12 year old dometic rm2193 suddenly quit working...won't run on ax,DC or propane. On road for three months, tech says thermo is bad, so is ac switch, stack gets hot on propane, but coils are cold...any thoughts?
Wed, 06/04/2014 - 10:23
#1
Bad dometic refrig?
I remember on my 81 Scamp 13 the 12V was something you would never use unless you had a bank of batteries and a way to keep them constantly charging. It never worked on electric as well as propane, so we generally kept it on propane 24/7. If the pilot is lit, the tube is hot, and the coils are cold it sounds like it is working on propane. It used to take us 4-8 hours after you start it on propane to reach temperature so we always lit it up the night before the trip. Of course if the thermostat is bad that could be an issue, but they shouldn't be that expensive to have him replace. AC Switch shouldn't be an expensive replacement either. The 2193 is on sale at PPL Motorhomes for $479 so I'd guess you need to weigh repair price vs new replacement and situation of being on the road. Did the tech say the ac switch and thermostat would repair it, and how much??
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale
Thanks Greg for the info. We had the propane on for 12 hours, the refrig did not cool, the coils next to the heat exchanger were not hot or warm. We were told these coils needed to be hot to the touch. The coils inside the refrig unit were room temp. Could a bad thermo for the propane be causing the problem? Thanks, John
It certainly could be the thermostat. I'd have to rely on the tech's advice on that one. I know my 2193 was the original 1981 and was about 24 years old when I got it and it wasn't working. I took it out of the trailer and turned it on it's head and kicked it a few times and it started working about 3 days later.
It ran for 5 years after that until we sold it and the new owner said not too long after they had to have the thermocouple replaced. That's about the extent of my fridge tech experience.
How much did he want for the repairs and is he saying that will fix it??
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale
Thanks Greg...we are heading to Rapid City to get it looked at...refrig 500, labor ?, may check out a stand by elec at Wal Mart!
Thanks Greg...we are heading to Rapid City to get it looked at...refrig 500, labor ?, may check out a stand by elec at Wal Mart!
Keep us posted on what happens.....
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale
Do a Google search for RV wrecking yards. May be you can find a good used fridge.
I just found a couple of Great You Tube Videos explaining RV Refrigerator operation and maintenance.
This information will be helpful to anyone facing Refrigerator issues.
I hope this information helps Dr John before he replaces his fridge.
Find these Videos on You Tube by searching for:
FRVTS Refrigerators
Video number 1 gives a detailed explanation of how these refrigerators work and Video number 2 shows a very common issue with repairing these fridges.
Happy Scamping !!!
PS: Video number 3 is also helpful !!!
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
Hi - just joined and recently purchased a 2008 Scamp 16. Plugged it in this weekend to AC power, and everything electrical appears to be working. Fridge (5 cu ft) reportedly was never used. Upon turning fridge on, exterior boiler got hot and after a few minutes there was a very strong ammonia smell inside camper. Anyone know where to look for common areas with leaks? Is it necessary to remove the unit? Any hints on how to do so, if yes? I did look at some videos online, but they were very basic. One segment of the video said if you smell ammonia, it's leaking, and to take it to the shop for repair. Hoping to avoid expensive trip to RV shop. We are first time trailer owners. Thanks very much for any info.
SharNix
Ammonia Fumes coming from your RV Fridge is Very, Very BAD !!!!!!
First, there are very few things I will not try to fix myself, anything to do with the Ammonia/Hydrogen gas system inside an RV refrigerator is one of them !!!!
That stuff can KILL YOU if you mess it up !!!!!
Since you already have an Ammonia leak you need to IMMEDIATELY DISABLE the fridge !!!
Unplug the 110v connection to the fridge and/or turn off the 110v breaker for the refrigerator. Turn off the propane going to your fridge and remove the 12v breaker supplying power for the controller circuit on your refrigerator.
Next, if your fridge is a Dometic, check to see if your fridge has been recalled. Google for "Dometic Recall" and enter your model number and serial number (found on a sticker inside the fridge compartment) into the Recall website. Dometic had quite a few fridges recalled so yours could be on the list. If yours is on the Recall List, go to your local RV Dealer and talk to the Service Advisor to discuss your issue and see what they advise, realize that the recall was not for leaking Ammonia, but, you may be able to negotiate getting a complete refrigerator diagnostic at no charge as part of the Recall service.
Also realize that the RV Dealers may not be trained to fully analyze Refrigeration Systems and their only solution is "Its Broke, You Need A New One".
You could try to find an RV Refrigeration Specialist in your area to determine if your fridge can be repaired.
Check out http://www.rvrefrigeration.com and click on RVRN Referral Network at the top of the page to see if there is someone close to you (or even travel to) that specializes in RV refrigerator repair.
You can also try calling all the RV Dealers in your area to find out if they have a Refrigeration Specialist, "On Staff", who could perform a more in depth analysis of your problem.
Please let us know how this works out for you.
Good Luck !!
Happy Scamping !!!
PS: The FRVTS videos on You Tube, mentioned in the previous post, are very informative and educational. I recommend that (once you get to "Fords RV Training and Service" page) you select "Videos" and then sort the videos by "Date Added Oldest First" to view the first five or six videos which will explain in detail how your RV Refrigerator works. By the time you finish your sixth video you will probably know more than Most RV Dealers.
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
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