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Old 03-26-2021, 10:22 AM   #41
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Electric vs Propane

I found in my attempts to solve the high temps inside the Dometic fridge, detailed above in this thread, that the unit always functioned better on propane vs electric.

So, even when plugged in to electric hookups, I continue to run on propane.

I do not have scientific evidence to prove this, just my observations when I was experimenting with solutions to the warm weather failures of the Dometic unit.

Steve & Gail
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Old 03-26-2021, 06:41 PM   #42
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Originally Posted by fiftysafari View Post
I wondered about a fan addition.
A solar powered fan could really boost the heat transfer through the vents.
Well, yes, but...

Unless you are experiencing some problem this fix has a good chance of impacting, I would lean against adding complexity to such a simple, elegant, clean and effective cooling system (KISS principal)

The older I get, the more wisdom I perceive in this maxim. When I was younger, like many, I assumed that more was better, why buy a mere microwave when you could buy a microwave/toaster/knife sharpener? You probably already know that answer.

Then again, if you just want to experiment for fun, why not?

BTW, regarding the crusty rubberish seal, I found that some TLC with WD-40, a cotton swab and some mild detergent does wonders.
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Old 03-26-2021, 09:34 PM   #43
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Originally Posted by fiftysafari View Post
I wondered about a fan addition.
A solar powered fan could really boost the heat transfer through the vents.
Wait and see. On both my vintage trailer and my modern one, with a rooftop vent I never had a problem keeping the fridge cold enough and never put in a booster fan. They seem essential in the side-only-vented setups.
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Old 03-26-2021, 09:55 PM   #44
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Wait and see. On both my vintage trailer and my modern one, with a rooftop vent I never had a problem keeping the fridge cold enough and never put in a booster fan. They seem essential in the side-only-vented setups.
Good to know...thanks!
I have a good deal of repairs and will be posting my 55 Safari project.
Doing floor replacement now.
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Old 03-27-2021, 09:40 AM   #45
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Originally Posted by fiftysafari View Post
Good to know...thanks!
I have a good deal of repairs and will be posting my 55 Safari project.
Doing floor replacement now.
As others have said. If it works leave it alone. On my side vented unit I played with 1 to 3 fans. It worked best with 2. Improper placement could have a negative effect. If that’s the original fridge and the trailer is 60 plus years old and doesn’t have a fan it probably doesn’t need one.
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Old 03-28-2021, 01:19 PM   #46
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Replaced Dometic absorption with IsoTherm 12/120v

I was never happy with the Dometic absorption unit that came with our 2018 International Serenity FBT. We replaced it with an IsoTherm 12/120v compressor and it is amazing. Gone are the days of waiting 24 hours for the Dometic to get to a safe temp. Gone are the days of wondering if I am being dumb leaving the propane on while we drive. There is a power demand to deal with on a compressor fridg. We have 400W solar on the roof and 240Ah of Li-ion batteries. I also have a 40A Redarc DC-DC charger wired to the tow vehicle - which has 400A in alternators. We fully charge the batteries and run the refrigerator while driving. The solar will keep up with the fridge on sunny days, but i have 2 Honda 2200i generators for backup when boondocking. Don’t miss absorption technology at all.
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Old 03-28-2021, 05:33 PM   #47
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I bought from Truckfridge in 2012 and so far no issues. Front panel is replaceable. I used a veneer. it’s half the price of the isotherm. Not saying they are the same but same size, same layout, same compressor.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/isoth...ffd2b618f6ddf6

https://www.truckfridge.com/product/...-refrigerator/

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Old 03-28-2021, 06:39 PM   #48
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[QUOTE=fiftysafari;2475047]I have a vintage Norcold fridge that came with my 1955 Safari.
Although it no longer works, the old fridge once used either propane or 120V power. Probably not worth renovating I suppose.

i obtained the right fridge, dometic, 1969 vintage for my Travelux. it had not been used for some years. set it up on propane, and no cooling. i took a small wrench, 1/2 or 9/16" whatever, and with the flame on (BLUE flame, not yellow or orange) and tap tapped on the tube runs all over, every 5-10 minutes over a 1 1/2 to 2 hour period. left it overnight. came out to a fridge with HEAVY FROST inside. installed and working now for several years.
tapping on the coils had to have freed up some minor corrosion/crystallized material inside.
go with a 3 way if you replace it. who cares about efficiency when your batteries are dead boondocking? when your overseas made POS circuit board goes for a crap you have warm beer and spoiled food.
if you go new, pass that old fridge onto someone doing a restoration....
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Old 03-28-2021, 06:56 PM   #49
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For those with an ammonia absorption fridge...How often do you use the propane system vs the electric?

ALWAYS. in case i have an issue with the propane flame, i carry non-chlorinated brake cleaner aerosol spray. it comes with a little tube for the nozzle that allows you to direct the spray. i find that after a while the tiny propane discharge orifice gets gummed up with some sticky residue, likely from the "stink" they add to propane so you can smell a leak. i also have a short length of plastic tube to blow across the air inlet at the burner. spiders like to hang out there sometimes, leaving a partial web. if you see orange or yellow flame, you need to clean something. always have a blue flame at the burner.
nice to hear the old fridge is working.
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Old 03-29-2021, 03:48 PM   #50
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I had a 76 Soveriegn with the roof vented Dometic absorbtion, still worked great at 30 years old. I sound a solar panel rain cover for the roof vent that powered a tiny computer fan that I mounted near the top of the coils to help pull hot air up and out. The little fan running during the daytime made a slight hum, but usually conversation or music covered the noise. At night it conveniently quit when the sun went down after doing a great job all day, even on cloudy days. It made the camper fridge behave more like a house fridge. On the 76, the lower combustion air intake was through a screen vent in the floor, not the back. The back panel was for service. We kept ours at home, and the fridge was always on, 120 volts or propane. Always cold for 6 years. Sure do miss that camper, but my wife would have got it during the split anyway.
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Old 03-29-2021, 07:06 PM   #51
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Originally Posted by OTRW22 View Post
We have 400W solar on the roof and 240Ah of Li-ion batteries. I also have a 40A Redarc DC-DC charger wired to the tow vehicle - which has 400A in alternators. We fully charge the batteries and run the refrigerator while driving. The solar will keep up with the fridge on sunny days, but i have 2 Honda 2200i generators for backup when boondocking. Don’t miss absorption technology at all.
I think that is an ideal set up on the new trailer. Eventually, perhaps by the end of the decade, the technology will have advanced to the point where everything in the airstream will be electric, and the solar and lithium battery technology will advance to the point to make that easy, inexpensive, and the most convenient option. I know airstream is also thinking about adding electrical motors to the axles such that one can unhook and back the trailer in under its own power, and even using the motors for regenerative braking. But generating heat, whether for the water or the trailer itself is still a very energy intensive process.

However, for the original poster, who has a 1955 vintage trailer set up with a roof vent, getting the existing vintage ammonia absorption refrigerator working makes a lot more sense for the present. It also keeps the vintage trailer true to the original. The original ammonia absorption refrigerator has no control boards to go bad, and the underlying technology is so simple and elegant it has lasted for over 50 years. How long do you think your solar lithium set up will last?

I myself would love to go to solar lithium, and even though the technology exists, it is still somewhat cost prohibitive. I haven’t calculated the ROI, (always fraught concerning anything Airstream) but it would take a lot of spoiled meat over the course of how many weekends before the system would pay for itself?
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Old 03-29-2021, 07:25 PM   #52
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Skyguyscott, I agree with your appreciation for robust, vintage equipment.
I differ on your economics based outlook on installing reliable food preservation equipment. Will you appreciate the extra dollars in your bank account when you are 30 miles from the nearest grocery, and you really have your chops set for grilled steak, and the act of peeling back the cellophane kicks you back? Or when you make the acquaintance of a friendly DO at the closest immediate care center because your olfactory sentries weren't up to the task of protecting you?
Nope. It's 45 F or fight for me.
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Old 03-29-2021, 07:36 PM   #53
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I mean to cast no aspersions whatsoever on your choices, and I tip my hat to you and the means by which you can afford these wonderful conveniences.

BTW, I myself get around the food spoilage en route not by running the fridge on electric nor gas, but by freezing the food solid before departure and using the fridge as an even older tech ice box and let everything thaw on the way. I have even found on some short weekend trips that if I put a gallon of ice frozen solid in the refrigerator before departing on Friday night, there is still some solid ice left in the container by Sunday mid morning! This is without ever running the refrigerator at all. YMMV but nice to know.
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Old 03-29-2021, 07:46 PM   #54
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Skyguyscott, Like you, I am reluctant to invest in lithium or an upgrade from the propane dometic that came stock in my 2020 23FB FC. But, when the fridge temperature climbs, I let Airstream or Dometic know that a resolution is needed, in keeping with the concept of "merchantability".
The latest was a failure of the thermostat that controls the Airstream engineered pancake fan behind the fridge. The fridge temps climbed into the 50's. Airstream is sending a replacement. I jumpered that fan and also added a fan to the upper vent, resulting in fridge temps reliably less than 40 on the latest trip (in Florida, max outside temp in the 90's). Between the pandemic and the wife's dietary needs, we can't afford to mess around.
Happy camping!
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Old 03-30-2021, 05:41 AM   #55
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I agree. Thor may have saved the brand decades ago, but they have done a poor job of advancing the brand promise. Have you read about the BaseCamp fridge fiasco? Entirely Thor’s fault - they designed the interior to place the unit in sunlight and with no ventilation and without adequate space around the unit per manufacture’s specs. And for some reason, the fridge didn’t cool and AFAIK they pretty much hung their customers out to dry when they couldn’t get the units to work. They eventually changed the design to replace the absorption units with compressor type, so now the “BaseCamp” requires hookups or generators.
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