Noooo!!! Now, not only do I not have an electric water pump (let's face it, the hand pump is pretty worthless) for the sink, now it looks like the fridge doesn't work (and theres still the rogue leak somewhere). Noooo! I was really excited about having a fridge. How does one go about replacing the fridge? Or even finding a working one? I'm bummed, and super sore from trying to clean the canvas. I need a campfire, stat!!! :banghead: :banghead:
My first camper, many years ago, had a hand pump and it was OK for brushing your teeth but that's about it. The good part is that your probably already have a water tank and all the plumbing. You can always add a pump and faucet. You just need to decide how much you really want to put into the camper. A water pump starts at $65 and a faucet starts at $26.
You need to make sure the camper will close and the faucet isn't in the way.
[quote author=MariskaHargitay link=topic=1392.msg11115#msg11115 date=1330296049]
Noooo!!! Now, not only do I not have an electric water pump (let's face it, the hand pump is pretty worthless) for the sink, now it looks like the fridge doesn't work (and theres still the rogue leak somewhere). Noooo! I was really excited about having a fridge. How does one go about replacing the fridge? Or even finding a working one? I'm bummed, and super sore from trying to clean the canvas. I need a campfire, stat!!! :banghead: :banghead:
Are you sure the fridge doesn't work? RV fridges don't work the way your home fridge works. There are no moving parts, it doesn't make any sound when you turn it on and it doesn't immediately start to get cool.
RV fridges operate by ammonia absorption -- basically there is a heating element (or two or three; propane, 12v and 120v) that boils ammonia, which pulls heat out of the air inside the fridge and leaves you with a cool fridge. To test it, turn it on, leave it run overnight and check it in the morning.
And like Joecamper said, a pump faucet is worthless for anything bu brushing teeth!
John
[quote author=JEH412 link=topic=1392.msg11120#msg11120 date=1330302399]
Are you sure the fridge doesn't work? RV fridges don't work the way your home fridge works. There are no moving parts, it doesn't make any sound when you turn it on and it doesn't immediately start to get cool.
RV fridges operate by ammonia absorption -- basically there is a heating element (or two or three; propane, 12v and 120v) that boils ammonia, which pulls heat out of the air inside the fridge and leaves you with a cool fridge. To test it, turn it on, leave it run overnight and check it in the morning.
And like Joecamper said, a pump faucet is worthless for anything bu brushing teeth!
John
Hmm, then I'm not so sure. Thanks for the hope! I know almost nothing about electronics, a bit more than the common woman, but way less than all you handymen 😉 I'm just going off what my Dad said. Much like when I got into the aquarium hobby, I was overwhelmed on all the things I had to learn (one would think a fish tank is relatively easy to start up), this camper hobby is overwhelming at first!
Whoa, that's crazy how the fridge works. So is there no compressor like a normal fridge? Or Freon? Could it lose it's ammonia? I'm passing this info onto my Dad immediately for him to try out. Any suggestions how to test the fridge when the camper is outside, and it's 40 degrees outside?
I couldn't believe how worthless that hand pump faucet is. I couldn't think of anything that it could be good for, but I suppose brushing teeth could be the only thing, lol.
[quote author=MariskaHargitay link=topic=1392.msg11125#msg11125 date=1330304867]
Whoa, that's crazy how the fridge works. So is there no compressor like a normal fridge? Or Freon? Could it lose it's ammonia? I'm passing this info onto my Dad immediately for him to try out. Any suggestions how to test the fridge when the camper is outside, and it's 40 degrees outside?
Plug the trailer in, set the Refrigerator controls on the outside to 120V and let it run for at least 8-10 hours. Put a thermometer in it. Don't use your hands to judge.
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The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that they have! |
[quote author=MariskaHargitay link=topic=1392.msg11125#msg11125 date=1330304867]
Whoa, that's crazy how the fridge works. So is there no compressor like a normal fridge? Or Freon? Could it lose it's ammonia? I'm passing this info onto my Dad immediately for him to try out. Any suggestions how to test the fridge when the camper is outside, and it's 40 degrees outside?
Like anything else, it takes time to learn all the ins and outs!
An RV fridge can lose its ammonia charge but it's not something that happens all that frequently. It's a simple system. Probably the biggest cause of damage is operating them with the camper off level. It's fine for it to be off level when you're towing, but when it's set up it must be level or the ammonia won't move through the system properly.
If you ultimately find that it doesn't work it can be replaced with a dorm fridge. You lose the ability to run it on propane or 12 v but don't lose nearly as much from your wallet. A dorm fridge can be found for $100.00 or so, but an RV fridge is hundreds more.
Like CampingPhil said, set the selector in the outside compartment to 120v, set the temp control (numbered knob) as cold as it goes and put a thermometer inside.
Hope you find all is good!
John
Another thing about the refrig. is that the back area should be cleaned regularly. Clear out dust, cob webs, etc. On our Viking our refrig had quit cooling and we thought it was broken. We didn't use it for several years because of the cost of a new one. Then I read on another site about cleaning the back compartment out. I opened the hinged door and took off the top vent cover and discovered that insulation had worked it's way out from around the refrig and settled on the cooling fins. Once that was cleaned up it worked like a charm.
There is a chimney type pipe on the back these that should get very warm when operating correctly.
Thanks everyone for your help!
Update- Fridge Works! Guess I jumped the gun, whew! Thanks John (JEH412) for explaining how it works. That's pretty cool to know.
My dad didn't have a thermometer, or didn't bother getting one. He sent me this in an email. It totally cracked me up and I had to share.
"started fridge on gas yesterday and plugged in electric.
Left it on HIGH all night.
This AM the coils outside on the top were definitely warm.
The inside of the fridge was definitely cool.
Now the question is HOW cool.
I just put in two bottles of Coors with COLD and SUPER COLD bands. "
LOVE IT! Apparently the fridge is getting "Super cold" Thank you Coors! I do love technology. My dad's other form of testing it was to turn it up to high, and out a bowl of water in it to see if it forms ice. It did! Although I love my dad's scientific testing, I did put a thermometer in there for a more permanent solution.
Now we've got an issue with the camper door. I think that one's going to be more of a doozie to fix, and I've invited my dad to come visit Saturday at French Creek to see if any of you fine folks can suggest a solution.
I hope that your dad used at least one of those beers to toast the now-working fridge! I'm glad to hear that all is well on that front.
Just a thought, since I'm not clear from your last post. Make sure your dad isn't running it on gas and electric at the same time. You should use one or the other of the power sources, but not use them together. The fridge has three heat sources: 12v, 120v and propane and my guess is that running on electric and gas together may produce too much heat for the exchanger to handle.
On to the next item on the punch list!
John
RE: fridge. I've found mine works best (coldest) on gas. I don't even bother with electric. I don't have a furnace to suck the gas either, so making it a whole weekend is not a problem.
Re: door: Make sure the roof it high enough. It may need to be adjusted. Also, install the door and attach the canvas before putting the canvas up on the bunkends. It makes a difference for us.
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