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Old 03-28-2015, 12:23 AM   #1
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Dometic comes through!

Had a lengthy conversation with Dometic today about the RML 8555 6.7 single door fridge and the lack of any reasonable fix yet to be offered. I realize Escape is just a 'little guy' in the manufacturing world, however they have come to the table!

If you are one of those with a poor performing RML 8555 6.7 single door, email me with your contact info, trailer info and fridge SN, and Dometic will replace it with an RMD 8555 6.7 double door unit. It doesn't matter how old the trailer is, they will replace it if you aren't happy.

There will be some additional fees with the re & re that the customer will have to cover. I am not sure how much Dometic will cover yet, but the rear of the fridge is larger on the RMD and will require some modifications to the seal we have built. I can't confirm how smooth this will go, but it may be a small price for a better fridge.

Having said that, they are now tweaking the RMD exterior fan switch on the rear to come on sooner.

Let the good times roll!

Reace
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Old 03-28-2015, 12:48 AM   #2
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Hi Reace,

That is very good news! Thank you for being so persistent in this matter!

Having such a big player replacing all the fridges no matter their age is a BIG succes.

Having replaced your fridge in Canada or the USA is one thing, having it replaced in the Netherlands is a whole different case.

We'll see if Dometic will go the extra (Dutch) mile.

I'll send you my contact details.
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Old 03-28-2015, 12:49 AM   #3
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Excellent news Reace.

For those of us who already have the RMD model, do you think a retrofit or "tweak" of the rear fan will be needed?
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Old 03-28-2015, 05:18 AM   #4
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I haven't seen any word as yet where the double door works better then the single, but it's worth a try. Thanks Reace.
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Old 03-28-2015, 07:26 AM   #5
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Reace,
Amazing result for your folks with the single door fridge.
This will also speed up orders from those who may have been hesitating after reading so much on the forum.
You probably recall we have the second RMD you installed, but have been quiet all winter (after our trip home in November which only saw 75F) since we've had nothing to add during cool weather.
Our first trip will be mid-April, so we will post results when we get any warmer weather.
Congrats, again.
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Old 03-28-2015, 08:20 AM   #6
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How about a resolution for those of that bought the standard 4.3 cu ft refrigerators !? Our 4.3 refer does not adequately cool in any mode when the ambient temps are above 80 degrees F.
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Old 03-28-2015, 08:21 AM   #7
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That places me in a quandary. My single door unit has always seemed to cool adequately, but admittedly I have not been in hot places where other shave experienced issues. Now I do not know what to do? I can understand the 2 door model is more efficient in preventing heat loss via opening the freezer vs the refrigerator door. Can anyone with the double door model report back their operating experience?
Does ETI recommend the exchange or rather do they feel the double door is an improvement over the single door model?
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:19 AM   #8
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the RMD does have a stronger cooling unit, however it is still a climate class SN. Although it will recover much better than the RML, i think it may still struggle in the higher temps. We will see how it does this summer.

They are changing the temperature switch that activates the fans to kick on 20 degrees lower than it does now.

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Old 03-28-2015, 09:22 AM   #9
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Bob, I did receive some new doors for the 4.3 units. I will ship you one to try out. There are a few other adjustments that can help also such as moving the thermistor away from the fins. Try taping it to the side of the fridge.

Email me you contact info

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Old 03-28-2015, 09:23 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reace View Post
Had a lengthy conversation with Dometic today about the RML 8555 6.7 single door fridge and the lack of any reasonable fix yet to be offered. I realize Escape is just a 'little guy' in the manufacturing world, however they have come to the table!

If you are one of those with a poor performing RML 8555 6.7 single door, email me with your contact info, trailer info and fridge SN, and Dometic will replace it with an RMD 8555 6.7 double door unit. It doesn't matter how old the trailer is, they will replace it if you aren't happy.

There will be some additional fees with the re & re that the customer will have to cover. I am not sure how much Dometic will cover yet, but the rear of the fridge is larger on the RMD and will require some modifications to the seal we have built. I can't confirm how smooth this will go, but it may be a small price for a better fridge.

Having said that, they are now tweaking the RMD exterior fan switch on the rear to come on sooner.

Let the good times roll!

Reace
That is really good news, Reace. A couple of questions for you. Has it been conclusively demonstrated that the new fridge has resolved the poor cooling issue that so many have experienced? Also, has Dometic put any time limits on how long people have to take them up on this offer? We really appreciate the effort you have put into this issue.

Dave w
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:37 AM   #11
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Hi Dave

As mentioned, we will see how it works this summer. We just started installing them at the end of the year.

As good faith to their customer, they will replace the fridge even if it has passed the warranty period.

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Old 03-28-2015, 09:52 AM   #12
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Hello Reace,

Our 5.0TA is in production now so I am guessing it won't have the tweak for the switch for the rear fan. Would that be something that could be done before we take delivery or during the rally?

Thanks,
Mark
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:56 AM   #13
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Excellent news!
Thanks Reace - I'll send the information later today.
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Old 03-28-2015, 10:38 AM   #14
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Great news and thanks for continuing to work on this Reace. I just sent you an email about our 8551 and the door.

ETI is the greatest!
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Old 03-28-2015, 12:24 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reace View Post

They are changing the temperature switch that activates the fans to kick on 20 degrees lower than it does now.

Reace

Reace,


Is there a timeline for these new switches? Are they in hand? My 21 is in the back lot so could be a guinea pig of sorts.
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Old 03-28-2015, 01:20 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reace View Post
Bob, I did receive some new doors for the 4.3 units. I will ship you one to try out. There are a few other adjustments that can help also such as moving the thermistor away from the fins. Try taping it to the side of the fridge.
Reace
Since taking ownership Sep 2013 we have not camped in the hot weather so I cannot jump into this discussion with dismal stats of our own 4.3's performance. That doesn't mean it won't yet happen.

Summer is prime time for camping; a trailer makes that a pleasure for us having reached a certain age. Committing the big bucks to an Escape trailer I think, does entitle us to expect to get what we paid for. These disheartening Dometic fridge issues, so widespread, do take the bloom off the rose.

The issue is sounding to me to boil down to a blunder in design and engineering. If the only remedy offered is switching doors, or moving a thermocouple over a few inches...well, now... ??
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Old 03-28-2015, 01:25 PM   #17
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I'm not sure we should expect a fridge in an RV to be as efficient as one in ( I'm guessing here ) an air-conditioned home in a southern summer.
Easy for me to say, here in BC.
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Old 03-28-2015, 01:40 PM   #18
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I'm not sure we should expect a fridge in an RV to be as efficient as one in ( I'm guessing here ) an air-conditioned home in a southern summer.
Easy for me to say, here in BC.
I had a 1968 Aristocrat trailer with a Travler by Elixer propane-electric refrigerator and it worked in any weather I camped in including some hot days so it can be done.
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Old 03-28-2015, 01:48 PM   #19
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Myron,
That is a big locomotive you have there?
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Old 03-28-2015, 01:54 PM   #20
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I had a 1968 Aristocrat trailer with a Travler by Elixer propane-electric refrigerator and it worked in any weather I camped in including some hot days so it can be done.
Yes, but that was before global warming.
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