RV levelling and fridge (1 Viewer)

Road Runner

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Jul 26, 2007
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Where I store my bus is on a slight slope so not level so cant put the fridge on the day before.

This is a pain as we have loads of dog food to transport and on the day with the storage being 35 miles away the journey has to be in one trip and no room in the car once dawgs are in it.

Why is levelling so important as would love to load the fridge the day before?
 

Munchie

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Jul 28, 2007
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Tony has the answer John. In saying that if we stop just for a night we don't bother levelling and our fridge has always worked fine. Course yours will be bigger but I would think the principle is the same. ::bigsmile:

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Road Runner

Road Runner

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Why dontyou park it on some wooden blocks / ramps one side.

I always do when away but levelling up just for a night or storing is a pain.

Ken that's what I alway wonder about as people park up on slopes when wild camping.
 
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Tony Santara

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Jul 26, 2007
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Why is it so important John ?
because you could knacker your fridge just as i did on my first trip out not knowing any different cost me mega bucks for a replacement :Sad:
better to take the time to level up and save a lot of heartache later
 

damondunc

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Aug 2, 2007
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9
fridges/levelling

this is a really important one, ALL motorhome fridges apart from compressor based ones have to be run as close to level as possible. American RV fridges have a tolerence limit of 6% side to side and 3% front to rear(thats vehicle front to rear and side to side). Don't know what the tolerence is on euro fridges is but it will be similar. If any of the tubes in the cooling unit are horizontal due to mis-levelling the fridge will stop cooling also the sodium chromate in the pipes will solidify and eventually block the pipes rendering the cooling unit unservicable. The only cure is a new cooling unit(very expensive). This damage is cumulative in other words you may get away with once or twice but eventually you will do a lot of damage. All later norcold fridges have a built in safety mechanism to stop this happening, however if the fridge registers an out of level situation it will display a NO-CO code indicating no cooling, if you don't rectify the out of level situation the control board locks out the fridge electronics and the board needs resetting. Johns(Roadrunner) fridge is a dometic unit and they have no built in safety device, norcold fridges have this setup from approx year 2000 on.This applys to all power sources mains,gas and 12 volt. You have been warned! ask Winnebagotony he found out to his cost! Have a good time at the new year do. Dunc.

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Road Runner

Road Runner

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I have always levelled my vehicle but just wondered what would happen if i didn't.

Thank you Duncan for your explanation of what would happen and it's much appreciated.

Nice to have you on the MHfun:winky::thumb:

Happy New Year to you both and enjoy the rally at Brandy Wharf :winky::thumb:
 

Tony Santara

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Jul 26, 2007
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this is a really important one, ALL motorhome fridges apart from compressor based ones have to be run as close to level as possible. American RV fridges have a tolerence limit of 6% side to side and 3% front to rear(thats vehicle front to rear and side to side). Don't know what the tolerence is on euro fridges is but it will be similar. If any of the tubes in the cooling unit are horizontal due to mis-levelling the fridge will stop cooling also the sodium chromate in the pipes will solidify and eventually block the pipes rendering the cooling unit unservicable. The only cure is a new cooling unit(very expensive). This damage is cumulative in other words you may get away with once or twice but eventually you will do a lot of damage. All later norcold fridges have a built in safety mechanism to stop this happening, however if the fridge registers an out of level situation it will display a NO-CO code indicating no cooling, if you don't rectify the out of level situation the control board locks out the fridge electronics and the board needs resetting. Johns(Roadrunner) fridge is a dometic unit and they have no built in safety device, norcold fridges have this setup from approx year 2000 on.This applys to all power sources mains,gas and 12 volt. You have been warned! ask Winnebagotony he found out to his cost! Have a good time at the new year do. Dunc.

Certainly did to the tune of 1800 quid

Happy New Year Dunc & Chris
 

Keith and Debs

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Sep 25, 2007
46
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In Our RV
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423
MH
Fifth Wheel
Exp
3 Years
Hi Tony

Blimey mate 1800 quid what sort of fridge do you have....... A golden one

The one in our Rv is a Dometic RM2652 we had a new cooling unit last year (yes just because the cooling unit goes down does not mean you need a new fridge)

A new cooling unit for ours was just shy of 500 the supplier wanted 200 to fit it so i did it myself the whole job took 2.5 hours from start to finish, fridge out cooling unit off new one fitted fridge back in job done... been fine ever since .........

What did you pay 1800 quid for ??????? just interested why it cost so much surely not 2.5 hours labour ???

Keith

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Lindy-C

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Hi Tony

Blimey mate 1800 quid what sort of fridge do you have....... A golden one

The one in our Rv is a Dometic RM2652 we had a new cooling unit last year (yes just because the cooling unit goes down does not mean you need a new fridge)

A new cooling unit for ours was just shy of 500 the supplier wanted 200 to fit it so i did it myself the whole job took 2.5 hours from start to finish, fridge out cooling unit off new one fitted fridge back in job done... been fine ever since .........

What did you pay 1800 quid for ??????? just interested why it cost so much surely not 2.5 hours labour ???

Keith

Tony purchased a complete new fridge which was shipped from the States. From memory the actual cost was £1295.00. Take into account the size and weight of the item, taxes and duties and there you have it.
Get a quote from a main dealer for the identical model and the cost would be far higher I assure you.

Edit: This was bugging me so I have checked my records and memory did serve me correctly.
 
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Keith and Debs

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
46
0
In Our RV
Funster No
423
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Fifth Wheel
Exp
3 Years
Tony purchased a complete new fridge which was shipped from the States. From memory the actual cost was £1295.00. Take into account the size and weight of the item, taxes and duties and there you have it.
Get a quote from a main dealer for the identical model and the cost would be far higher I assure you.

Edit: This was bugging me so I have checked my records and memory did serve me correctly.

Hi Linda

Thanks for that now i know why it cost so much..... i just cannot get my head around the logic of replacing the fridge when it is only the cooling unit that has gone down a bit like changing your car because the tyre has blown.... unless of course your fridge was completely and absolutley knackered and falling to pieces..... before the cooling unit went down ???

keith
 
L

Lindy-C

Deleted User
We are not Norcold or Dometic agents and the only way we can ship a cooling unit is to return the defunct core. Needless to say, the cost of doing this is prohibitive as shipping a cooling unit out of the UK and back to the US is extortionate. Obviously the supplier you found deals regularly in such items and is geared up for handling the used cores.

Incidentally, I think Tony got his new fridge within approx 2 weeks from ordering - quicker than most suppliers for a non-stock item

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Keith and Debs

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
46
0
In Our RV
Funster No
423
MH
Fifth Wheel
Exp
3 Years
We are not Norcold or Dometic agents and the only way we can ship a cooling unit is to return the defunct core. Needless to say, the cost of doing this is prohibitive as shipping a cooling unit out of the UK and back to the US is extortionate. Obviously the supplier you found deals regularly in such items and is geared up for handling the used cores.

Incidentally, I think Tony got his new fridge within approx 2 weeks from ordering - quicker than most suppliers for a non-stock item

Hi Linda

I would imagine shipping from the US would be quite a lot, but why the need to ship back a u/s core ??
I got my cooling unit from MobileRV in Oxfordshire http://www.mobilerv.co.uk/
It arrived within 7 days and the local council fridge/freezer recycling facility were more than happy to dispose of the old core.

Keith
 
L

Lindy-C

Deleted User
Hi Linda

I would imagine shipping from the US would be quite a lot, but why the need to ship back a u/s core ??

Keith

Because that is what the company we use in the States requires, the cores for older model units are in very short supply by all accounts.
 

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