Dometic 8501 Fridge problem - R-pod Owners Forum

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marwayne

Senior Member

Joined: 25 Oct 2011
Location: Edmonton AB Can
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Posts: 1002

Topic: Dometic 8501 Fridge problem
Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 3:13pm

Clean the orifice and burner.

If you want something done right, do it yourself.
2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd.

jato

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Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Location: Kewadin, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3229

Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 6:58pm

Am curious Marwayne if this is something you do on a somewhat regular schedule as far as cleaning the orifice and burner. Your pod is the same age as mine and I have never cleaned either yet the fridge continues to work quite nicely. Also we always use propane unless we happen to go to a campground that has electric so the fridge has a lot of propane hours under its belt, including all the drive time of over 26,000 miles we have logged on it traveling down the road as it is in propane mode.

God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

marwayne

Senior Member

Joined: 25 Oct 2011
Location: Edmonton AB Can
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1002

Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 7:39pm

I don't know why but I have to do this more or less every year.

If you want something done right, do it yourself.
2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd.

Brianh

Newbie

Joined: 20 Aug 2016
Location: WI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13

Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 8:00pm

Yea, my plan is to clean it tomorrow. DIY, agreed, is better. And you know its been done.

Macdad

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Joined: 24 Aug 2018
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Posts: 5

Posted: 15 Sep 2018 at 1:44am

Hi Brianh.
Several thoughts come to mind. 1. Who ever cleaned the heat exchanger, did they bend the thermocouple, so it is not in the correct position. The flame should make good contact with it, if it doesn't get hot enough it will shut off the gas and the flame and everything shuts down.
2. Similar to my first comment , maybe the thermocouple is sort of in the right position , but not quite right. As long as you are sitting still it gets hot enough to keep the flame going, but once traveling , the flame gets diverted, blown out of the way and the thermocouple shuts it down. 3. Did who ever clean it, did they mechanically clean the "orifice
= "jet" = the tiny hole the gas-flame comes out of ? If they did , they could have changed the hole's diameter. They are very precise for a correct flame.
Good Luck . Macdad

Brianh

Newbie

Joined: 20 Aug 2016
Location: WI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13

Posted: 16 Sep 2018 at 12:17pm

Macdad....those are great suggestions. I was of the opinion also that it might be the orifice or the thermocoupler. The one who fixed it a few weeks ago, said the burner was out of alignment. So all of this makes sense. I'm going to get a new themocoupler and just replace the unit and clean the orifice. Ironically, I used the the trailer this past weekend and it works just fine, LOL.

dlatzko

Newbie

Joined: 25 Sep 2020
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3

Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 6:36pm

Other than your fridge not working on propane, was your eyebrow panel exhibiting other strange behavior? I have the same Dometic RM8501 that works completely on battery, but will not switch to 120v or propane at all...switches are nonresponsive. This occurred after being off in storage for the winter last year.

TimK182G

Groupie

Joined: 12 May 2020
Location: Hopkinton, MA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 46

Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 9:05am

Great detective work MacDad. Refrigerator problems seem to be a popular topic.

2018 R-Pod 182G
2014 GMC Sierra 1500

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marwayne Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Location: Edmonton AB Can Online Status: Offline Posts: 1002	Topic: Dometic 8501 Fridge problem Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 3:13pm
	Clean the orifice and burner.
	If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd.

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3229	Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 6:58pm
	Am curious Marwayne if this is something you do on a somewhat regular schedule as far as cleaning the orifice and burner. Your pod is the same age as mine and I have never cleaned either yet the fridge continues to work quite nicely. Also we always use propane unless we happen to go to a campground that has electric so the fridge has a lot of propane hours under its belt, including all the drive time of over 26,000 miles we have logged on it traveling down the road as it is in propane mode.
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

marwayne Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Location: Edmonton AB Can Online Status: Offline Posts: 1002	Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 7:39pm
	I don't know why but I have to do this more or less every year.
	If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd.

Brianh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 20 Aug 2016 Location: WI Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 8:00pm
	Yea, my plan is to clean it tomorrow. DIY, agreed, is better. And you know its been done.

Macdad Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Aug 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5	Posted: 15 Sep 2018 at 1:44am
	Hi Brianh. Several thoughts come to mind. 1. Who ever cleaned the heat exchanger, did they bend the thermocouple, so it is not in the correct position. The flame should make good contact with it, if it doesn't get hot enough it will shut off the gas and the flame and everything shuts down. 2. Similar to my first comment , maybe the thermocouple is sort of in the right position , but not quite right. As long as you are sitting still it gets hot enough to keep the flame going, but once traveling , the flame gets diverted, blown out of the way and the thermocouple shuts it down. 3. Did who ever clean it, did they mechanically clean the "orifice = "jet" = the tiny hole the gas-flame comes out of ? If they did , they could have changed the hole's diameter. They are very precise for a correct flame. Good Luck . Macdad

Brianh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 20 Aug 2016 Location: WI Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Posted: 16 Sep 2018 at 12:17pm
	Macdad....those are great suggestions. I was of the opinion also that it might be the orifice or the thermocoupler. The one who fixed it a few weeks ago, said the burner was out of alignment. So all of this makes sense. I'm going to get a new themocoupler and just replace the unit and clean the orifice. Ironically, I used the the trailer this past weekend and it works just fine, LOL.

dlatzko Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3	Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 6:36pm
	Other than your fridge not working on propane, was your eyebrow panel exhibiting other strange behavior? I have the same Dometic RM8501 that works completely on battery, but will not switch to 120v or propane at all...switches are nonresponsive. This occurred after being off in storage for the winter last year.

TimK182G Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 12 May 2020 Location: Hopkinton, MA Online Status: Offline Posts: 46	Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 9:05am
	Great detective work MacDad. Refrigerator problems seem to be a popular topic.
	2018 R-Pod 182G 2014 GMC Sierra 1500