Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Apr 2, 2014 4:52:29 GMT -8
I have the appliances removed from the Airflyte. Latest test was of the Astral propane fridge. I have had my doubts about this one since we got the trailer. I got it cleaned out some with the air blower, and removed all I could find of any cobwebs and insect leavings. On a whole the unit did not look too bad, just in need of a good cleaning. I hooked up to the propane with a temporary connection. Then, in proper order, proceeded to light it up, and then read the directions....    It blew out a couple times until I got the shield back in the proper position, then remained lit all afternoon. It warns in the directions that I have, that it will take a long while for it to reach the proper temperatures if it has been a long while since last use...and I think that it goes without saying it has been a while.... So I end up with a couple questions for those that are more experienced with this type appliance... That burner flame maintained at about that level all day. Should that flame be higher for more aggressive cooling effect, or does it switch on and off to maintain once temperature is reached? There was some circulating in the coils, but nowhere near as much heat generated as I expected. The boiler seemed to gurgle quite a bit...is this normal? or is it an indication that the unit has lost refrigerant (ammonia)? Lastly, after running for nearly 7 hours, and the outdoor temperature at 52 degrees, my little thermometer read 56 degrees inside the freezer compartment. Is this going to be cool enough to keep ice cream while we are camping? Thanks for any and all advice.... |
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Post by bigbill on Apr 2, 2014 6:11:41 GMT -8
A lot of them wouldn't keep ice cream very well when new.
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Apr 2, 2014 9:02:55 GMT -8
I have an Astral in my 1958 Mallard. It looks just like yours from the back. It took about 24 hours of continuous running before it got going very well after it was dormant for many years. Now it gets cold in maybe 6 to 8 hours from each new "start up". It keeps eight "kid sized" popsicles frozen in the "missing ice tray" compartment. If I don't turn it warmer, it freezes everything on the top shelf.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Apr 2, 2014 10:09:30 GMT -8
I have an Astral in my 1958 Mallard. It looks just like yours from the back. It took about 24 hours of continuous running before it got going very well after it was dormant for many years. Now it gets cold in maybe 6 to 8 hours from each new "start up". It keeps eight "kid sized" popsicles frozen in the "missing ice tray" compartment. If I don't turn it warmer, it freezes everything on the top shelf. Glad to hear this, I don't want to lose the opportunity to use it. Maybe I just gave up on it too soon yesterday. I have it running again today. |
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Post by vikx on Apr 2, 2014 21:28:04 GMT -8
It's hard to tell if it's good or not.
What fails is the "cooling unit" or coils on the back. They often have a tiny flaw which allows the ammonia mix to escape. Yellow powder or an ammonia smell is a very bad sign. Gurgling is not good, either.
Tinker with it for a couple of days. You should feel cold in the freezer compartment for sure. The back unit should be warm. If it doesn't cool to at least 40 in the fridge compartment, you can try to burp it. Turn everything off and let it cool, then turn it upside down for 24 hours. Turn upright and let sit for 12 hours, then light again.
Might work. Out of 20 or so I've tried to burp, only ONE recovered. And that was temporary; six months later, she was dead...
If your fridge won't cool, it is almost certainly the cooling unit and there isn't a company who will rebuild the old ones. These refrigerators aren't recharged, the unit must be rebuilt, then loaded with the ammonia mixture. It's a shame that somebody doesn't do that on our older fridges.
The only other thing I can think of is the orifice to the burner could be rusty. You might try some carb cleaner and air to clean it. (do NOT use a piece of wire) The flame should be blue; yours looks correct in the photo. I highly doubt you need to clean the orifice.
Hope this helps.
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Apr 4, 2014 7:53:44 GMT -8
These guys rebuild them... www.rvcool.com/They also say this: "If the controls are working and the cooling unit is heating up in the back but there is no cooling taking place inside the box this could be a sign of a blockage in the boiler section." |
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Post by vikx on Apr 4, 2014 21:17:53 GMT -8
I don't think rvcool rebuilds the old ones. I hope so, but doubt it...
The fridges are pretty easy to fix, if we could get the cooling unit rebuilt. I've tossed 4 of them and still have one that needs a unit.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Apr 21, 2014 5:27:54 GMT -8
It has been a couple weeks of on-and-off trying to get something out of the ole fridge, but in all the attempts it still would not cool down. I did leave it burning overnight once, and it was 36 degrees inside it in the morning....but the outside air temp was 34....so I think it was a lost cause. I did try "burping" the system as well. It sat upside-down over a weekend while we were away, and then stood it back upright for two days. It lit again fine, but it still would not cool below the air temp outside. After it sat latent for a week, I opened the door to the strong odor that was definitely ammonia. All that being behind me, I decided maybe an attempt to convert to an "icebox" might be in order. Since there is no fix to the cooling end, I removed the burner assembly as a complete unit, and removed the cooling unit from the back. It took a little time with a screwdriver and some prying and pulling. It did come apart though.  This is the "freezer" compartment:  Now that the freezer compartment is out, and not a real option to replace it anyway, there is more room inside that can be taken with a gallon jug of ice. The one thing that concerns me as far as function is the dried hardened up door seal. I am going to try some foam weatherstrip to soften the seal surface. It does not have a lot of capacity, but at least it will be "original" to the trailer!  |
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Apr 21, 2014 9:03:24 GMT -8
In a previous trailer I had a rusted out ice box that I completely rebuilt with new metal and much improved insulation, it still was not much better in actual operation. Here's a few random thoughts about iceboxes I have from that experience. In general, they are not very efficient because "all" of the cold air is dumped every time the door is opened. I found it best to limit the number of times the door is opened, and to keep all the drinks in a separate cooler, outside the trailer. It has worked well to keep only the food items are stored inside the icebox.
Since heat raises, I built the ice tray in the top of the ice box, with drains for both the ice tray, and also for condensation in the lower level tray. The cost of block ice, and dry ice is prohibitive in my area. We bought our ice in seven pounds bags, from the 99 cent store. We packed the sealed bags in the top tray completely full with the ice, "still in the bags". It melts and the water leaks out slowly. It helps to precool anything you put inside the box, basically you are using the ice to maintain the temperature, not to cool hot items.
You will want to have a lip on both tray levels, to keep water from sloshing during the drive time.
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on May 17, 2014 19:17:13 GMT -8
rvcool says "We specialize in rebuilding the ammonia cooling units that power the rv refrigerator." That doesn't necessarily mean that you would send them your cooling unit and get the same one back. They mention a core charge, so it's more likely that you would get someone else's rebuilt one, and they would rebuild yours and sell it to someone else.
You could build a drawer inside the icebox to keep your cold air from draining out...
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slv63
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Post by slv63 on Jun 28, 2015 17:06:42 GMT -8
I know this is old, but as of when I write this, rvcool sells new and rebuilt innards for domestic and other rv fridges. They have multiple part numbers listed. They start at around $425, which is a lot, but not terribly unreasonable. And they offer warranties on both the new and refurbished.
I ran across this thread late, so for others who see it, I thought it would be helpful to update the info, since other people were unsure whether you could get new parts or not.
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mel
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1964 Shasta Airflyte
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Post by mel on May 8, 2018 4:35:35 GMT -8
Ten , Do you have to light it from the back? im not seeing where to light it underneath
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kudzu
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Post by kudzu on May 8, 2018 6:08:34 GMT -8
rvrefrigeratorrepair.com/ web site says they repair Ammonia RV fridges. Look slike good info there but I didn't read it, just scanned over it.
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Post by vikx on May 22, 2018 20:42:25 GMT -8
Get the brand and model number and ask. I haven't found ANY company that works on the old units.
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Post by saddletramp on Jul 6, 2023 14:20:23 GMT -8
Hi guys, I have a 66 Shasta with an instamatic refrigerator that works sometimes on gas and electric not at all. Any thoughts?
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