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Topic ClosedFridge won't start

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secretbard View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Fridge won't start
    Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 11:28pm
I leave my dinette table down and use this as my lounge, so I expected that at some point the screws would pull out from the rail that supports the table.  It finally did this past month.  Yes, they really should have provided more support as that table itself isn't light.  Anyway, I took slightly longer screws and screwed about four more screws into each wood support rail.  I used gray shutter anchor screws from Lowes.  They seemed to have more raise on their screw than what Forest River put in there.  I have also had occasion where a very small amount of water came out of the sewer outlet when I removed the cap.  I agree that it is most likely due to all the sloshing and shaking from the long road trip.  I also had a significant amount of saw dust and a few screws on the floor under the dinette table seats.  I just figured that somebody forgot to clean up their construction mess and cleaned it up myself.  It's all cool... I love my Pod anyway.  Smile
2010 Rpod 172   :)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 4:27pm
As far as the screws go, I put some toothpicks in the hole with glue, when dry I broke the toothpicks off flush with the wall or cabinent and installed the screws. My pod also has a little seepage past the valves when closed, it's from sloshing around, not even a cupful.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 4:24pm
Just curious,
 Did the selling dealer give you a walk thru and test everything as part of his prep? If he did they should have cleaned the unit, including inside and tested all the systems.
You should see how cars and trucks come off the ship and the truck before they are prepped.!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 9:14am
The wood screws that hold the padded side rails for the dinette on both sides pulled loose the first time we camped.  I tried longer wood screws, then when they pulled out drilled through holes and put long screws with washers and nuts to keep them in place.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 8:41am
Originally posted by McLagman

One new question... when I open the tubes for the black and grey tanks to hook up the hose to dump them out, about a cup full of liquid pours out. The valves are closed. Is this normal or do I need my valves adjusted?

Minor gripe: the screws have come loose on the bed board (under the mattress) and then I opened the storage compartment (without thinking to move the cushion) and the board Pulled the hinge and screws right out of the sidewall. Now they won't stay in. Is there an easy fix for that? Maybe wood glue? The screws don't seem to grip the wall very well. I also see sawdust and have found some loose screws on the floor after towing... hope they don't go to anything too important.

I got a flashlight and looked under the sink and there is a bunch of sawdust under there... they should really take a little more pride when assembling these things and clean up the construciton mess. 
 
Glad to hear that things have improved.  Unfortunately someone has to be at the tail end of every bell curve and you may be "it".  Cry
 
You should not get any liquid when you open the sewer cover, the valves should completely seal up when closed.  You may have something stuck in the valve which is letting a few drops out over time, eventually giving you the cup of liquid.  A few tests you can try:  Make sure both tanks are completely empty, then completely fill up the gray water tank.  Put the cover on, wait a day, and see if you get any liquid.  Yes or no, dump the gray tank (since this should be mostly clean I would dump it on the ground... but that doesn't mean it is legal depending on where you live), fill the black tank and wait another day.  You may find both valves are leaking, or only one.  If the black tank valve is leaking - and you are brave enough - you could stick your hand up that tube and feel around the valve for "stuff".  Dead  If the leak is on the gray side you may not be able to get your hand up that tube.  Worst case I believe they come apart with a couple of bolts.  You could also try backflushing the black tank from the gray tank - fill the gray tank, leave the cap on but open both valves so water rushes into the black tank.  I have done this by just using water trapped in my sewer hose and lifting it up high to force the water to go back into the black tank.
 
The usual carpenter's fix for stripped screws holes is to glue scraps of wood (or wooden match sticks) into the holes, then drill a pilot hole, and re-screw the original screw.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 7:35am
Originally posted by McLagman

Just a quick update: Sorry for my foul mood on my earlier post... I learned my fridge wouldn't work 80 miles from town and lost most of my food, then had to listen to the gas detector chirp all night because the batteries had run down.

Anyway, my local dealer (Bretz RV in Missoula, MT) has been very nice about getting things fixed. They don't sell RPods, but they do sell Forest River, so they did some warranty work on it. Had some fuse issues, then they got the batteries all completely charged and then they found the issue with the fridge and replaced something on the circuit board, so it works now.

I just spent seven nights in a row in the RPOD and am now back in the happy camper camp. A few nights in Yellowstone and then down near Jackson Hole. 

I really like it. I still think it should work right the first time, but oh well what can you do.

One new question... when I open the tubes for the black and grey tanks to hook up the hose to dump them out, about a cup full of liquid pours out. The valves are closed. Is this normal or do I need my valves adjusted?

Minor gripe: the screws have come loose on the bed board (under the mattress) and then I opened the storage compartment (without thinking to move the cushion) and the board Pulled the hinge and screws right out of the sidewall. Now they won't stay in. Is there an easy fix for that? Maybe wood glue? The screws don't seem to grip the wall very well. I also see sawdust and have found some loose screws on the floor after towing... hope they don't go to anything too important.

I got a flashlight and looked under the sink and there is a bunch of sawdust under there... they should really take a little more pride when assembling these things and clean up the construction mess. 
 
 
Amazing, isn't it?  That's one of my biggest complaints about these.  They just don't care about how they construct this thing.  Take a look at under your bench sometime and look at that spaghetti wire mess under there.  Look under you sink at the large holes that were overcut and never filled.
 
Take a look at the photos that someone posted about a "factory tour" and look at all the trash on the floor and it will be quickly apparent that even the management of FR doesn't care about being sloppy and messy.
 
"Ray & Connie"

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 4:00am
Just a quick update: Sorry for my foul mood on my earlier post... I learned my fridge wouldn't work 80 miles from town and lost most of my food, then had to listen to the gas detector chirp all night because the batteries had run down.

Anyway, my local dealer (Bretz RV in Missoula, MT) has been very nice about getting things fixed. They don't sell RPods, but they do sell Forest River, so they did some warranty work on it. Had some fuse issues, then they got the batteries all completely charged and then they found the issue with the fridge and replaced something on the circuit board, so it works now.

I just spent seven nights in a row in the RPOD and am now back in the happy camper camp. A few nights in Yellowstone and then down near Jackson Hole. 

I really like it. I still think it should work right the first time, but oh well what can you do.

One new question... when I open the tubes for the black and grey tanks to hook up the hose to dump them out, about a cup full of liquid pours out. The valves are closed. Is this normal or do I need my valves adjusted?

Minor gripe: the screws have come loose on the bed board (under the mattress) and then I opened the storage compartment (without thinking to move the cushion) and the board Pulled the hinge and screws right out of the sidewall. Now they won't stay in. Is there an easy fix for that? Maybe wood glue? The screws don't seem to grip the wall very well. I also see sawdust and have found some loose screws on the floor after towing... hope they don't go to anything too important.

I got a flashlight and looked under the sink and there is a bunch of sawdust under there... they should really take a little more pride when assembling these things and clean up the construciton mess. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2012 at 12:11am
Gosh I feel lucky we have spent 34 nights in ours and never had any real problems. Had an outside shower installed by the dealer and the hoses leaked because they were not seated properly. The leake cause the junction box to fault took out the GFC circuit which runs the fridge. We switched over to propane by pushing the selector on the front and dried out the junction box. Every thing worked ok after that. Had the fridge go out one weekend but remembered that you have to hold the button down for 10 secounds to get it to reset. Saved us a trip to the dealer. Sorry for your problems good luck on future trips.
2010 PR 176 sold 2012 replaced with
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jul 2012 at 10:18am
Check the Igniter as well.  It needs to create an arc to create a flame. Last year, our Igniter had somehow fallen down and was touching what it was supposed to ignite, so no arc = no flame.  The fridge would constantly be clicking and the green light flashing trying to light.

Good Luck. It's too hot to be without a fridge.  





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podsuperior View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jul 2012 at 8:48am
We had issues with our Propane Fridge not working on our new 177.  We discovered that the LP hose was to long, and with the slide out - in the out position - the hose was kinking and not allowing the fridge to light.
2011 RPOD 177 - 2017 Tacoma
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