Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-24-2013, 10:40 AM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 59
Crusader 290RLT Fridge Fan Noise

Hi,

I'm starting a new thread on the 290rlt fridge fan noise because the original one started by Jim Hawthorne on 5/1/2012 is no longer active and I have a question.

I am starting my first summer with my 290RLT and experiencing the same loud refrig fan noise. The fan I found on OutletPC has the following specs and wanted to know if this is the same fan that Jim installed. The CFM is around 32 which seems low compared to some of the Sunon's. The fan speed seems lower also so I'm not sure if this is the same fan Jim installed.

I'm hoping Jim is still on this forum and could respond to this post.

Thank you

Here is the spec info off OutletPC


Gelid FN-TX09-20 Quiet Case Fan (92mm)

Advanced Features:

Air Flow (CFM): 31.32
Bearing: Hydro Dynamic Bearing
Cable Length (mm): 500
Connector: 3 Pin Molex
Current (A): 0.1
Dimensions (mm): 92 x 92 x 25
Fan Speed (RPM): 1500
Noise Level (dBA): 20
Safety Approvals: CE, RoHS Compliant
Sensor Cable Length (mm) 300
Static Pressure (mmAq): 1.515
Voltage (V): 12
Weight (g): 76
Crusaderguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2013, 01:13 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Scratch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Gruene, TX.
Posts: 343
We noticed on our weekend maiden voyage that the fan on our 295RST is also noisy. Where is the original thread?
__________________
Scratch sends...
'12 nights camped: 12
'13 nights camped: 24
'14 nights camped:
Scratch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2013, 01:31 PM   #3
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 59
290rlt Fan noise

At the top of the Forum page is a "Search" box. Type in 290RLT and then click on search. When I do that, the original thread is the first one listed.
Crusaderguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2013, 01:39 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
another_newfie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 684
I hadn't noticed the fan being overly noisy in our 2014 295RST. Maybe they switched fans?

I will listen for it this weekend though.

Then again our first 2 weekends out it has been at or near the freezing mark.
another_newfie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2013, 03:53 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: X
Posts: 2,781
Quote:
Originally Posted by another_newfie View Post
I hadn't noticed the fan being overly noisy in our 2014 295RST. Maybe they switched fans?

I will listen for it this weekend though.

Then again our first 2 weekends out it has been at or near the freezing mark.
It generally doesn't come on until the outside temp is ~80 or above.
BarryD0706 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2013, 04:03 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
another_newfie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 684
So there is a thermal sensor to enable the fans?

If so then it might be a while before I need em given the way the weather has been around these parts.
another_newfie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2013, 07:30 PM   #7
Member
 
Claude002's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Lac Des Plages QUEBEC
Posts: 72
Have a 2013 RLT290 when i phoned the service dept. of PT on our 1st trip they said its normal when the fridg is in a pull out????BS to me.
Claude002 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 07:59 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: X
Posts: 2,781
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claude002 View Post
Have a 2013 RLT290 when i phoned the service dept. of PT on our 1st trip they said its normal when the fridg is in a pull out????BS to me.
Yes, it's normal to have fans to pull air thru the condenser if your fridge is in a slide out. This is how Dometic wants them installed.
BarryD0706 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 01:13 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
J_KHawthorne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Kansas City & Sierra Vista
Posts: 247
[QUOTE=Crusaderguy;358678]Hi,

I'm starting a new thread on the 290rlt fridge fan noise because the original one started by Jim Hawthorne on 5/1/2012 is no longer active and I have a question.

I am starting my first summer with my 290RLT and experiencing the same loud refrig fan noise. The fan I found on OutletPC has the following specs and wanted to know if this is the same fan that Jim installed. The CFM is around 32 which seems low compared to some of the Sunon's. The fan speed seems lower also so I'm not sure if this is the same fan Jim installed.

I'm hoping Jim is still on this forum and could respond to this post.

Thank you"

Hi! This is Jim!

Please note that the 2 fans I installed were the "Silent 9 TC" version; these move about 38 CFM each. The "TC" stands for "Thermal Control" and makes the fan run between 900-2000 rpm, depending on the temperature inside the enclosure. The basic "Silent 9" runs at 1500 rpm and moves about 32 CFM, so I recommend the "TC" version.

My original Sunon moved about 70 CFM, and the 2 Silent 9TC versions together move about 80 CFM. The actual volume of the enclosure behind the fridge is approximately 6 cubic feet, so I feel there is more than sufficient air exchange.

I chose GELID fans as I found that they always ran flawlessly while cooling computer cases, router arrays and server racks, and never had a failure. But there are other manufacturers that also make quiet fans.

I have had no problems with the fans and really appreciate the quiet!

If you can wriggle a camera down into the enclosure and get a photo of the existing noisy fan, you can then go get the specs on it before you buy a replacement to make sure the replacement(s) will move enough air!

Good luck!
__________________
Jim & Kathy

2012 Crusader 290RLT TE, TrailAir flex pin: 2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7 SR5 Dbl cab 4X2 Tow, 4.30 gears, RideRite air, TRD cold-air induction & dual exhaust: Reese 16K Slider: TST tpms
Miles towed to date: 26,890; Nights camped; lost count!
J_KHawthorne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 01:30 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
J_KHawthorne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Kansas City & Sierra Vista
Posts: 247
Here are 2 pics of the installation: The original single Sunon and the 2 GELID replacements... Note the thermal sensors 'pig-tailed' just below the cooling fins...
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	old Sunon fan.jpg
Views:	173
Size:	44.4 KB
ID:	37422   Click image for larger version

Name:	twin fans small.jpg
Views:	183
Size:	49.4 KB
ID:	37423  
__________________
Jim & Kathy

2012 Crusader 290RLT TE, TrailAir flex pin: 2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7 SR5 Dbl cab 4X2 Tow, 4.30 gears, RideRite air, TRD cold-air induction & dual exhaust: Reese 16K Slider: TST tpms
Miles towed to date: 26,890; Nights camped; lost count!
J_KHawthorne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 04:41 PM   #11
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 63
fan noise

Thanks for the PM Jim, I do have one question. i have a 325RES with the frig, in the slide and noisy fan. Question is my fan is about 12-15 inches down inside the top opening. was yours? If it was did you put the other two in same spot or move them. I just think it will be hard to put the replacements down there with only a small opening. Thanks Ron
__________________
2013 Crusader 325RES
2006 Chevy 2500 CC/SB Duramax/Ally 4X4
rhollar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2013, 05:36 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
J_KHawthorne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Kansas City & Sierra Vista
Posts: 247
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhollar View Post
...Question is my fan is about 12-15 inches down inside the top opening. was yours? If it was did you put the other two in same spot or move them. I just think it will be hard to put the replacements down there with only a small opening. Thanks Ron
Yes, Ron; mine was down about a foot also. The material that acts as a cowl to route the airflow up over the cooling fins was just 1/8" plywood, and I cut it off with just a box-cutter so I could get at the old fan. After taking out the old fan and replacing it with the 2 new GEHID Quiet 9TC fans, I just glued and stapled the 1/8" plywood piece I had cut out to a 1/2" square piece of wood and screwed it back into place.

Here are some photos... The old fan before removal; the new fans; the completed job...
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	old Sunon fan.jpg
Views:	139
Size:	44.4 KB
ID:	37439   Click image for larger version

Name:	twin fans small.jpg
Views:	162
Size:	49.4 KB
ID:	37440   Click image for larger version

Name:	twin Gelid Silent 9 TC fans installation complete small.jpg
Views:	162
Size:	46.1 KB
ID:	37441  
__________________
Jim & Kathy

2012 Crusader 290RLT TE, TrailAir flex pin: 2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7 SR5 Dbl cab 4X2 Tow, 4.30 gears, RideRite air, TRD cold-air induction & dual exhaust: Reese 16K Slider: TST tpms
Miles towed to date: 26,890; Nights camped; lost count!
J_KHawthorne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2013, 01:14 AM   #13
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 59
Thanks for the post Jim......My 290rlt also has the 2852 frig like yours. I have not started to install new fans yet but I noticed the schematic for my frig shows one fan with one red and one black wire. The new Gelig fan appears to have three wires. What did you do with the third wire and what color is the third wire? Did you just cut it off and not use it?

Thanks
Dale
Crusaderguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2013, 08:21 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
J_KHawthorne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Kansas City & Sierra Vista
Posts: 247
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusaderguy View Post
.... The new Gelig fan appears to have three wires. What did you do with the third wire and what color is the third wire? Did you just cut it off and not use it?
Thanks
Dale
Dale, you can just cut off the yellow wire. (at least, most are yellow) In a computer application, the yellow wire simply sends current back to the computer's CPU, which the CPU then interprets as the fans RPM (tach speed). Just wire in the red and blacks in parallel.

Most DC fans just have 2 or 3 wires, but some computer/server fans have a 4th grounding wire. If anyone comes across a 4 wire computer fan, check and make sure it's a DC fan and not an AC fan, as some 4 wire fans are AC! Also, some larger 4 wire computer fans have a surprisingly high amperage draw!
__________________
Jim & Kathy

2012 Crusader 290RLT TE, TrailAir flex pin: 2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7 SR5 Dbl cab 4X2 Tow, 4.30 gears, RideRite air, TRD cold-air induction & dual exhaust: Reese 16K Slider: TST tpms
Miles towed to date: 26,890; Nights camped; lost count!
J_KHawthorne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2013, 10:23 PM   #15
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 59
Fan replacement

Hi Jim,

Thanks for all the good info you have provided.
I was able to look at my existing refrig fan today. It is a AD0912UB-A71 made by ADDA. The best I can tell from the internet is this is a 3300RPM fan with a 60CFM air flow. The new Gelid Silent 9 TC fan runs at a max of 2000RPM and the air flow looks to be 37.89CFM. I currently have only one fan installed but there is a second set of holes for installing another fan. Do you think 2 of the Gelid Silent 9 TC fans are an adequate replacement for the one ADDA fan I currently have?
I am really anxious to replace that existing fan cause the noise is driving me crazy. When it comes on, I need to up the volume of the TV to drown it out. My wife doesn't even notice the refrig fan so she thinks I'm nuts.

Thanks
Dale
Crusaderguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2013, 09:43 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
J_KHawthorne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Kansas City & Sierra Vista
Posts: 247
Fridge Fan Replacement

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusaderguy View Post
... Do you think 2 of the Gelid Silent 9 TC fans are an adequate replacement for the one ADDA fan I currently have?
I am really anxious to replace that existing fan cause the noise is driving me crazy. When it comes on, I need to up the volume of the TV to drown it out. My wife doesn't even notice the refrig fan so she thinks I'm nuts...
Dale, truth be told, ALL our wives think we're ALL at least a little bit nuts!

I replaced the noisy old fan with the 2 new ones a year ago last spring, and they have been working fine ever since. Even in the heat during two summers with the fans running at max RPM, they are almost inaudible. When we were in Canada last year, my daughter and son-in-law joined us in the Rockies and slept on the air-bed next to the fridge and didn't notice any fridge noise at all. The original fan was very noisy even up in the bedroom and was as annoying as an invasion of mosquitoes. (it was so bad that on the first trip out, we shut the fridge off at night!)

So in my opinion, yes; the twin fans move enough air, and it seems to me that the fridge cools down faster than it did with the original fan. (Of course, that could also be due to the fact that the 1/8 plywood 'cowl' is now 1/2" closer to the fins, and therefor is directing more of the airflow directly over them???)
__________________
Jim & Kathy

2012 Crusader 290RLT TE, TrailAir flex pin: 2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7 SR5 Dbl cab 4X2 Tow, 4.30 gears, RideRite air, TRD cold-air induction & dual exhaust: Reese 16K Slider: TST tpms
Miles towed to date: 26,890; Nights camped; lost count!
J_KHawthorne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2013, 06:52 PM   #17
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 33
We had the same problem with our 290 last year when we bought it. My neighbor is an electrical engineer and happened to have some great replacement fans. They are ball bearing, higher cfm and lower power usage. Rather than taking the old ones out we fabricated a metal strip to hold the fans and attached the strip to the wood wall in back of the fridge. Snipped the old wire to the old fans and wired the new ones in. Works like a champ and are much quieter. I'm on the road right now but I can either find the specs on the fan or you can find a quieter one locally. I believe he has more at home and may be willing to part with some if there is an interest. Feel free to drop me an email at pryner@verizon.net if you would like more information.
Pete
pryner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2014, 10:41 PM   #18
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 59
Frig Fan replacement

Jim,

Today, I finally got around to installing the 2 new Gelid fans bought several months ago. Just before the really hot weather gets here.

In this post last year you made the following statement:

"Of course, that could also be due to the fact that the 1/8 plywood 'cowl' is now 1/2" closer to the fins, and therefore is directing more of the airflow directly over them???"

Could you clarify what you mean by the "cowl" is now 1/2" closer to the fins?
Does it mean the top of cowl is now 1/2" higher than it was before so the open space at the top is 1/2" smaller. Or do you mean the cowl is 1/2" closer to the back of the frig? My fans are up against and touching the cowl so there is no way it can be moved closer to the back of the frig. But I could install the cowl so it extends up higher by another 1/2".

Thanks for your help
Dale
__________________
2013 Crusader 290RLT
2018 Silverado 2500HD 6.6L Diesel
Crusaderguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2014, 06:51 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Orange Texas
Posts: 790
Send a message via MSN to Tiggerdad
Quote:
Originally Posted by BarryD0706 View Post
Yes, it's normal to have fans to pull air thru the condenser if your fridge is in a slide out. This is how Dometic wants them installed.
If I understand Claude he means that he was told the noise is normal. If that is what he was told, then I believe it is normal because I see many posts on other forums about the noise regardless of who the rig manufacturer is. Sorry if I misunderstand.
__________________

2013 Crusader 330 MKS
2013 Chevrolet Silverado LT 2500 D/A
Tiggerdad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-22-2014, 09:14 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
J_KHawthorne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Kansas City & Sierra Vista
Posts: 247
290RLT fridge fan noise

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusaderguy View Post
Jim,

..."Of course, that could also be due to the fact that the 1/8 plywood 'cowl' is now 1/2" closer to the fins, and therefore is directing more of the airflow directly over them???"

Could you clarify what you mean by the "cowl" is now 1/2" closer to the fins?...

Thanks for your help
Dale
Hi, Dale! Sorry to take so long to reply. Just back from AZ, NM, + TX...

A better photo might have helped????

By "cowl" I meant the piece of 1/8 ply that I had to cut out to get down into the cavity behind the fridge was about 6"X12" so when I put it back in, I glued and stapled to the 1/2x1/2 piece of wood you can just see at the bottom of the photo.

To attach that piece of 1/2"x1/2" piece required me pushing the existing 1/8 piece of plywood away from the side of the trailer. That moved the thin 1/8 plywood closer to the fins.

Am I making any sense here??? Let me know!
Jim


Hope this message gets through to you!

Jim
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	cowling installation complete small.jpg
Views:	120
Size:	243.0 KB
ID:	56011  
__________________
Jim & Kathy

2012 Crusader 290RLT TE, TrailAir flex pin: 2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7 SR5 Dbl cab 4X2 Tow, 4.30 gears, RideRite air, TRD cold-air induction & dual exhaust: Reese 16K Slider: TST tpms
Miles towed to date: 26,890; Nights camped; lost count!
J_KHawthorne is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:30 PM.