Dometic RMD 8555 runs cooler now

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by elongest

I used 1" pink foam. I trimmed an opening for the latch and light and with 1" foam you may have to trim to fit by your fins. I have to go out this morning so can't reply until later. The concept of the 8XXX was a lightweight frig., it is also a narrow series model they cut back on the foam for a larger capacity frig. is my guess. I had no real issues with the freezer. You can see the freezer has much thicker insulation than the frig.
Eddie

Why not add the foam insulation to the exterior? Won't the insulation inside make it harder to clean if needed ? Pat

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Why not add the foam insulation to the exterior? Won't the insulation inside make it harder to clean if needed ? Pat

Might also trap moisture between the fridge wall and the insulation, allowing mould to form.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Might also trap moisture between the fridge wall and the insulation, allowing mould to form.

Mold would also be a big concern . Adding the foam to exterior helps to keep heat from affecting inside of refrigerator . The outside heat from the air , boiler heating up air behind etc. Adding more insulation is the right direction to take in my opinion though . Pat

[m&k]

There is really nothing holding it in place but the shelf and the fit, very easy to take out and clean.

[War Eagle]

It would take the right circumstances and a bit of an heroic effort, but it would be interesting if someone would pull their fridge out so they could get to all sides, top and bottom, then plug it in and let it get to temperature, then use an infrared thermometer gun or other thermal imaging device to see where "coldness" is escaping the most. Any takers?

[elongest]

It's a vicious cycle, poor insulation makes the burner run more, making more heat and the cycle continues building up more heat for the frig to overcome. Then going down the road forces the rear cabinet heat around the sides and top of the frig.

I did not tape the door foam, the door shelf option is not out for me yet. Putting foam on the rear wall should help the most since that's where most of heat load is. So if you did not want to foam the whole box you could just try the back to see how that does.

Other than my orig. burner regulator issue. The added insulation has made the biggest improvement with the frig. It now cools down faster and holds it's temperature OTR in 90 degree weather.

Eddie
It's like turning a playmate cooler into a Yeti by adding the foam.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

It would take the right circumstances and a bit of an heroic effort, but it would be interesting if someone would pull their fridge out so they could get to all sides, top and bottom, then plug it in and let it get to temperature, then use an infrared thermometer gun or other thermal imaging device to see where "coldness" is escaping the most. Any takers?

Already pulled refrigerator a few years back . Really not that hard to do .Insulated the cabinet . We have the 8 series refrigerator. Also did a few other things . Refrigerator has been working with great numbers since . We have the fridge guard to use when weather is hot . Insulating the door is problematic. We don't want to lose shelves . Have aquired a therm o gun . Would be interested to see those numbers . Just never thought of it . There are a few pictures of refrigerator insulation install in my albums on the forum . You can also search the whole refrigerator threads and see what others have done . I believe now the door is the weak link on our refrigerator now . Using the fridge quard helps with that and items on the door aren't needed to be kept real cold . Pat

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by elongest

It's a vicious cycle, poor insulation makes the burner run more, making more heat and the cycle continues building up more heat for the frig to overcome. Then going down the road forces the rear cabinet heat around the sides and top of the frig.

I did not tape the door foam, the door shelf option is not out for me yet. Putting foam on the rear wall should help the most since that's where most of heat load is. So if you did not want to foam the whole box you could just try the back to see how that does.

Other than my orig. burner regulator issue. The added insulation has made the biggest improvement with the frig. It now cools down faster and holds it's temperature OTR in 90 degree weather.

Eddie
It's like turning a playmate cooler into a Yeti by adding the foam.

That's for sure . Not sure how Escape installs the newer refrigerators but we have a nice rubber gasket the refrigerator when reinstalled in cabinet sits against . Also foam was applied at bottom . After I removed and reinstalled Refrigerator I put the foam back at bottom ( had to cut to remove refrigerator) . You are right about the refrigerator being turned from a playmate into a roto ( Penquin ) in our case cooler now . Also find refrigerator cools faster , recovers faster ,lower temps , etc. Pat

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Already pulled refrigerator a few years back . Really not that hard to do .Insulated the cabinet . We have the 8 series refrigerator. Also did a few other things . Refrigerator has been working with great numbers since . We have the fridge guard to use when weather is hot . Insulating the door is problematic. We don't want to lose shelves . Have aquired a therm o gun . Would be interested to see those numbers . Just never thought of it . There are a few pictures of refrigerator insulation install in my albums on the forum . You can also search the whole refrigerator threads and see what others have done . I believe now the door is the weak link on our refrigerator now . Using the fridge quard helps with that and items on the door aren't needed to be kept real cold . Pat

Agree with you Pat about the door shelves being hard to give up unless absolutely necessary. Our fridge runs in low 40's since the thermistor was pulled out to dangle. Next time it needs to be pulled will do insulation and vent mod.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Agree with you Pat about the door shelves being hard to give up unless absolutely necessary. Our fridge runs in low 40's since the thermistor was pulled out to dangle. Next time it needs to be pulled will do insulation and vent mod.

Hi Ross doing those mods really will improve . Yes also have thermistor just dangling too. Pat

[Greg A]

I think somewhere someone mentioned that by 2015 Reace was adding pretty good insulation on the sides, top, etc before the fridge install now. If that's the case, then probably just the years prior that are missing that insulation and it would be a good idea to pull and add that.
So far, ours is working camped or on tow in AZ temps and up to and over 9000 feet. Go figure how this can be an issue that is so random within the same refrigerator model.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

You're making me feel old! I don't have a smart phone either, but I can still take digital photos with what I guess is now considered an "old fashioned" digital camera - a Sony Cyber-Shot. Do they even make such old fashioned things anymore?

Yeah, they do. I just bought a new one from Amazon as my older one was messing up. The on/off button wasn't working very well. I'm very pleased with the photos the new ones takes. Much better zoom than my old one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Greg A

I think somewhere someone mentioned that by 2015 Reace was adding pretty good insulation on the sides, top, etc before the fridge install now. If that's the case, then probably just the years prior that are missing that insulation and it would be a good idea to pull and add that.
So far, ours is working camped or on tow in AZ temps and up to and over 9000 feet. Go figure how this can be an issue that is so random within the same refrigerator model.

Greg has seen some pictures of pink insulation in newer refrigerators . Having pulled 2 previous refrigerators ( Dometic) not for cooling, other reasons , those cavities were packed with the pink insulation .1979 and 1992 . It looks pretty thin and can compress real easy in the Escapes install. Need to redo the attic at home because it isn't doing a great job either anymore . Sounds like the refrigerators need better insulating . Just going by the pictures and the complaints . Pat

[nathanj04011]

Originally Posted by Greg A

I think somewhere someone mentioned that by 2015 Reace was adding pretty good insulation on the sides, top, etc before the fridge install now. If that's the case, then probably just the years prior that are missing that insulation and it would be a good idea to pull and add that.
So far, ours is working camped or on tow in AZ temps and up to and over 9000 feet. Go figure how this can be an issue that is so random within the same refrigerator model.

I was told by Sarah in 2016 before we picked ours up that they had started putting in pink insulation around and behind the fridge after a few members here had done it with some success. Seemed to work when we first got the trailer in June 2016; our RM8xx got pretty cool, in the 30's for the fridge and the single digits for the freezer. This year, on setting 5, it can only manage the low 40's and upper teens for the freezer.

[float5]

Ours is a two-door 6.7 from August 2015 and works fine. No changes to it and no TX fan.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by float5

Ours is a two-door 6.7 from August 2015 and works fine. No changes to it and no TX fan.

Cathy glad you aren't having any issues cause it is a pain in the ... some are and are looking for fixes . Pat

[float5]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Cathy glad you aren't having any issues cause it is a pain in the ... some are and are looking for fixes . Pat

Think you had a different model and most of the complaints were on a different model. Hardly any complaints on this one. Wish you had the one I have, Pat. Then you would not have had to go to all of that trouble. Or others. Unfortunately, they finally had a good one when they were changing the moulds to be able to take a different size. Sounds as if you fixed yours and others can use your fix.

I was answering someone --- post before mine--- saying that they may have started putting more insulation in 2016 --- but our 2015 model works well. Don't know if they started putting more insulation when ours was installed or not.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Greg has seen some pictures of pink insulation in newer refrigerators . Having pulled 2 previous refrigerators ( Dometic) not for cooling, other reasons , those cavities were packed with the pink insulation .

Pat, I don't have a propane fridge but I have the same (dimensionally speaking) 21ft standard fridge cabinet and can share my observations. My 2016 21ft fridge cutout dimensions are identical to other 21ft trailers. Only difference being that my back wall is solid, no wall vent cutout. The sides, top and bottom are the same as the standard 21ft fridge cabinet.

I removed the luan pieces glued to the both left and right sides of the cabinet. I did not order the left wall reinforced. Reason was to expose the 1x3/4" framing. Those were filled with 3/4" Rmax Thermasheath Polyisocyanurate Rigid Foam Insulation Board.
On the right side, 1-1/2" boards topped it off preventing framing thermal "bridging", making 2-1/4" thick total insulation. On the left side the topping was 2" minimum for total of 2-3/4" thickness. On the bottom below the plywood shelf, 2" board wall to wall. On top 3". The back I started with 2" and reduce to 1" OVER the factory bubble wrap insulation, ( this does not apply to the propane units). My fridge has same width as the Dometic one and slid right in.

So, if you are willing to remove the unit, get rid of the luan, you should be able to add a lot of "R"s. This does not apply to the back since you have vent door back there. If you are interested, I can submit a few photos.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Santiago

So, if you are willing to remove the unit, get rid of the luan, you should be able to add a lot of "R"s. This does not apply to the back since you have vent door back there. If you are interested, I can submit a few photos.

We'd LOVE to see photos.

[float5]

Originally Posted by Greg A

I think somewhere someone mentioned that by 2015 Reace was adding pretty good insulation on the sides, top, etc before the fridge install now. If that's the case, then probably just the years prior that are missing that insulation and it would be a good idea to pull and add that.
So far, ours is working camped or on tow in AZ temps and up to and over 9000 feet. Go figure how this can be an issue that is so random within the same refrigerator model.

You may be right and that would explain why Paul's 2014 was not working, and yours and ours have.

At the time we were going to get ours, I asked about a Texas fan but was told that they were not adding them anymore as they did not need them with the new model. We were not in Texas then. Later they started selling the fans again. So I have to wonder if it would work even better with the fan.