Dometic rm1350 - need help!

[KENNY COCHRAN]

Now going to Elkhart, IN in early October to potentially have our 5th RM1350 installed with Heartland and Dometic auditing the install !!
Wish us luck (or something).

REPLACING IT WITH THE SAME UNIT IS NOT THE SOLUTION. THIS IS THE ONLY SOLUTION I KNOW THAT WILL WORK, MOST OF THE TIME. I feel your pain. Welcome to the club. There are several solutions, a new dometic is not the solution, nor is a norcold. Add 2 6"computer fans and run them 24 hours a day, get the baffles added until you get them right. Turn your unit off, then back on at 6pm to get it set to cycle on/off at the right time of day. If you get a power failure, reset the fridge at 6pm again and forever. Add insulation on top of the fridge if none is there. Good luck.

 

[wolfrat1]

i'm sorry, but we as consumers have dished out good, hard earned money for our rv's. we should not have to add fans and baffles to make brand new refrigerators work properly. either heartland or dometic needs to make this right. enough is enough. this tennis match between heartland and dometic needs to stop. because we are the losers. buying extra coolers, adding addtional electronic fixes is just plain rediculous. we aren't going to be rembursed for any out of pocket expenses. does anyone have any suggestions that we as a collective group can do to put this to a stop. this seems to be/no this is an ongoing problem that not going to stop until we do something. i went to a rv show in my town looking accessories for my rv. i told some of the people about the problems i had with dometic units. some of the salespersons got upset and i really didn't care. most people thanked me/some thought i was strange,but that was okay as well. some sales people tried to down play it. but i gave out this website. this may not be the right way, but something has to be done.

 

[KENNY COCHRAN]

I agree with you as we are the ones getting the shaft. I've seen several people on here getting brand new units from dometic, again and again. Putting the same unit back in the same hole does not solve the problem. Why bother ? I would just as soon pay under $30 for 2 larger fans, and be done with that. Add a few bucks for a baffle, and you won't have to return to your dealer and go through the many trips back and forth looking for a fix.

 

[CCCI]

OK, so fridge # 5 was installed on Tuesday Oct 4.The install was at RV Capital here in Elkhart.Reps from Heartland and Dometic audited the install.When we pulled the rig in, the first thing that was noticed was the complete lack of baffling in the upper vent.The Dometic reps said that the lack of baffles was a major consideration.We got the rig back and returned to the Elkhart Campgroung.The temperature this morning (Wednesday) was 34oF with the outside temp 48oF.This afternoon, the outside temperature was 80oF with the fridge holding at 37oF.Could this be the final fix ???We'll keep you posted once we reach south Texas for the winter

 

[1oldcarguy]

where in south Texas?
I am a Mobile RV tech in the Mission Texas area for the winter,
If you still have problems this winter,I would like to know what has been done,
Rich
( I won't publish the company name or phone number,as that's not what this board is for,,,but if your in the Mission area and tell me what park your in,I could find you.I only service 8-9 parks,but I know most of the work campers and managers in the parks I go to)

 

[KENNY COCHRAN]

Did they add baffles or larger fans? If not, you have got another lemon in your rig. Pounding another square peg in a round hole will not fix the problem. Baffles to move the air by the tubing in the back of the fridge and getting larger fans on the top of the fridge to move the air will solve your fridge problem. The texas heat will make it show up. This winter it will work find as the ambient temp will be low to keep it cooling..........................

 

[larryanddonnakeever]

After reading through these threads with all the fixes, I haven't seen anything about the doors. When I first got my 3585 RL . The second trip I was having problems with the Refrigerator staying cool the freezer was cold enough to make ice.. Took the rig to dealer in Tulsa. The two bottom doors were not shutting good. The left door was lower than the right. The tech had to pull the unit out about half way then adjusted the doors.. Working much better.. I have to make sure doors close solid after being opened.. When the temp outside was in the 100's this summer in Oklahoma I did put a fan inside the unit.. Hope this helps some.. I run mine on electric when camping, and gas when traveling. Maintains around 33 tom 35 most of the time.. Unless the grandkids are around...
Larry and Donna Keever
Oklahoma City, Ok
2011 BigHorn 3585 RL
2010 Ford F350 FX4 Lariet 6.4 Diesel Dually

Getting ready to leave tomorrow morning 10/06/11. For the Heartland rally in Canton Tx. Our first, but not last... There will be 3 rigs from Oklahoma City, going down together, everyones first Heartland 5er and rally.. Looking forward to making some new friends....

 

[KENNY COCHRAN]

you are right about the doors, it they are not sealing good, air will be escaping. Have fun in canton, it is a fun place when the flea market is going on. there is a dairy barn 1 block off i-20 on your right. you have to eat there, burgers, and food are great. also a dry county so bring your own booze for medicinal purposes if you feel a cold coming on. also a good mexican rest. downtown on the corner.

 

[radman1420]

Wow I wish I would have seen this thread before I left my dealer. My new 2012 Big Country 3650 Gold Edition is having the same fridge issues. It wont cool below 47 and its not even 80 degrees outside. Freezer is fine but cooling fins inside fridge just drip water. This is bad new when your fulltiming! Heartland will be hearing from me in the morning!

 

[wolfrat1]

i have my rig at rv capital as well for refrig #3. i hope heartland and dometic oversaw my frig being installed as well. one would think that between the two companies, one would stay in contact with the rv owners to let them know what is going on. i'm sorry if i sound bitter, but i am. with all these complaints, someone should truely be doing something constructive for the customers as opposed to saying nothing..

 

[KENNY COCHRAN]

I feel your pain. Fridge #3 is the same as #1 & #2 and will perform the same way. Dometic has not changed a thing that i can find. You will have to insist somebody install 2 larger (6") computer fans and also the baffles to direct the air past the coils on the back of the fridge. Run the fans 24 hours a day or at least during the summer months in your climate. Good luck and report back in a few months.

 

[wdk450]

TO ALL THE PEOPLE FIGHTING THIS WITH HEARTLAND/DOMETIC:
Please read 1OLDCARGUY's post of 8/27. Then take a look at my attached poor drawing of the system and my fabricated baffle. PRINT these and take them to the repair "experts". "CARGUY and I GOT OUR SYSTEMS TO WORK CORRECTLY WITH THESE MODS. If Heartland/Dometic won't do what we did, maybe you should just do it yourself and get it right, without warranty reembursement. It's not very expensive, or very hard. I used a ladder and didn't even have to remove my refrig. - $24 for a roll of fiberglass insulation (you will use very little of the roll), and about $15 for gutter flashing for the baffle with metal tape to keep it in place.
I believe you CAN make these work right in a slide.
Attached is my baffle drawing.

 

[cookie]

That is exactly what I did on day one. I have never had a problem cooling to 34* set on #4 .

Peace
Dave

 

[KENNY COCHRAN]

Don't make it easy for them. Let dometic put in 4-5 fridges in each rv on the market. They are the ones who are s l o w learners.

 

[wolfrat1]

again i ask, why is it imcumbent on the rv owners to fix something that is not our problem. we bought our rv's in good faith. why in the **** should we have to fix an obvious factory problem? maybe they already have some pre planned excuse. i just refuse to pay for something that is not my fault. heartland and dometic must read these forums. it would make sense that if heartland wants to keep its sales, they would be at the forefront of correcting this. dometic units are crap. i've had two other trailers that the dometic units had to be replaced under warranty. i'm beginning to think these companies plan on us fixing the problem so they don't have to. with my less than four month old 5th already being in indiana, i should take to heatland and said fix the problem. this is not on my dealer to do, but many of us will get mad at them anyway. they shouldn't get the heat of our frustration for being the middle man. but right now the rv owner have no choice. the crappy responses i've received from dometic is no less than pathetic (sorry you're having problems but we have a good warranty program). who wants to hear that. this was done in an email. none of my phone calls have been responded to. as long as we sit back and do nothing, i think both companies will do the same.

 

[danemayer]

Cleaned up Bill Knight's sketch.

 

[wdk450]

Dan and All:
Thanks for improving my crude drawing. One point, though - The lip of the baffle extends and sits on/overlaps the condenser by just enough to support it - 1/4 inch of the baffle lip. This shuts off bypass airflow around the condenser fins, and gets the vent air out of the upper vent properly.

 

[KENNY COCHRAN]

It is kind of funny when you call dometic and they act like it is the first time they have ever heard of "our" problem. Maybe they hire a kid for a week at a time, i don't know. Mine has been in the shop several times at 2 different dealers. They both really worked on the problem and between both of them, they got mine fixed without getting a new unit in.(which i didn't want to do, i guess i'm hard headed) mine has been working now for a while and did make it through this hot heat in south louisiana so i think it is fixed. So, stay on your local dealer and have him deal with heartland, there is light at the end of the tunnel, may be a train, but hopefully you will see the light and cold soon.

 

[danemayer]

Dan and All:
Thanks for improving my crude drawing. One point, though - The lip of the baffle extends and sits on/overlaps the condenser by just enough to support it - 1/4 inch of the baffle lip. This shuts off bypass airflow around the condenser fins, and gets the vent air out of the upper vent properly.

Updated the drawing. And updated again, changing insulation placement.

 

[1oldcarguy]

Hey Folks
Again,this is not a issue with Heartland or Dometic.The issue is air flow over the back of the refrigerator.This issue showed up when the RV makers started putting refrigerator's in slide outs.It make nicer floor plans that we all want.Keep in mind that a RV refrigerator does not cool,,,,,it absorbs heat from the food compartments,and if it is unable to get rid of the heat from the back side,it will not work correctly.
So,,ventilation is the answer
I have replaced many cooling units,in many different RV makes,,both Dometic and Norcold,and if I replace one that is installed in a slide out,I ALWAYS make sure it has vent control and air flow as good as I am able to make it.When I talk to the customer a week or two later ,most of them tell me it works better than it ever did.

Rich