Refrigerator Defrost Drain Question

[Great Eggstrications]

I take my 19' home from the storage facility once a month to do the equalization charge, exercise the brakes, get some wheel bearing grease spread around, run the refrigerator, etc, etc. My beloved HOA won't allow trailer storage, so I try to do the usual maintenance stuff during my monthly maintenance day. When we got home from our last trip and defrosted the ice crust from the fins inside the fridge, it occurred to me that it might be prudent to periodically make sure that the defrost drain tube was actually draining somewhere under the trailer and wasn't clogged or something. So, I poured about 1/4 cup of water into the little drain hole, and fully expected to see a puddle materialize on the driveway below the 1/2" I.D. clear plastic hose that exits the trailer floor adjacent to the rear axle. Nothing. Another 1/4 cup. Nothing. The water was going somewhere, but where?

Per the Escape Trailer Owner's Manual: Cut the power, remove any food, and "leave the drip tray under the finned evaporator. Leave the door(s) open and empty drip pan when necessary."

I see no sign of a "drip pan" anywhere.

Per the Dometic Operating Instructions Manual: Cut the power and remove all food and the ice cube tray. "Note: Water thawing in the main compartment of the refrigerator runs into an appropriate container at the back of the refrigerator. From there, the water evaporates."

What I'm seeing is a shelf-like trough running along the back wall of the refrigerator - obviously designed to channel the water - and a small ~ 1/4" diameter drain hole toward the left end of the trough, presumably going somewhere, or so I was assuming.

Does anyone know the real story, or is it just more fake news? Is the shelf-like trough the "appropriate container" to which Dometic refers? Am I missing the "drip pan"? And what is the 1/2" I.D. clear plastic hose that exits the trailer floor adjacent to the rear axle, if not the refrigerator drain hose?

I would run this by our friends in Chilliwack, but I know they're busy building trailers, and I have to believe that I'm not the first person on the forum that has run into this. Any information would be appreciated. The trailer was built in October of 2015, and has the standard size Dometic refrigerator - 4.3 cu.ft. if I recall correctly.

[cpaharley2008]

I can see from the picture where the tray is indented and drops, about the 7th metal rack from the left in your picture, the water exits the tray there. Open the back vent and you will see a black or clear plastic tubing. Your model may have the cup where the water stays until it evaporates, that is where the water is going. Look there...you must have the 8555 model.....

[Great Eggstrications]

Hey cpaharley2008,

Thanks for the (correct!) information. Sure enough, I have a little plastic cup in the fridge access compartment, and it was just about full from me pouring the 1/2 cup of water down the drain hole. In case the cup overflows, there is a drain in the floor of the compartment that feeds the 1/2" clear plastic hose that exits the trailer floor adjacent to the rear axle. So I really need to be checking both of these drain hoses - the fridge drain to the cup and the compartment floor drain to the great outdoors.

I had poked around in the fridge access compartment when I first got the trailer, but that was 1.5 years ago and I apparently wasn't paying long-term attention to what I saw back then.

[cpaharley2008]

If you have trouble keeping your refer cold in hot areas, it has been suggest you keep that cup full to prevent hot air entering the unit.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

Hey cpaharley2008,

Thanks for the (correct!) information. Sure enough, I have a little plastic cup in the fridge access compartment, and it was just about full from me pouring the 1/2 cup of water down the drain hole. In case the cup overflows, there is a drain in the floor of the compartment that feeds the 1/2" clear plastic hose that exits the trailer floor adjacent to the rear axle. So I really need to be checking both of these drain hoses - the fridge drain to the cup and the compartment floor drain to the great outdoors.

I had poked around in the fridge access compartment when I first got the trailer, but that was 1.5 years ago and I apparently wasn't paying long-term attention to what I saw back then.

Hi: Great Eggstrications... The lower drain is also to allow any leaked propane to vent as it is heavier than air. This one shouldn't be blocked up with a condensate water hose!!!
I put a child's water balloon over the end of the upper drain hose. I punctured it first with a push pin and placed it in the cup. So far fridge is performing better while under tow!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[cpaharley2008]

Now where did you ever get that idea from... Leaving for some Digby scallops next week, will make our reservation at Riverside upon return. Hope there is room for one more Yankee....

[float5]

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

I take my 19' home from the storage facility once a month to do the equalization charge, exercise the brakes, get some wheel bearing grease spread around, run the refrigerator, etc, etc. My beloved HOA won't allow trailer storage, so I try to do the usual maintenance stuff during my monthly maintenance day. .

We paid $100 extra not to have that EZ set-up for grease or whatever they call it. Understand you can ruin your brakes and more. Are they saying to put grease in every month? We never do and simply have the bearings regreased, (used to do in spring but now schedule in TX may change that) at which time other items are checked. Putting grease without seeing what is in there can become a big problem, I have heard several times.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by float5

We paid $100 extra not to have that EZ set-up for grease or whatever they call it.

Dexter E-Z Lube.

Originally Posted by float5

Understand you can ruin your brakes and more.

Yes, if mis-used.

Originally Posted by float5

Are they saying to put grease in every month?
...
Putting grease without seeing what is in there can become a big problem, I have heard several times.

Just randomly pumping in grease is bad, but I'm sure that's not what Dave (or anyone) is suggesting. Simply towing the trailer on the trip from storage to home and back turns the hubs and ensures that grease is distributed around the bearings. There is no addition or changing of grease needed, or any touching of the bearings at all.

[Great Eggstrications]

float5, I appreciate and share your concerns, and yes, I do have the Dexter E-Z-Lube wheel bearing set-up, but I was just saying that I like to pull the trailer once a month so the wheel bearings don't forget what they're supposed to do (i.e. spin) and let some grease get spread around on things. Before ordering, I checked with Rease to be sure that I could still disassemble and repack the bearings by hand the old-fashioned way - no problem. I don't plan to ever make use of the E-Z-Lube feature, preferring to get in there and see what's really going on bearing-wise, re-pack, and install new seals.

[ReagentGrade]

My, my, this is a wider ranging discussion. Refrigerator defrosting, to propane leaks, Digby scallops, E-Z Lube fittings, and hand packing bearings. Ya gotta love it!