RV Fridge- Are the manufacturers purposely keeping us in the dark?

[chillybob]

It took me a long time to get around to installing fridge protection and I don’t know why it took so long. It should be mandatory on all units with an absorption type fridge. Maybe it was being locked up and becoming a computer geek. The device is the ARP. If an RV fridge is operated while out of level it can cause corrosion inside the pipes and quickly cause a blockage and a fridge that will not work properly, or at all. The worst case scenario is a fire that will destroy the unit. I suspect replacing damaged fridges is a lucrative business for a couple of companies and the RV repair industry and it just could be the reason for the darkness. After all, hardly anyone dies in a fire and insurance usually covers fire damage. The ARP is a sleep at night fix but turning off a fridge immediately when it is not level will go a long way toward extending it’s life as well. The bottom line is that it’s up to RV owners to become educated on this subject to shine a light on the darkness they don’t tell you about.

[huntr70]

Who doesn't tell you that an RV fridge has to be level when operating?

Every one of our PDI/Demo techs tells every customer exactly that while going over their unit.

Long term out of level will hurt it, but driving down the road with it on and out of level is fine, as the ammonia still circulates.

[chillybob]

Using propane while driving down the road is probably fine. There are precautions a person can take. Stopping for a break or lunch out of level probably is not. The downside of out of level is accumulative and not very likely noticeable in the short term. Replacement costs are in the thousands so a few hundred is cheap insurance. You are a little defensive about this post. If your firm is doing the right things right good for you and the company. The owner has to take full responsibility for doing right things right after the PDI and I’m willing to bet many RV sales companies do a poor job of advising new owners of the downside of ruining their fridge.

[Scousers]

Just read the manual...

[chillybob]

Not sure how accurate this info is so I guess it’s unconfirmed.
“On average there are approximately 4000 RV fires per year. It is reported that the number two cause is RV refrigerators. The number one cause is reported to be within the engine compartment, often in the electrical system”. This quote brings into question of how many fridge fires could be prevented by owners being more informed of potential heating issues and also by using an ARP safety device. This post is intended to raise awareness of those owners with an open mind and keen interest to improve their RVing experience. If it offends some, I don’t care!

[Txfivver]

Not sure how accurate this info is so I guess it’s unconfirmed.
This post is intended to raise awareness of those owners with an open mind and keen interest to improve their RVing experience.

Here's how I drastically improved my RV experience, propane fridges are not worth the trouble. VS

[chillybob]

txfivver- I’ve read about some RVer’s switching to, or ordering a unit with a residential fridge. It may be a reasonable solution for some, mainly full timers with power plants or solar systems but not very practical for many. Nothing worse than an RV fridge that doesn’t work properly. However, the absorption type fridge has been around for a long time and worked well for many RVers over the years. They do take a little more care and attention than the residential fridge. A little care and attention through educating ones self will lessen the chance of unknowingly damaging an RV fridge. The ARP device will fill a big hole left by the manufacturers who stand to gain by sales of replacement fridges damaged by over heating. The bottom line is the RV fridge works great for most owners who know how to take care of them.

[Txfivver]

txfivver- I’ve read about some RVer’s switching to, or ordering a unit with a residential fridge. It may be a reasonable solution for some, mainly full timers with power plants or solar systems but not very practical for many. Nothing worse than an RV fridge that doesn’t work properly. However, the absorption type fridge has been around for a long time and worked well for many RVers over the years. They do take a little more care and attention than the residential fridge. A little care and attention through educating ones self will lessen the chance of unknowingly damaging an RV fridge. The ARP device will fill a big hole left by the manufacturers who stand to gain by sales of replacement fridges damaged by over heating. The bottom line is the RV fridge works great for most owners who know how to take care of them.

All good points and you are correct of course. My beef with RV fridges is they take way to long to cool down, I would turn mine on 3 days before a trip! They also do not maintain a steady temperature, especially in the freezer. The one I posted the pic of was the 18 cu ft Norcold out of my current trailer. On a hot Texas summer day about 40-42 degrees in fridge and 5-10 degrees in the freezer was the best you'd get. The Samsung gets down to 36-38 and -2 within 2-3 hours of turning it on. It runs all day on the batteries while towing with no issues and certainly no fire worries. We all like different things but a residential fridge is a no brainer to me. Thank you for the info on the ARB gadget though, I'm sure it will help someone. You do make a great point about the money in replacement fridges. The 18cu ft Norcold I had is priced at $4495 on their site! The Samsung can be found for about $1000-1100 at any Lowes or Home Depot. That sealed the deal for me.

[bertschb]

Not sure how accurate this info is so I guess it’s unconfirmed. “On average there are approximately 4000 RV fires per year. It is reported that the number two cause is RV refrigerators.

That wouldn't surprise me. We have a couple RV fires each winter in my RV park. Since I've been here, all have started with the RV fridge. This is one reason why I ordered my last two GD 5th wheels with residential fridges.

[chillybob]

Bertschb- I’ve watched several youtube videos of RV fires and can see how horrifying it would be to be right next to a unit on fire. It would be interesting to read an investigation report on the root cause of the fires. The accumulative affects of heat damage causing highly flammable ammonia to leak from a ruptured line and start on fire is the worst case scenario of off level operation over time. The purpose of my post is to make viewers on this site more informed of safe operation.