Dometic rm1350 - need help!

KENNY COCHRAN

MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS #1
I have a dometic rm1350, (serial #646-00001) in a 2010, #3670rl bighorn rv(mfg. 3-5-2009)
the 2 outside fans on the back of the refrigerator are not working. I have 12 volts going to the top left side of the cooling fins. Looks like it plugs into a heat sensor(disk?) and there is no voltage coming out on the other side of this sensor on this wire. Does this mean this sensor is bad, or is there something else i need to be checking.
Thanks,
kenny cochran
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
that disk is a thermal switch set to close at ~130*F. I just installed a rocker switch to bypass the thermal switch, so the fans could run 24/7 when needed.

Your switch is probably fine, and dometic has NO other temp switch, so you get 130* or a rocker switch.
 

KENNY COCHRAN

MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS #1
Thanks so much! Few questions to get it working
1. Can i bypass the thermal switch by putting those wires in a wire nut so the fans will stay on all the time and add a switch later?
2. Can i get a thermal switch later with a lower temp. Setting? I know other appliances may have a lower setting. Does that thermal switch plug into the cooling fins or just has to be rubbing against the fins?
Thanks,
kenny
 

wdk450

Well-known member
These are typically just a bimetallic snap disk switch, so you could bypass the switch with an alligator jumper, or tie the wires together.
You could put a lower rated thermal switch in (try searching the Newark Electronics online catalog), but I would tend to trust the values decided upon by the refrigerator manufacturer's engineering staff. Many times you can webb search the numbers printed on an electronic component to get a source.
 

KENNY COCHRAN

MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS #1
Thanks to both of you for your help. I bypassed the thermal switch and have the fans running 24 hours a day. Due to design issues(on this dometic unit), i really need the fans on all the time in south louisiana. I may add a lower rated switch in the future. Thanks!!!
 
I have a 2009 pinehearst with a rm 1350 refer..Had it out three times..This weekend my refer on the bottom would not get below 51 degrees..the freezer worked fine.What is wrong..LP and elec.Were full and hooked up..Need Help..

Thanks,
Firewind5@aol.com
Wendell McGowan
Redding ,Ca.96002
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
A fridge fan will certainly help. Plaace in on the bottom and turn it on. Shoud get about a month on the batteries. Watch carefully not to have the doors open extended times. Keep the coach as cool as you can stand during the heat of the day.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Kenny:
You ought to look into the refrigerator venting threads. Fans only aren't always the answer - it's the path the air draft takes over the 2 sets of cooling fins.
Here is one of the threads - I suggest you do a search of "refig venting"
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/16459-Refrigerator-Question?
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
When possible we always try to park with the Fridge facing away from the sun during the heat of the day. An old habit that always seemed to help way back when.
 

KENNY COCHRAN

MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS #1
Thanks bill, i have read every one several times. We are still having a problem. Out of town and had a local dometic repairman 5 miles from our campgrd in texas promise to come out. He never showed after talking to us several times and did not return our calls. Will deal with this coming week when we get back to south louisiana. Also had a pin hole leak in the ice maker line this weekend, but it was not spraying on any of the ref. Stuff, just under the bottom shelf. Will fix that later too.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
Sure thou gt the fridge fan would help some. If the freezer is cold then it should for sure. Is your flame good, burning nice and blue on the boiler? Following up on the thought of the propane, does you stove have a nice blue flame. Rarely but it does happen, LP isnt always up to spec. It could be low BTU gas.
 

sgtbigb

Well-known member
OH BOY! I just pick up my 20100 Landmark in Nashville with the RM1350 and when we stop in Dallas on our way to San Antonio the frigerator quit and gave a code E 3. [The overheated thermostat is disconnected] Service is required. Well we took it to a dealer here in San Antonio Last monday and hopeful get it back soon:=[ Oh tea it was 105 degrees when it quit!
 

sdagro

Well-known member
Well y'all...After all the bragging I've done done about my venting mods, I am still having problems. I definitely think it's a design problem on Dometic/Heartland. This weekend while at Bayou Segnette SP in Westwego,LA our fridge reading was 40-45 on the temp gauge at the top of unit. Actual temp inside ranged from 47-52 degrees....not quit food safe temps. Electronic thermometer is at least 7 degrees off. Sever storm came thru on Saturday and toppled a huge tree which fell between my camper and truck causing no damage to camper but several dents in truck. That's another story for another day. That was around 3pm. Outside temp cooled to around 80 degrees, fridge never dropped. I have a problem thinking that outside temps, fans and such affect the functions of these units that much, and if they do something should be done about it rather than keep using the same installs and designs that they use. Not sure but it seems like the RM1350 is having the most sever problems. Thought I read on here somewhere that Dometic is using the same cooling unit on the RM1350 13/14cubic ft. unit as they do in the 9 CF model. IMO the 4 door units do no seal as well either. This could be part of the problem also. As you all can tell I am PI$$ED to say the least. Those $$ have a 2 part meaning as well. Thought after 4 months I would have all the bugs removed. Key-less entry also went out this weekend as well as an intermittent leak under the belly which seems to be from the shower drain. Will make an appointment today to get my "NEW LIST" of problems checked out. Steve A. Dagro
 
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lwmcguir

Well-known member
I think our next unit will be a regular French door fridge and the heck with the gas. use the inverter and two batteries and that will get you to where you are going. Good fridges don't pull but around 100 watts in the 14 cubic feet size.

The boiler/burner seems to be to small as you are pointing out. We can cool ours but I am certainly not happy with the recovery times. Really have to watch the door open time for sure.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Bells and whistles (gadgets and features) are very nice but open the door for additional problems. One thing that will help keep the fridge cooler is a battery operated fan in the bottom of the refrigerator. Remember the refrigerator/freezer does not operate like one in the sticks and bricks. There is no compressor in it. The key is to be sure the hot in in the back moves up and out and that the insulation around the unit is in place. Sounds like you have already looks at many of these. Good luck.
 

sdagro

Well-known member
I bought one of those 12v fans off of ebay to circulate the air. It mounts to the fins and connects to the always hot side of the fridge light. Seems to circulate the air very well. i wonder if a smaller fridge with the slide out pantry has a better chance of cooling in the Louisiana heat. Not sure what type of mod would have to be made to do that. I'd give up the space in a heartbeat if I could be "guaranteed" to have a fridge that gets and stays cold. Steve A. Dagro
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
I hope I don't jinx myself here, but our rm1350 is set on no.4 and keeps the refer at 34. goes up to 38 when we are in and out of it a lot. Freezer is 0.
I did install a baffle behind the upper vent, to get the air to move over the upper fins.
Fatherheart and others with cold freezers and warm refer compartments check to be sure that the inside light goes off when the door is closed. A bad switch could warm things up real fast.

Peace
Dave
 

sdagro

Well-known member
Just went in camper and digital read-out is showing 47 degrees which means actual temp inside is in the 50's. Put a digital thermometer in fridge and freezer. Will give my finding in the morning before I bring it in to dealer. Hopefully we can get a conference call with HEARTLAND and DOMETIC and come to some type of agreement on what the **** to do! Steve A. Dagro
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
I bought one of those 12v fans off of ebay to circulate the air. It mounts to the fins and connects to the always hot side of the fridge light. Seems to circulate the air very well. i wonder if a smaller fridge with the slide out pantry has a better chance of cooling in the Louisiana heat. Not sure what type of mod would have to be made to do that. I'd give up the space in a heartbeat if I could be "guaranteed" to have a fridge that gets and stays cold. Steve A. Dagro

We had a Dometic and a slide out pantry in our Yellowstone. For 9 years while we had it it kept things at 34 degrees no matter what the siduation or temps. It only had an auto setting so was very glad it worked well. It would do this on electric or LP.
 

aatauses

Well-known member
Another thing to consider---I installed a solar fan near the coils on the outside. I just ran the wire from the fan out the vent and up to the top of the slide out (no drilling). It has helped us quite a bit here in Prosser, WA.
al
 
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