Dometic RM8501 refrigerator, my fix when on gas

We just got back from our trip to Oregon for the Pacific NW Roundup and I noticed on the way up when we ran the refrigerator on gas the refrigerator compartment temperature were higher. I had no problem when I ran the refrigerator on AC. Because everything worked on AC that told me the DC control board and temperature sensor inside the frig were good and the AC heating element were heating the Cooker Mantle so the Absorption System was working. So that meant it was a gas problem. I have suspected my propane regulator was not putting out a normal pressure. Over the last year I have noticed the flame on the stove would show bits of orange or yellow on the flame. Normal is a strong blue flame. I had no way to check the regulator pressure so I decided to by a new one. The one that came with the trailer was a single stage unit. The regulator I brought is a 2 stage for a single tank, JR Products 07-30385 Low Pressure Two-Stage LP Gas Regulator (Fairview GR-9959). You could see a slight difference on the stove and when it was turned to high you could hear a very slight roar, and a good flame, so some improvement. When I tested the frig temp again it was not much better. So I went thru and checked all the voltages to the gas system to make sure they were correct and they were good. That meant the only thing left was the burner assembly. I have never cleaned it in the time I’ve had the trailer, so I watched a Utube video on how to remove it. It was not quite the same as mine but it was close enough. It ended up being quite easy to remove.
There is a recent post by “spydie” describing the removal.

Cleaning the Dometic Burner orifice

I did contact Dometic Technical Support to ask them a question about the gas valve and they confirmed that the gas is either on or it’s off. If the Cooker Mantle needs to be heated the flame comes on and once it gets to temperature the flame shuts off. I let the burner assembly soak in engine degreaser for a while them blew it out with CRC Lectra Clean and brushed any surface I could reach. I never removed the jet and I didn’t try to poke anything thru the orifice. The spray cleaner had a pretty good pressure. I put everything back together and checked for leaks, then turned it on. What a difference, the flame was the size it needed to be to heat up the ammonia and vaporize it. The old flame was to small and not putting out enough heat. I ran the refrigerator overnight and this morning when I checked it at 7:30 AM with 4 lights lite up on the temperature setting (5 is max) the outside air temp was 73F (22.7C) and the freezer compartment was 10F (-12.2C) and the main compartment was 36F (2.2C). At 2:30 PM the outside air temp was 91F (32.7C) and the freezer was 14F (-10C) and the main compartment was 38F (3.3C). At 3:30 pm the outside air temp was 93F (33.8C) and the freezer was 16F (-8.8) and the main compartment was 39 F (3.8C). This is what I consider normal for my trailer.

The other thing I have done to the back of the refrigerator is try to improve air flow where the heat plumbing is. I dressed all the wires out of the way so the air rising has good flow. I also filled in the gaps on the sides of the wood deflector with ensolite foam. I them covered the foam and wood as best I could with aluminum foil duct tape. This was all to give the air flow thru the back compartment the smoothest surface and least amount of turbulence. There is not much room to work back there.

Adding two computer fans really helps these refrigerators.  I put mine right on top of the cooling fins.  They don't draw much current at all.

I used to post photos with many of the mods I have done. They have changed how photos are posted and you have do it thru another photo sharing site. I do not want to sign up at amy of the third party photo sites so now when I post I just describe what I did. Here is a link to a post I did on the fans that came installed on my Dometic refrigerator in my Pod.
Refrigerator current draw
and here
fridge temp

The Fans came with the refrigerator. The refrigerators that are installed in slide outs with the 2 vent panels on the side need the fans to vent the heat to the outside. You can see them if you stick a mirror in and look up or down. Mine is below the condenser tube. Some have a single fan and some like mine has 2 small fans.

I have read on the internet about turning the refrigerator over, I have also read just as many post saying driving on a long bumpy twisty road will work just as well. From my testing if your freezer is getting to the correct temperature but the main compartment is too warm I would check your door gasket. I had the opposite problem the main compartment was cold but the freezer was warm. It turned out to be a cracked hinge.
Freezer door hinge repair

Absorption refrigerator cool off very slowly and even a small air leak can be a big problem. When I was trying to measure the temp in the freezer and main compartment I had to open and close the doors quickly. This is the reason you turn your refrigerator on 24 hours before leaving because it cools down so slowly. Did you put a thermometer in your freezer compartment to see if it was getting cold enough? If everything is working great on AC but you are having issue with propane them yours may be like mine and the flame may not getting hot enough for the absorption cycle to work correctly. I saw a much better looking flame after I replaced the tank regulator and cleaned the burner assembly. Another item I discovered is my model of refrigerator has an inline ceramic filter located on the gas control valve. I have sent an email to Dometic asking about it. (Dometic Refrigerator Gas Valve Adapter Filter 2923191007)