lhatton
Beaumont, TX
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Joined: 08/21/2004
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Hi All,
I just finished a deal on a new (to me) coach and was over at the storage facility I store at to pull the tow bar off my pace arrow so I can go pick up the new Discovery.
When I finished, I went for a drink and found a hot fridge!
The control board seems to be working and I can get the burner on, but no cooling after about 35 minutes.
Opened the back and saw lots of yellow residue in the drip pan, but no amonia smell.
I'm guessing a ruptured cooling unit, but thought I'd ask for comments.
I hate that it died just now as I am planning to take it over to ppl for consignment. I put it in new four years ago.
Best I can figure is the heat of storage plus being on was too much for it. Might have to go to the turn it off program on the new rig.
I guess I'll replace it before I turn it, any good places to buy?
Les
1994 Pace Arrow SOLD IT!
2000 Discovery
2002 Wrangler
The one I have left may still be too many!
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Daveinet
il
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Joined: 10/29/2003
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Just replaced my cooling unit. Ordered it from Ebay. Is yours Dometic or Norcold. if its Dometic, I'll tell you how to get it apart. And yes, if you see yellow, it is toast. The yellow is product that is inside the cooling unit to keep it from rusting.
Dave
FMCA F298817
'83 Revcon Prince 31' FWD
502 w/Thorley's & Magnaflows,
Howell/Edelbrock MPFI, Koni FSD,
Class A built for gear heads 
My Revcon Website
Revconeers Forum
XP activation frustration
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dadd45
northeast NEBR USA
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Joined: 06/21/2004
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lhatton wrote:Hi All,
Opened the back and saw lots of yellow residue in the drip pan, but no amonia smell.
I'm guessing a ruptured cooling unit, but thought I'd ask for comments.
I hate that it died just now as I am planning to take it over to ppl for consignment. I put it in new four years ago.
Best I can figure is the heat of storage plus being on was too much for it. Might have to go to the turn it off program on the new rig.
Les
Yep, yellow is the shade of toast....as many as I've heard about failing lately (mine included) I doubt that your running it in storage had any affect.....it appears to be a design flaw in units from BOTH manufacturers.....too bad they don't stand behind a "flawed" system....IMHO, of course
DadD45
2004 Cross Country Coachmen
2001 Wrangler behind
JUST HAVIN' FUN!!!
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Nick Badame Refrig.
Cape May Court House, N.J.
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Joined: 08/23/2006
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Hi Les,
Yup! Ruptured cooling unit.
Nick-
MCI 102C3 40' 2006' Bus Conversion by Atlantic Custom Coach
Detroit 475hp 8V92t w/Allison Ht750 auto
Master Mason, Cannon Lodge #104 S. Seaville N.J.
FMCA# F-27317-S
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Nick Badame Refrig.
Cape May Court House, N.J.
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Also Les,
The best thing for absorption reefers is for them to always be warm or running.
This keeps the steel condencer coil from rusting and leaking the amonia out.
Nick-
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lhatton
Beaumont, TX
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Joined: 08/21/2004
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Well, that's the school of thought I had, but 4 years is too short of life for a fridge!
Here in Southeast TX it gets HOT! I had even thought about adding a fan to help it cool in storage.
I just changed out the whole unit (dometic) when I got this Pace Arrow because the replacement cost wasn't too much more than repair. The new one is a more expensive side by side and I sure would not want to replace it if it went out.
I can get another for about 950 and install it myself, which I think is the fastest/cheapest I can do, but would entertain the thought of changing the cooling unit.
Les
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lhatton
Beaumont, TX
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Joined: 08/21/2004
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Hey Dave,
I see the ones on ebay. How long did the swap take?
Les
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T bone
Top O Texas
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Joined: 02/04/2001
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Speaking of fans. I do have a manual start one on my moho. Right now it is in storage and the fan is on a timer. On at 3pm off at 7pm.
1999 Georgetown 325S,V-10 Ford.
2002 Ford Ranger Edge toad
carrying a 2001 Yamaha Warrior.
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Daveinet
il
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Joined: 10/29/2003
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Les, the hard part is getting the fridge out. If you can get the fridge out, you are probably capable of replacing the cooling unit. Its something you can do in a couple of hours, not including pulling the fridge. I've not seen how the side-by-side units are put together but I can't think it would be that much different. Basically you just undue a bunch of screws and it comes apart - sort of.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21393225.cfm
The real trick is once the screws are out and all the junk (electronics) off the bottom back, is to actually get cooling unit off. Even though you may have unbolted the fins from inside the fridge, the cooling unit will be seriously stuck to the back of the fridge. You notice in the top photo, the wood leaning against the fins. It took 3 blows against the wood with a 20 LBS sledge hammer to break the unit loose from the back of the fridge.
My first thought was to buy a new fridge, but I could not justify it, because the fridge interior was in great shape - only 6 years old and nearly spotless inside. I can't see any reason to replace a fridge that is that new, especially since the new one will be built just as poorly as the old one. No sense in wasting the money. Once I had mine apart, I never could see where it ruptured. I did hear it though. I was driving and smelled a funny smell for around 5 minutes before it went bang and blew up/out. I had to open the windows and exit the vehicle rather quickly once it blew.
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dadd45
northeast NEBR USA
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Joined: 06/21/2004
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My first thought was to buy a new fridge, but I could not justify it, because the fridge interior was in great shape - only 6 years old and nearly spotless inside. I can't see any reason to replace a fridge that is that new, especially since the new one will be built just as poorly as the old one. No sense in wasting the money.(quote)
I'm replacing reefer next Tuesday at CW......advantage? for a few bucks more I added the extended warranty to 5 years......new coil may not last that long then you start all over...IMHO, of course
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