Dometic RM8501 refrigerator, my fix when on gas |
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595 |
Topic: Dometic RM8501 refrigerator, my fix when on gas Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 10:16pm |
I recycled the two pancake fans from the old Dometic that I replaced with a Norcold. We tried it out in some 95+ temps and it worked very well with everything staying nice and cold in the fridge. I didn't measure the temperature but using the bottled water test, drinking some, it was just as cold on gas as AC. The Norcold comes with a single fan. I mounted the two old fans above, pushing the air out the upper vent. So far, knock on plastic, it's working very nicely.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326 |
Posted: 25 Oct 2017 at 9:25am |
I am thinking of adding an exhaust fan or two at the upper vent before next summer. I think it will be helpful. It is likely that the screens to deter the mud daubers restrict the airflow enough to exacerbate the problem. If so, the fan(s) should help overcome it.
When we bought the R-Pod, it did have a mud-dauber nest in the flue of the refrigerator. We found that out on the first night out of our first cross-country trip a week after we brought it home in December. The dealer initially said it could have happened in our driveway. I said that was impossible because we only had it a week and that was after a couple of hard freezes and the wasps were not active. They ended up repairing the refrigerator after our first cross-country trip since they had to order parts. They cleared out the nest and replaced the igniter and thermocouple since the flames had shot backward from the burner and had burned the insulation on the wires. After that trip, I put screens on the refrigerator, furnace, and water heater openings. I have not had any further mud-dauber problems. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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pgoelz
Groupie Joined: 22 Jul 2016 Online Status: Offline Posts: 70 |
Posted: 25 Oct 2017 at 10:02am |
On the Rpods, the way the louvers are oriented produces a convoluted path for exhaust air and probably impedes passive air circulation.
I figured that since most of the places we camp have shore power, a small 120VAC fan plugged into the outlet in the refer enclosure should help. However, I tried several mounting methods for a Whisper Fan (120VAC low velocity / very quiet muffin fan) and discovered that unless I fabricated some sort of soft mount, the "growl" from the fan motor could easily be heard inside the trailer and was rather annoying. YMMV. I wonder if simply directing the flue exhaust outside the enclosure (as opposed to just dumping it inside) would help, especially when running on gas? Paul
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2014 Rpod 171
2017 Toyota Highlander |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326 |
Posted: 25 Oct 2017 at 12:51pm |
I appreciate the suggestions. I have also thought that extending the flue outlet to dump the heat outside would be helpful. I'll have to see what it would take to make it work. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595 |
Posted: 25 Oct 2017 at 1:19pm |
I made a simple bracket out of a left over piece of flat galvanized steel with holes that I had purchased from Home Depot. I bent the ends to give me a mounting base on the top of the fridge area, attached the pancake fans and wired them up, attached the fan assembly to the top of the space with some 3M mounting tape and coarse threaded screws and away I went. The fans are quiet and really add to the air circulation. Total cost $0. Labor, about 30 minutes including all the wiring work. The result, a nice cold refer in hot weather with barely audible pancake fans.
If anyone wants a picture of what I did, PM me and we can make arrangements to send one.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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Second Cav
Newbie Joined: 06 Aug 2017 Location: Oklahoma Online Status: Offline Posts: 8 |
Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 1:51pm |
Are the fans as originally installed supposed to run full time or are they on a thermostat?
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595 |
Posted: 21 Jul 2018 at 12:37pm |
They are operated with a temperature switch on the heat exchange fins. I just added two more fans to the existing fan circuit. Seems to work fine. The fridge runs nice and cold, even in the +100 temps of Lee's Ferry, AZ.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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Second Cav
Newbie Joined: 06 Aug 2017 Location: Oklahoma Online Status: Offline Posts: 8 |
Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 9:14am |
Thanks
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