RV Refrigerator Help!!!!!!

[diamondfish]

Okay so I am new to this RV thing, and I know there is a ton of people who are smarter than me, better looking than me and have a better disposition than me. So with all the posterior kissing out of the way, could someone please tell me how to fix this issue;

I plugged the motorhome into the shorepower, then turned the dial on the refrigerator to electric and adjusted the thermostat to the middle. I could heat some gurgling coming from behind the fridge where the condensor (?) is. I left it gurgle and do its thing for a few hours and no cold fridge. So next I changed it from electric to gas, went through the steps, to make sure it was on and the pilot light working. Again I heard the same gurgling noise. I assume this noise is the junk in the tank boiling, sending the freon up to condense and cool, but I dont know.

So what is the deal, do these things take a long time to cool the fridge, is something wrong here, or is it a bad case of operator error? I am mechanicaly enclined and can figure most things out, but I am in the dark when it comes to RV refrigeration.

[Keeper]

First off: Do you smell ammonia when you open the door? If you do, proceed directly to your favorite RV repair shop.

Otherwise try this: Put a thermometer inside, adjust the thermostat to high and wait 24hrs. Keep the door closed! Then after 24hr check the temp.

During the summer it would take the full 24hrs for our brand new Dometic to get to 40 degrees. RV fridges are not like the ones in your house...they will heat up quickly when you open the door. Plus, they do not have a ton of insulation around them to keep them cool.

[diamondfish]

What is the ammonia smell in my freezer from???

[diamondfish]

I just stuffed the freezer portion of the unit full of ice, in hopes to help lower the temp so that the refrigerant might start doing its thing. I wonder if i am fighting a loosing battle?

[yomper]

Many RV fridges are charged with Lithium Bromide and sometimes it crystalizes and IF your unit is one with that charge you can take a hairdryer and warm up the evaporator and the visual piping visible at the rear of the unit the evap plate is usually under the bottom of the freezer section be careful not to overheat the plastic bottom of the freezer as it will melt and buckle

[lentz]

I've heard that they will cool down quicker when you use the gas. I had to run mine for a day before it got cold when using electricity.

[jvp]

mine cools quickly and is ready to go in just a couple of hrs. it never gurgles and has an automatic switch from gas to electric. electric first and then gas is how it works. but I think first off. how old is the rv and how long have you had it and did it ever work would be my ???? to you.

if you just bought it used and it never worked, ouch, you may have been had. I learned after my first and only rv that you make them have EVERYTHING running and working when you come to check it. I mean heat if it is summer ac if it is winter both gas and electric for the fridge right down to having water in the tanks and hot water running to check for water leaks.

i dealt with the sob of rvs and learned a great lesson there. lucky for me mfg. is local and i took it to them and had everything done the the lot should have. i did buy new.

[Seefood Man]

Do the easy things first. Make sure unit is level. The older ones are very touchy about that. I'll tell you that if it can't be fixed for a couple hundred bucks, dump it and get a new one,,,,expensive as they are they can be a money pit. Don't ask me how I know that

[Troller]

My buddy is a HVAC guy, He told me to make sure it is level, the flame is buring correctly , No spider webs or bugs have built a home in their. Give it 24 hours. If all that is good then go buy a new one. He stated they are as expensive to fix as to replace if it isnt one of those simple things. Unfortunalty I will be buying a new one come this spring. Mine would allways take 12 or more hours to completly cool down depending on how hot it is out. I ran it for two day this last time and nada. Good luck.

[Snarl]

If you smell ammonia you have a leak. TURN IT OFF IMMEDIATELY! The system also contains hydrogen gas. I have investigated a number of refrigerator fires in rv's that were caused by a leak in the refrigerant system. Best case is that you can get it serviced/repaired. Worst case if you leave it on (electricity or gas) is that you burn up the rv and anything next to it.

[retiredgal]

We had a motorhome when we full timed a couple of years ago, had ongoing refrigerator problems similar to yours? Had it pulled and the real part sent out to be rebuilt, came back, ran fine for a few months then the same "no cold" problem again?

Disgusted, we just bought a new one, cost about $1200.00, but messing with the old one we lost lots of meat and food, wasted hundreds of dollars, plus all the hassle of removing and installing in a very tight place. Bad scene!

If no warranty, go for new in our opinion and move on to the next issue? RVing ain't cheap or uneventful.

[James in Idaho]

How old is it? I ask because I haven't worked on RVs since about 1984. But I paid a lot of my college tuition wrenching on them.

If it is not leaking (and your noise makes me wonder if it is), then it should not take very long to cool down. Best place to check is the freezer section, it will start to get cold in a few minutes. Make sure that your vent is not plugged (not uncommon for bird's nests to be in there), and yes I've watched one burn to the ground because of a bird nest, and if you can use air to blow all the dust out. Not leaking, try taking it for a drive down the bumpiest road you dare. Those fridges will vapor lock, and sometimes you can clear the lock with a tooth rattling run. SOMETIMES. Otherwise, if it is leaking or vapored beyond fixing, time for a rebuild or new fridge. But as long as it is taking to cool, I think you're headed that way, my little one in my tent trailer will chill down in a couple of hours. Good luck.