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55AS · 02-12-2015, 06:00 AM

My 54 Flying Cloud has an older (though clearly not original) fridge. It is about 34 inches high, propane/electric and is badged on the front as General Electric. Inside on the lower right is a nameplate also showing G.E., Made in Sweden and a model number which is no longer readable. Controls (mounted on panel at bottom, inside) appear similar to older Dometic models. Looking for any info, manuals, etc. but cannot find anything on GE propane/electric fridges.
My efforts to get it working started with replacing the 110 plug which someone cut off (really). I then had to completely remove the "service door" on the outside in order to switch on the electric element. If this fridge runs and I decide to keep it the service door will have to be modified so that it is not necessary to remove 12 screws in order to switch between 110 and propane. The good news is that the electric element appears to work but I ran out of time to complete the test and see if the cooling unit is functioning. I have not tested it on LP yet. If it is not fully functional I will replace rather than repair it so that I can install a fridge closer to the original 42 inch height and restore the cabinetry closer to original.
Any advice????

idroba · 02-12-2015, 07:45 AM

I am sure it is a re badged Dometic. Possibly GE thought they would enter the RV market that way, although it seems strange. And possibly some PO made their own "American GE" lookalike.

55AS · 02-12-2015, 11:05 AM

Any ideas on how to easily access the 110/LP switch? It is located near the center of this "service door". Some sort of hinged access port would be ideal.

**DKB_SATX** · 02-12-2015, 11:19 AM

There's not an electricity/gas switch behind that "Controls" cover in the bottom of the fridge? The rest of that interior looks so much like my old Dometic that I'd expect the control layout to be similar, though there's no such cover on mine. Even the instruction labels that get covered by the door look very similar.

On mine it's the gas on/off knob... you push it in and turn it clockwise from the "Off" position to "Elec". Oddly, you don't have to push it in at all to turn the gas on, which has always seemed backwards to me.

55AS · 02-12-2015, 11:53 AM

Nope. Incredibly, the main control is on the back of the fridge, accessed through the service door. It consists of a manual gas valve combined with a toggle switch for the electric element that cannot be switched on unless the gas valve is closed. Clever system but horrible location.

idroba · 02-12-2015, 01:13 PM

It appears from your photo that the controls are under the plastic panel which says "controls" and "lift to operate" on it.

Pretty sure you will find them there.

55AS · 02-12-2015, 01:41 PM

There are indeed controls there, including thermostat knobs for both LP and 110 volt, LP igniter and pilot light controls. There is also an instruction label which clearly states that gas valve and electric switch are mounted on the back. Seems very impractical to me...

idroba · 02-12-2015, 06:37 PM

The Dometic's of the era had a knob which rotated and had GAS-OFF-Elect and you turned that knob which operated a cam which not only turned the gas valve on and off but also the electric switch. The GE version you have must not have included that control up front, especially if they say that the valve and switch are mounted on the back.

Since it is a replacement refrigerator and a '55 trailer, the original access port from the outside was probably set up for the original refrigerator, not this replacement. In fact, as I recall, the '55's still had only all electric refrigerators with an ice compartment for travel when there was no power.

55AS · 02-16-2015, 01:39 PM

If the original was "ice-electric" would it still be an ammonia type fridge? Mine has what appear to be factory installed intake vent and chimney for fridge compartment...

idroba · 02-16-2015, 02:05 PM

As I recall, it was a time of transition from one type to the other. So it is certainly possible yours had an ammonia type for the original. Also, may have been an option. Information from 6o years ago can be hard to come by, but the vintage Airstream historian Fred Caldwell might know.

54fuselage · 02-17-2015, 10:13 AM

The outer panel on mine is sealed up too. Not used as a vent, but if it has a hinge I'd prefer to use it for something. A couple of cam locks will make it more accessible, and that would be a simple solution should you decide to keep the fridge.