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Old 03-28-2015, 08:58 AM   #1
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Dometic RM8551 insuffucent cooling

Does ANYONE have a Dometic RM8551 4.3 CuFt refrigerator installed during or after 2013 that cools sufficiently to keep food save when the ambient temperatures are above 80 degrees F. ??
Will there or can there be a resolution in 2015 ?
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:11 AM   #2
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See this thread - http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f2...html#post87530
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:14 AM   #3
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See post 6. This patch is for the RM855 6.7 refers not the RM8551 4.3 !!
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:15 AM   #4
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I sure don't. Have removed the freezer, installed the baffle option, insulated the area and still put 6-8 frozen water bottles in and run it on max. With all that it gets in the mid to high 40's as the frozen bottles melt. Have also purchased a highly insulted ice chest for drinks etc to avoid opening the frig more than necessary.
To avoid confusion I have a 2013, 19 with the 4.3 frig.
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:41 AM   #5
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For those with the smaller unit, see Reace's response on other thread mentioned in post#2
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Old 03-28-2015, 09:45 PM   #6
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"Since taking ownership Sep. 2013 we have not camped in the hot weather so I cannot jump into this discussion prepared with dismal stats of our own 4.3's performance. That doesn't mean it won't yet happen...

..."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... ??"


I realize now I posted the above in the wrong thread. I have the smaller RM8551 4.3 Dometic. Though both threads take issue with nearly the same product, here is where for '8551 owners discussion is most relevant.

Yeah, for many the blood is clearly up. I can vent with anybody but with all due respect I hope any further discussion here will focus freely on what everyone concerned wants, 4.3 solutions. PS: I didn't know Dometic has discontinued the model. Is that right?
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Old 03-29-2015, 09:45 AM   #7
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One problem for all of these refrigerators is the side venting which is much less effecient than a top vented unit. I don't know if Reece could use top venting with the escape?
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Old 03-29-2015, 09:56 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Hogawill View Post
.....except for the 4.3 refrig which we are in the process of replacing with a new one from Dometic that we believe will cool better in very hot weather. (hogawill@isu.edu)
Above quote is from your post on selling Molly.

My ears just perked up.

This is news. Which new Dometic refrig. are they sending to you? How is it they have agreed to this exchange, and/or, what is this going to be costing you? Those of us with the 4.3 issues, including me, have your attention.

Note: My 19 has side and top venting.
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Old 03-29-2015, 10:41 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by myronl View Post
above quote is from your post on selling molly.

My ears just perked up.

This is news. Which new dometic refrig. Are they sending to you? How is it they have agreed to this exchange, and/or, what is this going to be costing you? Those of us with the 4.3 issues, including me, have your attention.

Note: My 19 has side and top venting.
what !
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Old 03-29-2015, 10:49 AM   #10
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Darn I wrote a long reply and it failed to appear. Our refrig is being replaced because we we're rearended and the refrig hinge was damaged by the force of the blow however the trailer is so well made we only had damage to the hitch and the back of our truck. The body shop could not believe how well made our trailer was.( good work Reece) I'm hopeful that the new refrig will be an improvement
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Old 03-29-2015, 11:14 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hogawill View Post
One problem for all of these refrigerators is the side venting which is much less effecient than a top vented unit. I don't know if Reece could use top venting with the escape?
You can top vent the fridge. The new RMD fridge is top vented and I believe they started top venting before that as part of the fridge fix saga.
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Old 03-29-2015, 12:41 PM   #12
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The top or bottom fridge vent is inherent to the design and build construction of the Escape trailer.
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Old 03-29-2015, 03:15 PM   #13
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In my Boler, side outlet venting is required because the curve in the body over the refrigerator doesn't provide a flat space to mount a typical roof vent; I agree that this is not good for performance, and one version of the same model built by another factory changed the mould specifically to accommodate the roof vent. The Escape body shape is less curved, and there is sufficient flat space on at least the wider models to mount a roof vent (provided that the interior cabinets provide a ventilation path to the ceiling).

Some earlier Escapes had wall-mounted (side) outlet venting, and the website photos show wall vents for both 17A and 17B models (is this still current practice?), the other current models all have roof venting.
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Old 03-29-2015, 04:18 PM   #14
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Brian, my 2014 17B completed end March 2014 has the optional 4.3 CF fridge and its side vented.
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Old 03-29-2015, 05:03 PM   #15
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Brian, my 2014 17B completed end March 2014 has the optional 4.3 CF fridge and its side vented.
Thanks David
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Old 03-29-2015, 08:58 PM   #16
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Dometic RM8551 insuffucent cooling

Well there you go. Perhaps the 4.3 is always side vented. Don't know since we have the 6.7. You could roof vent the smaller fridge though, at least from a technical perspective. They changed the mold for the 19 so it has a flat surface to attach the roof vent. I guess they didn't change it for the 17.
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Old 03-29-2015, 09:58 PM   #17
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Thanks Robert - nice detail shot of the shape required for the roof vent.
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Old 03-29-2015, 10:26 PM   #18
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Thanks Robert - nice detail shot of the shape required for the roof vent.
Yeah, you wanna know the cool part Brian? When someone asks a question now I actually have a trailer I can take a picture of! No more theory.
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Old 03-30-2015, 02:18 PM   #19
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Took delivery of the 19 in November, so still haven't tested the 4.3 RM 8551 in really warm weather...that will come up in a couple of weeks. My unit is also top vented, as Robert showed on his 19, so perhaps I won't have a problem. There's also a "Texas fan" installed.

My issue at present is the plastic bin unit at the bottom. I'm not wild about it, and there's some wasted space in the two back corners. I was going to remove it, and just add another wire shelf, until Dometic told me the shelf was $103, before shipping and tax. I've decided to hold off a while longer!
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Old 03-30-2015, 02:30 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by santacruzer View Post
Took delivery of the 19 in November, so still haven't tested the 4.3 RM 8551 in really warm weather...that will come up in a couple of weeks. My unit is also top vented, as Robert showed on his 19, so perhaps I won't have a problem. There's also a "Texas fan" installed.

My issue at present is the plastic bin unit at the bottom. I'm not wild about it, and there's some wasted space in the two back corners. I was going to remove it, and just add another wire shelf, until Dometic told me the shelf was $103, before shipping and tax. I've decided to hold off a while longer!
We took delivery Nov 2013 . Our trailer frig is vented to roof , also a fan you can see at back . Followed I think it was kountry Kamper removed bottom crisper , did get the extra shelf and had Tractor 1 make us a shelf on bottom which slides nice and we put veg's and fruit in it . The crisper we removed the top and the bottom sits in outside box on side for our chemicals . Hope you have better luck with this expensive box they would like to call a refrigerator.
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