Bloody Fridge (1 Viewer)

[Eve]

can any one help me out or should I just go to Narboone???

I have a n3000-a series with touchscreen fridge


It's Manual and not automatic,having Problems getting it on Gas!!
The control panel when activated will not go on gass,and to the left of the controls a red panel is appearing .
It does not seem to be going through the sequence,electric,battery,gassbefore it automatically switches it's self off

I am level,no heat coming from out side cover,worked on electric,and also on battery when driving?????
Has anyone any ideas as I am not use to this fridge,plus manual not very helpful says nothing about the red panel that has appeared .

So looking forward to a G&T,it's Hot now in the South of France!!!!
Just in case of silly remarks my gass tank is full.

Be grateful for any help Eve

 

[old-mo]

Bump...

Some one must be able to suggest something for our Eve....

 

[pappajohn]

Have you checked other gas appliances...cooker etc.

Your tank may be full, but is gas getting through the regulator.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Eve]

How the flip do I know pappajohn!!!! I am deaf as a door post!!!

 

[DP+JAY]

Can you light the hob?
Does the water heater work OK?

 

[Eve]

DP Jay
Do you think I am stupid!!!!

I might be a mere woman!!?, but for F.... Sake

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DP+JAY]

Only trying to help
You obviously know more than me - so carry on!

 

[sedge]

Soooooo - dare one enquire what make is this fridge, and when did it last work on gas?

Normally when you turn a fridge onto gas from anything else, it tries to light (yes I know, LOL) but normally even if a person is hard of hearing, if you stand outside with whichever is your best ear next to the bottom vent, you may be able to hear it trying to light - a sort of cross between 'click click click' and 'twang twang twang' - are you able to discern whether it does this? (I can hear this easily inside the van, when anywhere - but Pete can only hear it outside, there)

Have to say when ours was new it stopped working after a very short while. Yes the gas was getting through, yes it was trying to light - but it turned out a) the flue was bunged up and b) something else that apparently goes quite often in such fridges, probably was suspect, so was replaced. Sorry, I can't recall the name of it - but anyway the main problem WAS the flue. We were gobsmacked after such a short time owning the thing.

 

[Eve]

Sorry I should watch my language,!!! I just had a day of clearing out the frozen food,thinking,do I move on after paying for three days on an air with no electric or waste the food,even my dog cannot eat that much!!! Lol

Anyway laying in bed last night thinking about it,it does sound like the flue Thetford n3000 model,looking on the internet there is a recall,plus seems commen problem

Sedge I am on my own,and deaf so don,t here any click clicks,plus cannot be in two places at once,only one other Brit on the air,s and they don,t seem to friendly,never came out of there van until the afternoon,and it was hot,hot yesterday.
Might try to take the vent off and give it a dusting,but it does not explain the red square showing on the front,will change the fuse,

If all else fails I am 10 k from Narbonne ,so can get them to have a luck,or go on site foe a day,just to make sure it's only the gas that's playing up!!!!

My apologise dP Jay,usually say Sugar for S...t,and with filling the freezer up that day,plus fridge,just lost the plot a bit,it's only food.
Thank you anyway

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[irnbru]

Oh Eve I do hope you get your problem sorted. I came home from France to find my freezer door hadn't been properly closed at home so house was stinking and all food for the bin.
Sorry but your thread comments have been rather funny coming from you.

 

[Eve]

Irnbru,after a month away,phhhhhhhh.!!!
I will take my blood pressure pills ,that might help!!,
I hate this fridge,I have always had ones that automatically go to the setting,,this one pushing buttons through each setting,and that's not moving staying on battery,so switched off.

 

[irnbru]

No consolation I know but at least your weather is warm. I'm lying in bed in the MH listening to the rain battering down.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Eve]

The weather is a consolation,give me sunshine any day!!

Waiting for the breadvan to come,the airs is in the town,hundreds of boats around, I can happily live on cheese and bread,washed down with a glass of wine,

I am just watching the Germans racing around getting the best positions as people leave,it's very funny,must admit to moving my van just in case it was not level.

 

[Cal54]

Hope you get it sorted soon Eve, however a diet of cheese, bread and wine seems a great compromise. The cheese needs to be nice and ripe and smelly so fridge not an absolute necessity with this diet!!! Just a shame you can't chill the white wine.

 

[DBK]

If it isn't working on electricity then unlikely to be the flue. There might be something useful here, it mentions three fuses but if something electronic has failed then I fear a 'fridge mechanic is called for.
http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/commun...electronic-display-troubleshooting/rt/468099/

Thetford describe the model as "a thing of beauty". Not sure the OP would agree!
http://www.thetford-europe.com/product-category/refrigerators/

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[magicsurfbus]

The last time our fridge was struggling on gas it turned out the inside of the flue had rusted and a chunk of rust had fallen onto the burner. To check that you'd need the vent cover off and maybe a torch, plus a long wiry thing to poke around the top of the burner in case there's a blockage.

 

[Eve]

Thanks DBK for the information,looked at it,and that's exactly what is going on with my fridge,but no number coming up with fault,

Will have a go at changing the fuses,although must admit,only fuses I know about are on the main Panel,but anything is worth a try.
Will look at the flue as well,I carry a mirror which has a long handle ,best tool I have.!!!!
It's still in the Thetford three year limit, might just send e mail to Thetford,if all else fails, or stick to bread and cheese diet,with salad of course and wine,could always use fridge to store my red wine!!!!
Will have to submit get dressed and get some work done ,

 

[DBK]

If its under warranty I would try and speak to Thetford, unless it is something obvious like a fuse.
They do have support in Europe. http://www.thetford-europe.com/dealers-service-centres/

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Theonlysue]

Oh dear Eve, I sense you are deffo not a happy bunny at the moment. As poster said above, try and find local Thetford fixer.
I sympathise with you, I had to throw a load of frozen meat away earlier on this year. What a waste! !!
Fingers crossed for you

 

[Eve]

Thanks for info DBK

I am about 10k away from Narbonne,so they should be able to help, I have a feeling they close on Sunday and Monday!!!,so will go on site on Monday,check everything out,then go up there Tuesday.

Hi Theonlysue,no not a happy bunny,from the very start this Thetford fridge has played up,and what is worst Thetford have known about the problems,reading reviews.

Anyway water under the bridge!!,
Sitting here in my Jim Jams,back doors open looking at the sun slowly rising enjoying a cuppa,it's going to be a hot day today.

 

[DBK]

According to the link there are four places in Narbonne. I'm sure one will be able to fix it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[parknride]

Well Eve I'm in my Jim jams too having a nice cuppa but the heatings on and there's nothing but grey clouds coming up in my bit of sky!
Hope you get your fridge sorted soon

 

[Carol]

Oh heck Eve I can just imagine @DP_JAY and @pappajohn faces when they saw your reply, you must have been so fed up hope you get it sorted out, sunshine and warm gin/tonic just does no sound right some how.

 

[Eve]

Yep,I bet they said to there wife's. We have got a right one here,it was late by then!!! And I did say no stupid replies. I have apologised good job there is not a unlike button,I could be banned !!!

Never warm G&T, like my ice full to the top,Scouse bird will tell you!!! I suppose it was knowing all that food would have to go.

Anyway got over my little paddy,will just have to force myself to eat lots of cheese and biscuits washed down with red wine,it's a hard life.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[tonyidle]

I'm not surprised you're frustrated that a fairly new fridge is giving trouble. Both Thetford and Dometic units have suffered from the same problems as long as I've been aware of them. Later models added new and more expensive-to-fix problems but did nothing to address the original failings. If you look at the refrigeration unit in some disgusting old Electrolux/Dometic fridge, rusty and smelly at the end of its life, you'll find, size-for-size, the same visibly identical unit as the one fitted to the latest model. (Thetford give their fridges an anticipated 7-year life so new to old and unreliable doesn't take very long). No attempt has been made, for example, to protect the back of the fridge from the elements (so they're rusting within a short time), or to make the flue out of stainless steel (to prevent inefficiency, blockage, or flaking), or to fit a simple filter gauze in the line to the burner jet (to prevent it blocking), or to design the thing so that the recommended service can be carried-out easily and without damage to the furniture. Now we have LCDs and AES both of which are difficult and expensive to diagnose and repair when they fail. If the rest of the failings had been addressed, controls had been rationalised to a single control for LPG operation, a couple of LEDs fitted so we'd know whether 12v or mains was reaching the appliance, and a thermometer (LCD allowed!) fitted so we could see when it was(n't) working, then just maybe not everyone who has ever owned a caravan or motorhome would have had problems with the fridge.

How about that for a rant

 

[gus-lopez]

I'm not surprised you're frustrated that a fairly new fridge is giving trouble. Both Thetford and Dometic units have suffered from the same problems as long as I've been aware of them. Later models added new and more expensive-to-fix problems but did nothing to address the original failings. If you look at the refrigeration unit in some disgusting old Electrolux/Dometic fridge, rusty and smelly at the end of its life, you'll find, size-for-size, the same visibly identical unit as the one fitted to the latest model. (Thetford give their fridges an anticipated 7-year life so new to old and unreliable doesn't take very long). No attempt has been made, for example, to protect the back of the fridge from the elements (so they're rusting within a short time), or to make the flue out of stainless steel (to prevent inefficiency, blockage, or flaking), or to fit a simple filter gauze in the line to the burner jet (to prevent it blocking), or to design the thing so that the recommended service can be carried-out easily and without damage to the furniture. Now we have LCDs and AES both of which are difficult and expensive to diagnose and repair when they fail. If the rest of the failings had been addressed, controls had been rationalised to a single control for LPG operation, a couple of LEDs fitted so we'd know whether 12v or mains was reaching the appliance, and a thermometer (LCD allowed!) fitted so we could see when it was(n't) working, then just maybe not everyone who has ever owned a caravan or motorhome would have had problems with the fridge.

How about that for a rant

Excellent rant. & you are quite right in what you say.

 

[Eve]

The saga of the bloody fridge!!

Well went to Narbonne on the Tuesday,would not even look at it for a week,then if needed parts another week,
Well that made up my mind foe me! I am now in Spain,on a site,and some how managed to get Electric on?? Ice cold G&T,lovely,moving on today,to an airs with no electric,so will have a go on the gas again,but there is still a red block showing on the panel of the fridge,looks a bit like an empty battery ,took the panel inside off and nothing in it.
I know I will be able to get it fixed in Spain or Portugal ,just finding a site with,a repairer on.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Cossieg]

Sounds a bit weird Eve, we had ours crap out a few months ago & it is v annoying!

The red battery symbol normally shows if you select 12v operation but the engine isn't running therefore no 12v available. What happens when you switch through power modes? When you switch to gas the little flame symbol should indicate initially. Are you getting any error codes?

Ours turned out to be a failed AC heater that also blew the main pcb so cost a bomb & lots of hassle! Hope you get yours sorted soon, Camperserve near Faro are pretty good but a faur way from you!

 

[Eve]

That's the problem have been unable to switch from one to another??,
I have managed to put it on electric,took a section off when the door is open but nothing there changed fuses.

Any way I have just arrived at a place full of orange groves called Spatzle Fritz Restaurante,massive parking on electric,and it's free!!

You eat at the Restaurante ,I was told the food is good, 2 euros,s for services,it's in the country up from Vinaros.

I am making my way over,unless I find a fantastic place that I love ,I will just travel every couple of days,I know a good wild spot the other side of Valecia.but don't know if I would do it on my own.

Have you settled in Portugal.

 

[DBK]

Glad the fridge is working but always a bit worrying when you haven't been able to trace the original problem.

But enjoy the journey!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}