Re-thinking the RM8551 4.3

[cpaharley2008]

Myron,
Have you tried to relocate the thermostat, on my unit it is on the lower return tube and can be moved closer (hotter) to the burner or farther(cooler) in opposite direction.

[MyronL]

No I would not do that because of fan wire constraints, not wanting to re-invent the wheel, etc...

[cpaharley2008]

On the RMD8555 models it is located on the bottom return coil and can be moved, perhaps 6 " in either direction, limited by the wiring, as you have.

[MyronL]

That is very interesting. Must give this some thought.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes, those are wires (top arrow) to fans and the right one is the supply. The other red and black (bottom arrow) are wires are ones I installed to bypass and are my switch wires. The thermostat is 150 degree so they do not come on while on 120v but on propane they come on and stay on, even after switching the unit off for about 5 minutes. But I have to use the switch to activate the fans while on 120v or 12v due to the high 150 degree set point.

[MyronL]

For 2 days, after installing the new 130° fan thermostat switch, my two rear fans came on, whined on, but never stopped, all day. All day. This morning fans came on at 8AM when it was 67° outside. Something just weren’t right.

Not happy. Was about to put the original switch back. Then, looking at Jim’s switch picture, suddenly an eureka moment! A light goes on in my attic. The nine muses rubbed scented balm into my forehead. It was Newton and the apple all over again.

Dealer who sent me that 130° switch included advice on location installation, which I read but naturally ignored. Good thing I didn’t throw that sheet away.

I had done a straight switch of switches. Same original location, up top between the black fins. Seemed logical or why would Dometic put it there? Maybe I also did not like having to drill 2 holes into the back wall or run longer wires. Now, I’m thinking, that spot must be just too hot for a thermo switch with a lower set-point. What if that pipe never gets cooled?

The dealer’s illustration suggested a switch location that matched with Jim’s pix; not at the top fins where Dometic had it, but at mid-fridge or lower. Good I’m getting real good at pulling out the fridge.

Latest pix here shows new switch location below and between the fans. So far, fridge temp dropped from 79 to 41°F in 3 hours. At 4 PM it is 83°F in the trailer, 39°fridge. Manual switch override works good. Auto-fan has yet to come on.

Moral of story? Brain has switches too. Could this entire process ever be more fun?

[cpaharley2008]

Myron,
You may want to put that refer on a slide for ease of access........

[Zardoz]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Myron,
You may want to put that refer on a slide for ease of access........

Now THAT's a good idea!

[Ron in BC]

[QUOTE=MyronL; Could this entire process ever be more fun?[/QUOTE]

Well your write-ups are fun for us to read

Ron

[jxoco]

I have this fridge as well. RM8551 on the sticker in the cabinet.
I thought it didn't cool very well.
I noticed that, on propane, it seemed to go up a few degrees every hour we were driving.
43 degrees when we started driving from the campsite and 60 degrees 4 hours later.
So, is everyone with this fridge having problems?
I called ETI and they say this is not one of the fridges that they are swapping out.
Is this a RM8551 as the ETI sheet says or is it a RML8551 that is on the dometic web site?

It does not work as good as the Dometic in my 19 year old truck camper.

[gbaglo]

I've towed my 17B, equipped with the 5.0 cu. ft. fridge ( RM2510 ) to Osoyoos, with the fridge turned off, door closed ( not opened en route ) and had the temp inside rise about six degrees, so I find your results very peculiar.

[MyronL]

My RM has not performed badly on propane. (It's also doing rather well on shore power right now, 4:45PM, 98°F in the trailer but 39°F in the fridge.)

Dimensions of the RM is 32.32x20.6x24.52. The RML is 49.0x20.67x24.6.

"L" just means it is a larger fridge but if that translates into different cooling performance or engineering design I have no idea.


...I assume we may assume you have ruled out propane supply issues...?

[Ron in BC]

98 in the trailer, I'd be suffering meltdown. Glad the fridge is working well for you. After all the work you've put into it you deserve a nice cool fridge.

We always tow with the fridge running on propane. It never warms up and is probably at its' coldest because the door hasn't been opened and closed.

Makes me wonder if the unit in question is having the flame blow out.

Ron

[jxoco]

The trip was our first with the Escape.
Osoyoos area and back.
Both directions had the same experience.
Disappointing for such an expensive Trailer.
But while parked I didn't think it worked very well. At no time did any drink out of the fridge seem cold. It took 3 days to almost freeze a piece of meat in the freezer, I could still mush the meat with my thumb. The area is a desert and at night it got cold enough we had to put the furnace on, but the fridge didn't appear to cool any better.
I've read through the posts here about this fridge and it is clearly the weakest link, even though it is the most important appliance in the trailer.
There are probably plenty more people who don't participate in this forum and plenty more who read this stuff and don't feel skilled enough to work on the problem and so just put up with this fridge they have. (witness the number of people who are using a cooler.)
So after spending thousands on a movable fridge, are forced to depend on a insulated plastic box with ice.
My 19 year old truck camper fridge works properly, I paid 2400 for that whole camper.
I'm a disgruntled Escape customer right now.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by jxoco

I'm a disgruntled Escape customer right now.

Have you taken it to a Dometic authorized service centre yet? Fridge may still be under warranty, or may just need service. Most any RV shop is authorized.

[jxoco]

I've had the trailer two weeks.
Didn't expect to have to deal with this.
Its a 2013 model.
Probably out of warrenty, but I'm not sure.
And ETI gave me the Dometic Warrenty phone number so I will connect with them.
First I have to get back to where it is parked, this weekend and get some numbers off of it.
This was a purchase for retirement, before retiring, so it could be paid for, that now looks like you have to be retired to have the time to fool around with it to get it right.

[Ron in BC]

[QUOTE=jxoco;105696
But while parked I didn't think it worked very well. At no time did any drink out of the fridge seem cold. It took 3 days to almost freeze a piece of meat in the freezer, I could still mush the meat with my thumb[/QUOTE]

While some, in extreme climates, have had well documented issues with the fridge I don't think your experience is typical. For example, we went off to the Osoyoss rally, kept going, did the whole Alaska thing, 42 days in total, fridge on 3 bars and arrived home with some meat still frozen.

Granted I've done a few things that might have improved the fridge a bit but your experience seems to be on the abnormal side. I'd recommend either having a technician check it out or do a little trouble shooting yourself.

Ron

[gbaglo]

Maybe a spider built a home. I'd get it serviced first and complain later.

[jxoco]

I'll follow up with Dometic Warrenty but I expect, based on the number of posts about this fridge, that it is the wrong tool for the job.

[Klem]

Originally Posted by jxoco

I'll follow up with Dometic Warrenty but I expect, based on the number of posts about this fridge, that it is the wrong tool for the job.

I bought a new '19 last year and the frig has been a nightmare for us. We had the RML 'big box' and got it swapped for the RMD which cost another $250. The RMD seems to be better but is still weaker then any of the other 4 RV frigs we have owned.

I agree you should get it serviced to make sure it's working to specs. But no one will be surprised when you 'complain' it's the worst frig you ever had.

We just returned from a trip south and had a plastic box with ice in ours the whole trip and had to toss a lot of great food we left home with. Irma said its the best looking ... And worst performing .. Frig of our lives.

Hoping yours can be tuned up. Good luck.