Dometic LP/Electric refrigerator repairs

[zero]

I said "Dometic but can't say who really made many of these absorption refrigerators. Many I have here from the 70s-80s, say "made for Dometic" on them. Not made BY Dometic.

I've got four of them here that were removed from RVs as "junk." and/or non-working.

I have a pair of RM211 three-way refrigerators I'm working on first. Both from 1978 Chinooks (one a Chevy and one a Toyota).

Both had burners plugged shut by mud wasps. With both, after cleaning the burner and the pilot jet, they worked great on LP.

Neither worked on AC or DC.

I just got done checking out one unit and found an electric switch in it made in Ireland. Seems to be the same low quality as most anything else electric from Great Britain 60s-80s.

The contacts inside the switch were all oxidized. I pulled the switch all apart, cleaned the contacts and put back together. The refrigerator now works great in propane mode, AC or DC.

Note that taking apart the switch involves a lot of small parts that can fly thought the air and get lost. Next time I do something like this, it will be in a small room with a clean floor with . . if a small part goes flying - I'll be able to find it.

Went on the 2nd fridge and with this one, the switch and the electric thermostat are non-working. I fixed the switch and am now taking apart the thermostat to fix the contacts.

I was surprised to find out how few parts are still available for these refrigerators.

Does anyone know who actually made them? Says "made in England" on them.

[snail powered]

I said "Dometic but can't say who really made many of these absorption refrigerators. Many I have here from the 70s-80s, say "made for Dometic" on them. Not made BY Dometic.

I've got four of them here that were removed from RVs as "junk." and/or non-working.

I have a pair of RM211 three-way refrigerators I'm working on first. Both from 1978 Chinooks (one a Chevy and one a Toyota).

Both had burners plugged shut by mud wasps. With both, after cleaning the burner and the pilot jet, they worked great on LP.

Neither worked on AC or DC.

I just got done checking out one unit and found an electric switch in it made in Ireland. Seems to be the same low quality as most anything else electric from Great Britain 60s-80s.

The contacts inside the switch were all oxidized. I pulled the switch all apart, cleaned the contacts and put back together. The refrigerator now works great in propane mode, AC or DC.

Note that taking apart the switch involves a lot of small parts that can fly thought the air and get lost. Next time I do something like this, it will be in a small room with a clean floor with . . if a small part goes flying - I'll be able to find it.

Went on the 2nd fridge and with this one, the switch and the electric thermostat are non-working. I fixed the switch and am now taking apart the thermostat to fix the contacts.

I was surprised to find out how few parts are still available for these refrigerators.

Does anyone know who actually made them? Says "made in England" on them.

Is fixing RV stuff your hobby or your profession? You seem to be really good at it. My old fridge is not working so I will most likely put it on Craigslist RV so if anyone wants to salvage parts to fix theirs they can glean from it. Better that it won't just end up in the cities recycling program crushed into a pancake and shipped off overseas when someone is in need of the parts so theirs does not have the same fate.

[zero]

Is fixing RV stuff your hobby or your profession? You seem to be really good at it. My old fridge is not working so I will most likely put it on Craigslist RV so if anyone wants to salvage parts to fix theirs they can glean from it. Better that it won't just end up in the cities recycling program crushed into a pancake and shipped off overseas when someone is in need of the parts so theirs does not have the same fate.

I don't do much "professionally" anymore. I worked for years as a diesel mechanic, injection pump tech, RV mechanic, marine mechanic, electrician, plumber, house builder, maple syrup producer, farmer, etc. Also was shop manager of a couple of John Deere industrial and forestry shops. I never stuck to one thing very long. It's the curse of getting bored doing the same thing, every day. It is also why I'm in my 60s with no retirement plan.

It's a shame to see stuff get scrapped like your fridge. But - labor costs are so high now a days, and also people with hands-on skills for older stuff getting scarcer all the time- it is often not cost-effective to fix old stuff unless you can do it yourself.

I buy and sell heavy equipment from my place - among other things for income. Mostly backhoes, log skidders, bull dozers, farm tractors, etc. A few years ago I could buy a 20-30 year old bull-dozer for $1000, fix it up and resell for $6000-$11,000. Now? People are taking running bulldozers, driving them into the scrapyard - and getting $3000 for them JUST for scrap value! Kind of sad. Some neat old cars and trucks going the same route.

[5Toyota]

i had a 1978 INSTAMATIC GASMATIC SAID ON IT MADE IN ENGLAND ON THE BACK HAD A SWITCH LIKE THAT RED ONE IN THE PICT i WAS told almost no parts could be goten the eletric did not work the gas worked but the cooling unit leaked amonia so i thru it out cost me six fifty for a brand new norcold. the smallest size. that is one brand listed in the replacement charts.

[zero]

i had a 1978 INSTAMATIC GASMATIC SAID ON IT MADE IN ENGLAND ON THE BACK HAD A SWITCH LIKE THAT RED ONE IN THE PICT i WAS told almost no parts could be goten the eletric did not work the gas worked but the cooling unit leaked amonia so i thru it out cost me six fifty for a brand new norcold. the smallest size. that is one brand listed in the replacement charts.

I've got several Norcolds here. Absorption and compressor. All of mine use Japanese parts. Maybe that's why parts availability is better. I also have two 5 cubic foot Travler three-ways. Sold from California but made in Japan. They've been great considering they from the late 70s.

I have no idea what kind of frige you got for $60. Today if new, you can find an AC compressor fridge, but a DC is rarely under $400 and usually much more.

[Totem]

jde you may not have a traditional retirement plan; but you do have a ton of old awesome vehicles, great properties and vast array of things. You too can sell things for decent $ and your mechanical knowledge is always good to refurbish what others would scrap. I am nearing 40; and have a fully funded 401k plan that probably looks like most 55 year olds well above what most my age have and yet I do not trust it nor social security nor any "traditional investment" lately after 2008-2009. The stock market is up for only 1 reason now, for most there is no where else to hide. Bonds aren't paying anything, fed printed billions and defaced currency, Gold is overvalued, interest rates are so low that there is no point in maintaining any kind of cd marlet account or savings in a bank; most banks cant be trusted to even maintain a safety deposit box let alone a decent chunk of change. Nope I am thinking you are actually spot on with property and old diesels. I just bought my first chunk of land with a cabin on it thinking of you (up in wexford/manistee county) along with an older mechanical diesel (1998 2500 ram). I have also been buying bullets for a few years now and guns and i tell you now if I sold what I have I would double my money in what i have spent in 4 years. Stay true to what you know, or what wallstreet refers to as "alternative asset and investment classes". There is only so much land and honestly have you seen how much a new diesel truck or RV costs? you sir, are a rich man.

[zero]

The stock market is up for only 1 reason now, for most there is no where else to hide. There is only so much land and honestly have you seen how much a new diesel truck or RV costs? you sir, are a rich man.

Two big problems for someone like me and family. Property taxes and health insurance. My wife lost her living-history museum job four years ago got no severance money, has no income, no benefits, no retirement. Health insurance for us is "out of pocket" every month and has doubled within the past two years. At the same time it doubled, coverage lessened. I cannot even get an X-ray or MRI without paying a huge chunk of cash (unless it's an emergency room visit). A dairy farmer friend of mine goes to Canada for medical work by paying cash. It's 1/2 to 1/3 the price compared to the USA, but if he was a Canadian citizen, he would not be allowed to pay for quick medical attention.

In regard to the stock market ?? Funny the news media rarely mentions the fact that the stock market is doing well thanks to the $85,000,000,000 being printed every month to support it. Fake new printed money or Chinese borrowing at the rate of $33,000 per second! That is beyond scary yet the news acts as if the economy is on the upswing. I still have one CD left at the 3% rate which now seems high. A few years ago that would be a joke. I had many at 8% not all that long ago.

My daughter is divorced with one little kid. She works as a nurse and makes $60,000 a year. You would not believe the "freebies" she gets from the US government. They (us and China) gave her a free downpayment for house, a government supported mortgage, a new roof and heating system, and much more. I'm not condemning my own daughter. I don't blame her for taking any help she can get. But the money being wasted is just unbelievable and it' money this country does not even really have.

Yeah, I know . . this has nothing to do with a Toyota but at least I got the brand-name into my rant.

[MontanaChinook]

I think he said six-fifty for the fridge. $650.

I'm sure it's different when you hit retirement age, but at my age, the thought of sticking with a job that seems Iike a waste of my time, and I'm bored at, just so that if I live long enough to make retirement worth it ill have a comfortable retirement...doesn't seem worth it.

Obviously I'm planning for the future, but I'm not going to put all of my life towards a time that I might not see...or might not get to enjoy much of, or might be too messed up from health issues to enjoy....

So while trying not to shoot my retirement self in the foot, I'm doing my best to live life now. If something doesn't seem worth my time, it's probably not.

[zero]

I think he said six-fifty for the fridge. $650.

I'm sure it's different when you hit retirement age, but at my age, the thought of sticking with a job that seems Iike a waste of my time, and I'm bored at, just so that if I live long enough to make retirement worth it ill have a comfortable retirement...doesn't seem worth it.

Obviously I'm planning for the future, but I'm not going to put all of my life towards a time that I might not see...or might not get to enjoy much of, or might be too messed up from health issues to enjoy....

So while trying not to shoot my retirement self in the foot, I'm doing my best to live life now. If something doesn't seem worth my time, it's probably not.

Yes, I see the $650 now that I put my reading glasses on.

As to jobs and careers? I've known people that could do the same monotonous work, every day, every year, for their entire working life - with a smile on their face. In some ways, having the ability to do that is an asset. To some people, repetitive work is more of a comfort then a bore. To the converse, getting bored easy is kind of a curse that I have in a major way. It does lead to a lifetime of new learning though. And there are also people that simply love their jobs and never tire of what they do, regardless of how long they do it. Can't say that has ever happened to me. It's all a crap-shoot I guess. Another thing I've noticed with employment. There are people who adapt to where they live and take on what work they can (like my wife and I). Then there are others that will move just about anywhere to make the best buck (like three of my sons).. I'm not saying one way is better or worse then then the other. Just different life-styles and choices. For myself, I have never been willing to move to somewhere I did not like, and I like as rural.as possible. Living in a low density area with more wildlife then people usually means that work has to be eked out.and job security is rare. My wife is sort of the same way. She had one real "career" job in her life as a living-history museum curator and director. When she graduated the museum studies program in Toronto (she's not Canadian), she felt very displaced and was anxious to get back into the USA. She is a Michigan native and her first job offer at a Museum was here in New York. We met while I was doing some museum work (I have degrees in cultural anthropology that I've used now and then for work), we met, married and here we are, 25 years later. I'm not complaining, by the way. But I DO wish I'd had the patience when younger to have worked for a business long enough to get some retirement.

[Blue Beacon]

So the corroded switch is the one with the red handle? We have a small trailer with a 211 and it was not used for about 1.5 years. All of the heat sources were working and this sounds like a possible reason.

[snail powered]

Please move the ranting over to the ranting section of the forum. There is a designated place for it to help keep the forum easier to read and use. This spontansous hijacking of a topic makes it difficult for people who come searching for information on a specific topic. Remember the word for what you are doing is "hijack".

[zero]

Please move the ranting over to the ranting section of the forum. There is a designated place for it to help keep the forum easier to read and use. This spontansous hijacking of a topic makes it difficult for people who come searching for information on a specific topic. Remember the word for what you are doing is "hijack".

Where is this "hijacking" you are so upset about? Was it deleted? Hopefully you are not referring to my post from almost 4 months ago. By defintion - I CANNOT hijack a thread that I created.

Re: Blue Beacon. I've fixed half-a-dozen 211 refrigerators this year. All had a bad rotary swtich and one also had a bad AC thermostat. The switches are held together with real screws - i.e. no crimps or rivets. Not too difficult to pull apart and clean the contacts. Just check you AC and DC voltages at the heater when the switch is in either position. If no voltage to the heater element - and the power IS going into the switch - then obvisously it is a switch contact problem. Note there is also a fuse hidden inside the wiring -box.

[MontanaChinook]

Depends on how you look at it...is the topic yours, or the forums? In the interest of running a good forum, keeping topics clean and to the point is the best thing. But there's only so much "policing" of threads that people will tolerate...

I'm certainly willing to put up with a little off topic chatter from the guy describing how to get my fridge working in more detail than anyone else around here has or possibly even could

[Totem]

I have created a topic on this ridiculous censorship in my favorite camp; the insane asylum. I keep waiting for the day that something I write there is too off topic to be considered not free. I am considering ONLY posting there for every topic to evade the word and thought police.

[MontanaChinook]

Yeah...there is a fine line between encouraging people to stick to the point, and just being grumpy and overly strict.

So here's even more hijacking

There's something that sometimes, maybe even often, happens in forums. Someone posts a question with a clear, neat title that spells out their problem very well. They get concise, to the point answers, and they come back to tell people whether or not the solution worked.

Then, when someone with the same or similar problem actually searches, instead of just posting the same question for the millionth time, POW that thread pops up and all their dreams come true.

What more often happens is the title they choose is something like "I have a question". Which does no one with a similar problem any good, because the search they entered was "not getting spark", etc. And within that thread, there are endless pages of babble, asking how the weekend was, etc. Also super unhelpful to someone looking for a solution. And the original poster never comes back and says whether or not the suggestions fixed their problem, so the person reading the thread has no idea if they got good advice or not.

My guess, and I realize the sort of ice I'm treading on here, is that jdemaris attracts more attention that many others...We, for the most part, are used to some fairly basic, straightforward answers to questions. "Hey try this", "yeah, just do this", etc.

Well, good ol JD knows a LOT. And will break it down for you. To the point where even though he may be completely "on topic", he's gone so far into no-mans land techie stuff that for the average reader, the thread is over their heads and borderline useless. And it often becomes a back & forth banter between him and other people with enough knowledge to maintain a conversation at that level.

So when that back and forth starts he'll often get called out for being off topic or arguing or whatever. And I think some people are therefore a bit quick to jump on him for hijacking or off topic "violations".

It's an intersting thing to watch...

I will say that I appreciate his presence and knowledge. And also will admit that often I lose the ability to follow a thread that I was once interested in, once he gets going.

But this forum is for everyone, not just me, and he's a valuable asset to it, I think.

[waiter]

Yawn

JOhn Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

[MontanaChinook]

[Maineah]

I have created a topic on this ridiculous censorship in my favorite camp; the insane asylum. I keep waiting for the day that something I write there is too off topic to be considered not free. I am considering ONLY posting there for every topic to evade the word and thought police.

You are way too paranoid no one is out to get you or police your words but politics do not belong in a repair topic. There are many outlets out there for you to air your views. If someone asks a question about tire pressure there is no need to explain to them why you carry a gun or hate the government you asked for a rant section it was granted, use it if others feel a need to participate they will do so. I know topics get off subject generally because they have been around too long or too much information overload so don’t add fuel to the fire. I am not a moderator and have no control over any of this it is just personal observations take it with a grain of salt.

[zero]

The fact remains that the modern slang use of the word "hijack" as Karin used it - is a reference to when someone jumps into a discussion other people are having - and attempts to take it over and become the defacto dominator of the conversation.

I started this thread and gave a lot of detailed data specific to the subject I started. By defintion - I could not possibly "hijack" it unless Karin has invented a new meaning for the word. I can't take over a discussion I started, nor can I intrude upon myself. Karin - when you make up new meanings for words - please post your slyllabus/glossary so we can follow.

[katcandeux]

I said "Dometic but can't say who really made many of these absorption refrigerators. Many I have here from the 70s-80s, say "made for Dometic" on them. Not made BY Dometic.

I've got four of them here that were removed from RVs as "junk." and/or non-working.

I have a pair of RM211 three-way refrigerators I'm working on first. Both from 1978 Chinooks (one a Chevy and one a Toyota).

Both had burners plugged shut by mud wasps. With both, after cleaning the burner and the pilot jet, they worked great on LP.

Neither worked on AC or DC.

I just got done checking out one unit and found an electric switch in it made in Ireland. Seems to be the same low quality as most anything else electric from Great Britain 60s-80s.

The contacts inside the switch were all oxidized. I pulled the switch all apart, cleaned the contacts and put back together. The refrigerator now works great in propane mode, AC or DC.

Note that taking apart the switch involves a lot of small parts that can fly thought the air and get lost. Next time I do something like this, it will be in a small room with a clean floor with . . if a small part goes flying - I'll be able to find it.

Went on the 2nd fridge and with this one, the switch and the electric thermostat are non-working. I fixed the switch and am now taking apart the thermostat to fix the contacts.

I was surprised to find out how few parts are still available for these refrigerators.

Does anyone know who actually made them? Says "made in England" on them.

Hello,

I am a new member and a new rv'r. My m/h is an '87 New Horizon and it needs lots of attention. I can't get the dometic frig to turn on with either gas or electric. ( the plug for electric has power but the frig isn't cooperating) I would like to try cleaning the switches and connetions as you said in your post, if you can give me a better idea of how to do it without having to remove the frig from the rv. Is there any way to check to make sure the system still has amonia in it? Any suggestions?

Thanks, Katcandeux