What's Involved with Pulling out the Frig and Heater?

[Archie J]

I just did a fairly thorough cleaning on the scamp and got rid of all mouse traces. The only place I didn't get to was behind the frig and heater. I was wondering if it was a real pita to pull and put back the frig? I guess the heater has the same question to it. It is the suburban heater and I think the frig is the dometic.

Archie

[Eddie Longest]

I just pulled a frig. out of an older 13 to replace the floor section under and behind the frig. First turn off propane and remove tank. Next open outside access panel for the frig. You will need to break the connections on the gas line T connection for the frig., range and supply line. Next you will find two wires spliced into the 12V line, mine used blue trailer splices, disconnect those wires. Pull out insulation stuffed around the frig. Next unplug the 110 VAC plug for the frig.
Now go inside, and remove the range cover. Then disconnect the gas line. There may be some screws holding the burners into the range pan remove them. There should be some 1/8" pop rivets holding in the range pan into the figerglass cabinet, drill those out and remove the pan. Then you should see two panels riveted to the Frig. to hold the hot air behind the frig. then drill out those rivets and remove those panels. One panel will have an electrical box which houses the duplex for the frig., disconnect the AC romex wire. Now look under the front edge of the counter where the range was mounted and you will see a piece of aluminum angle pop riveted to the top of the Frig. and the other side of the angle is riveted to the back of the cabinet, now drill out all these rivets and remove the angle. Now the frige. should be free and it should slide out the front of the cabinet.
My trailer did not have a furnace but disconnect the gas lines and remove the cover and mounting hardware and the furnace should slide out the front of the cabinet. The older scamps (70's) had no electrical hook ups to the furnace.
More than likely the wood floor under your frig. may be bad. The good news is by just removing the cabinet this section of flooring can be replaced.
The frige. and furnace removal should take about 2-3 hours the install will take a while longer.
Good Luck
Eddie

[Archie J]

That answers the question. Thanks-I'm not sure I have the time right now. Do you think I can clean behind it effectively from just the outside access panel? I know I should be able to answer this, but I have really investigated this yet. Thanx

archie

[Eddie Longest]

Archie
At a minimum I would pull the range and range pan to get to the top of the frig. for cleaning. From the outside access panel pull out all the old fiberglass insulation stuffed by the side of the frig. Then you can make up an vacuum hose adapter to vacuum between the frig. and the fwd. cabinet wall. In the newer Scamps they stuff a piece of foam pipe insulation tubing in the gap to close off the air space by the frig. instead of using loose fiberglass insulation.
If you pull the sink that will also give you much better access to clean around and on top of the furnace and the back wall of the cabinet.
Eddie

[Donna D.]

Archie, do you know if the frig works? If it's a 3-way, one of the methods used to see if the frig can get working again, is to pull it out and turn it upside down for a day or two or three. If it's not working (even an all-electric one) you'll ending up pulling it out anyway.

[Archie J]

It is gas electric/gas, don't know about three way though. I haven't tried it yet, but it's cold enough I won't be able to test it until spring anyway. I probably more than enough to keep me busy for the momemt. What does turning it upside down tell you?
Archie

[Herb Sutton]

I pulled the furnace out of a sticky a few years ago. It wasn't hard. First was unscrewing the gas line. Remove the louvered face plate, then the undo the screws in the front flange. After that it just pulls out. There are wires, but I don't remember how they were fastened, but were not a problem.

When you go to put it back you have to line up the intake and exhaust tubes on the back.

It is handy to have a shop-vac for clean up while you are there.