RMD 8555 Two Door Fridge - performance stats

[The Quilting Lady]

That is what Sarah emailed me yesterday, but maybe she was mistaken because she stated it kinda funny, saying that is what they used then....? I'll ask again.

[BCnomad]

Bob, don't forget that a piece of foam insulation cut to size fits great in the freezer door. Helps my ice cream anyways...

[cpaharley2008]

If you have the new style door then you should have the new style refrigerator, that is my understanding.

[Kountrykamper]

Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady

That is what Sarah emailed me yesterday, but maybe she was mistaken because she stated it kinda funny, saying that is what they used then....? I'll ask again.

They are not using it any longer.

See post one for the new model numbers. Applys to the 21' also.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f2...ions-7403.html

[PGDriver]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

Bob, don't forget that a piece of foam insulation cut to size fits great in the freezer door. Helps my ice cream anyways...

That's the first thing I did when I got my Escape and it helps keep the freezer at a lower temperature.



Cheers
Doug

[Bobbito]

Thanks for the advice on the foam. After following the temps even longer, the A/C freezer temperatures are getting even lower on average, like -6 - 8 deg C on the #4 setting. Last season the freezer temps were below -12 deg C. I'm guessing that as the weather warms up more (currently 10 - 15 deg C) the fridge/freezer temperatures will change, but not necessarily for the good. Do all these fridges suffer some performance change after a couple of seasons use? I'm inclined to contact ETI for advice. I trust them more than Dometic, but expect that Dometic will be the ones who have to decide if it meets their performance specs. Its why I wanted data from other owners, because if other peoples' fridges are much better it might sway Dometic.

Thanks again,
Bob K

[The Quilting Lady]

Sarah sent me a new model and I have the DM2663. She miss understood my first question, because had asked her about the stainliess steal refrig.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by Bobbito

I would appreciate input from other RMD8555 owners about how my data compares to their temperatures. (Note the switched data columns for freezer temps as a result of Celsius vs Fahrenheit)

Bob, here's the results for 120vac, unless you need it I'll skip the propane readings.

[Bobbito]

Hi Bob,

Thank you so much for doing all that work measuring your fridge/freezer temperatures through various settings. For each Low/High range I took the mean and then averaged these means for the multiple measurements. In comparing yours to mine, it strikes me is that your change in settings effects a far greater change in temperature than with my unit. I was thinking that a dangling thermistor would lower the temperature at all settings, but not make a difference between settings. What do your think about this? One further question. I thought that the RMD8555 wasn't being installed until 2015 and your 5.0TA is a 2012 model. Did it have the RMD or did it have the earlier RML unit? Though if anything the RMD was supposed to be at least as good with its 2 doors.

Finally, I do think my fridge has a problem.

Thanks,
Bob

[padlin]

I would agree that yours seems to have an issue, it really doesn't change temp as you change the setting.

The 14's came with the single door, we all complained enough that ETI somehow got Dometic to agree to replace them under warranty with the 2 door. And yes, the 2 door works better then the 1 door, at least mine does.

I would also agree that the dangling thermistor was done to lower the fridge temp. I can't really comment on whether it does that as I've not traveled in hot weather since I freed it from the fins.

What I did notice on my numbers, was that at setting 4, which is what I always start at, varies a lot more then 3 or 5. A 12 degree swing tells me I can't put much faith in what the thermometer says when I look at it in a single glance.

We carry very little that will spoil if the fridge goes towards the warm side, which we consider up into the high 40's. As long as the freezer keeps things frozen we're good to go. I am going to do the freezer door insulation mod mentioned earlier.

Good luck with yours.

[BCnomad]

I have no numbers to back it up, but the dangling thermistor on mine seems to help it keep temperature more ... even.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

Bob, don't forget that a piece of foam insulation cut to size fits great in the freezer door. Helps my ice cream anyways...

The indentation in the freezer door might be there for a reason. Maybe it's to help air circulation around the shelf in the freezer. My freezer has always worked fine, so I don't feel the need to add insulation to the freezer door. YMMV.

[Greg A]

The dangling Thermistor is only thing we've done, which we've done in all previous Dometic fridges and ours has worked fine. One thing I've noticed, is the fridge likes to run and my temps improve on the second and third day out over the first day out. Kinda like my ol VW Beetle, the more you ran it the better it ran.

[LeonW]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

I have no numbers to back it up, but the dangling thermistor on mine seems to help it keep temperature more ... even.

I have had similar experience -- I took the thermistor off the cooling fins, and started having problems with stuff in the fridge freeezing -- even in 85+ temps. So had to back the setting off to 4.

[Bobbito]

So I went to a foam shop and they suggested a polyethylene foam that is very dense and black in colour. My wife questioned whether this was the right foam to buy. Is it food safe? How does it compare to the styrofoam used in coolers as insulation (R value)?

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Bobbito

So I went to a foam shop and they suggested a polyethylene foam that is very dense and black in colour. My wife questioned whether this was the right foam to buy. Is it food safe? How does it compare to the styrofoam used in coolers as insulation (R value)?

Seems to me these are the questions the foam shop would be able to answer?

[BCnomad]

I just bought a sheet of "whatever" foam from Home Hardware. $5. I have some left over if anyone at the rally wants it.

[float5]

Originally Posted by padlin

I thought they went to an Americana and got away from the RMD 8555.

We have the RMD8555 I believe and many of us have found that it works just fine even in very hot weather. Been very happy with it and others have reported the same. Only a couple of folks have had some problem with it. It was previous refrigerators that had all of the problems, not this one. I don't know that there was any switch to the Americana because of this one because it certainly was no real problem as far as what was posted here by many. We and others had made no change or addition to the refrigerator when we gave good reports on it.

[escape artist]

Hi: All... IMHO the switch to the Americana fridge was in conjunction with the new style slab sided trailer with a slightly wider RV door. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[thoer]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: All... IMHO the switch to the Americana fridge was in conjunction with the new style slab sided trailer with a slightly wider RV door. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

That is what I was told Alf.