Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 
 

Go Back   Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum > Library > Reference Library > Refrigerator
Click Here to Login
Register FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Log in

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-16-2021, 03:59 PM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: maine
Posts: 5
Default Dometic Refrigerator Fan

When do I turn on the fan ventilator mounted on the exterior of the refrigerator
box. it is very loud.
__________________

Sebagome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2021, 04:26 PM   #2
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

Sebagome - Welcome to the forum! I moved your post to its own new thread, since it does not concern the manuals for Dometic refrigeratora.

You generally want the external fan turned on anytime you are camping when the temperature outside is warm. It moves air past the heat exchanging portion of the refrigerator to help it stay cool inside.

I agree, the Mattel toy fan that the refrigerator came with was a horrible device. It IS noisy and it moves very little air. I replaced mine with two computer case fans that are quiet, move more air and use less electricity. The thread where I describe my modification is here: https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f35...rator-fan-261/ and I start talking about my mod, with pictures in Post #10.

Someone else did a similar mod with three fans, but I don't recall the location of the thread.

- Jack
__________________

__________________
Hi-Lo 1707T - Tire Minder TPMS on Tow Vehicle and Trailer, 300W Solar Battery Charger, Equal-i-zer WDH, Progressive Dynamics Converter, Fan-Tastic Fan, LiFePO4 battery 12V DC Electrical System, SoftStartRV mounted on A/C
2024 F150 Platinum FX4 3.5L PowerBoost SCrew
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2021, 08:38 PM   #3
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: maine
Posts: 5
Default Refer fan

Hey guys,
Thanks for the help. Bought an old beater 1999 td21. Bottom half great, top all rotted. Ripped one side off and welded up new square tubing, new beam, foam, etc. The steel in the roof was gone also so replaced that too. Leaks like crazy. Under tarp now. Have a new magic roof for it going on soon. Been working inside. All bead board, new paint and putting up “tin ceiling”. Styrofoam look like painted silver. Looks great.
Is the refer fan easy to get at?
Thanks Again,
Craig
Sebagome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2021, 05:24 PM   #4
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 87
Default

My update to fans
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 20200816_173358.jpg (145.0 KB, 14 views)
File Type: jpg 20200816_104805.jpg (152.0 KB, 17 views)
f4mnect is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2021, 06:10 PM   #5
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

Those are a great installation, f4! *thumbsup* What size are they?

- Jack
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2021, 06:16 PM   #6
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sebagome View Post
...<snip>---
Is the refer fan easy to get at?
Thanks Again,
Craig
Yes, just take off the exhaust vent cover that is held on with millions of screws and it's right behind there. The lower access is easy to get off - only 4 simple twist catches.

I think you'll want both covers off to wire in new fans.

Just so you'll know, f4mnect installed two fans INSIDE the refrigerator against the heat exchanging fins. I have one installed there too. I ran the wire powering it out through a drain hole in the refrigerator as I recall.

- Jack
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2021, 08:24 PM   #7
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 87
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JackandJanet View Post
Those are a great installation, f4! *thumbsup* What size are they?

- Jack
HIGH SPEED 1600RPM :120 x 120 x 25 mm (73CFM) Current 12 volt 0.25A noise Level 30 dB
f4mnect is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2021, 11:05 AM   #8
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

Thanks - looks great, and bet it works very well too.

- Jack
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2021, 11:08 AM   #9
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: maine
Posts: 5
Default

Mine is an older refer..rm2453. I've had it all apart and can't find the fan. I've bought two computer fans to mount as you guys have. I see the red hot wire with the one amp fuse which I assume goes to the sensor first. Couldn't I snip the outgoing wire at
the sensor to kill the old fan and wire in my new fans there?
Thanks,
Craig
Sebagome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2021, 11:12 AM   #10
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

Sebagome - I think you have the lower access panel off if you are seeing the fuse and wire. The fan should be behind the upper metal vent that is held on by about 17 screws if I recall correctly. You want to put the new fan(s) where the old one was.

- Jack
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2021, 10:03 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Niagara Falls
Posts: 352
Default Ref. fan

Our 1990 25ft. Classic never had a refrigerator fan. When our HiLo dealer put in a new one a fan still couldn't be added. We purchased a cheap cube style fan that is square and takes two D batteries. This sits inside on the shelf. DH rigged up coper wire that holds it together on the outside of the cube. When we had work done at J&R they removed our exterior ref. vent to add caulking. Once the exterior vent is removed it is junk according to J&R. He had a new one to give us.
Usagi5678 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 09:33 AM   #12
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: maine
Posts: 5
Default

Appreciate the reply but I'm confused a bit. you and others have the new fans mounted blowing out the upper vent. Why will that not work for me? I plan on building a shroud and do the same. Why must they go where the old one was? If I leave the old fan will it hinder the flow? And also why can't I use the original fan feed wire to feed the new ones?
Sebagome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 10:15 AM   #13
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

Yes, the new fan will blow out the upper vent, just like the old one did. I suppose you could mount the new fan in a different place, but where the old fan was is a convenient mounting position where the fans can be placed for good airflow. If the old fan is in the path of the airflow, it would certainly add some resistance, but possibly nothing significant. And yes, you would use the original fan feed wire to supply power to the new fans.

I don't know why J&R would have felt that removing the upper vent would ruin it. I've had mine off several times and it's easy to put back on. Maybe J&R bent it badly when they took it off? I've had no trouble removing and replacing the vent, other than cursing the millions of screws.

- Jack
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 01:39 PM   #14
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: maine
Posts: 5
Default

Jack,
I keep looking up under the bottom vent and all I see is tubing. No cover with 17 screws. I know this is an older unit so it may be different. I know there is a fan somewhere because when I turn it on it is terribly loud. Sounds like a bad bearing. Think I will fire the refer up and try and locate when the racket is coming from.
Sebagome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 02:40 PM   #15
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 87
Default

Do you have the 2 vents,upper and lower and trailer raised. Upper vent the one with crappy caulk job lol
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_20210529_113829.jpg (154.5 KB, 5 views)
f4mnect is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 04:49 PM   #16
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

^^^ What he said! That's the one! It's metal with many rows of horizontal slits. It is NOT the one on the bottom. The fan should be behind the upper metal vent.

- Jack
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 05:08 PM   #17
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Northern California
Posts: 56
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JackandJanet View Post

I don't know why J&R would have felt that removing the upper vent would ruin it. I've had mine off several times and it's easy to put back on. Maybe J&R bent it badly when they took it off? I've had no trouble removing and replacing the vent, other than cursing the millions of screws.

- Jack
Hey Jack,

That vent appears to be sealed with butyl tape, at least on my 1908T. Do you scrape the old stuff off and put a strip of new on to seal it?
__________________
2008 Towlite 19T
pjriss is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 05:13 PM   #18
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 87
Default

That's what's I did then caulked outside
f4mnect is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 06:44 PM   #19
Site Team
 
JackandJanet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pine, AZ
Posts: 4,692
Default

Sounds good to me. Mine has butyl tape between it and the side of the trailer. I think as long as it has complete coverage, the butyl tape would be sufficient. Caulk on the outside would be added insurance. It's not a part that is subject to heavy flexing and the metal vent is very light, so there's virtually no stress on the area where it meets the side.

- Jack
JackandJanet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 07:29 PM   #20
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 87
Default

My issue is my 16 screws came out rusted and rotted
__________________

f4mnect is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Hi-Lo Trailers Worldwide or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
HiLoTrailerForum.com Copyright 2010
×