Dometic RM8551

My RM8551 once again has failed me, even after Ron did everything to it at the rally we know of to get it going. There was a serious amount of carbon dirt (?) on the orfice and in the line he cleaned out, and we got a flame. But, no cooling! One guess is contaminated propane in the lines, or maybe the valve, but the stove and furnace are working just fine.

Beginning to contemplate trashing the thing and am looking at the Dometic RM2351. Does anyone have this (2-way) fridge?

My 19 Classic door opening is 22¼ inches wide. The RM2351 claims to be 22 inches wide.
 
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Mine has either quit entirely or performed badly with minimal flame 4 or 5 times this past year. Each time I clean the orifice and flue and it starts working again. Easy job. I finally realized that it's not the cleaning, but turning off the gas and bleeding the line pressure at the stove that must be resetting a sticking valve. The last time it quit, I only performed the bleed procedure, tapped on the valve as per some previous posts, and it started working again.
 
Yes, we did that - gave the valve a couple love taps. Also reset the propane regulator. Got a flame but still no joy. Warm but not hot up there.
 
refrigerator

Myron and others,
Our 17 has a 4 foot unit I believe and I think our 19 had about the same size. The model is #2454, made in China. I don't remember any problem with our 19, this one does great. Last summer we used it quite a lot and just like at Qsite we had a 4 or 5* freezer and 38* refrigerator on #3 settings. I don't remember what we had in the 19, but I don't think it was made in China.
AZjack
 
Myron,
Depth is showing at 22” 11/16. If for some reason it doesn’t clear on the width you might be able to take off the doors and clear fine.
How about calling the Amish refrigerator place and seeing if they have the redesigned cooling unit for yours and take a road trip.
https://jc-refrigeration.com/
 
MyronL said:
My RM8551 once again has failed me, even after Ron did everything to it at the rally we know of to get it going. There was a serious amount of carbon dirt (?) on the orfice and in the line he cleaned out, and we got a flame. But, no cooling! One guess is contaminated propane in the lines, or maybe the valve, but the stove and furnace are working just fine.

Beginning to contemplate trashing the thing and am looking at the Dometic RM2351. Does anyone have this (2-way) fridge?

My 19 Classic door opening is 22¼ inches wide. The RM2351 claims to be 22 inches wide.
Click to expand...

Myron do you know if our refrigerator has a electrode ? My previous Dometic had one and that was the problem for not starting . Part wasn’t expensive or hard to change . Guess I should pull out the refrigerator manual and see Pat
 
Another option might be to contact RV salvage places. They might have some used (but tested) refrigerator options. In a classic 19 you could always go back to the trusty RM2510 that was used early on if they have one. Once I ironed out a couple of the installation deficiencies and replaced the propane regulator it has been operating flawlessly and providing a great differential in hot weather. This is a 2-way manual fridge. Only needs 12V connection for the ignitor. No fancy controls or auto changeover system which might be a good thing.

https://www.azrvsalvage.com/rv-refrigerators.html
 
Yesterday when I walked into Tom's RV Service on Moon off Central Ave and told Tom I wanted him to order a new valve for the RM8551 he started questioning me on why I would order such an expensive part from Dometic that might not be the solution. Line pressures, baffle mis-allignment, electrodes, a ton of stuff way over my pay grade. I couldn't say any more than that I couldn't think of anything else to do. Tom gave me the gimlet eye and ran through that list of other probabilities.

I trust Tom. Stop, I said. I'm too old for this. We agreed I should bring the trailer in. He had an opening next week, leave it, he said, and he would fix the problem.
 
MyronL said:
He had an opening next week, leave it, he said, and he would fix the problem.
Click to expand...

Good idea Myron. Sometimes the simplest things can elude those of us that don't regularly work on these fridges and have the troubleshooting tricks in our pocket. I'm sure he is going to find the issue for you.
 
So here is my friends story...

He had an 8 year old RV and the fridge stop working. He found a guy in Vernon BC that actually will put new guts in the back of a RV fridge. Apparently finding some to actually work on a fridge in BC is rare...they rather sell you a new one.

This guy claims that if you do not use the fridge a lot, that the chemical inside the coils will start to solidify thus stopping the flow and fridge working. He said to avoid this problem, just keep it running all the time on 120 volts.

I don’t do that but I will turn it on for a few days every month just to heat things up and get the chemical flowing again.

I have not done any research on the subject but I thought I would throw this out if anybody does want to look into this.
 
Eggscape said:
So here is my friends story...

He had an 8 year old RV and the fridge stop working. He found a guy in Vernon BC that actually will put new guts in the back of a RV fridge. Apparently finding some to actually work on a fridge in BC is rare...they rather sell you a new one.

This guy claims that if you do not use the fridge a lot, that the chemical inside the coils will start to solidify thus stopping the flow and fridge working. He said to avoid this problem, just keep it running all the time on 120 volts.

I don’t do that but I will turn it on for a few days every month just to heat things up and get the chemical flowing again.

I have not done any research on the subject but I thought I would throw this out if anybody does want to look into this.
Click to expand...

Ed having had 2 older Dometics refrigerators before ...... like over 20 years old , use just like now , only in each one replaced a electric heater in the tube over the burner , needed nothing and always started and ran and cold . Sometimes what ever changes made really do not help or are they a improvement ?Maybe keeping things simple is the answer but then you aren’t replacing and buying replacement parts :-[In no means your fault Ed just my observation Pat
 
Eggscape said:
This guy claims that if you do not use the fridge a lot, that the chemical inside the coils will start to solidify thus stopping the flow and fridge working. He said to avoid this problem, just keep it running all the time on 120 volts.
Click to expand...

I'm not convinced a percolator tube becoming clogged is related to lack of use. It requires an overheating of the boiler section. This is an except from a good article I found:
"The percolator tube will be positioned inside the boiler tube. This is the tube that becomes plugged with the crystallized chromate when the refrigerator is chronically run off-level or when a leak develops; both of which will overheat the boiler section."

The RV Doctor: RV Absorption Refrigeration - Cooling Unit Facts, Faults and Fixes
 
replacing the RMD8551 in a E21 would be a difficult project, I don't believe they'll fit through the door.

H 1245mm x W 525mm x D 624mm
thats 49" x 20.67" x 24.57"

I just went in my 21, and took some tape measurement readings, I dunno, /maybe/ you could get it out but it would be very very tight.
 
Vermilye said:
You can gain a bit of width by removing (and, of course replacing) the door.
Click to expand...

I’ve even heard of instances where the entire cooling unit on the rear of the fridge was removed to get it into the trailer. This was done on early Casitas before they enlarged the rear window opening to allow fridge replacement without disassembly.
 
rubicon327 said:
I’ve even heard of instances where the entire cooling unit on the rear of the fridge was removed to get it into the trailer. This was done on early Casitas before they enlarged the rear window opening to allow fridge replacement without disassembly.
Click to expand...

Dave removing the screen ,which I did to install my new floor is what I would do . There are a few refrigerators out there that would work . I just in case have checked . Pat
 
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