Crusader 290RLT fridge fan noise

J_KHawthorne · 05-01-2012, 07:16 PM

Our new Crusader has the 8cu/ft Dometic 2852 fridge which is working fine, but the fan noise from the rear was excessive... especially at night.
After reading about fan replacement in other posts, I did likewise and ordered a pair (2) Gelid Silent 9 TC computer case fans. I found these at OutletPC for $7.98 each, so the order totaled $23.92 with shipping.

The back of the fridge actually had mounts for 2 fans.
The 290 has an extended thin plywood panel that acts as a cowl to channel the air from the single (and extremely noisy) Sunon fan located just below the upper outside vent.
This had to be cut away, but as the material is very thin, I was able to do it with just a box cutter. The Gelid fans came with rubber mounts, and the completed install was fairly easy. I brad-nailed the plywood 'cowl' onto a piece of wood and screwed the wood back into place.
It works great and truly is as close to silent as possible! The twin wire sets pigtailed together running up the wire at the top right are the thermal sensors for the fans, which adjust their speed depending on the temperature.

RattVader · 05-03-2012, 05:23 PM

Good to know.As I write this,mine is pre-cooling for our trip to WDW tomorrow and you can definitely hear the noisy fan(s).First I really noticed it to be honest with you!! I saw someone post something about (them) running more if the sun is beating down on that side of the trailer??

J_KHawthorne · 05-03-2012, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RattVader

Good to know.As I write this,mine is pre-cooling for our trip to WDW tomorrow and you can definitely hear the noisy fan(s).First I really noticed it to be honest with you!! I saw someone post something about (them) running more if the sun is beating down on that side of the trailer??

Yes, I would think that would be true because the cooling fins have a temp sensor that triggers the fan to go on when the temp in there reaches above 90F... so on a hot day, the fan would run more.

I guess it seems like the fan on some units is noisier than those on others. Ours really got on my nerves! It was as if we had an angry mosquito in the trailer!

Sunon fans are used in many desktop and server cases and generally are known to be good enough at moving air, but noisy and with a limited lifespan. If you ever decide to swap yours out, don't hesitate to shoot me a message if I can be of help!

pryner · 05-04-2012, 03:20 PM

We had the same issue with our new 290 RLT. My neighbor has a bunch of 120mm cooling fans left over from a job so we looked to replace the existing noisey fan. Rather than remove the fridge and the old fan we manufactured a bracket with a piece fo 1/2" aluminum L channel and attached two of the very quiet fans to the bracket. These are the same type of fan used in computers etc but they are ball bearing brushless and use half of the energy of the old fan. We then installed the fans and bracket on the fiberboard piece that covers the top fins of the fridge. The fans just fit between the board and the back of the fridge a couple of inches below the cooling fins. We put a connector on the positive wires and pulled off the old wire going to the fan and pushed the new connector on. To complete the circuit we put a ring on the end of the black wires and grounded the fans to the aluminum channel on the side of the opening. Didn't have to remove the fridge or do any re-wiring. I can't believe how quiet the fans are. Don't even know they are running. They produce over twice the cfm with less current draw and you don't even know they are working.
Pete

RattVader · 05-05-2012, 07:59 PM

Well headed to the sunshine state today,got to 95 degrees here in Ga. were we have stopped,go inside and the refrigerator is flashing 60. Apparently air in the gas line. Got that resolved and it is SLOWLY cooling down.According to many other (forums) RV brands like Heartland that use these Dometic units are very problematic and suspect as the outside temps climb.The slide housing the refrigerator was facing the sun the entire drive down.And as I sit and write this I can hear those two cooling fans wailing away! I'm thinking an upgrade is coming sooner than later!! Ours by the way is the double door RM1350

J_KHawthorne · 05-06-2012, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RattVader

Well headed to the sunshine state today,got to 95 degrees here in Ga. were we have stopped,go inside and the refrigerator is flashing 60. Apparently air in the gas line. Got that resolved and it is SLOWLY cooling down.According to many other (forums) RV brands like Heartland that use these Dometic units are very problematic and suspect as the outside temps climb.The slide housing the refrigerator was facing the sun the entire drive down.And as I sit and write this I can hear those two cooling fans wailing away! I'm thinking an upgrade is coming sooner than later!! Ours by the way is the double door RM1350

I looked up your model fridge, and it seems there are 2 fans located at the back... probably just below the upper vent, which should open easily by turning the black tabs 90 degrees and then pulling outwards on plastic vent, bottom out first!

If it is really hot outside, removing the plastic vent covers might help cooling for now while you're stopped. replace them for travel!

If the fans are too noisy for you, we can see about replacing them when you get home. Here is where the 2 fans are located, items # 115: access to them should be fairly easy.

RattVader · 05-07-2012, 01:41 PM

Thanks for the schematic.You mentioned that the new fans were obviously quieter than the OEM.However I'm more concerned if they deliver more CFM's than the originals.Are these replacements capable of delivering under 100+ degree days for multiple hours?

J_KHawthorne · 05-08-2012, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RattVader

Thanks for the schematic.You mentioned that the new fans were obviously quieter than the OEM.However I'm more concerned if they deliver more CFM's than the originals.Are these replacements capable of delivering under 100+ degree days for multiple hours?

Yes and yes... well, it all depends on what fans were installed by the manufacturer, of course. Once you know the make and model of the fans in your unit, you can easily Google them and see what they put out. My fridge fan (my fridge model came with just with one), was a cheap Sunon that put out fewer cubic feet per minute while drawing more amperage than the two fans combined that I replaced it with! So, yes, it's easy to find a 12 volt fan or set of fans that will outperform the factory issue... unless of course, they stopped putting in these junky Sunon fans. My unit is a 2012, and the fan was a cheapo.

Most older DELL computers came with Sunon fans, and I found they were okay, mostly due to the fact that most computers became obsolete way before the fans quit, although not always! (I replaced several)

The fans I installed will run for 50,000 to 60,000 hours of continuous service on server racks that never really get a chance to cool off. They should outlast me!!!

On my fridge unit, the manufacturer preset the fan to come on when the temperature in the space behind the fridge hits 90F (give or take). The temperature sensor for this is high in the cabinet space at the end of the cooling fins. Over 90 degrees and the fans start cycling.

On 100+ days, they will run continuously or nearly so. This is not a problem for the fans as they are meant to keep the interior cases of the latest generation of gaming computers 'cool', and the temps inside some of these can get up over 150 degrees in normal operation...

My new fans also have their own thermal sensors that will not turn them on, but will control the fan's RPM's as needed to provide max cooling. The thing I like best is that they are silent, and move more air... about 25% more!

Hope you have a great trip! Let me know if you want any help if you decide to upgrade the fans! We're heading for Yellowstone and Canadian Rockies in June.

RattVader · 05-08-2012, 06:52 PM

Well,ya sold me on those fans! I will definitely order two of them and install them myself. Yeah today was only near 90 here in WDW,and the refrig. unit seemed to hold at 36 at setting #5.Couple of days up in mid 90's seemed to me to be the magic number.I think someone made mention that perhaps that digital readout could be off.Not so much.I had another accurate digital thermometer and placed it inside with a 2 degree difference.Anyway thanks for your input and enjoy your trip to Yellowstone!

annamarie · 05-09-2012, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pryner

We had the same issue with our new 290 RLT. My neighbor has a bunch of 120mm cooling fans left over from a job so we looked to replace the existing noisey fan. Rather than remove the fridge and the old fan we manufactured a bracket with a piece fo 1/2" aluminum L channel and attached two of the very quiet fans to the bracket. These are the same type of fan used in computers etc but they are ball bearing brushless and use half of the energy of the old fan. We then installed the fans and bracket on the fiberboard piece that covers the top fins of the fridge. The fans just fit between the board and the back of the fridge a couple of inches below the cooling fins. We put a connector on the positive wires and pulled off the old wire going to the fan and pushed the new connector on. To complete the circuit we put a ring on the end of the black wires and grounded the fans to the aluminum channel on the side of the opening. Didn't have to remove the fridge or do any re-wiring. I can't believe how quiet the fans are. Don't even know they are running. They produce over twice the cfm with less current draw and you don't even know they are working.
Pete

Do you have a photo to show on the mod you did. Thanks!

annamarie · 05-09-2012, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_KHawthorne

Our new Crusader has the 8cu/ft Dometic 2852 fridge which is working fine, but the fan noise from the rear was excessive... especially at night.
After reading about fan replacement in other posts, I did likewise and ordered a pair (2) Gelid Silent 9 TC computer case fans. I found these at OutletPC for $7.98 each, so the order totaled $23.92 with shipping.

The back of the fridge actually had mounts for 2 fans.
The 290 has an extended thin plywood panel that acts as a cowl to channel the air from the single (and extremely noisy) Sunon fan located just below the upper outside vent.
This had to be cut away, but as the material is very thin, I was able to do it with just a box cutter. The Gelid fans came with rubber mounts, and the completed install was fairly easy. I brad-nailed the plywood 'cowl' onto a piece of wood and screwed the wood back into place.
It works great and truly is as close to silent as possible! The twin wire sets pigtailed together running up the wire at the top right are the thermal sensors for the fans, which adjust their speed depending on the temperature.

How thick was the wood, that you nailed to the "cowl"?

jriddering · 05-11-2012, 07:43 AM

Sounds like a good mod. Just ordered 2 fans and will install them with I get them. Cheapest shipping with the 2 fans only cost $19.00 total.

J_KHawthorne · 05-11-2012, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by annamarie

How thick was the wood, that you nailed to the "cowl"?

The plywood is only about 1/8" thick and I cut through it easily (but carefully) with a retractable box cutter. (you can see the plywood in my photos... I just used the piece that I cut off and brad-nailed it to a piece of wood 3/4" square and about a foot long, and then screwed that piece of wood into the existing wood in the wall... See pics in post #1 of the thread...

Sorry for not taking more pics... If more would help, I can take the plastic vent opening off and take a close-up of the way I reattached the plywood.

annamarie · 05-11-2012, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_KHawthorne

The plywood is only about 1/8" thick and I cut through it easily (but carefully) with a retractable box cutter. (you can see the plywood in my photos... I just used the piece that I cut off and brad-nailed it to a piece of wood 3/4" square and about a foot long, and then screwed that piece of wood into the existing wood in the wall... See pics in post #1 of the thread...

Sorry for not taking more pics... If more would help, I can take the plastic vent opening off and take a close-up of the way I reattached the plywood.

No, the pics you showed were just fine. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate all the info on your mod, will make it easy for me to do now. Happy camping this season!

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