder if that alone might not be enough to prevent a venturi like effect from pulling air out of your fridge.


I'm going to try this on mine and see how well it works.

[lap527]

[quote timestamp="1415242923" author="@antares4141" source="/post/4817/thread"][quote source="/post/4609/thread" author="@lap527" timestamp="1414676850"] I had hoped after getting a baffle kit from Dometic that our fridge problems would be fixed.
[/quote]Somebody else recommended Ford's RV Training & Service on youtube.  While they give you way more information than you probably need some of it is really valuable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2olgFfBEAuo

 The jest is the drain vent that sticks out of the bottom assess panel that drains off condensate from your evaporator coil doesn't have a pea trap in it.  While your driving down the road the cold air might be sucked out of the unit faster than it can be cooled.  Same as if you open the door too much. The fix is to form a little pea trap in the tube and stick it back out the top of the assess panel rather than out the bottom as it came from the factory. 

They mention putting a little button on the end of the drain tube to keep bugs out. I wonder if that alone might not be enough to prevent a venturi like effect from pulling air out of your fridge.


I'm going to try this on mine and see how well it works.
[/quote]

[lap527]

Thanks for the info but I have sent many, many pictures to the Fords. I left my number and Mr. Ford called me, such a nice gentleman! He looked at all pictures and said all the things we and the dealership had done was correct. He told me he would love to get his hands on our refrigerator to check it out. If it doesn't get better by next summer there may be a road trip to Benton, Ky. Personally, it would be worth the trip to get this aggravating problem fixed for good. I just believe that with all the RVs running up and down the road that have trouble free refrigerators running on propane there has to be an answer. Thanks and still open to ideas!