Here we go again!

billnsue

Active Member
We have a RM1350, 6 weeks ago we couldn't get the temp below 48. After having my mobile RV Tech take a look he decided it needed a new coil, he worked with Dometic and they sent out a new unit, installed it and the temp came back down to the usual 34 degrees. We had become used to. Well today it started out at 34 and now it's 47 degrees. The fans are operating and the doors are sealing properly. Yes we did learn our lesson on the door flap sticking in the not closed position shortly after we bought the unit. I still have 5 months warranty from Dometic so I'll have my tech back out. If it happens after the warranty runs out I'm going to put in a residential refer. Thanks for letting me vent. It took 18 months before we had any problems living in the coach full time. In one week we lost our primary AC and the fridge, both covered under warranty from Dometic.
 

Paul & Nan

Well-known member
Have you been putting lots of stuff in from the grocery, or opening the fridge a lot??? That will cause the temp to go up for sure. Or if you have been traveling that may cause the elevated temp. Just wondering as those are common problems. Glad you mentioned the flap thing because we have had repeated problems with that, which I now check each time I open the left door, just in case.
 

billnsue

Active Member
A few things from the grocery store, just 2 of us so we control how often we open the fridg pretty well. And we haven't traveled in a year since we manage the campground. This just dosn't make sense. A new cooling unit and it's fine for a few weeks and starts all over again. I'm hoping Dometic will replace the entire unit. Worked well for 18 months then 2 cooling units in less than 2 months. Just not a good sign. Thanks for the ideas and have a great 4th!
 

danemayer

Well-known member
billnsue,

Just in case it's not a total failure of the cooling unit, there are a couple of things to check.

Does the freezer temp also seem warm, or is it freezing properly? If the cooling unit isn't working, the freezer should also be warmer than normal. If it's freezing properly, the cooling unit is probably ok.

Also, you'll want to check it to see if the failure is the same on electric as on LP. Again, if it works in one mode, it narrows the problem down considerably.

We recently had our refrigerator checked for another problem and the tech found the fans had been installed with very short screws that came out. The fans were hanging out of position, running, but not doing much good. The temps weren't all that high yet, so it hadn't caused a problem yet. You might take a peek at the fans while they're running.
 

billnsue

Active Member
Thanks Dan, the freezer temp is 31.1 degrees running on the coldest setting. When they replaced the cooling unit 6 weeks ago I watched and the fans which are mounted to a metal cross bar are in very secure. The strange part is that we have had hotter weather and been able to maintain 34 degrees in the fridge. We keep the inside temp of the unit at between 74 and 76 which helps to keep the fridge temp better. I was hoping that overnight the temp would come down due to cooler outside temps but it actually went up to 50. Just at a lose.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Hi Bill,

Sorry to hear about your refer and AC woes. Hope Dometic comes through again for you. Refer issues are maddening. I know from experience.

Went to call you a couple days ago about a CG in the Savannah area but could not quickly locate your number.
 

billnsue

Active Member
I don't believe it has a defrost and I would imagine it wouldn't last that long. I switched over to LP to see if that makes any difference.

Thanks
 

danemayer

Well-known member
the freezer temp is 31.1 degrees running on the coldest setting.
I haven't measured the temp in my freezer, but 31 doesn't sound all that frozen. Have you tried it on LP? I'm wondering if the electric heating element is what's failing.

Also, you might run the 1350 self diagnostics to see if any failures are indicated.
 

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billnsue

Active Member
Thanks Jim, just hard to believe it would be another cooling unit. I am fortunate that we have a mobile tech that comes here and takes care of it so I don't have to hookup and carry to the dealer.
As for the campground around Savannah the best would have been the KOA just south in Richmond Hill.
 

bdunker

Member
Sounds kinda like mine, we were in Florida in Jan., refer went to 50 plus, would not go lower, after several days of this it went to 37, following dy back upto mid forties, freezer was always good, We took it to the Fla.dealership of the company we bought it from LAMesa, after several days of discussions between Dometic and the Tech. (1 week) dometic agreed to replace the cooling unit, during replacement the tech discovered that a Gel that is put between the cooling unit and the internal fins for temperature bonding/transfer had not been used. It was applied and the unit works perfectly and we are currently running inb the mid 90s and the refer is 34.
 

billnsue

Active Member
I do know that when the Tech installed the new one he did put the gell on. Worked great for the past 6 weeks (34). Guess we will see what the factory says tomorrow.
 

billnsue

Active Member
Just took another reading on the back of the freezer with my digital thermometer, 25 degrees, fridge fins are at 57 this is more and more sounding like a transfer problem. But why did it work so well before?
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
If your thinking the Cooling Unit is not transferring the cold into the Fridge... you might use a long thin screw driver.... try to tighten the screws that attachés the coils inside the fridge to the cooling unit. My Dometic has 4 screws that are between the fins of the Fridge section. The Freezer should have several screws that you might want to give a turn or two as well.

Good Luck.
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
Somewhere on the forum I read that the 1350 did go thru a cycle for defrosting. Maybe someone here can respond of it. But if I remember right it had something to do when the unit was hooked up to power.
 

KENNY COCHRAN

MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS #1
from what i remember, it was suggested to turn your fridge on around 6pm. this would put the unit in defrost mode during the night and not during the heat of the day.
 

billnsue

Active Member
I wouldn't think the defrost would take more than 24 hours. I did go ahead and torx the screws that hold the fridge fins on and sure enough all but one I could tighten, so they were not tight at all. Time will tell if this helps.
 

Randy

Founding Georgia Chapter Leader (Ret)
Bill, You should not have a problem getting a new unit if you went after it like you did door prizes
Those transfer plates have to be tight. Randy, Santha and the Poodles
 
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