Putting fridge on shore power

[pjc]

Please have mercy on a newbie. I'm not an RV-er type person, in as much as I'm not very handy and driving big things makes me nervous. That said, my kids are obsessed, so I hooked up with a used 2010 Rockwood freedom 2010 232XR.

It's a nice unit, but I can't seem to get the fridge working. I'm on shore power, lights and outlets working. Probably an obvious question .. I'd spend more time searching but I'm time crunched, as I'm on a trip with kids right now.

Any help appreciated -- either straight info or links.

Thanks!

[davel1971]

is switch on fridge on "auto" and not "gas"?

[OldCoot]

Can you tell us what kind and model the refrigerator is or maybe a picture?

[Ford Idaho]

And welcome to the forums.

[BamaBob]

Welcome to the Forums!

Possibly a silly question pjc, but when you bought the unit did the refrigerator work? (i.e., did you test it out and confirm it cooled?)

[pjc]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Can you tell us what kind and model the refrigerator is or maybe a picture?

It's a Dometic.

I'm fairly confident it worked when I bought it due to the reputation of the aler. (I know, famous last words... but due to unusual circumstances on my end I had to move fast).

I've been looking around for some switch like the one Idaho Ford posted but can't find it.





ok these photos uploaded flipped over and upside down, but in real life everything is right side up

[bikendan]

the OP has a popup, so it should have a 3-way fridge, not a 2-way fridge like most of us have.

[raspivey]

Your controls are on the outside of the trailer behind the vent panel. There should be a knob and ignitor button for the gas, a red switch for 12V, and a green switch for 110V. Don't run the battery unless you're hooked up to the tow vehicle and don't switch on more than one source at a time. It does take quite a while to cool those down, so pre-cool them before you leave.

This is the one out of my old 2280BH. Probably the same one.

[campingwilliamsons]

^X2

Since you are new, be aware there is no compressor, so it will not make any noise when it is running. Also know, these refrigerators have no internal fan (they make battery powered units you can put inside), so when you open it, it never really feels cold inside. But, rest assured, that if it is working well, that fridge will freeze the eggs when running on propane! Do a google search for Ammonia absorption refrigerator and you will get more info than you can process, LOL.

FYI, manuals should be available if you look online.

[pjc]

aha!!! I think it is working now. It doesn't feel cold inside the fridge yet, but heat is now venting out the back panel near the fridge control panel.

What a great forum. Thanks guys. I might have more stupid questions to post in the future but for now I have all the important features running

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by pjc

aha!!! I think it is working now. It doesn't feel cold inside the fridge yet, but heat is now venting out the back panel near the fridge control panel.

What a great forum. Thanks guys. I might have more stupid questions to post in the future but for now I have all the important features running

Feel free to post away with questions! Here's my pre trip procedure.

Weekend before I check things out just to make sure I don't need to fix anything. I'll leave it plugged in to make sure the batteries are topped up.

Then, two days before leaving I'll go out and turn on the fridge. It takes a full day to fully chill down but as stated it gets very cold in there. The next day I'll switch it over to propane, make sure it switches over properly and then I'll switch back to shore power to save gas.

When you go to leave, switch it over to 12V, that'll keep it cool while traveling. When you set up switch it back to shore power if you have it, propane if not.

Pull camper.

Set up.

Enjoy!!!

It's all strange at first, but with some help and a few weekends out you'll be old hat at this in no time!

[bob213]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

And welcome to the forums.

Isn't that top picture for the water heater?

[TURBS]

Op
In regards to taking pictures with a phone and posting via the app.

Phone must always be in sideways position with the bottom in your right hand.
Just an fyi

TURBS
Sabre owners united!

[hihocarp]

Another thing to remember is that when you set up the fridge has to be fairly level to operate properly. The first trailer my Mom and Dad bought in the 80's had a small fridge in that worked great but whenever we pulled over for the night when we were travelling from Sask to Ont the fridge would be warm by morning ( Dad is/ was very frugal and we'd just back into an approach for the night) Didn't find out till he traded it in on a new 5th wheel that the dealer informed him of the being level thing.

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by pjc

aha!!! I think it is working now. It doesn't feel cold inside the fridge yet, but heat is now venting out the back panel near the fridge control panel.

What a great forum. Thanks guys. I might have more stupid questions to post in the future but for now I have all the important features running

*DOH* we shoulda told ya that PJC - when you feel heat coming out of the refer vents you *know* it's cooling

BTW, those refer fans and pretty handy - especially in the summer! Here's a inexpensive one:
Amazon.com: Camco 44123 Fridge Airator: Automotive

[TURBS]

It takes a good 12 hours to completely cool fridge down fyi

TURBS
Sabre owners united!

[campingwilliamsons]

Also, prechilling food/drinks before it goes in the fridge will help out a ton. For fans, I used something similar to: Valterra Fridge Fan. It was ok, but like all other Valterra products I have used, it did not last as long or work as well as I would have liked. I have had very good luck with Camco products.

[pjc]

My learning curve is a bit more challenging than most. The RV lives about 400 miles away from my house. I drive my Ford Focus from Oregon to SoCal, than swap for the Jeep Cherokee my buddy owns and use that to tow the pop camper I own. My buddy has some spare land for the pop camper to live in.

Sort of complicated, but it saves on mileage, and, more importantly, saves me from buying a tow-package vehicle for a few years until we see where this whole RV-mania goes with the kids. I figure if they get bored with it I can resell the camper. If they go the other way I'll try an SUV and look into winterizing the tent for ski weekends. That propane furnace is no joke, and propane is cheap compared to condo rentals.

At any rate, I have to learn while camping in the meantime, as I don't have much downtime access. But I figure I'll learn a little more each trip and eventually I'll have it dialed.

Thanks again!

[davel1971]

if the kids get tired of it, will be because it takes 8 hours to get to campsite. I can hook up, drive to nearest state park, and be fully set up in under 45 minutes.

[pjc]

OR is great camping in the summer. But the rest of the year, a bit challenging for kids (or anyone that enjoys the sun).