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.

 

[Scousers]

Just read the manual...

 

[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.

 

[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!

 

[huntindog]

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.
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Every owners manual I have read points this out. It has also been pointed out during all of my PDIs, and it is a common discussion on the RV forums I have been involved in.

This has to be the worst kept secret ever.

 

[Capt Bob]

OK, I'm not going to Google an ARP so...
What exactly does this device do or protect?
Been driving around with one of these type reefers on two different RVs for years.
What bullet exactly have I been dodging?

 

[chillybob]

You can go to the ARP web site, read about the device and how it came about. You will be more informed for sure and it will be your choice whether to believe what you read or not to believe.

 

[chillybob]

You are right, operating manuals do cover the subject. How many people understand why a fridge must be level when operating is anyones guess. Those who do not pay much attention to the manual or the PDI instructor could be in for a costly replacement from the accumulative effects of parking off level, getting tied up at a construction site for extended periods and just not being aware of the cause and affects of clogged pipes. I have always shut off my fridge off after 5 minutes if the unit was not level. As well, Dometic states that over heating of their fridges could occur on long hills. This post is not for know it alls, it’s to ring a bell for those that don’t know enough!
Also, replacement of fridges is a lucrative business for the manufacturers and some RV repair shops. I suspect many replacements could be avoided if most RV’s were as informed as huntindog.

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

OK, I'm not going to Google an ARP so...
What exactly does this device do or protect?

Shuts it down if it gets too hot.

 

[chillybob]

Shut it down if it gets too hot, yes. How would you know? A few hundred for a device that does it for you is cheap insurance.

 

[offtohavasu]

As mentioned, it is clearly stated in the manual why and how it occurs, and the consequences. As for not understanding what the manual says, John Wayne once said, "I'm only responsible for what I say, not what you understand."

 

[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]

Offtohavasu- If you read the manual and understand the positives and negatives of operating an RV fridge I’d say you are in the minority camp. You fall into the know it all category and this post is not for you and your comment adds absolutely nothing to the subject. If your logic followed for auto accidents then there should never be one because everybody read the book and passed the test. So the real logic is that some people make it a point to learn everything they should to complete a task or operate a fridge safely and others couldn’t be bothered for one reason or another. Therefore, people in the can’t be bothered category need to be nudged or dragged to see the reasons they need to spend a little more time, effort or money to prevent themselves possible heart ache in the future. If this post makes a few “can’t be bothered” types to go back and read their manual and change some of their operating procedures or even purchase and install an ARP device on their RV because they can’t be bothered to pay attention to the position of their rig while travelling I’ll be happy!

 

[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]

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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[DarthMuffin]

OK, I'm not going to Google an ARP so...
What exactly does this device do or protect?
Been driving around with one of these type reefers on two different RVs for years.
What bullet exactly have I been dodging?

I have the ARP Fridge defend too and love it. Their web site might give you a headache though, looks like it was written by someone's kid 15 years ago. It has a temp probe that goes on the boiler chamber to detect if it's getting overheated (like too hot if ran without fluid from being off-level, driven up a long grade, or just low on coolant) which prevents fires, and another probe on the cooling fins to control fans. Install was easy. I used their tiny in-fridge fan but thought their outside one was too loud. We don't have serious cooling problems so I just put in a couple of silent 140mm computer fans I had lying around for a little airflow boost.

We boondock so a residential fridge isn't really an option. My next trailer will have a 12v compressor fridge though.

 

[huntr70]

OK, so it's hard to determine what actually caused the fire to start with, after the unit is burned to the ground. Lets not forget about our insect friends and their nests in burner tubes that wreak havoc.

I think we all get that it is a nifty gadget to add to the mile long list of "wants" to owning an RV.

Give it another year and their won't be any more ammonia absorption fridges anymore ....