Helping a friend Fridge not working on gas

[Upinsmoke]

My friend has a Pleasure-way, Plateau-TS and the refrigerator works on 110, and I assume 12v, but doesn't work on gas. The ignitor(s)? work and the pilot lights (nice blue flame) and stays lit, but the burner never ignites.

We removed all of the 12 v connections, cleaned & reinstalled them as well as sprayed contact cleaner through the burner orifice. No change.
I have a class A and have worked on it a bit and so know the fridge setup and operation, but I am not familiar with this setup.
Can anyone help with the order of operation, operation of the gas solenoid, possible checks or actually anything that will get us off of square one.
Thanks for any suggestions.

[eric1514]

There is no pilot light. The flame you see is the burner flame. Depending on the model, the flame might modulate slightly or it might extinguish and relight. Try cleaning around where the flame is with a brush.

[mkguitar]

the service manuals are available online


there are some cleaning and tweak procedures to check to increase efficiency in the manual




these fridges make cold & cool best with propane


pretty good on AC


and will be ok on DC while driving


some of us add fans on the external cooling fins, I also have a small fan internal to the fridge to keep the air circulating around the fins and the food
also an internal wireless thermometer



mike

[Upinsmoke]

Thanks for the replies.

I'll check with him again, but if I understand the problem correctly, he said that the fridge cools on 110 (and I think 12 v.) but not on gas. If this is correct any thoughts on that? I'll also see if he has, or can get, a picture of the flame to confirm that we're all talking about the same flame size being normal.

I never thought about the burner flame actually being the burner, because of the smallish flame. However, given the size of the fridge, I can see where it may be sufficient.

I'll also look online for the manual.

Thanks again for the help.

[Rlum]

Originally Posted by Upinsmoke

Thanks for the replies.

I'll check with him again, but if I understand the problem correctly, he said that the fridge cools on 110 (and I think 12 v.) but not on gas. If this is correct any thoughts on that? I'll also see if he has, or can get, a picture of the flame to confirm that we're all talking about the same flame size being normal.

I never thought about the burner flame actually being the burner, because of the smallish flame. However, given the size of the fridge, I can see where it may be sufficient.

I'll also look online for the manual.

Thanks again for the help.

Another place to look is; check out the pressure of propane coming out from regulator. It should be on high side. I think like 14 wci?

[mkguitar]

Originally Posted by Upinsmoke

because of the smallish flame..

the heat produced by a "normal" flame will be more than you can hold your hand over at the top of the stack on the right side of the fridge (from the rear)
and you shouldn't be able to rest fingers on the tubing on the left side of the cooling fins


mike

[Upinsmoke]

Thanks everyone and good to know what a "normal" flame/heat should be. We discovered a very useful Service Repair document from Dometic. It's pretty comprehensive and gives a few testing procedures for voltage, continuity and resistance. I now believe that the unit may be operating correctly, but we'll go through the testing anyway. I'll include it here in case it may help others.

I'm not familiar with Class B's, this particular one has both fridge vents on the side of the unit. I haven't checked for fans, do they normally come with them and/or are they worth the installation of them?

Thanks

[scottdailey]

That's a great troubleshooting guide, though only for relatively newer models (8XXX series). You didn't say what year the vehicle is. Many on this forum have older class B rigs - especially circa 1999-2002 Roadtreks. In that era, Dometic was in their (2XXX series). In my 1999 Dodge, the Dometic is model 2333, and I'm also having trouble with propane. Works great on AC power, gets VERY cold. I can light the frig on GAS and can see a snall blue flame but it will NOT get cold enough, even at night! I can get the Freezer to 32-ish F, but the frig section stays at 60+ even when ambient is in the 60's.

I took it to our local RV place where they seem to know their Dometics, they say I need a new Burner and Thermocouple, but the parts can't be found.

So, 3 Questions:

1.) Is it common for these parts to need replacing, as opposed to cleaning, and

2.) Does anyone have a source for Parts for these older Dometics?

3.) Anyone have a link to a favorite troubleshooting guide for 2XXX-series Dometics?

[Upinsmoke]

Scott, I don't know the year of the RV but the fridge model is RM7401. So the manual and the drawings are pretty close and good enough for me to use.

I would imagine that whether the parts need to be replaced or not is probably a function of the amount of use, age, and regular maintenance. I've easily found parts available for this model just by searching online. However, $$$$$

Can't help you with the last one.

[mkguitar]

Originally Posted by Upinsmoke

I haven't checked for fans, do they normally come with them and/or are they worth the installation of them?

there are fan kits available for purchase


my used van came with an added fan mounted horizontally under the cooling fins with a thermal switch at the tubing.


I have added 2 more fans inside the top cover drawing air across the cooling fins and expelling- these have manual switches and I will put both on for rapid cooling if I feel heat building on the fins. Most often I use just 1 fan.
I bought these from amazon, they draw only 380 mA


I added a piece of sheet steel to direct air coming from teh bottom cabinet thru the cooling fins


I can dependably get my fridge 60º below ambient temps



I also have a small fan internal to the fridge- this was salvaged from a vcr


we may use freezer "blue paks" which we rotate from freezer to fridge if the temps climb- esp on DC driving in heat



we monitor a wireless thermometer inside the fridge. usually in the evening the setting can be reduced to keep from freezing the lettuce.
it the morning turned up especially if it'll be a driving day on DC - most fridges are marginal on DC



keep it off gas if going to a gas station- some RV's have the fridge igniter close to the fuel fill- this can mean taking it off "auto" and keeping it on DC



try to park with the fridge on the shady side of the van
be aware that a hot van interior makes the fridge hotter- use the van AC to stay cool while driving

check the seals by closing door on a dollar bill, should feel resistance when you pull the bill out




there are newer & better compressor fridges. my older van's electrical system won't support them- it would cost me thousands to convert new fridge, batteries, charge control and possibly a 2nd alternator putting load on the motor reducing MPG etc.
I wouldn't mount solar as that would require parking in the sun


making do with what I have



Mike

[GallenH]

This might help. glenn

Dometic RM2310+others Service.pdf

[rtbill]

Originally Posted by Upinsmoke

I'm not familiar with Class B's, this particular one has both fridge vents on the side of the unit. I haven't checked for fans, do they normally come with them and/or are they worth the installation of them?

Thanks

Fans absolutely will help. On your class A the chimney above the fridge produces enough natural draft to cool the fridge. Installations on Bs with side vents just do not draw enough air over the coils. An important point is to block the lower vents on the upper panel so as much air as possible is forced over the hot finned tube.

[bl_smith25]

Originally Posted by Upinsmoke

Scott, I don't know the year of the RV but the fridge model is RM7401. So the manual and the drawings are pretty close and good enough for me to use.

I would imagine that whether the parts need to be replaced or not is probably a function of the amount of use, age, and regular maintenance. I've easily found parts available for this model just by searching online. However, $$$$$

Can't help you with the last one.

I have a RM7401. You must have the same rig as mine as they were only used for a couple years. The 7401 is a good fridge. Overall through years there hasn’t been much bad said about them at all. Mine was used continuously for 13 years. Now when I’m not using it and turn it off, the last few years have been a challenge. My location has changed also which I now believe is a contributing factor. I’ve just had to replace my igniter module as well as the burner assembly and propane line going to it. It was working great for the last month until I got back to Georgia and now it’s stopped working again on propane. It’s also 100° here so I can’t get it as cold as I usually could in friendlier temperatures.
Another friend of mine had hers diagnosed as a bad gas valve but I’m not sure how much faith I put on that diagnosis. The shop it’s in has been outright lying about how things work and not installing things right.
Anyways, it sounds like it’s functioning just fine if you have a nice healthy flame. There’s one flame and that’s it. No pilot. It should be working better on propane than anything else. The regulator should be fine but you can test that at the gas valve if you have a manometer. It should be 11” WC.
If the fridge has been operated off level enough out of spec, that can create a blockage in the tubes that will prevent the ammonia solution and gas from circulating and proper cooling. That kind of damage is irreversible unfortunately.
If your friend with Plateau can join the PW owners groups on groups.io and I have a Facebook group specifically for the 2004-2006 Plateaus which your friend will have, they can join those groups and get some help from other Plateau and PW owners.