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Old 02-17-2013, 03:45 PM   #1
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refrigerator

I need some info on my refrigerator in my 1982 1850. How do I get it out of the camper ? Hoe does propane make it cool ? How can I make sure it works correctly after I have removed from cabinet ?
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:48 PM   #2
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This may help. While not for your exact camper, most will apply.

How to get the fridge out of the camper?

There have been times a large window in the camper had to be removed to get it out as it did not fit through the door. This is one way I have seen.

How does it work?

There is a lot out on the wen on Absorption fridges. Here are some links and a U tube. There use to be a really good explanation and diagram but I cannot find it right now. Found these

How a Propane Refrigerator works : Absorption Refrigerator : Propane Gas Refrigerators : Ammonia Refrigerator : WareHouseAppliance.com

Absorption refrigerator - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A u tube on it
How Absorption Refrigeration Works - YouTube

How do you know it works when outside the camper?

Set it up and make sure it is level in all directions. Very important as the gases in the tubes need to be level to work right. If it is LP gas only, apply 12 volts from a spare car battery and hook up the a 11" Water Column LP line. You can use a BBQ LP tank but you have to have the 2 stage gas regulator to bring the pressure down to 11" WC which is less than 1/2 psi. The camper should have a regulator up by the LP tanks if it is still there and not froze up. Do not use a BBQ grill regulator as most are high pressure 5 or 7 psi and it will overpressure the fridge gas valve.

Put some thawed freezer blocks in the freezer part so it has something to work on. Even a milk gallon jug of water in the fridge area. It will take over night with it being on to cool. You will not hear anything running. You can see the flame burning and maybe some heat expansion crackling noises as the tubes heat up. It may not feel cold, a inside thermometer may be needed to tell. Being expecting 8 hours run time before it gets close to 40F

If yours has a 120 VAC electric element, you can run the fridge on 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC in place of the LP gas. It will have a normal looking 120 VAC plug like at home on it.

If you open up the fridge door, there is "often" a sticker in there with the model number and brand. We may be able to find you a manual or you can web search yourself.

Hope this helps

John
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:55 PM   #3
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Why are you removing it? Most at least work on propane and house power so once it is out you can plug it in. They cool very slowly don't expect any cooling for at least 3 hours by that time the freezer should be getting cool. If I'm heading out I turn mine on the night before I leave and fill it in the morning.
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Old 02-17-2013, 07:07 PM   #4
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I think it would be better to check the fridge while in the original installed position. Instead of actual fridge problems you may have circulation problems where a animal has built a nest around coils or insect stopping gas flow. Many problems that can be solved with unit in place.
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Old 02-17-2013, 07:52 PM   #5
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It may be in the rotted wall he just took out. Meaning it is no longer installed.
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Old 02-17-2013, 08:29 PM   #6
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Hi JohnB, If it is not installed then why ask how to test it "after I have removed from cabinet"? That is what made me think it is still installed and connected to gas/electric so he could check before trying to disconnect from srvices.
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Old 02-18-2013, 07:36 PM   #7
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John, My son was given this trailer and we have no knowledge of anything in this camper and never really used a camper. 50% of the back wall including the paneling and the wood behind the paneling was rotten from a leaking running light. Also from the back corner down one side all the way to the bathroom wall was the same including the ceiling. I tore out everything up to the bathroom including the fridge and the cabinet. it was in.Once I removed the fridge I wanted to make sure it worked correctly. I have not attempted to test the propane lines,gas valve etc. I was hoiping to plug up the fridge on 120 v and test it to see if it gets cold enough. Question was If I plug it up,what temp should it get in how long ? If the 120 v works I will reinstall knowing that it at least works with power.If I need to test it inside the trailer with propoane someone let me know.
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Old 02-18-2013, 09:43 PM   #8
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If it has a 120 volt option, it has a heating element that works on AC. You can tell if it has a normal looking 120 ac plug on a short cord.

It still needs 12 volts to run the control board and can run off any car or camper battery.

Once you get it to were you want to test it, level it up in both directions, put a gallon jug on water inside, plug it into 120 VAC, hook up the 12 VDC to a battery and turn it on. 8 hours later it should be cold inside. Mine gets down to 32 to 34.

Your son was given the trailer...... LOL. That is how I got started in RV'ing. My son brought home a 1975 floor rot Star Craft camper..... I said Ben, what are you going to do with the camper? Dad I'm just going to fix the soft soft in the floor.... He was 19 and young.... Well 3 hours later there was about 100 pieces of the camper stripped bare to the frame in my shed.... Rot went everywhere....

We/he rebuilt the entire thing, 3 months later we had it setup in the back yard. Wife comes out and goes in side and says, Wow Cool I can go camping in this! YES!!! Finally she wants to go camping....

Well, that was now 3 campers ago, 3 trucks ago... and over 50,000 towing miles ago...

Heads up, RV'ing in a camper is addictive....

Good luck

John

PS. If there is yellow residue under the gas burner area, heads up, get back to us. Your cooling coil may be ruptured and you do not want to fire up the unit.
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Old 02-18-2013, 09:48 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim-Bev-2363 View Post
Hi JohnB, If it is not installed then why ask how to test it "after I have removed from cabinet"? That is what made me think it is still installed and connected to gas/electric so he could check before trying to disconnect from srvices.
Hi Jim, I was following his post in the 5er forum. He was already into major removal of rotted wood and may have had to move it. I came away with he wanted to test it when he had it out of the camper.
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Old 02-19-2013, 06:06 AM   #10
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As old as it is it probably does not have electronic control if it has a push button lighter it should work by it's self, he should just be able to plug it in. After awhile you should be able to feel the boiler assembly it should be hot (the cylinder on the back side) Then in a couple of hours the freezer should be cool to the touch and in maybe 8 hours the fridge should feel cool inside.
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Old 02-19-2013, 09:27 AM   #11
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The fridge did not have a 12V connection when I removed it. Not sure about the push button lighter comment. I am planning on leveling the fridge and plugging it in 120V for 12 hrs to see what temp it gets.
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Old 02-19-2013, 11:07 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rchancey View Post
The fridge did not have a 12V connection when I removed it. Not sure about the push button lighter comment. I am planning on leveling the fridge and plugging it in 120V for 12 hrs to see what temp it gets.


No 12 volts but yet 120 VAC? H'mm. A question is, is this actually an RV absorption fridge or did some one put a Freon compressor type in somewhere in its life. However, you did mention how does propane make it cool so this is a mystery.


Any chances of a picture of the back side of the fridge? A brand and model number would help too. Open the door and the sticker is usually in side by the hinge. At this point I do not know if we know what you have.
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Old 02-20-2013, 06:57 AM   #13
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Any one of the older fridges with a push button lighter does not need 12 volts it's manual lighter takes the place of the electronic lighter. I don't think they even need 12 volts when they are plugged in I believe the 120 volt thermostat takes care of that. I had one in an old Toyota MH that had 12 volt, 120 volt, and propane cooling it had a manual igniter for the propane . It should work just fine plugged in on the ground of course that just checks the 120 volt system and will have to be rechecked once he reinstalls it for propane opperation.
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Old 02-20-2013, 10:40 AM   #14
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Your correct Mainah, no 12 volt needed to operate the older modles, I have the dometic RM-2400, 3- way. piezo to light the gas -old School!
a thermocouple to "control" the gas burner. as it will come up to temp the
t-stat shifts the gas flow thru the bypass plug ( a very small orifice, INSIDE THE T-STAT ) acts as a pilot awaiting full lp pressure to cool again.
the 120 volt went thru a manual switch and a t-stat, The 12 just went thru the same "selector switch" -no t-stat control ( transit use only !)

I remember the OLD gas refers, servel, magic chef, astrols, travelers
The 1st one I lit I about peed my pants... It used a ZIP LINE! a tube from front to back with a zillon small holes to carry a flame back to the burner. It light with a WOOF! OMG
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Old 02-20-2013, 01:04 PM   #15
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[attach[/][attach]1609attach][/attach]
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Old 02-20-2013, 04:46 PM   #16
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Randy,
Did she cool down? Does it make a gurgling sound?
That's not good, loss of charge.

I see the data tag- lower left, RM 46, RM 2400 dometic.
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Old 02-20-2013, 05:18 PM   #17
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My first apt. 47 years ago was in Baltimore city and the fridge was natural gas never made a sound and the temp control was sort of backwards I thought I had truned the temp up (it seemed a little too cool) the next morning every thing was frozen!
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Old 02-20-2013, 08:38 PM   #18
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I am going to test this weekend.
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Old 02-23-2013, 07:40 PM   #19
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Yup, Pics say a million words on what one has. No 12 volts on that unit.....

Wayne do you know what year electronic ignition came in?

rchancey

Before you attempt to fire it up on LP, I would go through the burner and stack unit and clean it up real good. I may be filled up with mud dauber nests and rust including the baffle tube assuming they use a spiral in the tube way back then. Be careful around the gas valve jet. The hole is really small and can get plugged easy cleaning dirt out around the area.

My son bought a used Coleman pop up about 3 years ( this is different one then the rotted floor Starcraft...). We pulled the wheels and redid the bearings that where bone dry and took the entire fridge heating stack apart. Mud daubers had the burner plugged solid.... Cleaned it all up and it fired right off.

Good luck

John
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Old 02-24-2013, 04:39 PM   #20
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I do have a dometic and it has a push button starter in front of the fridge. It has a simalar knob next to it that seems like it would be a button you hold down to allow the pilot to light. Also I have 2 knobs a few away from the two that works the ignitor. One of these two has numbers that should regulate the temp and the other has the words gas and electric. Can someone tell me what position these would be working at. I mean at 12 O'clock,9 O'clock etc. No markings to show me. I am assumming if the word or number is at 12 O'clock that would mean that setting should be working. I am assuming the higher the numbers the colder the temp. Also clockwise turns the temp down ?
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