# Help with the fridge in our Bolero



## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Hi my Husband went out to the MH today to put some frozen bits in the freezer part of our Thetford fridge/freezer in the MH as our house freezer has broken down.

The MH is on hook up at the house, and we hadn't been out to the fridge for a couple of days, it appears for some reason it has failed to work as the blue light isn't on.............the blue light is now flashing and the freezer part has fully de frosted. We have tried to switch it on again on mains and it just isn't having it ! we are just going to see if it will work on gas.

Does anyone have any ideas what might be wrong/or we are doing wrong.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Tried it on gas and it appears to be working, but the fault codes are
Code 10 and a spanner on battery 
Code 1 and a spanner on mains.


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Hi Nette,

I don't know if this thread has any answers in it but seems like the OP has/had a similar problem www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=611629

Isn't it frustrating though? Have you noticed that there is always some little niggle or technical problem to contend with when you buy a new motorhome and we too keep having to take ours in for some little fault of some kind! 8O

Hope you get it sorted.

Sue x


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Sonesta said:


> Hi Nette,
> 
> I don't know if this thread has any answers in it but seems like the OP has/had a similar problem www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=611629
> 
> ...


Hiya yes I have seen the thread, in fact I have posted on the end of it :wink: theres always something isn't there ? and yes you do get fed up of it all at times............just when we thought we might have a couple of days off something always pops up and spoils it.


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Briarose said:


> Hiya, Yes I have seen the thread, in fact I have posted on the end of it :wink: theres always something isn't there ? and yes you do get fed up of it all at times............just when we thought we might have a couple of days off something always pops up and spoils it.


I know what you mean Nette. :roll: It's the same for us and most problems seem to arise whenever we have a trip planned or when we are away from home and miles from a motorhome repair garage! 8O Also, seeing as its an 80 mile round trip to where we take ours for any warranty issues that need resolving - it does get you a bit fed up when there constantly seems to be a fault to sort out of some kind or another doesn't it? We wouldn't accept so many problems with a brand new car or any other major purchase we made would we? So gawd knows why we all seem to accept that we will inevitably have to endure a certain amount of teething problems with a new motorhome!?

We oursleves have had a problem with our Thetford fridge since we took delivery of our new MH 18 months ago and from new, the fridge interior light has had an intermittent fault where it will only work when it feels like it! It is a bit of a mystery really and so far It has had new bulbs, a replacement light and the most recent solution in order to attempt to correct the problem was to have a brand new fridge door fitted! Sadly, this didn't resolve the problem either and so nothing they have tried to do to date has corrected it! We are now patiently awaiting a visit from a guy from Thetford to come to the house when he is next in the area, so as to take look at it himself. :roll: I know it probably might not sound a major problem; not having a fridge light but sometimes, it is barely possible to see inside the interior and this inconvenience can really be quite irritating!

What a shame if you cannot get away for a few days now because of this fridge dilemma and I know both you and Phil are really ready for a well deserved break! 

Sue


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Sonesta said:


> Briarose said:
> 
> 
> > Hiya, Yes I have seen the thread, in fact I have posted on the end of it :wink: theres always something isn't there ? and yes you do get fed up of it all at times............just when we thought we might have a couple of days off something always pops up and spoils it.
> ...


To be honest two nights in Woodhall would be great, but I have searched and searched google ref the fridge fault and can't find a thing.


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## SwiftGroup (Jun 27, 2007)

Hi Briarose,

Both of those faults related to the electric operation of the fridge, so gas powered operation should not affected.

Code 1 is that the 230V heater current is below 75% of the nominal current.

Code 10 is that no engine run signal is present, and that the fridge has reverted to manual 12V mode.

The suggestion in the guide I have (in both cases) is to contact Thetford, and unfortunately, they are not back in the office until Tuesday. We can certainly take this up with them then, if it helps.

Thanks,

Ash


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

I have just had my dometic fail on mains - cost me a new heater element £80 including labour - fitter came to house - done in ten minutes


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## 108010 (Oct 31, 2007)

*Thetford Fridge Problems*

If this is the single door fridge ( N175 I think ) It is unfixable. We have had three new doors and two new carcases. In the end the Thetford company engineer said that they would have to exchange it for an N150. This has worked perfectly. As well as the light problem, the automatic defrost always left a puddle in the bottom of the fridge, and the extra deflector could not solve this problem. A higher rated 12 volt element did not cure the problem either.
The light problem is caused by two systems, a Reed switch buried in the door frame and a timed switch that turns the light off after a couple of minutes. If you turn the mains off, then turn it back on the light will work once and then not again until the main is turned off again.
Good luck Sammie

P S I have altered this post to read Single door fridge


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

*Re: Thetford Fridge Problems*



sammie said:


> If this is the two door fridge ( N175 I think ) It is unfixable. We have had three new doors and two new carcases. In the end the Thetford company engineer said that they would have to exchange it for an N150. This has worked perfectly. As well as the light problem, the automatic defrost always left a puddle in the bottom of the fridge, and the extra deflector could not solve this problem. A higher rated 12 volt element did not cure the problem either.
> The light problem is caused by two systems, a Reed switch buried in the door frame and a timed switch that turns the light off after a couple of minutes. If you turn the mains off, then turn it back on the light will work once and then not again until the main is turned off again.
> Good luck Sammie


Our Thetford fridge is the large single door (Model N175) which has a roomy freezer compartment on the interior. My friend Briarose has the 2 door (Model N150) with the large seperate freezer compartment which is housed inside the smaller upper fridge door.

It looks to me like there are problems with both models and I just hope that both Briarose and myself get it sorted sooner rather than later. :roll: At least Swift seem interested in resolving the problem for Briarose which personally, I think is commendable of them and I only wish Auto Trail were as keen to resolve their customers problems as eagerly as Swift appear to be? I love our motorhome and don't for one moment regret our choice but I just wish Auto Trail would take a leaf out of the Swift factory's book.

Sue


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Fridge*

Hi

My light is intermittent, but I find that if the fridge door is pushed firmly closed rather than a wishy washy close, the light operates fine.

Russell


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

SwiftGroup said:


> Hi Briarose,
> 
> Both of those faults related to the electric operation of the fridge, so gas powered operation should not affected.
> 
> ...


Hi Ash thanks for the reply, the fridge didn't seem to revert to run on 12 volt as I lost all the frozen food that was in there...........mostly shellfish which we had bought a few days ago and it stunk :roll:

We will ring thetford in the morning and if no joy I will get back to you, it does seem as if there are problems with this make doesn't it.

Thanks for your reply it is appreciated and has Sonesta has said it is so nice to know that you are there for us Swift owners.

Thanks to everyone else too for the replies, lets hope ours is an easy fix.


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

*Re: Fridge*



Rapide561 said:


> Hi
> 
> My light is intermittent, but I find that if the fridge door is pushed firmly closed rather than a wishy washy close, the light operates fine.
> 
> Russell


I was told this same thing by the man Thetford and despite taking a run at the door and giving it a good firm shutting it still failed to illuminate.8O To top it all I ended up with a dislocated shoulder and panting like a dog on a hot day Russell! Hee hee!!!!! :roll: :roll: :roll:

Sue


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

HI Ash not much joy with Thetford they just said 'book the MH into a dealer' :roll: 

We wondered is there any way we could get someone here to have a look at it (we don't mind paying a call out fee) as otherwise no doubt we will have a 2-3 hour round trip to dealers not to mention fuel, and no doubt have to do it all again once they have had a look.

It really does get annoying at times, esp as you wouldn't expect a fridge to fail after so little use.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks Ash for your PM once again a speedy reply and result from Swift..............brilliant.


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## Ebby (Dec 20, 2007)

We have the single door Thetford in our Bessi E560,from new the light was intermitant and the unit would not work on 240v.We had to have a complete new fridge.There is always water in the bottom of the fridge because the drain hole in the gutter below the freezer section is too high and allows water to come over the top.Very poor design.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks once more to everyone at Swift
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-65268.html


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