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Old 10-16-2017, 12:06 PM   #21
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No majority needed

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Originally Posted by PGDriver View Post
So how many people have to know before the word most can be used.


Cheers
Doug
To answer your question in my never humble opinion 1 or maybe 2. I truly appreciate your posting of the information regarding the Amish refer unit. I feel that anytime anyone posts information designed to help fellow campers whether it is applicable to one, a hundred or a thousand of us we should all be thankful that these generous folks exist and are decent enough to share the info. So thanks and keep us all posted. I'm only about an hour south of Shipshewana today and get this way often so it's a convenient option for me. Keep posting. We appreciate it.
Iowa, he likes his beer cold on a hot day, Dave
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Old 10-16-2017, 04:03 PM   #22
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We have some beautiful very well-built Amish furniture of solid cherry. Gorgeous stuff from Illinois. Don't know about the cooling units.
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Old 10-16-2017, 04:34 PM   #23
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We have a Shaker entertainment centre that cost about $2,000 new ( years ago ). Couldn't give it away now.
At best, it holds a 25" TV. Has a drawer with dividers for VHS tapes and a pull-out shelf for a turntable.
What were they thinking?
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Old 10-16-2017, 04:50 PM   #24
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Amish replacement cooling units

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Originally Posted by Iowa Dave View Post
To answer your question in my never humble opinion 1 or maybe 2. I truly appreciate your posting of the information regarding the Amish refer unit. I feel that anytime anyone posts information designed to help fellow campers whether it is applicable to one, a hundred or a thousand of us we should all be thankful that these generous folks exist and are decent enough to share the info. So thanks and keep us all posted. I'm only about an hour south of Shipshewana today and get this way often so it's a convenient option for me. Keep posting. We appreciate it.

Iowa, he likes his beer cold on a hot day, Dave


Hi Dave
My motive was purely selfish, I like really really cold beer and sometimes need to cool it ASAP if friends stop by.

I contacted them before my second trailer was ready after hearing other owners accounts but they hadn’t even heard of the RMD8555 let alone had any requests for their upgraded cooling unit. That said mine cools adequately but could always cool quicker faster, also mine has never been to southern Texas in the middle of summer... yet [emoji15].

Sooo next time your down that way and have time to kill could you stop in and check them out and let us know your professional opinion please, I’ll have a really cold beer with your name on it next time I see you ( hopefully at the Escape Rally).


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Old 10-16-2017, 07:20 PM   #25
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If you're looking at Amish refrigerators, check out National RV Refrigeration, also in Shipshewana IN. Leon, the owner, took the business over from his uncle. I think he said he started working there at age 13. He's as nice and honest of a guy you could meet.

He'll rebuild your existing fridge with an Amish coil and make it better than the original.

National RV Refrigeration

As a side note, while working on the fridge in my class A, he talked me out of putting internal and external fans on the fridge. He said he's done testing and the internal fans can hurt performance. External fans aren't needed if the fridge is vented properly.
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Old 10-16-2017, 07:55 PM   #26
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If you're looking at Amish refrigerators, check out National RV Refrigeration, also in Shipshewana IN. Leon, the owner, took the business over from his uncle. I think he said he started working there at age 13. He's as nice and honest of a guy you could meet.

He'll rebuild your existing fridge with an Amish coil and make it better than the original.

National RV Refrigeration

As a side note, while working on the fridge in my class A, he talked me out of putting internal and external fans on the fridge. He said he's done testing and the internal fans can hurt performance. External fans aren't needed if the fridge is vented properly.


Dan this is good to know, the units I mentioned are also just the cooling unit, not the hole fridge. I think from what little I know so far there are a few shops the install the Amish units into the fridge and others that rebuild wha Dometic has made.
Always nice to get a good recommendation for a honest shop.
Thanks


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Old 10-16-2017, 08:09 PM   #27
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When I was there a couple years ago, Leon pulled my fridge out, went over it, installed the aftermarket "safety circuit", completely changed the vent area behind the fridge and lined it with Aluminum duct material, etc.

He also went over both AC units. Total bill was less than $350.

He was funny about that safety circuit. He said "I can install this if you want, but it's expensive". I asked what it did, how much it cost and did he think it was worth it. He explained and said he thought it's a good thing to install. So I asked how much, thinking it MUST be expensive. His response....$35. LOL. Needless to say, he had it installed in about 5 minutes.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:39 PM   #28
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Arrow Amish anything

Cynicism aside, there are shameless jerks who advertise some sort of an established known craftsmanship and turn out shoddy products, there are commercial shops that cut corners and there are genuine good guys who turn out a quality product. I appreciate anyone who does some legwork research and lets us all know the results. I'm not promoting anybody but I will tell you that the guy at the Appliance Barn near Kalona,Iowa can put a fine tune on your gasoline powered Maytag washing machine with a Briggs and Stratton engine. Recommendations from form members positive or nagative are appreciated by many of us. Next time I'm in Shipshewana I'll have the chicken dinner at " The Blue Gate" and try to learn about refrigerator cooling units.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:55 PM   #29
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Amish replacement cooling units

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Originally Posted by Iowa Dave View Post
Cynicism aside, there are shameless jerks who advertise some sort of an established known craftsmanship and turn out shoddy products, there are commercial shops that cut corners and there are genuine good guys who turn out a quality product. I appreciate anyone who does some legwork research and lets us all know the results. I'm not promoting anybody but I will tell you that the guy at the Appliance Barn near Kalona,Iowa can put a fine tune on your gasoline powered Maytag washing machine with a Briggs and Stratton engine. Recommendations from form members positive or nagative are appreciated by many of us. Next time I'm in Shipshewana I'll have the chicken dinner at " The Blue Gate" and try to learn about refrigerator cooling units.
Dave


Sounds good Dave, I know the Amish cooling units are better at cooling from first hand experience with someone that had one, looked nice too.
But being in a different country it’s hard to know what kind of work the shop does or what they’re about.

Anyways I won’t be getting one until I get down there sometime. Just thought I might pass on this information, hopefully it will help someone with a cooling problem or that has a fridge that quits working, no point in putting a new fridge in when you can just change out the cooling unit with a better one.


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Old 10-16-2017, 09:11 PM   #30
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Most of us greatly appreciate your info Doug!
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Old 10-16-2017, 09:22 PM   #31
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Most of us greatly appreciate your info Doug!


Your mostly welcome Eric [emoji57]


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Old 10-17-2017, 06:30 AM   #32
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“We are getting more and more calls for these, I am thinking we will pursue making a replacement that will be much colder then what you have and that process takes approx. 3 months...........

So if you can wait and check back we should have it available : thanks JR”
Dropped JR a note to add my name to folks interested in a replacement cooling unit, his response...

"We are working on it, but since they are so new its hard to find a junk one to look off of for patterns, but I will file you in our list to contact once they are ready…………. Thanks JR"
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Old 10-17-2017, 07:15 AM   #33
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It is nice to have a back up plan, sort of like having a spare, which reminds me, I have to find a normal spare for my pick up which came with a direct from factory temporary spare.
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Old 10-17-2017, 07:52 AM   #34
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Dropped JR a note to add my name to folks interested in a replacement cooling unit, his response...

"We are working on it, but since they are so new its hard to find a junk one to look off of for patterns, but I will file you in our list to contact once they are ready…………. Thanks JR"
Hi: padlin... Email them back and tell them that they might be able to purchase a "Junk" one from a Camping World. Last time I was in one, they're still selling the RML8551. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 10-17-2017, 08:00 AM   #35
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.... he talked me out of putting internal and external fans on the fridge. He said he's done testing and the internal fans can hurt performance. External fans aren't needed if the fridge is vented properly.
In my testing the Escape Texas fride fan option gave me faster ice in the summer with it turned On compared to off.
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Old 10-17-2017, 09:14 AM   #36
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Is the Texas fan external?

On my Bluebird Wanderlodge, Leon said "those Bluebird guys are amazing at building things. This joinery work is perfect. Unfortunately, they don't know anything about venting an absorbtion refrigerator". He tore the back out of my fridge compartment and replaced it with smooth aluminum having a nice curved exit point. After that, the fridge worked great under propane. It never worked very well on electric.

We always ran it on propane. They burn very little, the flame is almost pilot lite size. We filled our 40 lb propane tank once in 2 years. That included 6 months of full time. Note:. The fridge is all we ran on propane. The cook top was electric as was the hot water.
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Old 10-17-2017, 09:52 AM   #37
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Years ago, I captured two different websites for replacing cooling units on RV absorption refrigerators. Why buy the whole refrigerator when only the "workings" need to be replaced? Keep money in your pocket! I have zero clue as to comparisons between the Amish cooling units (or pricing) between these other two. I understand the cooling units can be replaced using hand tools. I'm only providing the links as additional information:


RV Refrigeration Repair – Norcold & Dometic Cooling Units – Falkville, AL

http://www.gammonsrv.com/12601.html
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Old 10-17-2017, 09:58 AM   #38
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Years ago, I captured two different websites for replacing cooling units on RV absorption refrigerators. Why buy the whole refrigerator when only the "workings" need to be replaced? Keep money in your pocket! I have zero clue as to comparisons between the Amish cooling units (or pricing) between these other two. I understand the cooling units can be replaced using hand tools. I'm only providing the links as additional information:


RV Refrigeration Repair – Norcold & Dometic Cooling Units – Falkville, AL

http://www.gammonsrv.com/12601.html
I wonder if the really difficult to acquire parts like the electronics can be replaced when it's time. Having the ability to rework the mechanical side will be worthless if the display and control electronics fail.
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Old 10-17-2017, 01:48 PM   #39
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I wonder if the really difficult to acquire parts like the electronics can be replaced when it's time. Having the ability to rework the mechanical side will be worthless if the display and control electronics fail.
Perhaps it can be retrofitted to a manual model, who cares as long as it works well.
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Old 10-17-2017, 02:17 PM   #40
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Our 2 previous Dometic's were manual and didn't give us any problems . I would definetly not have a problem with manual if that is what you could only get . Pat
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