Small Dometic fridge not working on gas

[Outsider]

We just got back from a 4 day dry camping trip and the small Dometic RM2351 (~7 cu.ft., gas/electric only) fridge compartment would not stay cool on gas. The freezer was basically OK during this time. We cooled the unit at home on 120VAC for 12 hours before going and the freezer was fine and the fridge was 38 degrees. I switched to gas for the 4-hr trip and the fridge was already beginning to warm slightly by the time we got there. By the next day the fridge was hovering around 53-58 degrees and by the next evening it was up to 63 degrees. The freezer would turn water to ice this entire time. I finally gave up and just kept our cold stuff in a cooler and kept it stocked with ice. We were out a total of 4 days and 3 nights.



Upon returning home I ran the following tests. That night I turned the gas OFF, plugged into 120VAC and turned the fridge ON to AC only. (Both fridge and freezer were totally empty with an old style glass analog thermometer in each.) By the next morning the freezer was -12 degrees and the fridge was 35 degrees. (For the record I did have a 4" - 120VAC cooling fan running on the outside of the camper blowing exhaust heat out the top cooling vent during this entire test for both AC AND gas.)


I then made only ONE (1) change. I turned OFF the 120VAC and turned ON the LP Gas. Here are the results:


TIME PWR FRDG FRZR CMPR

12:25P Elec 35 -15 85
Switched from electric to gas - no other changes
1:30p Gas 43 -12 89
2:30p Gas 51 -12 95
3:30 Gas 58 -6 93
4:35p Gas 62 -5 88


AS you can see, the freezer rose from -15 to -5 during those 4 hours but the fridge rose from 35 to 62. Totally unacceptable. The inside of the camper rose from 89 to 93. The cooling fins in the fridge are hardly even cool during this time.


Again, the ONLY problem seems to be that the cooling fins in the fridge do NOT get cool when running on gas. What would cause the gas cycle to behave this way? Blockage? It was worked pretty good in the past but never really great.


Read the problem carefully. Don't go down rabbit paths. Remember ONLY ONE CHANGE WAS MADE IN THE TEST. I went from 120VAC to Gas.


Thanks for your help.

[Chris Pastuzyn]

How strong is that added fan for the exhaust? Did you try turning it off while running the unit on gas ?

[Outsider]

It is a 4" computer power supply cooling fan that was running for both AC and Gas. - Thanks.