Refrigerator fan? Dometic RM1350 Crusader 320RLT

MuddaFadda · 03-22-2012, 02:53 PM

I have the double door RM1350, no ice maker or water dispenser. I have noticed or should I say, heard what sounds like a fan going on, on top of the refrigerator, now that the days are getting warmer. When outside at the frig there is the usual lower vent (where the drain and guts are) and way up on the side wall (not the roof) is a larger vent and that is where the sound appears to becoming from. It almost sounds like the fan on an inverter. I haven't taking out the ladder and investigated yet - just wondering if anyone knows about this.

Thanks
Bill

**RV Guy** · 03-22-2012, 03:13 PM

Your refer is installed in a slide-room and that requires a second vent at the top since you can't have a standard roof vent. It would be normal to hear sound coming from the vent when the refrigerator is operating.

PTM

MuddaFadda · 03-22-2012, 03:19 PM

Well that makes sense for the vent! But it definitely sounds like a fan - running for awhile then stopping - the frig has been on since November and it has only made this noise 2 or 3 times - may make the sound for about an hour - and you can hear it inside the trailer. I'll have to look.

Thanks

**RV Guy** · 03-22-2012, 03:26 PM

You have a fan inside there that cycles to cool the components during operation. It would be reasonable to assume you're hearing that and that it would cycle more frequently as the temperatures go up. If you'd like to talk with our Service folks, contact us at:

Prime Time Manufacturing, Manufacturers of travel trailers and fifth wheels

Good luck!

PTM

WEMig · 03-22-2012, 03:42 PM

Thanks for the inquiry and the explanation, as I just noticed the same on my 320RLT this past weekend.

jjarrard · 03-22-2012, 07:14 PM

I have the same sounds from the fridge in my 301RLS. I have a battery operated fan I place inside. It seems to cool down more quickly since I started using this fan.

Medic44 · 03-26-2012, 12:13 AM

jjarrard, we had to do this on our 320 and it helped it out a lot also. temp was running in the 40's and now it stays at 33 - 36.

KrouseTheCamper · 03-26-2012, 06:55 AM

I hear the same sound in my 320fbs...from reading threads on this forum as well as others...I have concluded that it is the fan on the converter/inverter. I heard mine this past weekend while "Spring Cleaning" and the fridge was NOT on.

pryner · 03-27-2012, 10:14 AM

We're on our first trip with our 290RLT and have the same fan noise. It is pretty loud and annoying. I called dometic and they just said to take it to a dealer. The fan stays on even after the fridge is turned off and AC removed from the trailer. Must be triggered by temp. Don't know how long it will run when the fridge is off as we need the fridge until we return home. I have two concerns: Will the fan continue to operate long after the fridge is turned off and run the battery down? What to do about the loud noise?

J_KHawthorne · 03-28-2012, 08:24 AM

We just returned from a road trip to AZ and also found the fridge noise annoying... although the fridge worked great!

Wildwood Danny · 03-28-2012, 08:31 AM

Just got back from our first trip with LaCrosse 303RKS, and we have the whinning noise coming from the refrigerator also. Talked to a couple of service people and they didn't have any clue other than converter noise in that area. Did a little research myself and found that if you pull the refrig. fuse it stops and looked up our refrig. mfg. # on Dometic website and it shows a fan. I know most do not have fans but we had the dealer trade out the 6 cf refrig for an 8 cf unit. Our noise is there some of the time and not at others so I am thinking it must be temp. regulated.

Will check today with our servicing dealer and let him know what I found out and have him look into it.

Other than the noise the shakedown trip was good and we liked the LaCrosse better than we thought.

Dhudglr · 03-29-2012, 06:05 PM

Also have 320rlt with fans behind frig. I leave rv plugged in and frig on all the time. The two muffin fans behind freezer section cycle on and off regularly.

Malco · 03-29-2012, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pryner

We're on our first trip with our 290RLT and have the same fan noise. It is pretty loud and annoying. I called dometic and they just said to take it to a dealer. The fan stays on even after the fridge is turned off and AC removed from the trailer. Must be triggered by temp. Don't know how long it will run when the fridge is off as we need the fridge until we return home. I have two concerns: Will the fan continue to operate long after the fridge is turned off and run the battery down? What to do about the loud noise?

We had our issues with the fridge fan last year.We only weekend camp and when not camping the trailer sits in the yard with the fridge turned off.Trouble is the fridge fan is hooked to a wire that has power all the time with an inline fuse and a temp. sensing switch,so it would turn on when the sun heated up the compartment behind the fridge,killing the battery.
We then had to take the fuse out of the fuse holder to keep it from coming on.This year I plan to install a battery disconnect,so I don't have to remove the fuse when not in use.

rracer5 · 03-31-2012, 01:15 PM

Hey Danny, our does the same thing. I found that the warmer it was outside, the more it ran. Same if I or DW was in and out of the fridge alot (like preparing dinner). Later in the evening, the frequency would slow down once it stayed closed for longer periods.

Wildwood Danny · 03-31-2012, 01:38 PM

Does your's make a fairly loud whinning noise or is it can you barely hear it? It must not be a common item on the refrigerator as 2 different service centers that I talked to didn't know anything about Dometic having units with fans or any moving parts, I found out that there is a fan on our unit by entering the Mfg. # on Dometic's website and looking at a parts list and drawing--it was listed as an option. We will be taking our 303 in for some minor surgery in a few weeks and we are going to have them contact Dometic to see if it is suppose to be this loud. Your right the more you are in the refrig. the more it runs, not as much now that unit is parked here at our home port and we are not into the refrig.

rracer5 · 03-31-2012, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildwood Danny

Does your's make a fairly loud whinning noise or is it can you barely hear it? It must not be a common item on the refrigerator as 2 different service centers that I talked to didn't know anything about Dometic having units with fans or any moving parts, I found out that there is a fan on our unit by entering the Mfg. # on Dometic's website and looking at a parts list and drawing--it was listed as an option. We will be taking our 303 in for some minor surgery in a few weeks and we are going to have them contact Dometic to see if it is suppose to be this loud. Your right the more you are in the refrig. the more it runs, not as much now that unit is parked here at our home port and we are not into the refrig.

Yea Dan, we had a 2009 Wildwood 27 RLSS with the exact same size fridge and there was no extra fan noises in that unit. The only thing I heard in that TT was a very low whine from the converter once in awhile. At first, I thought is was an extra heavy duty converter fan but, then realized, I never heard it when the fridge is OFF. I also hear it run (I think I did once

) when I had fridge on propane only while traveling with the fridge full.

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