New Camper - Need help with Fridge!!

[gotlieb]

We got our first 5th wheel last night and we are trying to get everything ready to go for our first trip tomorrow. The camper came with an instruction manual for everything, EXCEPT the fridge. I have manuals for the smoke detector, tv, radio, etc but not for the fridge. The owners manual says to refer to the instruction manual for the fridge, so they must have forgot to include it with my camper.

So, my question for everybody is...How do I turn the fridge on? There is an on/off button on the fridge and then an auto/gas button. I have the unit plugged in, so I just want to use the electricity at this point. The fridge is "on" and in "auto". Going on a few hours now and it feels like it has only gotten warmer inside the fridge. Is there something I need to do to get this fridge working? It doesn't even sound like the fridge is trying to run (i.e I can't hear anything). I turned the LP tanks on and tried that, but still no sound.

Sure wish I had an instruction manual. Any help??

 

[Silverado23]

On and auto are the correct locations. It can take quite a while to feel cool
What model/brand do you have?

 

[gotlieb]

On and auto are the correct locations. It can take quite a while to feel cool
What model/brand do you have?

It's a Greystone 29BL. It's brand new (a leftover 2012). Shouldn't I hear the fridge running though? I don't hear a thing in the camper, other than the electrical box humming.

 

[Silverado23]

Sorry what is the brand model of the fridge? It is a gas absorbtion fridge so you probably will not hear much as it does not have a compressor or noisy fans like a regular fridge has. When it is really quiet, and running propane, I can sometimes hear the fridge trying to start up the propane.

 

[Silverado23]

Some of the Dometic fridge manuals are available in the Tools/Heartland Owners Manuals section.
http://manuals.heartlandowners.org/?Major=Appliances&Minor=Refrigerator&Brand=Dometic

 

[gotlieb]

Just ran out and checked. It's a Dometic. When I went out there, it felt like the freezer may be starting to get cool. I guess I wait it out overnight and hopefully it is cold in the morning. Thanks Silverado

 

[Silverado23]

Your welcome. The manuals for dometic are pretty similar so the link I provided earlier could be used for basic usage.
Dometics website is http://www.dometic.com You can find the correct model there for a manual that you could print out so you have one onhand.

 

[danemayer]

Other than ventilation fans on the back, if yours has any, there's not a lot of noise. If you're set to AUTO and on shore power, the freezer walls will start to feel cold after a few hours. If you turned it on midday, by tomorrow morning, it may be down in the mid 30s. The 4 door RM1350 has a "temp" setting where I believe 5 is coldest. Don't know what settings are on other models.

If its hot inside the coach, the refrigerator will take MUCH longer to get down to temperature.

Make sure the coach is level. If it's not, cooling will be compromised and you can even damage the refrigerator.

Opening the refrigerator door to frequently check will keep it from cooling. Unlike residential refrigerators, opening the door and standing there while you think about what to eat will cause the temperature to go up significantly and it will take hours to recover.

If you plan to travel with LP on, in Auto mode the refrig will switch to LP when shore power is disconnected. However, you may need to purge air from the LP lines. Light one of the burners on the kitchen range. Once it burns solidly, the fridge will be ready to switch over automatically.

 

[gotlieb]

If its hot inside the coach, the refrigerator will take MUCH longer to get down to temperature.

Make sure the coach is level. If it's not, cooling will be compromised and you can even damage the refrigerator.

It's not too warm here (in the low 50's) so that shouldn't be a problem. The camper isn't perfectly level, but it is pretty close. The front end needs to come up about 1/4 of an inch. But, since this is my first 5th wheel and the first time pulling a 5er, I needed help getting it hooked up for the first time and I would like to leave it attached to my truck so everything is good to go for tomorrow. Is 1/4 of an inch too "un-level"?

 

[danemayer]

1/4" isn't going to be a problem. In general, if it feels pretty level inside, you should be ok.

 

[Nathan]

Also, when your out and about buy a thermometer for the fridge and have fun on your trip.

 

[Birchwood]

We have a Dometic four door and the manual states "when starting this refrigerator for the very first time,
the cooling cycle may require up to four hours of running time before the ooling unit is fully operational".
If you leave the fridge on Auto it will function on electric first and LP if you are unplugged.The fridge
is a silent operation but when unplugged you will hear the propane blast.