'85 Scamp 13' Std. - Dometic 211 Fridge

[Tom Kaeppel]

I just bought this and it's my first.

I've tried it with the 120v plugged in and with it set to run on propane (I got a pilot flame and the burner ignited); I don't feel anything getting cold and don't hear anything like a blower or compressor kick in (should I?).

[Connie M.]

Our Trillium's frig did not work at first, but after a bumpy ride on our first camping trip it began to work quite well. Before we bought it, it had been parked for a long time. Some folks have also taken out their frig and rotated it, and you could probably find info about that if you did a search. (Seems like they mentioned a specific order to the rotation.) We're not short on bumpy roads up here, and that did the trick for us. So you might try some kind of movement before you give it up for dead.
Now, when I plug the frig in to pre-cool before a camping trip, it gets noticably cool rather quickly. I can't hear it running, so I open 'er up to check, and, sure enough, it's doing its job.

[Tom Kaeppel]

Thanks Connie,

I found a Dometic Service Manual at http://csc.laurentian.ca/~ken/bolerrv/manu...vice_Manual.pdf
and there are a number of possible reasons that I wouldn't have known to check for; if all else fails, which road in Alaska?

[Alf S.]

Hi: You won't hear the fridge run as they don't have a compressor. Heat is what cools in these little marvels. The ammonia in the coils is heated and absorbs the heat in the fridge and sends it out thru the vent/grille. They must be LEVEL to work on any of the 3ways 110v 12v or propane!!! If the ammonia foams up it can't travel up the coil properly so it needs a "SHAKE DOWN" or "BURP" to return the ammonia to its proper place. The only time they quit is if the ammonia leaks out of the coil tubing and this can all be replaced/recharged by a competent R.V. fridge Tech. Check out www.gammonsrv.com as he is our local appliance tech and describes some of this process. Hope this helps some
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Donna D.]

We have a bunch of service manuals here on FiberglassRV. Check out the Document Center. For instance, these are the manuals for refrigerators: Document Center - Refrigerators

[Bill F.]

I just bought this and it's my first.

I've tried it with the 120v plugged in and with it set to run on propane (I got a pilot flame and the burner ignited); I don't feel anything getting cold and don't hear anything like a blower or compressor kick in (should I?).

I've had several different Dometic fridges and find it takes about 2 hours to make ice cubes in the freezer section if they are working properly. As already mentioned by others there is no motor to make any noise. Just yesterday I had the fridge out of my Bigfoot 13.5 because it wasn't cooling properly on propane(110v worked fine). I found there was a restriction in a small diameter tube just before the main gas valve. When I re-installed it after clearing the tube there was ice starting to form at 1.5 hours. A poor fitting door seal can be another problem. Some people in hot southern states install fans to circulate hot air away from the back of the fridge to assist cooling in really hot weather. I saw a small solar powered fan designed for this application at my local RV shop recently. It's worth spending a bit of time because of the price of a new unit.
Bill