fridge problems

[osolow]

just bought a 1990 29' excella well i have to major problems first the furnace has been removed due to it dosent work why i dont know
but what really concerns me is when i turned the frige on electric it wouldnt get cold and the frezzer smelled of amonia.
am new to owning a airstream and would really like some insite to the problems thanks

[lewster]

Originally Posted by osolow

just bought a 1990 29' excella well i have to major problems first the furnace has been removed due to it dosent work why i dont know
but what really concerns me is when i turned the frige on electric it wouldnt get cold and the frezzer smelled of amonia.
am new to owning a airstream and would really like some insite to the problems thanks

osolow,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.......BUT YOUR COOLING UNIT IS SHOT!!!!

In simple terms, you have a leak in the cooling unit at the back of the fridge if you are smelling ammonia (ammonia is one of the components of the 'refrigerant' found inside those coils). If you look at the back of the unit, you will probably also see some bright yellow staining.....this is another component of the refrigerant: sodium chromate, which is used as an anti-corrosive agent in the refrigerant mix. The other 2 components are water and hygrogen.

You can purchase a new cooling unit and have it installed by a dealer or local RV tech (cheaper option) or you can have the entire fridge replaced.....especially if you can't get the ammonia smell out of the box.

If you buy a new cooling unit, you get a 1 year factory warranty (some replacements by after market companies carry a 2 year warranty) but Dometic offers an additional year warranty on the cooling unit of 3 years for $89.

A totally new fridge has a 3 year warranty. The choice is yours. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[osolow]

think you very much for the info i figured it was somthing bad and probably expensive.
can you order a frige from the factory or will i have to go throught an rv store?
What about serviceing the frig and furnace dose anyone have any suggestions on were to take my A/S any were close to SE Ks, NE Ok ,or SW Mo

[vswingfield]

It’s just a little further, how about central Arkansas? The folks at Airstream of Arkansas in Searcy are good people. Heck, Arkansas is even a nice place to visit. According to Google Earth, it’s about 305 miles, most of it interstate. As Interstates go, 540 down western Arkansas is about as pretty as it gets, and US 64 from Little Rock to Searcy might as well be Interstate.

[osolow]

i wouldnt mind but i would be on a time restriction,
i would have to drive down there drop it off. then return ether the next weekend or possibly two weeks later depending on work