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Fridge on the fritz

Dad0850

New member
I bought a bigger motorhome a while back. A big beautiful 31' Coachman Catalina. We got a good deal from the dealer, about 2,ooo below book price!!! But, after the third day of camping we began to smell ammonia. The fridge cooling system had sprung a leak! (Of course there was no warranty, he only sells as-is!) I searched for quite a while for someone to repair the system, since a new fridge was about 2 grand. Finally we were told about a business that could fix it, so we had the whole ammonia system replaced. $600!!! :smileywac We brought it home, reinstalled it and it did not work. We then called the repairman only to find out that he does not check them out! He is Mennonite and doesn't have electricity!!! :confused: So now, after spending all that money on the cooling system, I need to find someone to work on the electrical part of the fridge. If you know anywhere I can get it fixed in Central Pennsylvania, please let me know!!!
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
I bought a bigger motorhome a while back. A big beautiful 31' Coachman Catalina. We got a good deal from the dealer, about 2,ooo below book price!!! But, after the third day of camping we began to smell ammonia. The fridge cooling system had sprung a leak! (Of course there was no warranty, he only sells as-is!) I searched for quite a while for someone to repair the system, since a new fridge was about 2 grand. Finally we were told about a business that could fix it, so we had the whole ammonia system replaced. $600!!! :smileywac We brought it home, reinstalled it and it did not work. We then called the repairman only to find out that he does not check them out! He is Mennonite and doesn't have electricity!!! :confused: So now, after spending all that money on the cooling system, I need to find someone to work on the electrical part of the fridge. If you know anywhere I can get it fixed in Central Pennsylvania, please let me know!!!


Does it work on the propane side of the system? If that works, that tells you the cooling system is operational. Then you need to check your power supply for the 12V and the 110AC (if it doesn't run off the battery bank via charger). You may not have the power supply hooked up or a blown fuse from the install...

Good Luck, don't have a clue to whom to talk to there where you live in the Deep South...
 

Dad0850

New member
Thanks for the response, fogtender. The fridge doesn't work at all. I did replace the fuse and I thought it was beginning to cool, but it did not get down to temp. And, now the lights do not even come on.
 

Glink

Active member
Site Supporter
Been a long time since I fiddled with one of these but the adsorbtion cylce is somewhat sensitive to the unit being fairly level. Probably not the problem, but thought it worth the mention.
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
Thanks for the response, fogtender. The fridge doesn't work at all. I did replace the fuse and I thought it was beginning to cool, but it did not get down to temp. And, now the lights do not even come on.


Then you have a power problem somewhere. Do you have a 12V power probe lite... It has a point on one end with a light in the handle and the other end has a long wire with an aligator clip on it.

You ground the aligator clip and touch the pointed end to where you know there is good 12V, the light will come on.

From there, you can poke the wire before the fuse and see if the light comes on, if it does, then go to the other side of the fuse and poke the wire again (through the insulation) if the light comes on, then you keep going down the wiring until there is no light. That is the easy way to trace out the wiring problems if you don't know too much about it...

If no power before the fuse, then go back towards the battery until you fiind where the light comes on again, that is where the problem may be at.... Take your time and go one step at a time. A good tech will charge about seventy dollars an hour and may take a few hours to do the same thing that I just discribed. If you can't find the short doing that, then you may need to fork out the bucks and have someone do the tracing out for you....

I would put the money on one of the connections that hooks the unit up, but if you do the test light route, you will find out where the power quits at....

Sorry I can't be much more help than that, but it may help you. The tester can be can be gotton at any auto parts store and cost about five dollars or so for a cheap one...
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