Repeated thermal fuse blown on refrigerator

[Cousin it]

I have a imagine 2020 17mke still under warranty. I have the thermal fuse in my dometic refrigerator blowing out when towing. Didn’t have any trouble the first 7 months. Now the dealer keeps replacing this fuse. I asked them to please call dometic for guidance, which they finally did. They are telling me that dometic and grand design are suggesting installing a air foil on refrigerator which had to be installed before towing and removed when not. Any body ever heard of this? My concern is why now. Took a long trip into the mountains with now problems. Why now?

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I believe the official line is still don't have the fridge on while towing, but, on my 2006 5er, I have a wind baffle on my fridge for towing and high winds to prevent flame out. I do not remove it.
But to the best of my knowledge the thermal fuse is because the cooling fins are getting too hot, so it doesn't sound like a flame problem, sounds like an air circulation problem. You may have to add a 12v fan to assist in convection.
Perhaps with the fridge at the rear of the unit, the relative vacuum (at 60mph) where the cooling intake is makes it tough on the fridge.

And, this should be moved to appliances maybe? Admin?

[PerryDog]

I have had the same issue since I bought my 17MKE in July 2019. It happened on the way back from the dealership. I return and the dealer repaired it and the fuse failed again in the way home, I am about 90 miles from the dealership). I returned to the dealer and they fixed it again. The dealer contacted Grand Design and was told that because the fridge is on the back of the the trailer and the draft/vacuum created at higher speed, the heat generated can cause it fuse (i was told by the dealer it’s a thermo coupler) to fail and then it would need to be replaced.

The recommendation I got from the dealer? Don’t run the fridge when driving. Cousin It, have you found a solution the works?

[Cousin it]

Yes. A baffle kit was installed at the direction of grand design. It has to be installed before towing and removed when not. It consist of a couple of tin shields around the burner which do not need removed and three wind baffles that go on the plastic exterior vent that you have to remove when not in tow. Kind of a pain in the ***.