RV Fridge Help

[Sleek-Jet]

OK, so I'm getting the TT ready for the lake this weekend. For various reasons, the rig hasn't been used in about 18 months. In light of that, I pulled it over to an camping spot from the storage area and plug it in to turn everything on and check things out.
I'm worried about the fridge. I turned it on for a half hour or so, and the fins inside never got cool to the touch. I went outside and checked, the boiler was hot. This was all on AC power, not propane. FYI, it's a Dometic double door fridge. 2.5 years old (yes, just out of waranty).
My question is this; After a fridge has been sitting for a while, how long does it take for things to start cooling down??? Is 30 minutes enough or do I need to allow more time to get the coolent circulating through the system???

[Mrs. Bordsmnj]

I am no expert at all but the fridge in our motie takes forever to cool down. And when its on AC, ours has to be turned to the coldest setting in order to work.
:)

[9er]

Yeah, ours takes a couple hours. I also had a breaker trip from the outside outlet and shut the whole thing down too. We had to hit the GFI in the bathroom.
All I hear is if the condenser thing is hot, it's working on propane I think. If you smell ammonia in that compartment, you've got probs.
Those things aren't cheap to replace so I'd really look into it.

[JB in so cal]

After you turn it on and wait (for however long) touch the BOTTOM of the freezer. That'll be the very first place it gets cold to the touch.
RV fridges aren't like home jobbies. The cold surrounds the box rather than cold air pushed around.

[Sleek-Jet]

Cool... (no pun intended).
I'll try it on propane this evening and leave it for a few hours, see what happens. I didn't have full tanks, so I had them in the back of the truck to go fill up.
I didn't smell anything inside the compartment, so I don't think I've got a coolent leak.
Thanks everyone. :D

[Hustler]

It takes alot longer than a 1/2 hour for them cool down. you can buy a fridge fan to help it cool down faster also if you look at the fin on the right it should have a plastic piece cliped on it, if you pull that away from fin the fridge will cool down a little faster and get the fridge colder.

[lalhc]

If its been sitting a while w/no use you may want to shop-vac the coils.

[Tom Brown]

Chainsaw that thing out and install a 21 cu ft Frigidaire and Honda generator. You'll be glad you did.

[JustMVG]

Ours takes awhile to cool down, and if the kids are in and out of it like they are at home the darn thing takes forever to recover, always on the highest/coolest setting, if your fridge has an automatic relight on the pilot check the breaker, or check your converter and batts, the fridge needs that little bit of electricity to keep working, telling the pilot to stay lit.

[Sleek-Jet]

Chainsaw that thing out and install a 21 cu ft Frigidaire and Honda generator. You'll be glad you did.
I was going to use an axe and a Whirlpool fridge and an Onan gen... but that'd work just as well. :idea:

[bocco]

Sleek-jet,
If you can get to the back of the fridge, remove the metal panel to expose the small burner. clean any crusty junk out of the burner so the propane flows nicely. There should be an igniter right there also. it's easy to bend and you should adjust it with about 1/8 inch gap to ground to get agood spark. Actually before that if you can get to the top of the flue there may be a baffle hanging on wire. Pull that up and out and make shure the flue is clean. You can then start it with the panel off and see how the flame looks. Blow out the flame to test the restart. Leave it run over night if you can. They do take a while to cool down. Tom Brown is right though. When the fridge finally dies on my houseboat I'll replace it with a small residential model and some extra solar panels.
Good Luck
Gary

[Sleek-Jet]

Sleek-jet,
If you can get to the back of the fridge, remove the metal panel to expose the small burner. clean any crusty junk out of the burner so the propane flows nicely. There should be an igniter right there also. it's easy to bend and you should adjust it with about 1/8 inch gap to ground to get agood spark. Actually before that if you can get to the top of the flue there may be a baffle hanging on wire. Pull that up and out and make shure the flue is clean. You can then start it with the panel off and see how the flame looks. Blow out the flame to test the restart. Leave it run over night if you can. They do take a while to cool down. Tom Brown is right though. When the fridge finally dies on my houseboat I'll replace it with a small residential model and some extra solar panels.
Good Luck
Gary
I haven't tried it on propane yet. My bottles were empty (those big bottles will run a BBQ a looooooooooooooong time :D ). But if I still have problems I'll be sure and check all of that out. Thanks. :D

[Man-de-lone]

Its gotta be level. I had the same issues. Sometimes it worked great other times not. Would not get cold..then freeze the lettuce... I finally figured it out. It needs to be really level.
I bought and glued down a bullseye type round buble level inside the unit. Its about the size of a quarter. I stuck it on the floor of the fridge inside.
So not only do you need to get the rig level for comfort you need to level it for the fridge to work right. Also a good idea to clean out the gas line by the pilot, as stated above. Spiders love to make nests in the little pipes. Same in the water heater.

[JustMVG]

Ahh the joys of auto levelers..... I don't miss the blocks and the back and forth to see where the bubble was. Now turn on the levelers and push the arrow. All level!!

[nodigg]

I am not user this is a for sure fact, but I started using a bag of ice in the freezer to jump start the cooling...seems like it helps??

[Flying Tiger]

It takes a good spell, If not,, then move your rig and re-level and it should start cooling then.
It may have some 12 volt circuits, so if the batts arent up to snuff - that may effect it also, especially on gas. No step down transformers, it pulls 12V from your rigs batts.
It'll work fine,
The model you have is a good one.
Charge everything up,, and if it still doesnt get cold after 12 hours,, then tow it around the block and try again.

[Sleek-Jet]

Ahh the joys of auto levelers..... I don't miss the blocks and the back and forth to see where the bubble was. Now turn on the levelers and push the arrow. All level!!
If I end up keeping this thing, that will be one of the first investments.
It was level. I threw the little bulls-eye level on the counter and it was dead nuts in the middle. So I put it in the fridge and just about the same thing.
I wish all RV spots were like that. :D

[Danhercules]

I am not user this is a for sure fact, but I started using a bag of ice in the freezer to jump start the cooling...seems like it helps??
I use dry ice somtimes. Less mess than ice.

[Sleek-Jet]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their input. I put two full tanks or propane (and a new battery... :notam: ) on the trailer last night and fired up the fridge on propane. Went and checked it this morning and everything is frosty.
Time to go to the lake. :D

[nodigg]

Good to hear you got it going without $$$$. One thing some one taught me at Pismo a few weeks back I did not know. When you re-fill your gas bottles, you can get air bubbles in the lines and the fridge MAY require several start cycle attempts for the gas to keep flowing and I swore I had a bad fridge till I got edjumacated.