# Fridge problem



## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Apologies to Stanner if somebody has dared to ask this before :roll: 

Dometic RMD 855 with AES ( the one with separate freezer above.)

Got back to the van last night and freezer had de-frosted and fridge temp was 15 degrees. The blue light was on suggesting normal operation.

I was on 240v. At first thought a power cut could be responsible but then it would have switched to gas operation.

Thought I'd try the 'switch off and back on' trick that so often works with modern technology but it would not switch off or allow me to switch manually to gas.

Any ideas?

Jed

PS On the bright side I'll be having loads of bacon butties this weekend


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Dunno Jed but this does happen at times.
My van fridge had been working well on gas for about 5 days when we pulled into a campsite. Switched over to Electric and everything had thawed and defrosted by morning.

Saved most food and back on gas managed to exist until we got home two days later. Cleaned out and washed the fridge. Thought I would just try on electric and voila all working well again.

I have experienced this at other times with other vans.

Ray.


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Thanks Ray,

Didn't have much time to look at it last night and at work today until 7.00pm.

Tonight I will unplug hook-up and see if it will switch over to gas. 

Strange that the on/off mode switch would not respond. Perhaps it's frozen :lol: 

Jed


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## aircool (Jul 13, 2009)

If it works on gas but not on mains its likely its the mains heating elements that has gone.

Seems strange that the control panel wasn't responding.


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

The fact that you couldn't even switch it off would (IMO) suggest that perhaps the fridge brain has lots its way. I would try the switch on/off idea but you may need to turn the 12v off at the master control on the Sargent control panel. Give the thing a minute to think about it then try again.

Phil


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Update. 

Pulled the EHU lead out. Left it for 30mins allowing it to switch to gas. Plugged EHU back in and voila back to normal by morning

Still strange - no flashing blue light, no error message and mode/ on off button still doesn't respond.

Maybe it has lost it's brain. Where do I get a new brain? 

:lol: 

The bacon buttie feast over the last two mornings was good.

At Britstops last two nights so running on gas.

Jed


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

jedi said:


> Apologies to Stanner if somebody has dared to ask this before :roll:


I'm puzzled - Why would your fridge problems concern me in the slightest? :?

Perhaps I should be rolling my eyes?


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

We're having a similar problem, except our doesn't work on gas either, although it will switch on and off. Has anyone replaced a fridge/freezer, and how much was it?


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

@Annsman,

I would be thinking about having it serviced and checked for all components - then if it doesn't work you could justifiably ask why not?

Surely repair rather than replace is the economic option ? When I looked at the price of a fridge it made me feel that I wanted to sit down RAPIDLY......

I will post a link RATHER than a price as people would not believe me......

http://www.jacksonsleisure.com/cara...rption-caravan-motorhome-fridge-refrigerator/

You have been warned.......

Next question? Where can I get it thoroughly serviced? Would be my prediction...... :lol:

Dave


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

Just answered my own question using the power of Google! £895 plus 30 quid delivery. Now I need to try the above solutions and if they fail get on to my dealer to get it swapped. That's when the workshop time makes it cheaper to buy a new van I expect! 

Price obtained from the link from Penquin, so thanks to him! We've had problems with it before and we've both lost confidence in this one to be honest. I agree a service might work but then again it might not and at least if we get it replaced we'll have the warranty to fall back on if w shave a problem. We're due to migrate until March at the beginning of November so time is running out to then get it into a workshop before we leave.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

When it came to buying a fridge for the build, I looked at AES types, but decided a tiny chip wasn't worth the extra dosh, for the sake of turning a knob.

Then on examination of the budget, new was out altogether. :lol:


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

My van's original Electrolux RM5405 has been a pain in the #### for well over 2yrs & a succession of visits by the Electrolux/Dometic engineer only cured its problems temporarily (and a £55 call out fee each time) so 6 weeks ago i bit the bullet & bought the equivalent modern model (RM8501 - non AES) from Magnum's up Hull way for £595 . . . 
(So far :roll its perfect,now the freezer is steady at -17f/8c.
Its more tolerant of being level & whether on gas,12v or mains hook up my ice lollies stay frozen . . Expensive yes but well worth it to have a reliable fridge now we're down in SUNNY Spain 8)
ps/ the AES model RM8505 was nearly £200 more ! (But i have to remember to select the mode on my model, but being a tight#### the extra it would have cost me i can spend elsewhere on bits & bobs :wink:


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## Koppersbeat (May 10, 2005)

We also have problems with our Dometic RMD 8505, and surprise,surprise,just out of warranty.

It has been just shutting itself down intermittently whatever mode it is on.You then put it back on and it may stay on 10 minutes or maybe 10 hours.

We are due to go to France next Thursday and the local approved Dometic engineers have been on holiday last week.I decided to ask a local fridge man to look at it.

He found,on removing the bottom vent,that there had been water ingress into the black cover that contains the PCB.
Techno100 posted a photo of the same model on August 30th.
Post no.2344506 ( no good at links,sorry)

One of the connections on the pcb was very corroded.He cleaned it up and all worked,so far so good. He also made a protective cover out of a plastic carton and a channel out of plastic trunking for any water to drain away.
There appears to be a design fault,or something missing,on ours.
The drip tray is immediately above the pcb and it had obviously overflowed onto the board.
On Techno's photo he appears to have a drain tube on the rhs.
I called into Premier Motorhomes yesterday,just 5 minutes away from us,and asked Chris (of chocolate biscuit fame) if he had come across this before.The reply from their mechanic was yes it can happen.

Helen


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-2344506.html#2344506

is Techno's excellent picture

hope that helps,

Dave


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Used van the other day and will not now switch on at all :roll:

No problem with power supply just brain dead.

Is this a clue:

_Dometic have advised that condensation kits are available to stop pcb's taking on Moisture. on RMD /T models only._

If the control panel has add it ( I get a lot of condensation below freezer front) it cannot be simply unplugged. Looks like fridge might have to come out 

Checking my warranty out.

Jed


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

Update. Got the van back yesterday from Spinney after having a new fridge freezer fitted. Naturally our 2008 model is now obsolete and the new model was needed. Total cost of the job £1525.00. But now we have a nice shiny black fridge/freezer with fancy dan lights on and it get cold and stays that way! Not an amount you want to spend two weeks before setting off for 4 months, but at least it was BEFORE we left and not AFTER!


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

It makes me laugh where they get these numbers from, it's a fridge for Freds sake, Ok it has a gas burner say £100 max, and a 12v golfish tank heater, say another £100, that'd make it worth around £500 for it's size in Currys, there are having a Giraffe.

Currys version

Whack one of those in and change the compressor for a 12v Danfoss one and up the solar and LBs, you might have a lot of change, OK, it's not as pretty, but a can of silver and a can of black satin paint would make it acceptable to most.

Sorry, I hate being ripped off.


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

It might be acceptable to some Kev, but not in my van! We've not paid all that money to start assembling a Lego fridge! Besides there is no way Anns' eye for neatness would even let a cobbled together item pass muster, not even to save a couple of hundred quid!

Seriously, I am useless at DIY and it would have exploded, or fell out of the van by the time we reached Hilton Park Services! :lol:


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## bazzal (Apr 15, 2006)

Hi all,

I have a problem with my thetford n180 fridge on gas and when on the mainland last month went to Brownhills to try and sort it out but was told that it would probably cost £700 labour to try and find the fault then the cost of parts or a new fridge at £1650.

It works ok on electric and 12v and on gas but does not switch the gas off when reaching temp and just keeps on burning.

I just could not justify that sort of cost to keep my ice for my whiskey so will have a think over the winter.   :x


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

bazzal said:


> went to Brownhills to try and sort it out but was told that it would probably cost £700 labour to try and find the fault then the cost of parts or a new fridge at £1650.


Sounds like another good reason to avoid Brownhills.

Jede


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Annsman said:


> It might be acceptable to some Kev, but not in my van! We've not paid all that money to start assembling a Lego fridge! Besides there is no way Anns' eye for neatness would even let a cobbled together item pass muster, not even to save a couple of hundred quid!
> 
> Seriously, I am useless at DIY and it would have exploded, or fell out of the van by the time we reached Hilton Park Services! :lol:


You totally miss my point   most wouldn't do as I described, my point was the cost of the one you were FORCED to buy, compared with the real world away from silly Motorhome and Caravan pricing, however on the self build site many do have domestic fridge freezers and ovens changed to suit there needs, the most difficult part it seems is the fix it firmly and neatly in place the rest is just messing around


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

bazzal said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have a problem with my thetford n180 fridge on gas and when on the mainland last month went to Brownhills to try and sort it out but was told that it would probably cost £700 labour to try and find the fault then the cost of parts or a new fridge at £1650.
> 
> ...


[hr:b5ced1df0a]
[hr:b5ced1df0a]

Diagnosis, a dodgy thermostat, or perhaps the part it controls, not rocket science, a few hours on Google would probably figure it out and most parts are an easy fix, brownhills to the rescue, I think not.

For stuff like that the mobile lads are best value, most done over the phone if they're any good, and you can describe the symptoms accurately.


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## bazzal (Apr 15, 2006)

Hi

Kev_n_Liz , I have been in touch with Thetford and they said try a new thermistor which I did but did not cure it, I then tried the error code 13 test as instructed by Thetford which would put the fridge if on gas into back-up mode when it will burn for 12 minuets then go off for 48 minuets to prove if the brain (control board) is working and it did. So I have tried what I can. 

We do not have the service outlets over here as you have on the mainland so if anyone knows of a good helpful service agent over there please give me a name and number so that I can ask the questions.

Cheers Baz............................ :?


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Ours worked intermittently and then gave up entirely

3 years old

Watch this space  

Aldra


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## Steveboy (Jun 1, 2011)

I've just fitted an RMD8551 fridge freezer. Alls fine apart from a problem with getting the 'always on no matter what' 12v supply to work. My consumer unit does not want to play but when I run a wire direct from battery to fridge ... Hey presto .... all works fine. Baffling, but I am at point of bypassing the consumer unit altogether and making my direct wiring permanent plus adding the required 2amp fuse into the mix. Any electricians out there to advise please?


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