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Post by wisconsinjoe on Jan 20, 2015 11:52:40 GMT -8
I've passed on a couple of good looking 10 to 14 year old 2-way camper refrigerators I found on Craigslist recently. They came from RVs that were parted out after trees falling on them, and cost about half of new. My local camper supply store advised NOT to buy them, saying the life span of these things is only 15 years. He also said there is not that much you can do to miantain them. He's making the argument to buck up and buy new. Is he being self serving or is there some truth there? By the way, our 51 year old Dometic LP only model had worked fine until recently. I suspect it may only be a thermocouple that I intend to investigate.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Jan 20, 2015 14:37:50 GMT -8
I am inclined to believe that is all a sales pitch. My thought would be that there is a good chance they will last as an electric unit if the propane fails. That would make them worth something to turn them back over later, if that happens. Thus I would take a chance on one, if not both, and figure there are still more out there if one fails. Odds are you could get a lot of life out of one with a little care, and the savings could become one of those bargains you run across in life once in a while.
These camper fridges are like every other man-made thing on the planet. They have a lifespan. But as with most things there is no telling what that span will be. I have an Astral that is also 50-soething now, and it did not work at all, but the 44-year old Instamatic fired up and works like a champ.....
I think that the biggest factor really is the environment they lived in. If they are protected there is not much that should cause any failure, but weathering can take a toll. They are subject to all the usual things too, like the simple fix of a thermocouple, or a coolant (ammonia) leak that is not reparable.
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Post by vikx on Jan 21, 2015 0:16:12 GMT -8
The problem with propane refrigerators is that the cooling unit (coils on the back) fails. It can not be recharged, but must be rebuilt. Most companies will not rebuild an older unit and charge at least $600 plus shipping if they do. The fridges are fairly easy to repair, but parts are impossible...
The only solution is a used or new fridge. Unfortunately, the used fridges either work for 10 years or 10 minutes, no way to tell.
Bad signs:
Yellow powder on the cooling unit joints and/or rusty coils
Gurgling if the fridge is on (either elec. or LP)
Smell of ammonia, either slight or strong
Cold freezer, warm fridge box; no it's not going to get better...
Hope this helps.
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Post by wisconsinjoe on Jan 21, 2015 7:10:33 GMT -8
Is it safe to assume that if a fridge cools properly on 120v electric power, it will work on LP? Would it be wise to replace a thermocouple before installing an older fridge? Is there some way to clean out any rust flaking in the system as well?
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Post by vikx on Jan 21, 2015 22:54:34 GMT -8
If the fridge cools on 110, the cooling unit is still OK. The older the unit the better for the propane to work. (better parts, lacking electronics, etc) If the fridge does NOT COOL on electric, it could be the heating element. They are known to fail. Feel for heat at the chimney and lower coils or test at the connections. If there is heat and no cooling, the unit is toast.
You can try on propane, too.
If the propane burner stays lit, the thermocouple is good. No need to replace until it fails.
Cleaning: Take the upper fridge vent off. After removing the chimney top plate, you should have access to the *real* chimney, it's about 3/4" diameter. There is a wire "handle" allowing you to move the baffle up and down to knock the rust loose. It will fall down on the burner, so vacuum well. Then, air blow to clean everything. A small wire brush will help with the stuck rust...
NOTE: Do not clean any orifice with a wire. You will ruin it. Try carb cleaner and air.
Good Luck and get back to us with results!
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