Dometic Replacement Cooling Unit

[Jeff and Karen]

For your information, an Amish company makes replacement cooling units for Dometic refrigerators. From what I read, they are constructed to a higher standard than OEM, and they are highly recommended by many people who publish on the Internet. These may be an option for those who have Dometic refrigerators with poorly functioning cooling units, or cooling units that are broken and out of warranty.

Here's a link to the supplier if you're interested:

Home | JC Refrigeration

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Jeff and Karen

For your information, an Amish company makes replacement cooling units for Dometic refrigerators.

I hear they offer delivery by horse and buggy.

[Jeff and Karen]

You also get to keep the horse. Secretariat runs on a treadmill that powers a generator that runs the refrigerator, and at her age, she doesn't eat much hay. It's a turn-key operation.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I hear they offer delivery by horse and buggy.

Hi: gbaglo... Here's a pic of the Amish Mart parking lot!!!
One thing they know about is off grid living. Giddy yap. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Jeff and Karen

You also get to keep the horse. Secretariat runs on a treadmill that powers a generator that runs the refrigerator, and at her age, she doesn't eat much hay. It's a turn-key operation.

HE doesn't eat much for certain. Secretariat died in 1989...

[padlin]

Originally Posted by Jeff and Karen

For your information, an Amish company makes replacement cooling units for Dometic refrigerators. From what I read, they are constructed to a higher standard than OEM, and they are highly recommended by many people who publish on the Internet. These may be an option for those who have Dometic refrigerators with poorly functioning cooling units, or cooling units that are broken and out of warranty.

Here's a link to the supplier if you're interested:

Home | JC Refrigeration

I talked to these folks a while back. As we had a number of folks interested in upgrades they were willing to build them for us, but, they need an RM*8*** to design one from and can't find one to use. Hence they have nothing to help us, unless one of you want to let them use yours.

[Jeff and Karen]

They currently make a unit for the 2663, the refrigerator that is now provided in the 21 and others. Here’s what JR wrote:

“Yes we do make the cooling system for the 2663, we offer gas/ elect unit or and compressor unit that converts your existing fridge to a residential, call me for more info……….. the cost is $650 free shipping to your door.”

[padlin]

Are people having problems with the Americana now?

[Jeff and Karen]

My cooling unit went out, and I know another one in a 5.0 picked up in December went out also. They may be flukes. Since the serial numbers on those two refrigerators only differed by 4, I’m assuming Dometic was just having a bad day on the assembly line.

[padlin]

I believe all days are bad days at Dometic.

[Jeff and Karen]

That’s why having that Amish company on speed dial may not be a bad idea.

[Bakes99]

Thank you Jeff. I've subscribed and will keep this in mind if and when my cooling unit goes to crap.

[phalaney]

Originally Posted by Jeff and Karen

My cooling unit went out, and I know another one in a 5.0 picked up in December went out also. They may be flukes. Since the serial numbers on those two refrigerators only differed by 4, I’m assuming Dometic was just having a bad day on the assembly line.

Kindred spirits. Here's a c/p of a PM I just sent you.

We picked up our 5.0ta on Nov 27, 2017. We had a minor fridge problem with the propane on the way home, but I successfully cleaned the orifice. Yesterday however, total failure. All 3 modes (AC, DC, propane) heated it up, but no cooling and the heat didn't seem to be spreading along the tube like before. We suspect cooling unit failure, mode unknown.

How did Escape help you? They are taking their time returning my call and e mail. We have an unrelated service appointment in Chilliwack on May 22nd, and we would be pleased if they replaced either the whole fridge or installed a new cooling unit. Failing that, we would stop at a Dometic authorized service center along the way. What we want to avoid are weeks of no fridge on our 40th wedding anniversary, 3 month trip across Canada and down the US east coast.

FYI, our Dometic manufacturer # is 958687005. Our serial # is 73387845.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.
Bob an Peggy

[phalaney]

Originally Posted by phalaney

Kindred spirits. Here's a c/p of a PM I just sent you.

We picked up our 5.0ta on Nov 27, 2017. We had a minor fridge problem with the propane on the way home, but I successfully cleaned the orifice. Yesterday however, total failure. All 3 modes (AC, DC, propane) heated it up, but no cooling and the heat didn't seem to be spreading along the tube like before. We suspect cooling unit failure, mode unknown.

How did Escape help you? They are taking their time returning my call and e mail. We have an unrelated service appointment in Chilliwack on May 22nd, and we would be pleased if they replaced either the whole fridge or installed a new cooling unit. Failing that, we would stop at a Dometic authorized service center along the way. What we want to avoid are weeks of no fridge on our 40th wedding anniversary, 3 month trip across Canada and down the US east coast.

FYI, our Dometic manufacturer # is 958687005. Our serial # is 73387845.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.
Bob an Peggy

Update

Considering the time that Reese had to think things over, my comment about Escape "taking their time" was ill considered, and I (Bob) apologize for it. We'll be getting a new fridge during our already scheduled service appointment next week. Since we envisioned weeks of chasing down an authorized Dometic service center, in a strange place, during the summer service rush, we couldn't ask for a better solution.

Thanks Reese! Maybe eating from a cooler for a week will be my penalty for making petulant remarks.....

[cpaharley2008]

Perhaps a case of Molson......I know Tammy and the office like chocolate, I always sent some during my trailer builds to keep things on schedule...

[Doug & Betty]

I hadn’t brought my Dometic refrigerator problem to the Forum but I’ll add it now with these multiple comments stating the recent surge in folks with failure issues. We picked up our 19 last August with the standard 5 cuft Dometic fridge. The unit was built in April 2017. Mid-January of this year the unit stopped working for unknown reasons whilst we were on a trip. The propane, AC and 12v heaters all worked to spec and the fluid had not leaked but it would not chill. I spoke with Reese and he said we needed to contact our local Dometic repair folks and work with them and Dometic for our repair.

We got to our local RV/Dometic repair facility the end of January. After they talked with Dometic it was ascertained that our unit was under warranty and that we would incur no expense in getting it fixed. (This was good.) After the local crew did a series of tests for Dometic it was determined that the unit was indeed bad and had a catastrophic failure of an unknown nature. (We had already told them this, but the warranty folks want to make sure, which is understandable.) The fix was to replace the chilling unit with a new unit from Dometic. (This too was good.) Dometic informed us the earliest the new chilling unit would be shipped would be mid-March. (This was bad as we had several trips planned.) As we live four hours from ETI, I spoke with Reese to see if he had any options that would or could expedite our repair. He said he could not help us and that we had to work with our local folks and Dometic to get this solved. (This was frustrating.) Our replacement chilling unit arrived the last week of March and a few days later we were operational and cooling quite well on all three systems. The new unit seems to chill better than the original did under similar conditions.

We had an old Dometic unit in a previous trailer that worked fine for 23 years for us and is still working for its new owner. Hopefully this new unit will continue to work. We did a backyard test and a short field test with no issues. We have a two-week trip to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone coming up soon, and will give it some hot climate testing later this summer.

I mentioned the Amish retrofit units on a previous thread. A friend of ours had it done to fix his Dometic failure and has been very happy with the work feeling it was money well spent. I talked with two of the Amish retrofit companies during my recent issue and was told they would be happy to install their unit in an Escape but that they only work on 6 cuft units or larger. Our 5 cuft is not popular enough for them to make a unit of that size, and I’m sure it is smaller than what the Amish probably use in their homes.

Lastly, our local RV shop has a pile of dead Dometic chilling units they have replaced which is about 6’ high and double deep behind their shop. I’m sure it is all about economics for Dometic but I wish they made them like they used to.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Doug & Betty

I hadn’t brought my Dometic refrigerator problem to the Forum but I’ll add it now with these multiple comments stating the recent surge in folks with failure issues. We picked up our 19 last August with the standard 5 cuft Dometic fridge. The unit was built in April 2017. Mid-January of this year the unit stopped working for unknown reasons whilst we were on a trip. The propane, AC and 12v heaters all worked to spec and the fluid had not leaked but it would not chill. I spoke with Reese and he said we needed to contact our local Dometic repair folks and work with them and Dometic for our repair.

We got to our local RV/Dometic repair facility the end of January. After they talked with Dometic it was ascertained that our unit was under warranty and that we would incur no expense in getting it fixed. (This was good.) After the local crew did a series of tests for Dometic it was determined that the unit was indeed bad and had a catastrophic failure of an unknown nature. (We had already told them this, but the warranty folks want to make sure, which is understandable.) The fix was to replace the chilling unit with a new unit from Dometic. (This too was good.) Dometic informed us the earliest the new chilling unit would be shipped would be mid-March. (This was bad as we had several trips planned.) As we live four hours from ETI, I spoke with Reese to see if he had any options that would or could expedite our repair. He said he could not help us and that we had to work with our local folks and Dometic to get this solved. (This was frustrating.) Our replacement chilling unit arrived the last week of March and a few days later we were operational and cooling quite well on all three systems. The new unit seems to chill better than the original did under similar conditions.

We had an old Dometic unit in a previous trailer that worked fine for 23 years for us and is still working for its new owner. Hopefully this new unit will continue to work. We did a backyard test and a short field test with no issues. We have a two-week trip to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone coming up soon, and will give it some hot climate testing later this summer.

I mentioned the Amish retrofit units on a previous thread. A friend of ours had it done to fix his Dometic failure and has been very happy with the work feeling it was money well spent. I talked with two of the Amish retrofit companies during my recent issue and was told they would be happy to install their unit in an Escape but that they only work on 6 cuft units or larger. Our 5 cuft is not popular enough for them to make a unit of that size, and I’m sure it is smaller than what the Amish probably use in their homes.

Lastly, our local RV shop has a pile of dead Dometic chilling units they have replaced which is about 6’ high and double deep behind their shop. I’m sure it is all about economics for Dometic but I wish they made them like they used to.

I can relate . Both of our old previous Dometics like 25 plus years worked like champs . A lot of money for these newer units that work spotty or not at all. Good you have a refrigerator now . Pat

[escape artist]

Hi: Doug and Betty... I wish they made VW's like the '59 I learned to drive on. Bullet proof!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[AllanEdie]

Not the most encouraging thread... Being stuck for months without refrigeration during a summer holiday is not exactly what one has in mind after paying for one of these new trailers.

Anyway, the Amish units look good, and they can be installed by the owner, which is good news where I live. Their site is bookmarked.

[Ron in BC]

Their 3 year warranty is nice but the difference between Option 2 and 3 is that 3 is helium charged and unlike Option 2, which is charged with hydrogen, non-explosive. Now there's a really good selling point.

Ron