3 Way Fridge Temp

[Tim D.]

I stand corrected on the availability of a new manually-controlled Dometic refrigerator to fit the older Bigfoot 17. I have found an RM2410 here

Dometic RM2410 Compact Fridge Refrigerator Refer Small Single Door 2-Way Trailer RV Camper.


I downloaded the Dometic catalog from the same site. While the RM2410 is not shown in the catalog it is referenced as a replacement for the original Bigfoot refrigerator.




I remember not being able to find one a few years ago. I even spoke to Dometic about it and was told such a model was no longer available. I asked them to reinstate one. Perhaps they listened.

[ZachO]

Thanks for the trouble shooting link. I'm fairly sure it's not the cooling unit. My brand new fridge in my last camper had similar issues.

Either way, I'm going to clean the burner and add a baffle and go from there.

Pretty sure my fridge has electronic controls...how did your 91 Bigfoot get a manual one? Or how to I determine if my fridge has some electric draw even on propane? It's an RM2301.

[Tim D.]

Mine is an RM2310. If you manually light yours and manually change mode from propane to electricity, it likely uses no electricity in propane mode.

I have chased down various refrigerator troubles over the years. Perhaps one or more of my troubles may be yours.
One time I discovered that the baffle (located within the flue) had fallen into the flue. It needs to be suspended from the top of the flue.
While staring into the flue I noticed lots of corrosion that might be falling into the burner as I bounce down the road. I bought a gun cleaning kit at Wal-Mart to get a long-handled brush for cleaning the flue. As was mentioned earlier, cover the burner to keep out the rusty bits that will fall as you clean.
Another time I had success with inverting the fridge as others have mentioned. Eventually the fridge began to have problems again so I had the cooling unit replaced with a rebuilt one.
Yet another time I discovered that the aluminum washer used with the orifice had become cracked. After replacing the washer the fridge worked better.
And yet another time oily propane odorant was clogging the orifice. Each time I cleaned the orifice (I soaked it in rubbing alcohol) the fridge would work well for a while then cease to cool effectively. The flame looked fine but was actually insufficient. I became quite proficient at orifice R&R, which can be a little tricky because of limited access. Finally someone told me to clean the propane lines and replace the old (old enough to have been recertified) propane tanks, where the odorant can collect over time and get in the lines when the propane level is low. Indeed, when I removed the line feeding the fridge, many drops of honey-like liquid came out. After cleaning the lines and replacing the tanks THAT problem went away.
After years of frustration and problem solving, and with the addition of three fans just inside the upper vent (.2a each, can turn on just one), 4 fans blowing on the interior heat transfer fins (.2a total), and an exterior baffle to channel the hot air directly to the fans, the fridge works fine even with temps in the mid-80s and high humidity. You'll get there, Zach.

[Raz]

......... how to I determine if my fridge has some electric draw even on propane? It's an RM2301.

Wiring diagram in the manual for sure. If you have no manual how far are the controls from the burner. Controls inside at the top usually means a control board of some sort. They need to increase the thermocouple voltage if the wires get too long.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Raz

Wiring diagram in the manual for sure. ..

One would think.. and there is one in my manual, for my fridge, but the one I found online for the OP's fridge did not have a wiring diagram and was not very helpfull. It did say:

Refrigerator models requiring 12 V DC supply
On units provided with interior light or automatic reigniter or both
there is one additional terminal block marked “12 V”. On “Three
Power” units with interior light or automatic reigniter or both there
are two additional blocks.

[Mike Magee]

It's really easy to find out whether a fan at the upper vent opening will help. Put a fan, any fan, at the upper vent opening. Check the temps inside the fridge, morning and evening, with the fan running. Compare them to the temps without the fan.

This is exactly what I did with my previous KZ trailer. The fridge performed horribly, so with the trailer in the back yard I hooked an O2Cool fan over the upper vent opening to suck air upward past the fridge. Within a few hours on a hot day, I had a temp spread of more than 35* compared to ambient temperature.

If yours does not respond to the experimental fan, you know you have some other problem. If it does respond, you can proceed with wiring in a muffin fan or something.

[ZachO]

I know for a fact I've got some corrosion in the flue. If I tap on it, little rust bits come out. I'll be back in Montana at the end of the week and shortly after that I'll get in and clean what I can, and I'll see how it works after that.

Like Tim said, I've got to manually start my fridge, and manually switch between gas and electric, so I guess I don't have electronic controls.

Thanks!

With my last brand new fridge which was having these problems, the issue was nasty propane gunk built up in the lines, similar to what Tim had. The tank was from 1978 (horizontal, permanently mounted tank), and the rubber lines were too long and had a few loops in them. I could hear gurgling. When I opened up the line some black goo came out. I replaced the lines with shorter, non-looping lines and the fridge worked great after that.

I have two new, full propane tanks, just sitting and waiting for my very old tanks to run out of gas.

[Carol H]

[QUOTE=ZachO;583809

I have two new, full propane tanks, just sitting and waiting for my very old tanks to run out of gas.[/QUOTE]

As the propane tanks are very old is it possible the regulator is as well and is simple not supplying enough pressure for the fridge to work?

Here is another manual for your fridge with the first couple of pages giving a bit more detail on it than the previous one posted.

[ZachO]

Thanks. I've got the manual. I guess what I was going for with this thread was "I've looked around online, seen what different people have recommended and done, and would like some personal info on my particular situation and what you think of it". I hadn't seen the cleaning video yet that was posted, and until your post didn't realize that cleaning could make that big of a difference, especially even if my flame looks perfectly fine. So I've got some good info now.

I plan to clean the fridge either way and install a baffle. Along with my new tanks I have a new propane regulator and pigtails. The old tanks are a different thread than the new ones, so all this stuff is just waiting for them to run out. I haven't found out yet if it's any harder to dispose of half-full propane tanks than empty ones, but I'm assuming empty is easier.

Either way, in a week or so, I'll be able to get moving on all this stuff.

Thanks!

[ZachO]

The weather has been so cool lately I haven't really been able to test the fridge, but yesterday was in the 70s and it seemed like it was struggling again.

I haven't installed any fans or a baffle, but I did take out the burner and jet, soaked them in alcohol and blew them out with compressed air.

Two things I've noticed: 1. I still get some orange mixed in with my otherwise blue flame. 98% blue, but some orange flickering.
2. The burner is not 100% centered under the chimney. I got it closer to centered by bending the metal frame that holds it, but don't want to bend that stuff too much. It's close, but definitely off-center a bit.

This week looks like it's going to be warmer so maybe I'll be able to tell more. But I don't think I'm "there" yet with the fridge.

[Tim D.]

My flame is off center also. It does not reach quite to the center of the chimney. I tried bending the tubing a bit, but was unable to get it closer. Since the fridge works fine, and has for a couple of years now, I have decided to ignore the flame position.

My flame is nothing but blue.

[ZachO]

Ok, thanks. So off-center slightly is probably not a problem. Not 100% blue may be...

[Darwin Maring]

There is a down side to messing with something that has worked fine for a couple of years.

[Raz]

I can't find what model fridge you have. Does it have a freezer? I had a 3 ft ^3 Norcold that would make rock hard ice cream and curdle milk at the same time. . My Dometic 2193 works well in warm weather. No freezer. But, when it's really hot I don't put too much in, I don't open it often, and I try to keep the vent side in the shade in the afternoon.

Find a 12 v muffin fan. Old computers are a good source. Hang it on the upper vent blowing out. Paper clips. This will pull heat from the coil. I gained 10 degrees on my old Norcold. Raz

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Raz

Find a 12 v muffin fan. Old computers are a good source. Hang it on the upper vent blowing out. Paper clips. This will pull heat from the coil. I gained 10 degrees on my old Norcold. Raz

Raz, would you have a pic of the fan hanging in place?

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Raz, would you have a pic of the fan hanging in place?

Sorry no. But I think I can give you a visual. A small fan hanging on the outside of the vent held by paper clips stuck in the vent holes. When I did it I used long wires to connect it right to the battery. When it worked I was going to install it permanent by I sold the trailer before I got to it. You know how that works.

[gordon2]

Fans to move more air through the vents are a pretty common technique and you should be able to find a lot about it online. I usually see them mounted inside the back part of the fridge but mounting one on the outside of the vent would be OK as a temporary help on a hot day or as needed. I am thinking and guessing that it helps more when both intake and exhaust vents are on the side, as opposed to a fridge with the exhaust vent on the roof.

A small fan (usually battery operated) is also sometimes used inside the fridge food compartment to move air around and over the inside fins. Along with packing food so that air can circulate, this makes it more efficient.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Raz

Sorry no. But I think I can give you a visual. A small fan hanging on the outside of the vent held by paper clips stuck in the vent holes. When I did it I used long wires to connect it right to the battery. When it worked I was going to install it permanent by I sold the trailer before I got to it. You know how that works.

Thanks Raz, in my minds eye I was thinking it was inside behind the vent , got it.

[ZachO]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

There is a down side to messing with something that has worked fine for a couple of years.

Is that just a general statement or did I say somewhere that it worked for me ever?

[ZachO]

If you read through the thread, you'll see we've been over fan stuff. I like the simplicity of your fan setup, though.

Thanks for the help.

I will get around to adding a fan or two and a baffle. For now I've only had time and energy for the easy stuff: cleaning out the propane/burner elements and making sure everything looks good back there.