Dometic Fridge Woes

[Archimedes]

We recently purchased a 2010 Roo with a Dometic fridge. Took it out for the first time last Friday, fired up the fridge on A/C at about 10 PM and by 6 AM on Saturday there did not seem to be a noticeable change in temperature. Is it possible that it needs even more time? Not knowing what the issue could be, I popped off the outside vent and took a look inside. The vertical tube coming out of the large cylinder (ammonia tank maybe?) had about an 1/8" of ice on the outside of it. Doesn't seem to be a good thing to see ice on the outside of the fridge so I shut it down and unplugged the power cable since the melting ice would drip on it and the wiring in the back. Anyone have any ideas?

Camper was level (I read the instructions).

I haven't checked out the model/serial number against the recall yet but will do that tonight. The Roo is currently at the dealer until they can look at it (up to 5 days)

After reading numerous posts on here about the Dometic fridge it is possible that I did not fire it up long enough. Though, the glacier on the back of the fridge is a red flag for me...

[PumaPro]

Wow. That's a new one. Pretty much the whole backside of the refer should actually be hot, if I'm not mistaking. Sounds a little... backwards.

[08flagvlite]

It will operate much more efficiently on gas, but it sounds like it is running. Try it at home plugged in for a day or two, and see if it gets cold on 110 power. Gas tends to cool it down faster, because of the hotter flame. And, as Puma Pro says, even the electric side should operate a heater on the outside, that makes it cold inside, sort of like the way a heat pump air conditioner works. Randy

[rockwood06]

It takes around 6 Hours for the fridge to reach 34 degrees and this depend on the load. There is a damper adjustment in the fridge compartment, make sure the damper is open. The damper control is white in color and it is attached to the aluminum fins above the top shelf just under the drip pan under the freezer compartment.
As the freezer gets colder the air in the freezer will drop down into the fridge section and this is were the cold air comes from for the fridge, if the damper is closed it will restrict the cold air from infiltrating the fridge section. There is no fan in this type of unit to circulate the air as it there is in your home unit.

[Archimedes]

Thanks for the tips - I'll try them out and let you guys know what happens. Other than this minor setback, the Roo is great and the kids have a blast with it.

Now, if I can only remember where I put those party lights...