Summary/Intro:

Your Dometic RV refrigerator isn’t cooling—but does that mean you need a circuit board, a heating element, or something else? Before you start buying parts, let’s narrow down the problem.

In this episode of The Smart RVer Podcast, I walk through troubleshooting Dometic DM series absorption refrigerators. We’ll start with the basics: 12-volt control power, fuses, breakers, and which heat source is actually operating. Then we’ll separate electric problems from propane problems so you have a clearer idea of what to check next.

I also explain why cooling time, thermometer readings, and a few written observations can help you avoid an expensive guess. Whether you’re doing basic checks yourself or preparing to talk with a technician, the goal is the same: gather useful evidence before spending money on parts.

Show Notes:

Dometic DM Refrigerator Not Cooling? Narrow Down the Problem Before Buying Parts

A warm refrigerator tells you something is wrong. It doesn’t tell you which part failed. In this episode, Eric Stark explains how to troubleshoot a Dometic DM refrigerator with a clear sequence of checks.

The discussion focuses on the DM2672, DM2872, DM2682, and DM2882 absorption refrigerators, helping you identify the symptom, confirm the operating heat source, and decide what needs further testing.

Understand the basics first

Absorption refrigerators use heat to produce cooling. These models can use propane or a 120-volt electric heating element, while their electronic controls require 12-volt DC power on either source. AUTO mode can switch to propane when AC power is unavailable, so being plugged in doesn’t prove the refrigerator is cooling on electric.

Follow the symptom

• Won’t turn on: Start with the DC supply, identified fuses, and accessible connections before blaming the controls.
• Cools on propane but not electric: Investigate the AC supply and electric heating path before ordering a heating element.
• Cools on electric but not propane: Record ignition attempts, CHECK indicator behavior, and whether a flame starts and stays lit.
• Runs but cools poorly: Review cooling time, level parking, ventilation, door closure, and temperature readings in both compartments.
• Works intermittently: Keep a record of operating mode, weather, temperatures, and when the problem occurs.

Give it time—and measure the results

Allow an appropriate cooling period according to your model’s manual. Use thermometers in both compartments rather than judging performance by touch. Start your pre-trip checks early enough to identify a problem and address it before departure.

Collect the information that makes diagnosis easier

Record the model, product code, and serial number. Photograph the data label and control panel, and write down the symptoms before restarting the refrigerator. Use the correct service manual for component specifications and diagnostic procedures.

Know when to get help

Keep owner checks within your abilities. Leave live 120-volt testing, gas-pressure testing, and gas-system repairs to a qualified technician. Never bypass safety devices or keep operating a refrigerator if you see signs of a leak or hazardous failure.

Companion resources

Visit this episode’s website post for the Dometic DM Refrigerator Troubleshooting Checklist, the Americana II vs. Americana II Plus infographic, and the operator’s and service manuals. The checklist provides space to record temperatures, symptoms, and the evidence behind your next step.

Before your next trip, check your RV’s electrical, water, and propane connections, and plan for winterization when freezing weather approaches.

The goal: narrow down the problem before you spend money on parts.

Takeaways:

• I advise testing whether the refrigerator cools on propane or electric before ordering any parts.
• I remind you to ensure the refrigerator has proper twelve-volt power and good fuses before diagnosis.
• We recommend running the refrigerator at least forty-eight hours before travel to confirm consistent cooling performance.
• I recommend checking the burner, electrode, and flame on propane models, and promptly cleaning or replacing corroded parts.
• I advise measuring temperatures in both freezer and refrigerator compartments with thermometers to gather objective evidence.
• We caution that intermittent faults require careful record-keeping and replication before replacing circuit boards or other expensive components.
• I emphasize verifying airflow, roof vent clearance, and RV level, as these are shared causes of poor cooling across heat sources.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Wholesale Warranties - RV Extended Warranties

Resources Mentioned in this Episode - Owner's and Service Manuals.

Contact Us - Call, Text, Video, Email

Our Online Resources:

The Smart Rver YouTube Channel - Check Out Our No-Nonsense YouTube Videos

Sunpro Mfg - RV Sunshade, Windshield Covers & Slide Out Awning Fabrics

Hot Boat Ropes - Marine Cordage- Anchor Lines, Dock Lines, Tow Lines, etc.

Top Rated Podcast - The Smart RVer Podcast Website

There is nothing worse than opening the refrigerator only to find warm food.

And in staying on the road today, we're going to talk about the Dometic DM series Refrigerators not cooling.

We're going to help you narrow down the problem before you start buying parts.

And then in quick tips, we're going to quickly discuss making sure your LP and electrical connections are good.

And then, hey, in smart tips, a quick reminder to winterize your rv.

And we also have some information where you can download it that help you do that.

I'm Eric Stark.

Welcome to the Smart rver podcast.

If you'd rather be camping than sitting in a repair shop, you're in the right place.

In every episode, I'll walk you through practical DIY maintenance and repairs that keep you on the road.

So welcome back today, Everybody, it's episode 203, and before we get into it, I just want to give you a quick reminder to check out wholesale warranties.

As always, there's a link in the description of this podcast.

They offer great RV extended warranties.

Whether you're buying a new rv, a used RV matter from a dealership, private party.

Either way, they have a warranty for you.

And what's so cool about them is their warranties are explained to you up front before you ever pay a penny, before you ever sign a contract, you know what you're getting or what you're not getting.

Quite often you're told what you're not getting, and that's what really hits you hard when that problem fails.

Maybe the transmission, maybe the rear differential, maybe an axle.

And.

And you don't find out until it's too late.

You bought this warranty and now it won't cover it.

They tell you up front what the warranties will cover and what they won't cover.

So go to the description, click on the link for wholesale warranties, and get a quote today.

All right, everybody, let's jump into staying on the road now.

And we're going to talk about the Dometic DM refrigerators and cooling problems.

And we're going to help you to narrow down the problem before you buy parts.

And the reason why I'm going with the DM series for the Dometics is because there's a lot of them out there.

And sometimes you can take this information and apply it in a general sense to other Dometic refrigerators.

They're not all identical, but they're very similar.

By the same token, you can't just change parts between an rm, a DM and a whatever M that's not a doable thing.

So here's the deal.

We're just going to help you narrow down the problem.

We're not going to get right to the problem because you get in that direction and then that's going to help you find the problem.

So there's about five different areas we're going to go today.

And it's helpful though, you narrow down whether it's electric, propane, you know, some variables there.

But then you can, okay, here's where we're at.

Now we know we got propane.

This is happening.

So you can zoom in on something or you can get more help.

You can contact me.

Always glad to help.

So what are the models we're going to discuss now?

There's more in those series, but those are the ones that are, you know, so popular out in RVs.

So they're 6 and 8 cubic foot refrigerators.

And what they are is the Americana 2 and the Americana 2 plus a 7.

Any number ending in 72 is an Americana 2 and the 82 ending in 82 is an Americana 2 plus all these numbers and names hard to keep straight.

They're gas absorption refrigerators.

So in other words, they don't work on 12 volts.

That's a completely different animal.

That 12 volt refrigerator is not in this episode.

It has 12 volts on it.

So.

So you can listen to this episode, no problem.

The 12 volts would be just another path of trying to figure out where it's wrong.

But isolating the 12 volts so you know that the problem's on 12 volts.

All right, so let's jump right into this.

So when your refrigerator is not working, that doesn't identify the failed part, Right?

That's just telling you your refrigerator is not working.

So here's the thing, you know, you're getting ready to go on your trip.

It's maybe the night before, hopefully not, hopefully sooner than that.

But it's the night before.

The refrigerator door, you open it up, the light comes on, you put in the food and you turn on the refrigerator and you walk away.

Or you don't put in the food, you turn on the refrigerator and you walk away.

Maybe in the morning you're going to put the food in because that's when you're leaving.

And you want that refrigerator cold before you put the food in.

You really do want to do that.

Some people don't do that.

They put the food in the warm refrigerator.

Bad move.

So anyways, you go back in the morning and the refrigerator is not cold, it's warm and it never turned on.

Something's wrong with it.

So immediately, you know, we go into panic mode.

Oh, we need to get a circuit board.

That's what it's got to be.

Without any diagnosis, anything, you start shopping for a circuit board.

And that's not always the problem.

And by the way, if you didn't catch my little clues there, you know, you need to turn your refrigerator on maybe a week before you go on your trip.

If you're going to be running on electric there, running on electric, run it on gas, make sure it's working in both areas.

So that way when you go on your trip, you don't have any problems.

And even, even though you had it running for a week or you turn it on a week before, you don't have to leave it running for the entire week, but you can turn it off and then turn it back on before you go on your trip.

Maybe 48 hours before you go on your trip, I wouldn't do any less than 48 hours.

That way you got a little bit of fighting time there.

In case it doesn't work, you got at least a day, approximately a day.

And sometimes that's what it's going to take because it won't turn on.

And then if you don't have any time, you're frustrated, you might cancel your trip, start pulling out the coolers, buying ice, you know, so be ahead of that curve.

Don't wait until the last moment.

And a lot of RVers do.

We get phone calls every week, hey, we're leaving in an hour and our refrigerator is not working.

And you know, there's a process to diagnosing it.

It's not just a three minute deal.

You can throw parts at it and hopefully it works.

But your refrigerator starts to cool down.

And by the way, most manufacturers recommend about 24 hours for it to cool down.

Fully cool down.

And I kind of stick with that.

You know, in a three hour period, an hour period, sometimes you can fill the freezer and it's definitely getting colder.

It seems to be working.

But that doesn't mean everything's going to work after 24 hours or in 8 hours or 12 hours, give it some time.

And don't keep opening and closing the door.

Just let it run.

If you get into it three hours, you open the door.

That's great.

It's cooling top and bottom.

You're probably good.

Keep thermometers top and bottom, which we'll hit that again in a minute.

All right, so in this episode we're going to walk through it.

You're going to identify the symptom, you're going to establish what operating mode is in.

We're going to check the basics and we're going to gather some evidence before you buy anything.

And that's important.

So we're not going to just encourage you to spend money.

It's a circuit board.

It's the gas valve.

We're not going that way.

All right, and now the DM series.

Like I said, they're gas absorption.

They're not 12 volt.

They're LP and electric, not compressor.

So they're not 12 volt or 110 volt.

And keep in mind, a warm refrigerator tells you there's a problem.

It doesn't tell you which part to order.

Now let's get into how you're testing it, where you're kind of going with this.

Okay, so first off, and a lot of RVers don't realize this, but the cooling unit works off of heat.

So the heating element in the back, 110 volt, or the propane, even the 12 volt heating element, they create heat.

It's a gas absorption refrigerator.

So it creates heat and it's pulling the cold out of the heat.

Sounds odd, right?

But we're not going to get all the scientific stuff there.

And then the refrigerator has to have 12 volts going to it for it to work.

I know it's not a compressor style refrigerator.

It requires 12 volts to run the compressor.

Exactly.

But it has to have 12 volts to run the circuit board and all the controls.

It's a must.

It's mandatory.

Even when it's on 110 volts, you have to have the 12 volts going to the refrigerator.

And now the DM series, they have this great little function, it's called auto.

So when you turn your refrigerator on, those little buttons, you know, open up the door and the little buttons there, and you know, those buttons, sometimes they don't move much.

So you got to, you know, maybe test it to make sure you have it on.

But also when you put it on auto, it's going to go to electric before it's going to Go to propane.

It will always prioritize electric versus gas.

So you have to understand that.

So if you're plugged in or you're on gas and you plug in and you're on auto, it's automatically going to go to electric.

But you know, if you're an rv, park your house, you're fine with that, you know, but there might be some reason why you want it on gas.

And if you do, you hit the button to put it on gas.

Don't put it on auto, put it on gas.

Like if you're traveling, you could just put it on gas.

That way you don't have to worry about any switching, any faulty, something failing in that auto system.

And now on the DM series, the 26.

Well, the Americana 2, which they end in 72.

Yeah, 72, 73.

They have a preset factory temperature where the Americana 2 plus.

So it'd be like the 82 series, 83 series, they have selectable settings so you can adjust the temperature so it's a little bit different so your control board will look different.

So we're going to talk about downloading the manual.

The manual covers both.

So you just identify your control board and then you go from there.

So now a three way refrigerator has the DC heating element as well.

So that still works off at heat, but it's 12 volts.

But we're really not going to get into that.

But if you follow the episode and actually download the manual that I'll have, it'll help you diagnose that.

But it's the same general information.

So before we can diagnose what the problem is, we have to know where the heat is coming from, whether it's from propane or electric.

So that's our starting point.

And by the way, when you're working on your refrigerator, just do this right out of the gate.

Get the model number on it and the product code.

If it's a Domatic, Norco doesn't is not as specific.

But Dometic has product codes.

They're always nice to have because there can be subtle differences.

That product code can help.

Primarily it explains the color.

But there are other issues that can be avoided if you have a product code.

So get the model number, serial number is not as important.

Product code and take a picture of the label and the control panel and that helps as well.

You know, it sounds kind of elementary here, but write down what your problem is, what's going on with the refrigerator, whether you know the control panel at the tops bat or there's no lights on there.

There's no lights in the interior cabinet.

It's not cooling very well.

Whatever it is, if it's intermittent, you know that process, how you got to it.

Because sometimes refrigerators get confusing.

People aren't sure if it's on electric or propane.

And what happens is you have to diagnose which side electric or propane is not working on, or both.

That helps you go down the right diagnostic path, and that's important so you're not wasting time or buying parts you don't need.

And remember, too, to let the refrigerator have a meaningful cooling period.

You know, the owner's manual, dometic, Norcold, whatever, is going to tell you that those manuals, we're going to have an operator's manual, service manual, and a checklist available in the description of this podcast and on the website as well.

And you want to use a thermometer in both compartments, so the freezer and refrigerator put a thermometer in each because they could be cooling down at different temperatures.

And that might be your problem.

You get that?

We want to make sure that we're going down the right path.

If the problem's on electricity, we want to chase electric.

If it's on gas, we want to chase gas.

We don't want to chase both unless we have to.

It might be both.

It doesn't work at all.

And make sure the RV's level or pretty close to level.

When you're testing the refrigerator, it's always better.

I mean, refrigerators do work when they're not level, but for official testing, maybe it's warranty or satisfying somebody else.

Make it level.

You know, there could be obvious signs that just say, hey, stop.

There's no point going on here.

You know, there could be ammonia on the back of the refrigerator.

That greenish yellow dust, it could be inside the refrigerator, could smell like ammonia.

That means just stop.

The cooling unit is bad.

There's no point in going on.

Don't waste your time and don't breathe in.

It's very dangerous.

Or if you see burnt wire, something like that, very obvious.

There's a bigger problem.

And, you know, there's.

There's a time where you might want to just call a technician, a service center, and say, hey, here's the deal.

I got to take my refrigerator in.

Here's what's going on.

I need some help.

Nothing wrong with that, but we're trying to help you walk through it.

Especially if you're planning on going on a trip.

Your time is constrained or you're out on the road, you know, you kind of walk you through this type of stuff.

So one symptom you're going to face or can face is the refrigerator just doesn't turn on.

Nothing happens.

You know, maybe the compartment light comes on.

And remember is voltage.

The light can come on, but that doesn't mean the voltage is high enough to run the refrigerator.

It gives you an idea of power going to the refrigerator.

But is it enough power?

But let's say there's no light in the refrigerator.

Make sure that you have 12 volts going to the refrigerator.

Is your battery disconnect on?

Sounds silly, right?

But sometimes they get left off and we get, you know, panic.

We start forgetting about other things and we get focused on one thing.

Just had an experience the other day.

Someone was focused on a generator being a problem when it wasn't even the generator.

Person spent hours chasing down generator parts and problems when it was a solenoid for the on off the battery disconnect switch.

Big difference.

Waste of time for that person.

Okay, so we don't want to get like focused on something and it's the wrong direction.

And you want to make sure the refrigerator fuse to the refrigerator is good.

It'll be in the regular fuse panel where your circuit breakers are.

It's a 12 volt fuse.

So you want to check that and use an ohmmeter.

Don't pull it out and just look at it.

Use an ohmmeter.

And if you don't have an ohmmeter, a multimeter, you need to get one, which I say that so often they're almost indispensable if you own an rv.

And you know, sometimes there could be loose connections, corrosion at the wires, maybe a wire came disconnected, maybe it's been chewed through by a rodent of some kind.

So you're checking the basics to make sure there's power going to the refrigerator, there's power there.

If there's not power going to the refrigerator, then you determine why not, why isn't there power going to the refrigerator?

We're talking about 12 volt power here.

And also, you know, on 110, you want to make sure the refrigerator is plugged in, which we'll get to that in a minute.

We're trying to make sure that there's power at the refrigerator.

That's our first step.

If there's no if, nothing happens with the refrigerator, no lights, no nothing.

So if there's no power there, you chase that.

And that could be one of many things.

But you have to determine that before you start chasing anything.

Now there could be another symptom.

Maybe it cools on propane, but not on electric.

Now the other thing too is quite often I get the phone call, someone comes in my refrigerator, cools on propane.

Okay, what temperature get to and the answer is I don't know.

I just heard it click and so I assume it came on.

That doesn't work.

You have to make sure that it's actually cooling on propane, that the propane is coming on.

You see the flame is cooling down.

That's very important.

Just don't assume that it's not working on propane because you heard a click.

That just means it's trying to light.

That doesn't mean it lit.

You can hear a refrigerator.

If you go to the access panel on the outside, you'll hear that flame going kind of like a furnace, but not as loud.

So if it's cooling on propane, truly cooling on propane and not on electric.

Okay, now you chase the electric path.

So that would be the 110 volt is what we're talking about.

It could be 12 volt too.

It's very similar.

So you're going to change that or you're going to change direction.

It's cooling on propane.

Now we're going to go after the 110 volt.

So you want to make sure that the refrigerator has 110 volts going to it.

So you check the circuit breaker inside the rv, make sure it's on.

And a lot of circuit breakers, 110 volt ones, they might trip.

But if you just glance and you don't really look at it, you might not notice that it's tripped.

So I always recommend turning it off and turning it on and that resets the breaker.

You know it's on.

If you go to turn it back on and it doesn't want to come on, that means you have a short someplace.

Do not force it.

But that's probably not going to be the case.

So make sure it's off and then on and in doubt, just turn it off and turn it back on and then go out to the refrigerator in the compartment on the backside of the RV or the outside, take off the access door and unplug the refrigerator and check the 110 volt outlet there.

Make sure you have 110 volts at the outlet.

If you do plug the refrigerator back in.

Now you're going to go that way.

You're going to determine where that 110 volts is going and Stopping in the refrigerator.

And this is where maybe you want to get a technician involved.

If you're not familiar with a multimeter, you're not comfortable using it.

Maybe it's 110v.

You really don't want to go down that path.

You're afraid you might get shocked, damage something further, make the situation worse.

And also if you.

I forgot, if you don't have power at that outlet.

So on the back of the side of the refrigerator you have the outlet for 110v.

If there's no power there, that means it's someplace before that outlet.

Maybe it's a GFCI breaker that's popped and you don't realize it.

Which that was an episode, I think two episodes ago we talked about that.

I'll put a link to that episode in this as well so you can understand GFCI outlets.

That was probably more than two episodes ago, but I'll put a link in there so you can look at that.

And there's also a handy dandy chart on our website as well show you how this GFCI outlets work, how they flow through an rv.

So that's.

If you don't have power there.

If you have power there, then it goes back to what we were talking about, maybe calling a technician.

You don't want to damage something, you know, make the situation worse.

And you know that auto function on these refrigerators, don't let that obscure things, you know, make sure that it's on auto and you're working on the gas, you know, or the electric.

And it does work on propane.

Make sure you're not getting it confused.

Be a hundred percent and chasing that rabbit.

So if it cools properly on propane, then start investigating the 110 volt path.

But do not condemn the cooling unit because if it cools on propane, top and bottom compartments work.

They're cold, they're at the temperature they should be.

Then the cooling unit is working.

Cooling is out of the picture at this point.

Now if it cools on electric but not on propane, it's kind of the opposite.

Right?

So you want to make sure this cooling 100% on electric.

Okay.

Top and bottom compartment and it's not cooling on propane now.

Okay, now we chase the propane path.

Is the propane on?

Are the valves open on the tank?

Silly question again, but it happens.

So make sure you have propane getting to the refrigerator.

And another thing that kind of helps you with this, if you're water heater works, if your Range works.

That usually indicates the propane regulator is okay.

It's not 100% diagnosis, but it gives you something to work with, especially if you're limited on tools.

Maybe you don't have the tool to check propane pressure or manometer.

Maybe that's not in your wheelhouse.

That might be something a technician would need to do.

But generally, if you have water, you know, good water heaters working good, range is working good, you're probably okay.

So now look at the propane side of it.

You know, is the flame lighting or is it not lighting?

Do you hear it trying to light?

You can, you know, on these refrigerators, when you take off that access door, you can see the flame.

Some have a little window you can pull out of the way.

Other ones you just peek in on the side.

So you might see that it's trying to spark, but it's not lighting.

Is that spark really blue or is it yellow?

That is an indicator.

Is the electrode where the flame would be in that burner chamber area, which this, you know, having the manuals will help you identify this if you're not familiar with it or those areas.

The burner chamber.

So is the electrode filled with carbon?

It's all black.

It's a lot thicker at the tip than it is at the porcelain or the ceramic part.

You want to look at that.

Is the burner tube all corroded up?

Is there a bunch of stuff on it?

Is it black?

So these are all signs that maybe that's just the issue.

Electrode.

The burner tubes got a problem.

You need to clean those out.

And in a lot of cases, it's just good to do.

Just make it a maintenance thing.

You know, if you're in there, it's not working.

Just clean that out.

You rule that out as well.

But if there's no spark getting to the electrode, then it could very well be a circuit board.

So you see how we're going down this, going into these areas where it could be, couldn't be.

And even the refrigerator has a flame sensor.

So it might light, but it turns off after a few seconds.

So the flame sensor might not be working, which generally is built into the electrode.

It could be a propane gas valve.

Maybe the gas valve is coming off and turning off or coming on and turning off.

The magnets in them can get weak.

They can run, open up, send propane, and gradually just shut off.

So there's variable things here.

And it's all.

This is where a multimeter comes in, checking for voltage.

You know, do you have voltage at the gas valve, but yet it's not opening.

That would mean the gas valve is bad.

So you see how when we, when we just, when we determine what part of the refrigerator is not working where it's gas or electric, it helps us narrow in on problems that can be.

A gas valve is not going to affect 110 volt problem.

Vice versa, a bad 110 volt heating element has no effect on the propane side or a gas valve or anything else to do with the propane system.

Now maybe it, it starts on gas or it starts on electric.

Both sources.

You know, you go back and forth, you ran it for 24 hours on gas and it just, maybe it got cold in the freezer, but not really that cold in the refrigerator.

It cooled down some, but not what it should be.

And you did the same thing on electric and the same symptoms, you know, so it's working, but on, you know, it works on both but not great.

Okay, so that tells you it's working, but something else is going on.

So that's also where having a volt meter, a multimeter, a thermometer in each compartment tells you what's happening.

You get exact measurements.

You know, the refrigerator's at, you know, 20 degrees, the refrigerator compartment's at 50.

Okay, there's something going on there, right?

The refrigerator compartment's not cooling down as cold as it should be.

But the cooling unit at that point appears to be just fine.

So sometimes it can be airflow.

Things can change.

You know, there could be insulation above the refrigerator that was put in at the factory or a baffle up there that could fall out of place.

So you want to peek up through the back of the refrigerator, make sure there's a clear path.

And you can see the roof vent up there, or you can see daylight up there.

And there's nothing out of the ordinary.

If you can't see it from the bottom, you might have to go up on the roof and take the, the roof vent cover off, the refrigerator vent cover off and peek down that way.

But generally airflow is not always a problem.

You know, if you're in the desert, southwest Arizona, 120 degrees out, your refrigerator is not working that well.

It probably needs some shade and some air blowing on it, but that's a different animal.

But that is a problem.

It could be the same on gas and electric in that situation and that could be an airflow deal.

You got the sun beating down the side of the rv, the there's no air movement and the refrigerator is just like choking on the heat.

So air and shade would solve that problem.

In most cases, that's kind of a different animal, but we're not talking about being in that situation right now.

So anyway, so airflow isn't a deal.

And also in the refrigerator, on the cooling fins in the lower compartment, you have cooling fins in there, and there's what's called a thermistor that's attached to the fins.

You want to make sure the thermistor is attached and it's generally up higher than it is lower.

Your owner's manual show you the range on that.

And sometimes they come detached, sometimes the wire can break.

There could be tons of gook and gunk on those cooling fins that make it where it's not reading the fan, so it doesn't know what to do.

Now you can test the thermistor for ohms.

I'm not going to get into what the ohm reading should be.

The manuals will have that, and like I said, they'll be in the description.

Even though a freezer freezes, you know that's a symptom.

So.

But it doesn't tell you what the problem is.

It doesn't identify one single failed part.

So that's why we're doing this in such a kind of an organized way.

If both heat sources perform poorly, you go through your basic checks and you find out what the shared condition is.

What would this be?

What would affect both sides?

The thermistor is one of those things that affects both sides of the cooling.

So you don't want to order a gas valve when it's not working on electric, like I said earlier.

And also we don't want to jump to the conclusion that the cooling unit is bad.

I just need to get a new refrigerator, isolate the problem first, and then make that kind of decision based on what the problem is.

Now, here's another one where this can be a very annoying thing, where it works intermittently.

Refrigerator comes on, goes off, it's hard to diagnose.

And we have one of those coming into our shop where it's been to different shops around the United States, and it's a dometic refrigerator, and it doesn't work all the time.

When it's plugged in, they leave the refrigerator, you know, they come back a week later and it's off.

You can just unplug it, unplug the rv, plug it back into shore power refrigerator works great.

Come back two weeks later, it's not on.

So that's an intermittent problem.

And so those Sometimes can be hard to diagnose.

And even with that, though, does it do it on gas only, does it do it on electric only, or does it do it on both?

So those things are helpful.

And, you know, part of this diagnosing, too, is if you have a clear path of this, you've written it down.

I know, as I said, sounds elementary, but you write this stuff down, it's not confused that way, because you might have it like a little storyline going.

Then all of a sudden, oh, wait, no, I got that wrong.

I needed to cross that out.

Then when you go to a service center, a dealership, you can explain to them so they're not wasting a week cooling down the refrigerator, doing testing, and all this back and forth, they have a much clearer path.

It doesn't work on propane, it doesn't work on electric, it doesn't work on both.

Not like, I'm not really sure.

Now, they got to go through the motions and figure that out.

And they're going to speed it up.

I mean, a dealership is not going to wait 24 hours to cool down.

They're going to get a little time, see what the freezer is doing the refrigerator.

But that's not always the best test.

So that's where it's like, okay, the freezer cools, freezes, but the refrigerator compartment only gets to 49 degrees.

Now they know, okay, we got to give it more time to see what's going to happen here.

Okay, but back to the intermittent thing.

An intermittent problem is much harder to diagnose, or it can be.

And it's imperative that you let the service center know that it's intermittent.

Or if you know it's intermittent, you know, and you're working on it, you know, keep that in mind.

It's intermittent, and sometimes you can throw a part in there, but it doesn't fix the problem.

So if you do think, you know what?

I've narrowed everything down.

It's got to be the circuit board.

It just has to be the circuit board.

Don't put the circuit board in turn on the refrigerator.

It's gas or electric, and it cools down in a few hours.

Think, oh, I solved the problem.

Remember, you had an intermittent problem.

That problem might come back later on.

So try to replicate the intermittent thing.

Was it traveling after you travel every time, or is it just quits working after a few days?

Try to replicate it so you know, you've isolated the problem and fixed it.

Especially before you put $300 worth of food in that refrigerator, right don't want that to go bad and have to chuck it.

So make sure you're keeping records of this, whether it's intermittent or not.

Now, here's the thing.

Before you order a part, because you're going to need a part more than likely, unless it's just the electrode needs to be cleaned.

The model number of the refrigerator, have that written down.

Have a picture of the tag.

Does it have proper control or power?

Going to the controls, to the circuit board, you have 12 volts.

Which heat source is actually failing?

Propane, electric, or both.

And then make sure that your tests support the problem or the part that you want to replace or fix.

So in other words, don't just throw time and money at it.

Now remember, this is to help you go down the right direction so you can identify the part.

The owner's manual will have more information about it.

And also, there's always variables.

Sometimes diagnosing something that seems pretty clear.

And this takes you in a direction.

And the reason why I'm not getting into the minute details of it, because sometimes those directions splinter off.

You know, there could be a bad wire in the back of the refrigerator.

So the circuit boards has 12, or it's putting 110 volts out.

But the wire is broken before the heating element.

That's why you can't just say it's the heating element.

You have to do these tests and we don't have time to get into all that.

But the manual helps with that.

And like I said, you can call me, contact me.

So that brings us to the end of staying on the road.

So I hope that certainly helps.

And like I said, all that information is going to be on the website, the smartrver.com and now we're talking about refrigerators which have electrical connections.

They have LP connections, sometimes an ice maker, a water connection.

So not just on your refrigerator, but make sure when you're working on your RV and you're touching the electrical, the water or the LP that those connections are good.

Check your crimps.

If you're replacing wires, pull on the crimp connector.

Make sure it just doesn't pull out.

If you use wire nuts, make sure the wire doesn't pull out.

Or wires quite often on wire nuts are going to be very deceptive.

Looks like they're all in there.

You pull on, wire just falls right out.

Those can be problems down the road.

It might work in the moment, but you start driving, bouncing, and those wires come undone.

Or they're making poor contact, creating heat, melting, causing other Problems, water leaks, all that fun stuff.

Propane leaks go boom.

Blow up your RV because of a silly little leak, you didn't check something.

Make sure all your connections are always good.

And one final smart tip before we go today, it's time to winterize your rv.

If you've been putting it off, you might want to just jump on it now.

I know I've been super busy and I'm about three weeks behind.

I used my RV a few weeks ago.

What a sucky trip that was.

Heartland RVs, man, what a pile of crap.

I gotta tell you.

But that's another episode.

I got some work to do on my RV this winter, some serious work.

Because Heartland just, you know, I'm not going to go down that road.

I'll explain later on.

But make sure you get it done because time starts ticking.

Things getting way of life.

Sometimes you meant to do it and you haven't done it.

So just make it a goal.

Now get it winterized.

The cold temps are going to start hitting pretty quick.

Those overnight lows you don't want to freeze.

Alright, so now one reminder about our website.

Sunpromfg.com that's our e commerce site.

There's always a link to it in the description of the podcast.

But remember, we sell windshield covers on there for class A motorhomes, Freightliners, Sprinters.

We have ones with 100% block out, 90% sunshade slide out, awning fabrics, patio awning fabrics.

And we don't sell every.

We don't have anything on the website either.

A lot of stuff we just don't put on there.

I don't know why we just don't.

But we, you know, like awning stuff.

You can call us if you need an awning motor.

We got awning motors, no problem.

We can help you walk through it too.

And we can probably help you save money on all that stuff as well.

Because we can give you the straight facts, not the nonsense you're going to get from someone else who just wants to sell you parts.

And now, next episode, the next two weeks, episode 214, we're going to talk about Norcold Refrigerator troubleshooting.

So we're going to have some specific models on there and we're going to walk you through some troubleshooting for Norcold Refrigerators.

Too much to do in one episode.

So that'll be next week.

And by the way, all of our podcasts are recorded on video and they're all on YouTube as well.

So if you, you go to YouTube.

You like using YouTube and you want to watch it?

Watch me.

You know, hey, look at this knucklehead in the.

In the real life here.

You can go to YouTube and watch, or you can just listen.

Both versions are on YouTube, by the way, audio and video.

All right, so that's going to do it for today's episode of the Smart rver podcast.

Thank you so much for listening.

I'm Eric Stark, and if you'd rather be camping than sitting in a repair shop, you are in the right place.

Until next time, take care of the little things, those little tiny things that can ruin a trip, and enjoy the trip.