62 Dometic Fridge is HOT!!

[koelbel]

My problem:

I have a nice working original Dometic fridge in my 62 Safari. Unfortunatly it heats up the interior quite a bit. The Condenser vents to the inside of the airstream through an opening (large) at the back of the fridge cover. There is a vent hole to the rooftop thru the skin that is about 2 inches wide that I guess vents the exhaust from the gas burner flame.
The other fridges I have seen have the entire back of the fridge, meaning the burner and condenser vent to the roof and block off heat from entering the inside with a large cover.
Anyone else with this problem? Should I be cutting holes in the inside and outside skin to make a larger vent?

I live in the South, so hot weather and poor performance of the fridge is coming soon!

Thanks for replies!

[65CV]

Koelbel-

Is this missing in your trailer? If it is, you're venting gas directly into the trailer. Not safe.

http://www.airforums.com/photos/showimage.php?i=14309&catid=searchresults&searchid =5996

John

[lewster]

Originally Posted by koelbel

My problem:

I have a nice working original Dometic fridge in my 62 Safari. Unfortunatly it heats up the interior quite a bit. The Condenser vents to the inside of the airstream through an opening (large) at the back of the fridge cover. There is a vent hole to the rooftop thru the skin that is about 2 inches wide that I guess vents the exhaust from the gas burner flame.
The other fridges I have seen have the entire back of the fridge, meaning the burner and condenser vent to the roof and block off heat from entering the inside with a large cover.
Anyone else with this problem? Should I be cutting holes in the inside and outside skin to make a larger vent?

I live in the South, so hot weather and poor performance of the fridge is coming soon!

Thanks for replies!

koelbel,

Something is very wrong if you are getting warm inside the trailer from the LP burner of vent from the fridge!!

There should be NO OPENINGS in the space that the fridge occupies to the interior of the trailer, except for the lower door and either an upper side vent or a roof vent!! The heat is the least of your worries, as you might be venting carbon monoxide right into your trailer!!!!!!

You should get a copy of the installation manual for your model of fridge and follow the specs, as they are VERY DETAILED AND PRECISE. Also, if the rear compartment for the fridge is NOT built to these specifications, your fridge will not perform optimally, not to mention your continued health and safety...............................

[Mark Wiltrakis]

Koelbel -
You have it figured correctly. Here's an explanation I copied from a post by 47WeeWind:
Ohio trailers with propane refrigerators from ~1958 to ~1962 vented the hot "cooling coil" air via a opening at the rear of the fridge top shelf into the trailer interior (which seems to me would heat up the trailer on the hottest days when the fridge was working the hardest to keep cool) but vented the fridge propane combustion fumes to the outside via a tube inside the wall which exited at the small eyebrow vent on the roof. California built travel trailers were subject to Calif. Division of Housing regulations intended mainly for mobile homes which [appear to have] required outside venting of hot "cooling coil" air along with the combustion air, hence the large long oval roof vents on ~1958 and later Calif. built trailers with propane fridges. Beginning in 1963, Ohio began venting fridge "cooling coil" hot air outdoors too.
My '59 Tradewind is also an Ohio trailer and is configured just like yours. I'm going to replace the original refrig with a new one of larger capacity, and will need a proper roof vent at that time. I'm not sure how to best deal with the interior heat issue when staying with the original Dometic. A number of folks have these units in use today, and hopefully can give you some better advice.
Anyway, your setup should be safe -
Mark

[fotochop]

..and if you decide you want to build your own vent similar to the later models check out the beautiful one David Winick fashioned out of shiny copper! not only very functional, but very beautiful...typical Winick!

[Frank's Trailer Works]

my trailer has that same configuration too. The fumes are vented out, but not the heat. I too was thinking of how to remove the heat, but when it is cool outside, that heat is very welcomed. It might work well to have louvers that can be opened to let the heat out when it is hot out and closed to keep it in when it is cold.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Is your dometic pink? Mine is and it is also my favorite thing in my trailer. Samb hooked me up a few months back with all the missing interior parts, a great find.

[Overlander & Sea]

My "61 Overlander that was built in Ohio is the same way. Living in the same area as you, I mean ya'll, I solved the problem by installing a new 15,000btu AC.

[koelbel]

Thanks for all the responses. It is in fact so, that I have the Ohio model Safari and my setup is exactly as discribed. The exhaust is venting outside, not inside the trailer (thanks for the concern lewster!).

I guess a good A/C would be the option, but still, in the summer months it could still be a problem.
I wonder if one could just build that vent system from the California models. Doesn´t look like rocket science to me.

Has anyone ever done that?

Thanks for all the help!

Klaus

[koelbel]

Oh and by the way, no my fridge is not pink (yet), but it most definitly is the coolest thing in the trailer and will never leave it as long as it is working the way it should!