Refrigerator Trust Issues

[Fyouberg]

OK Pros, here are the details:

• 2018 Jayco Jayfeather 23RL, out for half a dozen 2-3 day outings
• Norcold 6cf. has been run on gas from the day before departure and is very cold by the next morning. Unit has kept food cold for several 4-5 hour trips and then switches over to AC flawlessly once we plug in and easy switch back to gas for the trip home. Perfect, yeh?
• This last trip, it was already cooled down by bedtime at home. Get up in the morning and the temperature inside was 60 degrees F. Got gas at range and water heater and connected 30A service.
• We ran it on AC while camping and switched back to gas for the return trip. Still holding temperature after 5 hr. drive in 95 degree weather. Left it on overnight and its still cold this morning.

I hate these intermittent problems that leave you with doubt. Any ideas about what might have gone on the other night or what I might expect in the near future?

[RogerR]

Not sure if I am reading this right - did it fail to cool overnight when plugged in and on auto AC or did it fail on LP once but worked on way home.

In either case I would clean the burner and pilot area just about every time I leave home, takes only a couple of minutes with computer blast and makes sure no wasp nests, etc.

Mine doe not auto over to AC so I can't offer help there.

[wags999]

Did your propane tanks switch over night? Did it in fact switch over to AC?

[Swampy]

Originally Posted by Fyouberg

OK Pros, here are the details:

• 2018 Jayco Jayfeather 23RL, out for half a dozen 2-3 day outings
• Norcold 6cf. has been run on gas from the day before departure and is very cold by the next morning. Unit has kept food cold for several 4-5 hour trips and then switches over to AC flawlessly once we plug in and easy switch back to gas for the trip home. Perfect, yeh?
• This last trip, it was already cooled down by bedtime at home. Get up in the morning and the temperature inside was 60 degrees F. Got gas at range and water heater and connected 30A service.
• We ran it on AC while camping and switched back to gas for the return trip. Still holding temperature after 5 hr. drive in 95 degree weather. Left it on overnight and its still cold this morning.

I hate these intermittent problems that leave you with doubt. Any ideas about what might have gone on the other night or what I might expect in the near future?

Fyouberg,
I have a 2014 287 BHBE and the REF is the same as yours. I keep my TT plugged in 24/7 and the REF on. My REF vents in thru the wall and out thru the roof. You may have an issue with ventilation if the exhaust air is trapped and the temp on the coils is building up. Models with the REF in the slideout generally exhaust out the wall near the roof and usually have more issues with heat build-up. Also, I have seen roof vents clogged up due to huge wasp nests and bird nests or piles of leaf litter. Ultimately, you may want to put a small computer case fan on either input or output ends to force the air flow and increase the efficiency of the absorption unit by venting the excess heat.

Check the gas burner for trash and bugs, blow out the burner chamber, make sure the electric heat assembly is in and working (You will see a 120V outlet in the REF compartment thru the wall after you take the vent panel off, look on left side near the control board or have someone inside switch it to gas then auto to test the burner and control board). Assuming your TT was parked and reasonably level and your vents were unobstructed and you didn't forget to close either the refrigerator or freezer doors when you checked it the night before, look around the piping in the rear of the REF for a yellowish powder (that indicates the ammonia coolant leaking out). One extra thing to consider...You may want to put some screen wire over the vent panel air inlets to keep wasps out if they are bad in your area. Post whatever you find so everyone will be aware of the problem and fix.

Good Luck and Happy Camping ...... Swampy

[ALJO]

Install a 4" PC Fan for better air flow around the condenser (burner side)