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


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 02-08-2021, 11:13 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Thermal
Posts: 2
NorCold Fridge not cooling/no roof vent

Good Evening All



The Norcold Fridge in my 2021 224BH seems to not be cooling. The freezer is working but the fridge seems to be only at ambient.



In my investigations I have tested the thermistor and it came back ok, and re positioned it at the top of the cooling fins, reset the control module and checked everything is clean, clear and attached.



My final check was the roof vent until I discover, my trailer doesn't have one! It has a framed hole in the roof but the roof covering has been laid over the top.


My unit only has one vent (which I don't think is enough) on the side of the trailer and I would have assumed there was a roof vent? I am wondering if the lack of this is enough to stop the fridge working efficiently, especially in Southern California.



Does anyone else have a unit without a roof vent? My only thought is to add a cooling fan to the side vent but I was expecting the unit (which is 2 months old) to be able to handle it.



Looking forward to hearing anyone's thoughts on this, thanks!
Jaco224BH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2021, 11:58 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
JimD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Inland Empire, California
Posts: 1,987
No venting for fridge? I would think that is a major no no. You should download the manufacturer's installation manual and see what is required for ventilation.

I attached a troubleshooting guide. Look over the fridge section for some tips.

Thermal, been through there many times going to Glamis before they put in the expressway.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf RV Electrical Troubleshooting (ver 2).pdf (2.01 MB, 11 views)
File Type: pdf Quick Multimeter Instructions (ver 1).pdf (376.3 KB, 7 views)
__________________


Jim

Retired electronic technician (45 years in the field)
2017 Greyhawk 29W (solar & many other mods)
wife (maybe I should have given her top billing)
JimD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 12:06 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Rustynuts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Oregon Coast
Posts: 3,086
Is this a gas or a 12v fridge? I know some units are now coming with a 12v compressor fridge.
__________________
Brian & Jeannie
2018.5 Seneca 37RB with to many mods to list
2015 Jeep JKU Rubicon

Rustynuts is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 06:57 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Grumpy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Where ever the boss says we're going.
Posts: 15,950
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaco224BH View Post
My final check was the roof vent until I discover, my trailer doesn't have one! It has a framed hole in the roof but the roof covering has been laid over the top.
Back to the dealer ASAP if not sooner if it is gas/electric...
__________________
DISNEY LOVERS
Grumpy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 07:35 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Quantum's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: ON
Posts: 831
What model is your trailer? Mine doesn't have a roof vent either, because it's in a slide, but I have 2 vents on the sidewall.

Something doesn't seem right here.
__________________
2015 Jayco WhiteHawk 28BHKS Summit Edition
2021 Ford F-150, 4x4, 3.5L Ecoboost, Max Tow
Quantum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 07:55 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Grumpy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Where ever the boss says we're going.
Posts: 15,950
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaco224BH View Post
Good Evening All

The Norcold Fridge in my 2021 224BH seems to not be cooling. The freezer is working but the fridge seems to be only at ambient.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quantum View Post
What model is your trailer?
It's right in his post.
__________________
DISNEY LOVERS
Grumpy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 09:38 AM   #7
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Thermal
Posts: 2
Morning All,



The fridge is a standard 110v/Propane unit. It has a 12v supply but only for the propane ignition/control board.



My unit doesn't have a slide, and the fridge/kitchen is located on the nearside of the unit. I will take a photo of the roof which clearly shows a frame around a covered hole in the roof. Curious to see if anyone else has this?



I fear my camper was the "Friday afternoon" build!
Jaco224BH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 11:07 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri City, The Republic of Texas
Posts: 5,063
Sounds like Jayco really dropped the ball on this one.
Yes, vents high and low are necessary. Cooler air enters the bottom vent and is heated by the coils near the top of the fridge and convection and on some units a fan moves the warmer air up and out the top vent. In your case the warm air has no place to go so the refrigeration suffers.
Short term you might get by putting a small room fan blowing up on one side of the lower vent. That might get enough circulation to get some cooling. Haven’t tried this, just thinking out loud.
Adding the roof vent should be pretty easy since it sounds like the roof hole is there, just covered by the roof membrane. The question is can you get a dealer or mobile tech to do this on warranty (or paid) or do you want to tackle it yourself?
If you tackle this yourself I strongly suggest you track down owner’s and service manuals. There may be a baffle required that didn’t get installed.
__________________
Cheers,
T_

2013 F-350 CC SB 2WD 6.7PS
2013 Eagle Premier 351 RLTS
-SOLD- 2012 X23B
-SOLD- 2003 Ford Expedition 5.4, Bilstein shocks
RedHorse1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 11:43 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 768
With the absorption fridges its all about air flow and ensuring the unit is level front/back, side/side. On previous trailer the Norcold was great and didn't have to be perfectly level. On the current Norcold in the Greyhawk just doesn't cool as well. Freezer works great, but the fridge is never great. I've added some PC 12v fans to the fridge metal cooling blades (just connected to the fridge light which is always on for my model) and I have a 120v 3-4" fan I plug into the same 120v outlet the fridge plugs into pushing air over coils. I can access the back where the plug is from outside the RV and opening the cover on the side wall.

It initially took the Greyhawk fridge 12-24hrs for fridge to get to reasonable temp, but with the fans it usually good in 6 hours now (using 120v). The Norcold in the old trailer would be always be good in 12hrs. Freezer is usually frozen before fridge is at a cool temp as well.

I haven't spent much any time trying to figure it out, but it cools better on propane vs 120v. Perhaps heat causes better/more air flow over coils.

So quick recap;
1) is it level?
2) has been on at least 12hrs? maybe wait 24 if this is the first time testing
3) tried propane?
__________________
2018 Jayco Greyhawk 31FS
2023 Wrangler 392
mini4mw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 12:27 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Edmond
Posts: 171
I would suspect production forgot the roof vent if your fridge is in fact a 110/Propane. I've had good luck with the Norcold 2-ways. In fact, we got rid of our 12V to go back to the Norcold 2-way. But I agree, you either have the roof vent or double vents on the side for airflow.
__________________
________________________
2001 Ford F250 7.3L Diesel Powerstroke
2021 Jayco 267BHS 2016 Jayco 264BHW (Sold) - 2015 Coleman 19RD (Sold) 2007 Fleetwood E3 (Sold) 2011 Jayco 184BH (Sold) 2007 Scamp 16 ft (Sold) 2005 Viking Epic 1906 (Sold)
Roosevelt008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 03:33 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
JimD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Inland Empire, California
Posts: 1,987
I looked at Jayco's pictures of your rig and it sure appears to be a vent above your fridge.
Attached Thumbnails
Capture.JPG  
Attached Images
 
__________________


Jim

Retired electronic technician (45 years in the field)
2017 Greyhawk 29W (solar & many other mods)
wife (maybe I should have given her top billing)
JimD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 03:47 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
JimD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Inland Empire, California
Posts: 1,987
Here is a link to Norcold to get your manual. It should show the install requirements.
https://norcold.com/product-manuals/

Also, I looked at one of the manuals and it definitely shows venting.
Attached Thumbnails
Capture.JPG  
__________________


Jim

Retired electronic technician (45 years in the field)
2017 Greyhawk 29W (solar & many other mods)
wife (maybe I should have given her top billing)
JimD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 03:53 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Grumpy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Where ever the boss says we're going.
Posts: 15,950
It was probably a "part short" rig that got missed once the parts came in.
__________________
DISNEY LOVERS
Grumpy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2021, 04:15 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri City, The Republic of Texas
Posts: 5,063
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grumpy View Post
It was probably a "part short" rig that got missed once the parts came in.
Yeah that, and somebody on the line is likely a few head short of a herd (aka: a few geese short of a gaggle).

JimD’s pics show the baffles.
__________________
Cheers,
T_

2013 F-350 CC SB 2WD 6.7PS
2013 Eagle Premier 351 RLTS
-SOLD- 2012 X23B
-SOLD- 2003 Ford Expedition 5.4, Bilstein shocks
RedHorse1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2021, 01:03 PM   #15
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Lecanto
Posts: 66
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roosevelt008 View Post
I would suspect production forgot the roof vent if your fridge is in fact a 110/Propane. I've had good luck with the Norcold 2-ways. In fact, we got rid of our 12V to go back to the Norcold 2-way. But I agree, you either have the roof vent or double vents on the side for airflow.
When you mentioned getting rid of your 12v are you talking about a 12v compressor refrigerator? If so, why did you get rid of it?
pitman44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2021, 02:50 PM   #16
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 24
Check out these videos from My RV Works

Hi,

I had similar issues with our old JayFeather and ended up installing a frig vent fan and a new Dinosaur control board.

Do check out the troubleshooting videos on My RV Works - Darren is super thorough and breaks down complex issues into step-by-step logical troubleshooting. I have resolved many issues over the years referencing his videos.

Home site: https://myrvworks.com/
General YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoK...ZLCD3flLXZVQvw

Oh he also has just about every user + technical manual posted on his home site here: https://myrvworks.com/manuals/

Best of luck
mlumia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2021, 03:17 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Hampstead
Posts: 131
It probably wouldn't hurt to look up a brochure of that model to have a look at the roof layout which would show a roof vent if it was supposed to be there.
Weatherman1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2021, 03:24 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
SmokerBill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: PNW
Posts: 5,195
I'm not sure which model your refrigerator is, but here's a service manual for Norcold N611 and N811 refrigerators:
https://norcold.com/wp-content/uploa..._N611vN811.pdf
__________________
Bill
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 HEMI Quad Cab
2011 Jay Flight 26BH
SmokerBill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2021, 04:05 PM   #19
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: gouldsbore
Posts: 28
Bob M

I have a 2021 (June 2020) Jayflight 29rks with the Norcold Gas / Elect Refrigerator. It has a roof vent. The cover over it is about 12” X 24” inches rough dimension. If your RV is a 2021 it is still under warranty, take it back to the dealer. If you try to fix it on your own you can void Jayco’s warrenty. You should be able to pull up another dealers model like yours that would show the roof. If you plan on keeping the RV for a while take out the Norcold extended warrenty. RV fridges are expensive to fix or replace.
mrpavette is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2021, 05:05 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Pensacola
Posts: 667
Redhorse 1 ,,are you trying to say a Jayco Dumbazz assembly line worker did not do thier job ? YES,,,you are 100% correct. All Jayco factory workers should have to spend a weekend with thier family with 95 degree temps in one of the units they help build to keep thier jobs. I bet you we would see better units being built. I forgot to mention the campground should be at the end of 25 mile long pot hole filled dirt road.
Florida Ranger is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

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 Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.