Eagle HT 28.5 RSTS refrigerator

[bourbonfan]

My unit has a domestic brand refrigerator that takes forever to cool down. It will run on AC or propane. There isn’t a way to adjust the temperature. Is it possible to upgrade to a better unit that the temperature can be adjusted on without having to remodel the kitchen?
How do y’all manage this when your traveling? Do you travel with it on propane?

[2nOZ]

We have a 2018 28.5 RSTS. We turn on and pre-cool the refrigerator at least 24 hours in advance of a trip. It does take a while as it does not operate like your residential refrigerator. We have 5 settings on ours and generally keep it on the highest setting of 5 except when the outside temperature is cool. Our freezer usually operates between -5 and 5 degrees and the refrigerator operates between 34 and 40. There is also a thermistor on the fins inside of the refrigerator that may need to be moved, not covered up or has gone bad. We always run our refrigerator on propane anytime we are traveling to keep the food cold.

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by bourbonfan

My unit has a domestic brand refrigerator that takes forever to cool down. It will run on AC or propane. There isn’t a way to adjust the temperature. Is it possible to upgrade to a better unit that the temperature can be adjusted on without having to remodel the kitchen?
How do y’all manage this when your traveling? Do you travel with it on propane?

Each Dometic I have owned had a temp control on or near the right side fins in the fridge. It is usually a slider that raises or lowers the cooling level.

(Note Dometic's also usually have a door heater that will drain your battery when dry camping. There is a way to either turn this off or disconnect it.)


Pre-cooling is the best way. Another thing we do is freeze ice blocks. Place them in the freezer seems to make the initial cool down happen faster. We generally only do this when we don't have time to get the camper a day or more before a trip.

Yes, 92% (Dilbert Math) of RV owners travel with the fridge on propane. The other 8% tell you how you will explode on RV forums at gas stations or in tunnels.....

[NewBlackDak]

Both pointed you in the right direction.

RV fridges are absorption based. They do a fine job of keeping stuff cool, but not cooling things off. Before we had our unit plugged in at home, I would freeze ice packs for the fridge and pick up some dry ice for the freezer. If you turn it on about 24 hours before you need it, and load the stuff in cold it’ll be fine. Eg. Don’t expect it to freeze your popsicle or cool your beer. Put them in already cold.

If you don’t have external controls on the fridge, you should have something like this on the fins.

[bourbonfan]

Thanks y’all
I didn’t know that small item on the fin was a thermistor. I do have the sticker on the side but with no knob to slide up or down I thought it was just there for ones that do, have an adjusting slide lever. The label in the door says the fridge is preset so with no adjustment slider visible I assumed I couldn’t adjust it.
I usually do pre cool the fridge at least a day ahead but forgot this last trip and it took a long time to get cold after set up. I haven’t tried running it on propane at all but plan to test it in the yard. From what I’ve read many people travel safely with the propane on and I plan to give it a try. Every trip is a learning trip.

[gorpie]

Originally Posted by 2nOZ

We have a 2018 28.5 RSTS. We turn on and pre-cool the refrigerator at least 24 hours in advance of a trip. It does take a while as it does not operate like your residential refrigerator. We have 5 settings on ours and generally keep it on the highest setting of 5 except when the outside temperature is cool. Our freezer usually operates between -5 and 5 degrees and the refrigerator operates between 34 and 40. There is also a thermistor on the fins inside of the refrigerator that may need to be moved, not covered up or has gone bad. We always run our refrigerator on propane anytime we are traveling to keep the food cold.

X2

[bourbonfan]

Mine looks just like that. So moving the thermistor up on the fin a bit would increase cooling? Don’t see any numerical readings

[NewBlackDak]

Originally Posted by bourbonfan

Mine looks just like that. So moving the thermistor up on the fin a bit would increase cooling? Don’t see any numerical readings

The fins are warmer at top, because of the circulation direction sliding it up make the fridge think it’s warmer to cool it more.

[bourbonfan]

Originally Posted by NewBlackDak

The fins are warmer at top, because of the circulation direction sliding it up make the fridge think it’s warmer to cool it more.

Thank you that makes sense now. Never dealt with a thermistor before so wasn’t understanding how it would work on the fin.