67 Comments on Dometic recall, part 2

Casey on Sat, 27th Jan 2007 10:54 am


Good morning Chris,

Assuming I have the higher wattage element in my refrigerator, would you recommend replacing it with the 325 watt model, even at my cost. I certainly would feel safer and would not be stuck with a huge repair bill down the road. I would have the recall fix done anyway.

Casey

Gene on Thu, 19th Mar 2009 8:22 am


My Fometic refrig burned and also burned my trailer. This was while it was in my shop with a Ranger bass boat. Tools and all were lost….. Don’t beleive that anything is fixed. Do it yourself and take extra precautions.

Chris on Sun, 28th Jan 2007 9:47 am


Hi Casey-
Yes, I would definitely replace the higher wattage element with the 325 watt element. The couple of units I have seen fail both had the 354 watt element.
I would also save the bill for possible reimbursement (no word yet on whether a new element will be included in the recall, which in my opinion it should be).
— Chris

Casey on Tue, 30th Jan 2007 7:14 pm


Hi Chris, can I order the element from you at Byrant RV? Do you have the elements in stock? Thanks. Casey

Chris on Tue, 30th Jan 2007 7:37 pm


I don’t have that element- to be honest, I tend to use genuine OEM parts, and my through my supplier, Dometic elements have gone out of site (nearly $70 for that element).
I looked and RV Mobile has an aftermarket element for under $30. I’m kind of unsure about using an aftermarket element- given the liability and warranty issues, but I would probably go ahead and use it in mine (and keep the old one and put it back in in case of failure, but you didn’t hear it here ;)).

Casey on Tue, 30th Jan 2007 10:28 pm


Thanks Chris. I appreciate your candor. Will go get one from RV Mobile. I will just feel better knowing I have the lower wattage unit in there and the job does not look very difficult.

Casey

RICK on Thu, 15th Feb 2007 8:10 pm


I WONDER IF YOU USE A LOWER WATT HEATER WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO WITH THE UNIT WORKING CORRECTLY, AND WHAT ABOUT HOW A PERSON MAINTAINS THERE RV.??? TIME AFTER TIME I ASK CUSTOMERS ABOUT HOW THEY MAINTAIN THERE RV AND THEY SAID THEY DO EVERYTHING CORRECT????? BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TIMES THEY RUN IT OFF LEVEL AND DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A HOME REFER. AM HAPPY DOMETIC IS DOING A RECALL BECAUSE THAT SHOWS ME THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THERE IS A PROBLEM
ANYWAY TO SLAM DOMETIC IS WELL NOT VERY GOOD. NOW NORCOLD THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM THERE.
ANYWAY LET JUST TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM.

HAVE A GREAT DAY

Casey on Mon, 19th Feb 2007 6:37 am


Rick, so far Dometic’s handling of the issue leaves something to be desired. Try calling them to discuss the issue with them and you will see what I mean. Also, the official letter they posted is confusing as it seems to say don’t use the fridge but also go ahead and use it but check it.

Chris, interesting that some folks are changing the heater element in their rigs and finding that the original elements are stamped 325 watts even though their refrigerators are covered by the recall. Was Dometic using the two rated elements at the same time or simply stamping the higher watt element “325”. This whole thing is rather bizzare to say the least.

Casey

Chris on Mon, 19th Feb 2007 9:09 am


It is strange- I don’t think I’ve ever seen an element stamped 354 watts- the way I found them was to measure the resistance with an ohm meter- if they read 44 ohms or more, then they are fine, but the last one I had measured 39 ohms.
I’m not sure if the ± 10% tolerance has something to do with it- 354 watts is just about at the limit of this.

I do agree that communication is the key- I have people calling me for appointments for the recall, but I still have heard nothing through “official” channels about it- so I’m having to put them on a list for when I do hear about it.

–Chris

Casey on Sun, 11th Mar 2007 3:25 pm


Like spring out today. Trailer out of storage today and the element measured 37.5 ohms. Glad I ordered a replacement. Just hope it is closer to 44 ohms.

Nina on Sun, 29th Apr 2007 9:24 am


Question: If we replace the heating element – does this solve the fire hazard?
If not, can the line that is known to crack be replaced?

Chris on Mon, 30th Apr 2007 8:29 am


Hi Nina-
The recall has to be done to ensure safety, and it will contain any fire that might result from coolant leaking (which is very rare).
The lower wattage (higher ohms) heating element puts less stress on the area in question, so will make it far less likely to crack.

I’m afraid the only fix for a leaking/cracked boiler tube is to replace the whole cooling unit- Dometic seems to be replacing cooling units that have failed.

Nina on Mon, 30th Apr 2007 4:41 pm


Thanks Chris. I talked to Dometic today and am in the process of
trying to get an apptment at a local repair shop. Dometic rep told
me that if I shut off the gas and ran the unit on only electric that there
would be absolutely no fire hazard. Do you know if that is true?

Nina

Gregg Johansen on Wed, 30th May 2007 7:24 pm


Hi Chris,
I have gone to the trouble of replacing the refrigerator with just a standard plug in unit from Home Depot. The RV is in a stationary setting and the gas option is not needed. What really upsets me is the poor customer service from Dometic. Trying to get through from the west coast is impossible after 1;45PM EST. I had hauled the defective refridgerator to a proper recycling depot and was billed $20.00, so I did not have a serial number. I sent a letter to Dometic with pictures of the unit and it was sent back with a notice of “need serial number”. It took just a quick call to Fleetwood and I had the serial number. This is something that Dometic could have done. All that I asked for was the $299.00 for the new refridgerator. I did not ask for the $20.00 recyle fee or my time and miles. So far, I am waiting for a reply. It has now been 3 days. Have any others had such a poor response to a “potentially dangerous” situation as listed on the recall? Does the DOT know how badly they are handling this?
Thanks for your site!!!
Gregg

Chris on Wed, 6th Jun 2007 2:01 pm


Gregg- I wouldn’t give up. The problem seems to be that Dometic has hired a bunch of new people just to man the phones, and they have, I’ll say “less than full understanding”, of the problem, and no real authority to do anything.

Once you get hold of the right person, they’ve been pretty good, so far.

–Chris

Blair on Tue, 19th Jun 2007 12:48 am


Chris,

The retrofit for the recall: you mentioed that the new part “will contain the leak, if it occurs” once the containment fix has been applied is it removable? This seems like a patch only to reduce the risk of personel lost or injury. I’m sceptical on this “patch” approach, if the tubing or boiler (?) is faulty and failing prematurely then the proper remody seems to be to replace the defective part. I do not think the lower wattage burner is acceptable as a fix due to the cause being fatigue, the failing part is already started to be fatigued from the moment it was put in service. Total replacement of the defective part is the FIX, Dometic do the right thing! As with most defective recalls the choice was made in manufacturing to put profits over dependability. We bought the particular unit due to the appliances included based on past performance and track record.

Chris on Tue, 19th Jun 2007 4:37 pm


Hi Blair,

I do understand Dometic’s position on this (though I do believe they should be replacing the heating elements).
They are- so far- repairing refrigerators which leak, which is a good thing.
Right now the estimates are around $35-40 million, but if they replaced every cooling unit, the cost would probably go up by a factor of 10, or approaching a half billion dollars.
When Norcold had to do the same thing, the number of units affected was far smaller, so it was easier to simply replace the cooling units.

I’m not thrilled with the recall- I think there are still some issues with the design, but if they both A) Make them safe, and B) Repair any that do fail, then I have to give them a bit of slack.

— Chris

Kevin Crowell on Fri, 22nd Jun 2007 2:37 pm


The customer service at Dometic was horrible today, just like it was in October 2003 when I argued with them about the original failure!

Marcus on Wed, 1st Aug 2007 11:03 pm


Does anybody know where on the tubing this stress fracture occurs? I’m thinking of putting some JB Weld or other putty epoxy product around that area to strengthen it.

joyce on Wed, 22nd Aug 2007 1:49 pm


We recently had our Dometic that was on the recall list retro-fitted with per Dometic’s kit.Ever since when we have the fridge on auto it will turn off 5 or 6 times before staying lit.If you are at a RV park and move out you might not even notice that it went out.Is anyone else out there having the same problem.This has never come up before and is agrivating.

ellen beattie on Thu, 23rd Aug 2007 7:47 pm


Had our recall done a month ago. Thought that meant they had fixed the
problem. Not too bright! Yesterday there was a trail of yellow liquid coming from the back of the refrigerator. Didn’t know till I saw your web site that the problem had never been fixed. Do you know if Domectic will step up to the plate and cover this or are we just out of money to fix this ourselves. Good site. More education is a good thing.
Ellen

Bert Thomas on Fri, 24th Aug 2007 12:27 am


Hi Chris – I did have my Dometic unit recalled by
it’s number. I made an appointment and had to wait
more than two weeks for the repair, I do not think
that they checked the elements as I have a problem
of 0 to ten degrees in the freezer and about 30 de
-grees in the refrig cavity of a two door unit.
How do I check the Thermostat which is pre set in
the electronics? Thanks for the on line input, it
helps a lot. Bert

Chris on Tue, 28th Aug 2007 3:54 pm


I’m way behind on responses- sorry 🙂

Joyce asked-

We recently had our Dometic that was on the recall list retro-fitted with per Dometic’s kit.Ever since when we have the fridge on auto it will turn off 5 or 6 times before staying lit.If you are at a RV park and move out you might not even notice that it went out.Is anyone else out there having the same problem.This has never come up before and is agrivating.

I would bet that the burner just needs cleaning- probably the installation of the kit knocked some debris loose. I would try vacuuming or blowing out the burner area (of course, because of the kit, the burner is more difficult to access).

Ellen asked-

Had our recall done a month ago. Thought that meant they had fixed the
problem. Not too bright! Yesterday there was a trail of yellow liquid coming from the back of the refrigerator. Didn’t know till I saw your web site that the problem had never been fixed. Do you know if Domectic will step up to the plate and cover this or are we just out of money to fix this ourselves. Good site. More education is a good thing.

SO far I have had no problems getting Dometic to repair failed units- no matter what the warranty status. Some models have a bit of wait for parts, but I was given a 2 week estimate for an RM2852 cooling unit, yet I had it in hand in a week.

Bert asks-

Hi Chris – I did have my Dometic unit recalled by
it’s number. I made an appointment and had to wait
more than two weeks for the repair, I do not think
that they checked the elements as I have a problem
of 0 to ten degrees in the freezer and about 30 de
-grees in the refrig cavity of a two door unit.
How do I check the Thermostat which is pre set in
the electronics? Thanks for the on line input, it
helps a lot. Bert

This is a fairly common failure on most new electronic controlled refrigerators. The temperature is sensed by a thermistor, which should plug in to the circuit board- most on the upper left, a 2 wire connector (the only 2 wire connector there).
You can see the “sensing” part in a white plastic clip on the right hand side of the fins inside the refrigerator compartment. The “official” test is to remove the sensing end from the clip and dunk it in a glass of ice water. Then measure the resistance in ohms with it unplugged from the board- the resistance should be between 8,000 and 10,000 ohms. They usually fail “open” (or no continuity), which keeps the refrigerator running full blast.

–Chris

Ron on Sun, 16th Sep 2007 10:43 am


Chris,
I am having the same problem that Joyce (item 20 and 23) is having. I clean out the burner and still have the problem. Where can I find a list or documentation on exactly what was done in the fix?
Thanks Ron

Chris on Sun, 16th Sep 2007 2:26 pm


Hi Ron,
I have the recall instructions at http://bryantrv.com/docs2/temp/recall2.pdf.
Hope this helps.
–Chris

George Viscia on Sat, 13th Oct 2007 8:14 am


Called the recomended service center which turned out to be a guy working out of his garage.Daves trailer service installed the recall parts tried to charge me 60 dollars because he had to come to my home and said it was a service call.Dometic said it would not cost me anything.Dave left and when I started my generator to test my refer. it tripped a breaker and blew a fuse.Dave did not watch the instruction video as there are 3 connection to the electric element.Minewas rubber and when installing schematic plate he put a screw though the rubber connecter for the element.Dave said he would take care of element and the generator which now only produces 90 volts.My diesel pusher RV was in perfect condition everything worked.I now have a refer. and gen. that do not work.Dave will not fix as he promised and my wife will not go RV ing because the fear of fire as Dave has already ruined the part he was supposed to correct and doubts if he did the recall safely.Thanks Dometic for your safety concerns the poorly qualified person you recommended and the situation you have left me in.I wiil never buy a Dometic product again.

robert pettit on Tue, 11th Dec 2007 10:36 pm


I received the recall letter last week and went out to my plugged in 5th wheel to check for serial numbers. Upon inspection I discovered that my unit had already failed. There was yellow residue below the burner and the Ammonia had leaked out. Thankfully my gas supply was turned off. I called in to Dometic with my numbers to report the situation. After several calls and being assured that I am in the “Data Base” I made an appointment with our local service dept. I’m waiting for word back how Dometic will handle my problem. Do you know of others who have experienced a failure and whether Dometic will cover the cost of a cooling system replacement?

robert pettit on Tue, 11th Dec 2007 10:36 pm


I received the recall letter last week and went out to my plugged in 5th wheel to check for serial numbers. Upon inspection I discovered that my unit had already failed. There was yellow residue below the burner and the Ammonia had leaked out. Thankfully my gas supply was turned off. I called in to Dometic with my numbers to report the situation. After several calls and being assured that I am in the “Data Base” I made an appointment with our local service dept. I’m waiting for word back how Dometic will handle my problem. Do you know of others who have experienced a failure and whether Dometic will cover the cost of a cooling system replacement?

Chris on Wed, 12th Dec 2007 8:29 am


Hi Robert,
Dometic will send a new cooling unit and pay for its replacement under warranty, no matter the age.
The recall will still be performed, though, on the new cooling unit.

— Chris

Richard Murphy on Sat, 15th Dec 2007 9:43 pm


My unit went out and the Dometic Company replaced the

cooling system at no charge. And the new unit had the

recall kit on it. Hope all is well, this is a new

trip for me.

Richard Murphy on Sun, 16th Dec 2007 11:55 am


I have a Question:

Is it better to leave the refrigerator on all the time? or cut it off when not in use

I have heard both ways.

Thanks

Chris on Sun, 16th Dec 2007 6:12 pm


Hi Richard,
That’s a tough one- it *used* to be that the major failure in absorption cooling units was either clogging up of the boiler tube, or leaking in the evaporator (inside the box). To prevent these failures, simply running the refrigerator all the time was the best thing.
But… with the failures of the boiler tube externally, it would be best to only run it while you are using it, in my opinion- the reason being that the failures are due to thermal stress from cycling on and off.

–Chris

robert pettit on Mon, 31st Dec 2007 5:26 pm


Since my post on Dec 11th I have received a call from my service dealer saying that dometic is replacing my failed cooling unit under warranty. I am not the original owner and the unit is beyond warranty.
My concern now is that will the replacement unit be the same as the problem ones, and if so, what happens when it too fails later on?

charles Howard on Tue, 8th Jan 2008 11:01 am


Any company that claims to be superior but doesn’t back their junk is not worth my allegiance.
Bought a used 2005 RV in Dec. Dometic 2862 leaked ammonia / failed since I first looked at it. Owner used RV about 6 months in the less than 3 years he owned it.
Dometic told me sorry, second owner…
Replaced with Whirlpool Apt size Residential Fridge. Did have to sand down the woodwork to make it fit – 24″ wide much vary…Then just plug it in and it cools down in 30 minutes. Much less expensive than paying for a replacement cooling unit or the bother of removing the old one and installing a new one. Guess we’ll just have to stay at Campgrounds with power…
As a newbie, I’m very frightened by all the Dometic stuff in or on my RV given this simple technology failure demonstration of presumably the most expensive Dometic item on board.

Dan on Sat, 8th Mar 2008 6:40 pm


My unit, NDR 1292, is not covered under the recall but has just experienced the same failure as the recall, ammonia smell and yellow substance on the gas burner. Will Dometic pay for repairs on this unit?

Chris on Tue, 11th Mar 2008 5:05 pm


Hi Dan,
I kind of doubt it- the side by side cooling unit uses 2 smaller elements, and is built on a different assembly line than the recalled units, so it doesn’t have the same issues.
Unfortunately, some units of every make and model do fail there though.

Eric on Wed, 16th Apr 2008 9:50 pm


My Grandfather has an RV equipped (unequipped at the moment) with a Dometic NDR 1292 refrigerator. The unit has failed apparently the result of a faulty cooling unit. Finding the yellow powdery substance on the components in the back. I called Dometic and without even getting through to an attendant was immediately prompted to a recall message on 2 door refrigerators. Seems there is a recall due to coolant coils becoming fatigued and consequently leaking, in this case ammonia. Not only dangerous but now no working refrigerator. But, the NDR 1292 is not said to be covered under this recall! Without being a refrigeration tech this seems to be what is going on and I am only wondering if others who own this unit or encountering this same problem. Don’t yet know if this issue is going to be covered under warranty and it looks like rebuilt units run about $795 plus shipping. Any thoughts or suggestions?

bill allred on Thu, 17th Apr 2008 9:23 am


I have a 2001 keystone with a domectic rm2652 that is on the recall list.
In late march the unit went from electric to gas on the automatic cycle when eleticity was diconnected.
The ammonia gas chamber overheated to a boiling point and gases escaped into the trailer. Uppon notifying dometic they said it would not be repaied under the recall and I would have to buy another cooling unit. I am looking for anyone with the same results for a class action law suite.

dave kidd on Mon, 5th Jan 2009 1:59 pm


@bill allred,
Bill, I’m in the same boat. Did you have any luck getting dometic to repair your Rm2652. I’m being told they won’t although it appears many have been repair for free.

Chris on Thu, 17th Apr 2008 9:28 am


Hi Eric,
I would keep on Dometic- they have been known to repair units even past the warranty period. Most likely you will have to pay labor, and maybe shipping, but I would spend some phone time with them to get a new unit supplied.

opforguru on Wed, 4th Jun 2008 2:57 pm


I would be interested in joining a class action lawsuit against Dometic, our refer was on the latest recall. We were not notified of the recall and as a result our travel trailer was destroyed by a fire that started in the refer. BTW, we were in it asleep when it caught on fire.

Doyle Little on Fri, 24th Oct 2008 9:18 pm


My Dutchstar 40′ Diesel MH burned to the ground November 8th 2006. The fire investigators said that it was caused by a defect in the dometic Refigerator. Th evidence was conclusive!
Dometic investigated and said that they had no resposiblity for my loss.
I have to file a lawsuit before the two year statute of limitations prevents me on Nov 8th 2008.
Do you have a knowledgable lawyer to refer to me?
Doyle Little
[email protected]

egbert on Thu, 5th Jun 2008 9:29 pm


I recevied the recall not earlier this year. The RV was in storage and the refrigerator was not in use for months. I attempted to schedule a recall retrofit of the shield but due to a snow storm I was unable to have it retrofitted. I used the RV for the first time but Before i used it I turned off the gas to the ref. While camping I notice the ref. not cooling properly. After a few hours when I was outside of the RV i noticed a hissing noise coming fron the ref. service entry. I open the service entry and could clerly hear the coolant leaking and could smell an amonia smell. The smell was very strong in the RV.
I scheduled a recall retrofit assuming the ref. would repaired. I told the service dept. what had happened and they immediately told me that they could put in the retrofit but they would not fix the ref. and that Dometic would likely noy pay for the replacement. After further discussion with the service tech he indicated that the failure was absolutely due to the defect described in the recall. He indicated that he would personally take pictures and call Dometic in an attempt to get the ref. replaced or repaired at no charge. I waited a week and received no answer. I called yesterday and they indicated that they were still working with dometic to get it replaced at no charge.
Today the RV shop called and they indicated that DOMETIC WOULD REPLACE THE REF. AT NO CHARGE.
for more details on the recall look here:
http://www.rv.net/FORUM/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/18592867.cfm

nancy gavin on Mon, 23rd Jun 2008 10:11 pm


Hi, We had the retrofit done and then the fridge stopped working and the leak appeared. The local dealer in Ontario said the the compnay would not replace the cooling unit. Yet some people are getting them replaced. My mother had her trailer in the US and it failed. The freezer had rotting meat in it for 3 weeks. She could not get the smell out so they replaced the entire unit. Can they do one thing in one area and something else in another? Do we need to go to the States to get the coils covered?

Chris T. on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 9:27 am


Anyone know where I can find a picture or illustration of what
the completed retrofit looks like? Took my rig in as it appeared
to be included in the newly expanded recall. Tech took outside vent
cover iff and said that my unit was already modified. It is on a
motorhome that was built new in 3-06. It does have what appears to
by the thermal cut-out sensor in the burner flue stack which
supposedly is part of the retorfit.

I just want to confirm that the repair center was right.

Thanks,
Chris

Kimberly Kuhar on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 4:46 pm


DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR RECALl…WHAT ABOUT OUR HEALTH SAFTEY??
While on vacation at the beginning of June/08 our Dometic Refrigerator stopped cooling, about 8 hours later we started to smell something, which smelled like ammonia. We searched the RV to find where the smell was coming from; my husband removed the back panel of the refrigerator to find a yellow substance leaking from the burning unit.
The smell did not go away! Due to my concerns as to what the risks were from the smell, and because it was so strong I did not want our 5 year old twins, my husband or I to continue to inhale this smell. We ended our trip 3 days early!
We brought our RV in immediately for service. The refrigerator had been part of a recall by Dometic. When our service rep contacted Dometic for authorization to replace the malfunctioned burner & cooling unit they denied our claim. In order to fix our refrigerator it will cost us aprox $1400. I’ve contacted Dometic numerous times, each time I am told that Dometic is no longer replacing malfunctioned units and we will have to incur the cost. OK, what about that “CHEMICAL SMELL” we were in our RV and my family inhaled this smell that could be toxic! What is the danger to our health when directly exposed to the smell that is put out from the malfunctioning units? Dometic has done nothing to address these issues and valid concerns. If you were in your RV and the refrigerator malfunctioned exposing and causing your family to inhale these toxins don’t you want to know what danger or health hazard is and what you may be faced with? I do! After getting nowhere with Dometic, I contacted the National Highway Safety hotline today and filed a formal complaint against Dometic.
I feel this is an issue that could affect many RV owners and their family’s health & safety Dometic should be held accountable. If your unit was not affected then yes, you should have the recall prevention part installed – HOWEVER – If your unit malfunctioned due to issues that caused the recall Dometic should address those owners differently. The fact is there are health issues Dometic is not addressing as well as very costly issues to fix a unit that no longer works due to manufacturing problems by Dometic. If you were in your RV and inhaled the smell due to a Dometic refrigerator malfunction you should join me in contacting the National Highway Safety and voice your concern @ 888-327-4236.
“Would the Dometic Corporate Company expose themselves & their families to a RV with a toxic smell and inhale willingly without concern?”

Sylvia C on Wed, 2nd Jul 2008 10:51 pm


We just bought a 2005 RV in late March of this year (2008). Due to problems we had with our refrigerator on our third trip and now preparing for our 4th trip, I called the Dometic customer service # just to ask them some questions and was stunned by the news that ours was one of the flawed refrigerators. I can’t talk with customer service until tomorrow morning (we were to leave tomorrow at Noon) so I appreciate all the feedback I have found in here.

The reason I was calling customer service (maybe someone here can clue me in?): What is the switch at the top of the unit as you open the freezer door which says “Climate Control Switch”. It is an on/off toggle switch. Why would I NOT want climate control? Since it was a used RV, we didn’t get a user manual. Can anybody answer this for us? Thanks.

I’ll check back tomorrow – gotta go find my ice chest, I guess…

Monique on Thu, 3rd Jul 2008 3:32 am


Please everyone take this recall very serious. We didn’t know about the recall until a week after our entire 5th wheel was in flames and burnt down our house with it while we were sleeping. We all got out except for one of our pets. The investigation determined it was the refrigertator.

Sylvia C. on Thu, 3rd Jul 2008 9:51 am


WHAT WOULD YOU DO??

I still can’t believe our dealer didn’t tell us about this possibly life-threatening recall. I am going to go look him in the eye next week and give him a piece of my mind. We bought our travel trailer from a large nice lot and what seemed like nice people. I am absolutely so angry that he didn’t tell us. What if we had had to find out “the hard way”? My brother and his wife bought a trailer about 3 months before us. I called him last night to warn him about the recall and he said that when he bought the trailer, his dealer told them about it and they got it taken care of. No big deal. No lost sale. Just simply took care of it.

To think our dealer thought more of making a sale than our safety – and his honesty – just makes me grrrrrr!

What would you do if anything? Is there any licensing agency I could report him to? Surely he is doing this to other people also.

Thanks.

Chris on Thu, 3rd Jul 2008 10:14 am


Hi Sylvia,
In defense of the dealer- they may well not have known about the expanded recall. It is only very recently that I found out about it- not from Dometic. The expanded recall (which would cover a 2005 model) wasn’t started until the middle of MArch , and official notifications didn’t start until mid April.

The US department dealing with this is the NHTSA at http://www.safercar.gov/.

Onna Lee Ford on Thu, 10th Jul 2008 5:02 pm


Hello All,

I own an RV Refrigerator Reconditioning Training and Service Center in Benton, KY. I have been reading your blogs and have some answers to some of your questions.

To Kimberly, June 25th, 2008. Though the odor from the ammonia can be breath taking, it is not toxic. The ammonia used in these units is also used on crops. We work with these systems on a daily basis, completely reconditioning the cooling unit. We have done this since 1984 and have never had any health issues from it. Just don’t ever get the actual liquid in your eyes. As for a reimbursement, Dometic representatives have informed my service techs and myself that they will not be replacing the defective cooling units this year. You do have another option, which is to have yours reconditioned at a less expensive price, and with a 5 year 100% warranty, providing you receive your service from an RVRN Association member, which is someone we have trained in this field. Please see our web site http://www.rvrefrigeration.com or contact me at [email protected]

To Sylvia, July 2, 2008,

The climate control is a heat strip. It’s purpose is to prevent condensation around the perimeter of the door frame. These can create problems and we recommend to our customers to leave it in the off position. It’s more detrimental than it is helpful.

Also, as for your comment about the dealer who did not inform you, I agree with Chris. Dealers get the information but it sometimes takes time to get it.

HERE IS SOME INFORMATION FOR ALL RV OWNERS: Your RV Refrigerator CAN be repaired. Many people are told this is not possible, that a new one will have to be ordered, and if there is not a replacement for that model, a complete new refrigerator will have to be ordered. I don’t believe your service techs are trying to mislead you, they may not be aware that this service is available. We are trying to let people know nationwide for many reasons. 1. We are trying to help save our environment by keeping these out of the landfills. 2. We want to help other service techs increase their profits with a service that is in great demand while SAVING YOU MONEY and providing you with the Industries BEST warranty, 5 year 100%.

Please pass the word and feel free to contact me.

God bless you all and Happy Camping!!

Tony Foster on Mon, 29th Dec 2008 7:08 pm


My frig quit working in August 2008. I called Dometic to ask if they was going to replace my frig and they acted like I was some crazy person for asking that. Of course they said no. The recall only was for a tin kit that would keep it from burning down. I contacted the BBB and their response was the same with them. They would NOT be replacing anything! I took the frig out of the camper so I could put a new one in with MY OWN money and I found that no only had it leaked out ammonia it caught my camper on fire behind the frig. I see on this website that some people are getting their’s replaced FREE. How or who do I contact to get mine done for free?

VINCENT DARPINO on Mon, 9th Feb 2009 9:13 pm


@Tony Foster, I AM GETTING THE SAME RUN AROUND.I CALLED FOR WEEKS AT NO AVAIL. THEY JUST WHAT TO TRY TO NOT BURN DOWN YOUR TRAILOR AND WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEIR REF. AND YES , I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED SOME UNITS AT NO CHARGE THE REST THEY DO NO GIVE A HOOT.

Craig Dickson on Sat, 7th Mar 2009 7:26 pm


It just happened to my 3 year old travel trailer. I had a fire caused by the refrigerator, luckily I was there and found the fire and extinguished it before any significant structural damage was caused. The fridge heat exchanger appears damaged significantly though. I have removed the fridge and plan to install a mechanical refrigerator – I just do not trust the ammonia absorption type any longer given the apparent high failure rate and extreme hazard potential that I just experienced first hand.

Jacques Fréchette on Tue, 9th Jun 2009 9:19 am


I got myself the kit of sheeet metal and thermo fuse wire to install, I am planing to look at the electric element, if it is the big one, I will find a way to put a peace of sheet metal betwen the tube and the element to protect the tubing.If the electric element is the problem, it might be better to operate the fridg on LP gas.

Bumfuzzled in Texas on Thu, 25th Jun 2009 12:26 am


We bought a used 2002 Layton last year and used it 5 times…. the refrigerator worked great…..then our LP detector was going off while we were sleeping!! Now our refrigerator lights come on…..but it doesnt cool at all….there is no sign of yellowing anywhere inside or outside of the unit….it still looks brand new, it just doesnt work! We are just curious if the detector going off would have had anything to do with the refrigerator????

P.S. We are scheduling to have the recall repaired!

Cindi OKeefe on Mon, 17th Aug 2009 5:50 pm


Could anyone who has lost a trailer/camper/rv let me know if they have had any luck getting it and the contents replaced by Dometic. I would really like to know if folks are being compensated and what did you do to get anything from Dometic.
PLLLLLLLLEAAAAASSSSSE, as we lost everything and filed a claim, and the insurance is denieing our claim saying they don`t know how the fire started but it wasn`t the refridgerator……………….. What does that mean?
Oh and by the way, it was a camper, with nothing operational except the refrigerator!

Bob Noel on Fri, 28th Aug 2009 2:39 pm


I had the recall done last year and since then in June of 09 the refrig stopped working! The lights on the topo would not come on and in speaking to a local tech he suspected the board was bad. I work for a refrigeration company and i am a HVACR tech and I tested the board to see if it was getting 120v and 12v to it. It was getting it. So, I ordered a board for $110 and installed it myself. The wiring on the new Dino board was a bit different and I traced everything out and it indeed worked again! But in the am it never did cool and it was off and none of the lights were working! Anyhow after doing a little research I decided the cooling unit was bad. I was ready to spend $1450 on a new Dometic refrig when I decided that I would tackle the job myself and replace the cooling unit at a cost of $510. Well, I should have taken a digital picture of the recall metal pieces and where they went as I don’t remember now! So, I just called DOMETIC and I explained my situation to them and all I needed was a diagram or directions of the recall metal. Since I am not a certified Tech they refused to give it to me!!! I was also told that I would have to take it back to a dealer and pay to have a recall kit put on as they paid for it once and don’t pay for it a second time!!! Sooooooooooooo i have decided to 1) go out and get everything back together 2) NEVER and I repeat! NEVER, EVER HAVE A DOMETIC PRODUCT AGAIN!!!
And the woman laughed when I asked if Dometic reimburses me for any of the expenses?

Bradford Smith on Sat, 17th Apr 2010 4:28 pm


My wife was preparing our camper for an upcoming trip. She opened the refrigerator door and was overcome by a very strong ammonia odor. She could not breathe. I called for an ambulance and she was taken to the hospital where she recovered and could once again breathe. She is still bothered by congestion after two weeks. We are not sure what to do or whom to blame. can anyone offer advise? Thank you

Robert Meredith on Tue, 20th Jul 2010 12:49 pm


I recently purchased a used 2006 Cross Roads Cruiser with a Dometic Refrigerator model # RM2652LB, according to the Dometic site this unit is on the recall list. How can I tell if the previous owner had (or didn’t have) the recall retrofit completed? Is there a picture available anywhere that that shows before and after retrofit kits are installed?

Thanks for any information you may provide.

Carla Peacock on Mon, 26th Jul 2010 6:17 pm


The Dometic recall is simply a bandaid on a dam leak. I had the recall performed (incorrectly thinking it was to fix a problem, not just to keep the RV from burning to the ground WHEN the leak developed!) and shortly thereafter had my unit quit working…becasue it had developed a leak! As I have no close service centers, I chose to replace the cooling unit myself. Dometic has been nothing but a headache to work with…they don’t care that my unit failed at 3 years; they don’t care that there are no close sevice centers; they don’t want to stand behind their product; they don’t care about customer service ot loyalty. I have transferred all of the material and electronics over to the new unit and reinstalled my unit. Works great! better than new on electric. I have connected my gas line but not turned the gas on because the way the recall shroud was installed, I cannot access the burner to check the flame. I have contacted Dometic to ask for a diagram of the shroud to ensure I reinstalled it correctly and they refused to release any information. “Take it back to the dealer that performed the recall work” (they are now out of business) or take it to an authorized service center (closest one over 5 hours away and they will charge me to perform this check!). Wish I had a Norcold and I wouldn’t be going through this hassle!

Steve Evans on Thu, 16th Sep 2010 3:20 pm


We bought a new Montana 2006 ,Dometic refrigerator has had circut board replacedand recalls done up to 3years ago.Today lost cooling fluid was told needs to be replaced or rebuilt. Dealer is no help in going after Dometic .I will never have another trailer with Dometic Refrigerator there junk

j burns on Sat, 22nd Jan 2011 1:16 am


Dometic fridge leaked ammonia while we were driving on the freeway. No notification was given to us about recall, now it’s no longer under warranty. Anyways, what dometic offers ,the so called fix…installing a safety shield, does not fix the actual problem which is a weak weld on the cooling unit! Got absolutely nowhere with Dometic just the run around….I think we should all start a class action suit. Anybody interested?

j burns on Sat, 22nd Jan 2011 1:26 am


Just to let you know, ammonia gas is considered a toxin!

bruce swaney on Tue, 21st Jun 2011 9:05 pm


My Dometic refrigerator Model # RM 2852, Product #921146153, when first set up after winter storage, tripped the breaker on the power supply panel repeatedly.

I switched over to LP operation and unit is working acceptable on gas. This unit is equipped with thermofuse module. Again no problem when operating on LP Gas.

Later, I decided to try the unit on 120V operation, unit did not trip the breaker and the refrigerator worked for 2 hours before losing 12V control power.

Troubleshooting revealed that the Thermofuse module had separated at the fiberglass housing. The contacts still on their stab layed in the bottom of the fridge housing.

I replaced the Thermofuse and resumed LP Gas operation, so far, so good.

I have ohmed the AC element, reading 39 ohms.

Is this element faulty, or should I look for a thermostat control issue? Again, unit operates normally on LP Gas.

Norris Vagg on Tue, 7th Aug 2012 10:25 pm


I need some advice, please help if you can. Our DM 2652 RBX, 120 volt heating element is burned out (open). Just below it is a large pile of black grit.
We have used the camper 4 time about 5 weeks total.
How do I get the bad element out, and a new one in?
[email protected]

john on Tue, 14th Aug 2012 9:13 pm


i bought a used rv the frig. wasent working good i put a new dinesor p711 board and a new thermacouple i have cleaned the shoute and gas line has good flame on gas gets hot nice glue flame but on ac it is oooin the frezer 30 in the box but wheni go gas it is 30 to 33 in freezer and 50 t0 60 in box what is wrond should i give up and buy a new box

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