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08-17-2016, 05:57 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 140
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Reliable refrigerator?
I just placed my order for a 5.0TA and I've started thinking about equipment. I'm not sure about the history of Escape refrigerators but it seems that there have been issues with the bigger refrigerators including the ones installed in the 5.0. The 4 cubic ft. Dometic fridge in my Casita has been reliable and adequate for our needs. I guess warranties are great but I'd rather spend my time traveling than dealing with warranty services. For those of you that have spent a lot of time watching this forum, do any of the refrigerators, like for instance the one used in the 19' , have fewer problems? Or... Have the fridge problems in the 5.0 all been solved?
Steve
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08-17-2016, 06:15 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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It's hard to describe the ongoing saga of the fridge issues with Escapes, but I'll try to give you a VERY abbreviated version.
The door on the Escape trailers, until the 2017 redesign, was only 22" wide. So, that meant whatever fridge was used had to be narrow enough to fit through the door.
That limited Escape to using either a small Americana fridge or if you wanted a larger fridge, the Dometic 8 series.
The smaller Americana fridges cooled quite well, but of course, there isn't that much capacity.
The 8 series is a fridge that is sold primarily in Europe, not the US. It's designed for cooler climates. The EU uses a "climate class" rating to describe the expected power consumption and cooling capability of fridges. Any unit sold in the EU has to have a climate class rating. The ratings are SN, N, ST and T, meaning subnormal, normal, subtropical and tropical. Tropical rated fridges are designed to perform where it gets quite hot, while on the other end, subnormal rated fridges are designed to perform where it stays relatively cool. The other two ratings are in between.
Here's the problem: the Dometic 8 series is rated SN - subnormal. That means it's designed to work when the ambient air temperatures are below 85F. We all know it often gets much hotter in North America.
So, owners of the 8 series often had issues with insufficient cooling, particularly when camping in the summertime. All sorts of retrofits and modifications have been done in an attempt to make them work better. Some have been more successful than others.
Since you're getting a 2017, you won't have to deal with the 8 series. The door is wider, allowing Escape to install a larger and wider Americana series fridge that works better when it's hot out. That's actually part of the reason why Escape redesigned the trailer. The Dometic Americana is a widely used fridge in North America, and is designed for that market.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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08-17-2016, 06:19 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Steve,
One of the reasons for the 2nd generation Escape models is the wider door which allows a different model refrigerator, one designed for hotter climates. In the older Escapes there were few choices available, but now the selection is better.
I'm in York, right down the road from you here in Pennsylvania nd will be getting my 2017 Escape 19 later this year. Also there is a rally in Niagara Falls, Canada in September, well worth you paying a visit and see the various Escape models. See here for details http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...18-a-7034.html
ps, we go thru Wellsboro several times a year on the way to New York, a nice little town.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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08-17-2016, 07:49 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Fremont, California
Trailer: 2016 21/ '16 Tundra 4.6L Dbl. Cab
Posts: 1,562
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Robert, Excellent Explanation!
__________________
Steve and Debbie
2016 - 21'
“Get out the map and lay your finger anywhere down” -Indigo Girls
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08-17-2016, 07:59 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 140
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Thank you both for that fridge/design info. I wonder which model will be installed in the 2017 5.0?
Steve
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08-17-2016, 08:16 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, 2016 GMC Canyon Duramax
Posts: 587
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
It's hard to describe the ongoing saga of the fridge issues with Escapes, but I'll try to give you a VERY abbreviated version.
The door on the Escape trailers, until the 2017 redesign, was only 22" wide. So, that meant whatever fridge was used had to be narrow enough to fit through the door.
That limited Escape to using either a small Americana fridge or if you wanted a larger fridge, the Dometic 8 series.
The smaller Americana fridges cooled quite well, but of course, there isn't that much capacity.
The 8 series is a fridge that is sold primarily in Europe, not the US. It's designed for cooler climates. The EU uses a "climate class" rating to describe the expected power consumption and cooling capability of fridges. Any unit sold in the EU has to have a climate class rating. The ratings are SN, N, ST and T, meaning subnormal, normal, subtropical and tropical. Tropical rated fridges are designed to perform where it gets quite hot, while on the other end, subnormal rated fridges are designed to perform where it stays relatively cool. The other two ratings are in between.
Here's the problem: the Dometic 8 series is rated SN - subnormal. That means it's designed to work when the ambient air temperatures are below 85F. We all know it often gets much hotter in North America.
So, owners of the 8 series often had issues with insufficient cooling, particularly when camping in the summertime. All sorts of retrofits and modifications have been done in an attempt to make them work better. Some have been more successful than others.
Since you're getting a 2017, you won't have to deal with the 8 series. The door is wider, allowing Escape to install a larger and wider Americana series fridge that works better when it's hot out. That's actually part of the reason why Escape redesigned the trailer. The Dometic Americana is a widely used fridge in North America, and is designed for that market.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
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Great info, Robert. Just wondering if the 8 series was the reason for adding the external fridge fan and whether or not it will be needed on the new, larger fridge in the 21? I have it on my build sheet but if not needed will delete it
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08-17-2016, 08:20 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Starbrightsteve
Thank you both for that fridge/design info. I wonder which model will be installed in the 2017 5.0?
Steve
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I believe it's the Americana RM2652. 6 cubic foot, 2 door if you get the larger model. If you dig around in the "It's Friday - 2017 and beyond" thread, you'll see some photos of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stephen99
Great info, Robert. Just wondering if the 8 series was the reason for adding the external fridge fan and whether or not it will be needed on the new, larger fridge in the 21? I have it on my build sheet but if not needed will delete it
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I think a fan in the rear is always a good idea regardless of the fridge model. I'd keep it on the build sheet.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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08-17-2016, 08:29 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Found a photo:
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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08-17-2016, 08:33 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, 2016 GMC Canyon Duramax
Posts: 587
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
I believe it's the Americana RM2652. 6 cubic foot, 2 door if you get the larger model. If you dig around in the "It's Friday - 2017 and beyond" thread, you'll see some photos of it.
I think a fan in the rear is always a good idea regardless of the fridge model. I'd keep it on the build sheet.
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RM2652 is a 2 way power model so maybe RM2663 instead.
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08-17-2016, 09:24 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Starbrightsteve
I wonder which model will be installed in the 2017 5.0?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
I believe it's the Americana RM2652. 6 cubic foot, 2 door if you get the larger model. If you dig around in the "It's Friday - 2017 and beyond" thread, you'll see some photos of it.
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The photo is of a 21'; no new-style 5.0TA trailers have been built yet. The assumption is that the 5.0TA and the 21' get the same refrigerator - that seems like a reasonable assumption to me, but there are no guarantees.
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08-17-2016, 10:16 PM
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#11
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stephen99
RM2652 is a 2 way power model so maybe RM2663 instead.
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Probably right. I do know it's a 3 way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P
The photo is of a 21'; no new-style 5.0TA trailers have been built yet. The assumption is that the 5.0TA and the 21' get the same refrigerator - that seems like a reasonable assumption to me, but there are no guarantees.
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Again, probably right, since Escape would only have to stock a couple different sizes, as they did with the 8 series.
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__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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08-19-2016, 11:13 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21, 2016 GMC Canyon Duramax
Posts: 587
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I emailed Sarah to ask which fridge will be installed in our 2017 21 foot and she confirmed it is the DM2663.
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02-12-2017, 08:37 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Retired from Dallas & Full-Timing, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape as of 01/16/17
Posts: 1,312
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stephen99
I emailed Sarah to ask which fridge will be installed in our 2017 21 foot and she confirmed it is the DM2663.
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Stephen99,
That would be correct. We just picked up our 21' 2017 on Jan. 16th and it has the DM2663 model.
__________________
Fred M.
"Whoever said retirement was overrated...
...never had an Escape"
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02-12-2017, 08:59 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2017 5.0 TA
Posts: 146
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Sarah told me the fridge in the 2017 5.0 TA will be a Dometic Americana DM2663.
__________________
Thomas G.
2017 5.0 TA
2017 F-150, 5.0L, SuperCrew, 6.5' bed, 4x2, 6-speed, 1:3.55 rear axle; B&W Turnover Ball; Andersen Ultimate Aluminum Gooseneck; Fold-a-cover w/caddy
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03-10-2017, 12:57 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Queen Creek, Arizona
Trailer: 2017 19' Sold
Posts: 117
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Would the Americana DM2663 fit in the 2015 21' or is it too wide?
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03-10-2017, 01:14 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m&k
Would the Americana DM2663 fit in the 2015 21' or is it too wide?
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I believe you cannot it get it thru the door of the "classic" 21's. That was one (of several) reasons Reace went with the new door design.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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03-10-2017, 02:02 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Queen Creek, Arizona
Trailer: 2017 19' Sold
Posts: 117
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Thanks for the reply.
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