DIY RV Fridge Repair - Step By Step How To Replace the Cooling Unit of a Dometic RV Fridge

[@nmartin5551]

This is my second view of this. THis installer is simply awesome!! What a teacher!!

[@CalledToWander]

Glad you liked it! He definitely convinced me with his thoroughness that it was not a diy project for me!

[@richmorpurgo5554]

Why not let everyone know who he is?

[@greauxpete]

You lucked out with this professional. He is a natural teacher.

[@CalledToWander]

He really is! And he volunteered this information because he truly wanted to help others!

[@batmanbeyond2353]

This video saved my butt today. Today I just finished my second one and your video has a lot of good information and it made my installation go really smoothly. Thanks

[@CalledToWander]

Glad you had the confidence and ability to take on the project yourself!

[@dwightoverman3250]

This was the most informative and professional presentation on the replacement of a cooling unit. Dwight

[@CalledToWander]

Thanks! The gentleman who installed it wanted to make sure that it was just that!

[@nmartin5551]

Nice to see the education with the repair! thanks for sharing! Great that this guy is tossing in some tips for we Norcold owners! LOVE the dolly tip!

[@CalledToWander]

Thanks for watching! Glad it helped!

[@TheArtDeva]

He was awesome! I'd love to hire him to come out to fix mine right now! Our fridge died last night. So stressful! 😢

[@CalledToWander]

It is super stressful, but there are other knowledgeable people like him out there. We were fortunate in the timing of finding him. But if you jump in groups and forums you might find someone nearby. It's definitely not in my capacity to DIY and I've done a lot of building, repairing, and fixing everything in our RVs over the past 6 years!

[@carolmaplesden916]

​@@CalledToWander I have spent a couple hundred dollars and had 3 repair men out mine is an iceco fridge and I actually called an iceco repair man out and no one addresses the issues They just dink around and say it needs to be replaced Can you tell me how to find someone who knows about refrigerators

[@joannejones4762]

The installer is amazing!!!!!

[@CalledToWander]

He absolutely is!

[@MrBassinhuntin]

WOW what a great teaching video with an expert installation.

[@CalledToWander]

Glad it was helpful! He’s definitely a great teacher so we are glad we captured it!

[@lcar9871]

Great video! I'm repairing the same model Dometic fridge today. I chose one of the Amish-built cooling units from JC Refrigeration. It comes with an excellent 50+ page installation manual but it is still useful to see a good RV tech do the job. One great take-away is that Harbor Freight hydraulic platform. I had no idea just how heavy and bulky the fridge was until I had wrestled it out - not a good surprise! I have a HF platform that I use for installing heavy window AC units. You bet I will be using it to put the camper fridge back in the hole! This guy is a good instructor. I think the comment he made around 24:15, where he said, "If you ever want to do this for a job..." was very telling. Like the other trades, RV repair is desperate for more techs and guys like him can't keep up with the demand. He needs an apprentice

[@CalledToWander]

Hope it works out for you! He’s a great teacher which is why we put the very long version out there!

[@Thinker2-truth]

The #1 cause of fire in an RV is the Propane Fridge. Solution: Convert to 12VDC Compressor type which is 100W not 300W efficiency.

[@nmartin5551]

@@Thinker2-truthI have heard that the number cause of camper van fires is the battery/solar set up. Everything has risks.

[@Thinker2-truth]

@@nmartin5551I did not mention camper van. I'm talking Class A Motor Home and Propane. Electrical is always a risk, especially home built. I have a Dometic that needs a 300W Pure Sign Wave inverter to run on DC, and a SunDanzer Freezer that uses 100W @ 12VDC

[@nmartin5551]

@@Thinker2-truth I appreciate that. Just felt like saying that everything has a risk. Is SunDanzer the model You use?

[@brenyz5013]

It’s a miracle you found that guy

[@CalledToWander]

He was a good find for sure

[@daviscrt]

For $475 plus $100 for shipping, the Cooling Unit its defiantly worth it doing yourself. For me I like boondocking so a propane fridge is defiantly a way to go. Thanks Don

[@CalledToWander]

It’s DIY if you have the tools and are comfortable taking everything apart like this. For most people, DIY is beyond them. I’m fairly handy and I wouldn’t take this project on

[@kengilliskg]

what cooling unit replacement company does he use?

[@goingoffgridfromscratch]

Thank you for this video it will help me a lot when I replace my cooling system

[@CalledToWander]

As long as you have confidence and know what you're doing, it should be helpful!

[@richmorpurgo5554]

This guy is amazing!

[@CalledToWander]

He absolutely is!

[@randy1203]

Great video. It seems to me, I would rather replace the unit with new! A lot of confusion just to replace the melted or damaged part. I think I would also build out a new framed area for a residential fridge!!

[@CalledToWander]

Great point! If we didn’t know the installer we would have gone with a residential and we would have had to build a special frame for whatever fridge we put in. Unfortunately this guy didn’t want to be mentioned but if you can find an installer who is knowledgeable it’s worth it. But if you feel confident with framing the residential, then you don’t have to worry about being level. And the residential power is a fraction of the amo draw in 12v dc

[@gereshomeE]

Amazing find that he was right there and able (willing) to help you! ☺

[@CalledToWander]

We had to go out of our way to get to him. But we made it part of our itinerary as we needed it fixed! But yes, it was fortunate he took us on as customers!

[@gereshomeE]

@@CalledToWander I prefer 3-Way propane refrigerators to just only electric.

[@TrustInHim777]

@@CalledToWander where is this guys located?

[@TheArtDeva]

​@@CalledToWander what is his contact info?

[@CalledToWander]

@@TheArtDeva he didn’t want us giving out his contact info. But he’s in the Phoenix AZ area. Just do a google search

[@jonamoon150367]

Great educational video !!. Thank you for that well taught insight.

[@CalledToWander]

Glad it was helpful!

[@FordRVRefrigeration]

Good video ! thanks for helping educate RV owners. GBYAY

[@CalledToWander]

Our pleasure!

[@BrianM-g4p]

I will like to hire him too. My fridge is dying now.

[@CalledToWander]

Unfortunately part of his deal was not to promote him or his business as he said he already stays busy enough. We're reaching out to see if he'll change his mind!

[@paullesho2693]

Thanks!

[@CalledToWander]

No problem!

[@whatfreedom7]

I have a dometic rm2351 that never has cooled well. Bought the TT brand new about 3 years ago and it’s always sucked. It will cool but no better than 40° and once you start actually using it in real conditions where your opening it it will be sitting at 50°. This week it’s been sitting at 45° not in normal use. 1:04:37 Not safe for any meats,milk etc. I’ve tried,themister,leveling,now I’m testing a new 140mm twin variable titan fans to see how it’s going to work. If it helps great but I don’t have much hope for this fridge at this point. I’m probably going to end up having to replace the cooling unit or swap the whole fridge to something that works better. My local repair center wants $80 to diagnose and $160 a hour to work on it which is fine if they can actually fix it.

[@CalledToWander]

Yeah, "newer is not always better" is a mantra we've lived by in our RV lifestyle the past 6+ years. If they "guarantee" a repair, you are right - a good repair person is worth the labor. But if its a guessing game that bleeds you dry, you might as well invest that money in a different product.

[@hermanbrown5190]

Hello and thanks for the great video. I have one question regarding the new unit. Could you tell me the model or where you purchased the new cooling unit. We look forward to your reply. Thanks, Herman

[@CalledToWander]

It’s a refurbished cooling unit off a dometic RM 2652. This guy that did the install refurbishes the cooling units he takes off of your fridge, that’s all I know.

[@marleneflanagan7137]

this came at the perfect time. I think we messed ours up running it when the unit was not level.

[@CalledToWander]

Uh oh! Hope it’s turned out ok!

[@weloveups831]

Awesome video! Thanks to this professional, fantastic job of being helpful and informative. The one question I was left with on his rebuild. Is how he formed the form around the rebuild evap. By its color it looked like it was still an original from a prior unit!

[@lcar9871]

If you mean the stovepipe-like duct around the boiler tube, at around 38:45 you see him begin to take apart and transfer the duct from the failed unit onto the new one. I'm in the middle of doing this same job right now, but installing a new Amish cooling unit. The new one came with the duct, except for the removable panel which covers the heating element opening

[@weloveups831]

@@lcar9871 That is not what I am asking about. The foam already formed around the evap coils. I am curious if a new/ rebuilt unit come that way. Thank you for responding!

[@lcar9871]

@weloveups got it! I bought new, from JC Refrigeration, and it came with the foam formed around the evap tubes. Others I've seen also came with the foam in place

[@weloveups831]

@@lcar9871 thank you

[@CalledToWander]

This is a refurbished (original) that he refurbished himself using his experience in aerospace tech. Not sure how he did it but it’s held up wonderfulky

[@markamcampbell5795]

did you clean the top of the fridge off before putting it back in?

[@richeyfoss3826]

Did you have a place where you can by the unit .great video and very helpful

[@CalledToWander]

No, unfortunately our friend asked us not to share his information. You can do a quick google search to see if there is anyone that may be able to help: remanufactured RV refrigerator cooling unit

[@richeyfoss3826]

@@CalledToWander ok thanks again

[@SalteeChick]

The tech makes me want to pack up my 5th wheel and drive to him for my repair.

[@CalledToWander]

He's good.

[@edithkelley6739]

Great video🙌🙌🏽🙌🏼

[@CalledToWander]

Thanks!

[@thehonestmechanic]

WD stands for water dispersant. And it does work great on electrical

[@CalledToWander]

Thanks!

[@phonemd1]

can I ask ?? I just cleaned the burner on my dometic DM 2652 it works great, but I noticed the igniter gets red hot when the flame is on, is that normal? is it supposed to get glowing red hot? thanks in advance for your answer!....

[@CalledToWander]

That’s normal. Ours does that as well

[@johnbolton9368]

I'll standing knowledge I really enjoyed your video definitely made me think I knew what I was doing😅

[@CalledToWander]

It was beyond our ability to do on our own. We thought it would be helpful because a lot of people say this is DIY- but you definitely have to know what you’re doing to DIY

[@jena1307]

Hi. Thanks for all you do! i live in Nova Scotia, Canada in my 2003 Glendale Titanium . My fridge just went - I could smell the ammonia so I knew the cooling unit was finished. Unfortunately where I live there are no reliable and competent professionals that I would trust to swap out the cooling unit, so I am going to try it myself. Would you happen to have recommendations on where to purchase a new or refurbished cooling unit? I think you mentioned you had suggestions, but I didn't see it here in the notes. Thanks so much and I hope I can do this!

[@CalledToWander]

jc-refrigeration.com not sure if they ship to Canada, this company refurbishes the fridge cooling units and also makes a 12 volt compressor unit that you can convert your fridge to if you wanted. Hope this helps

[@TheArtDeva]

​@CalledToWander thank you!

[@greigmarshall7801]

He said he was going to show how to repair a broken fin on the heat exchanger, but must have forgotten or it was edited out. Any chance of getting that information?

[@CalledToWander]

Sorry, he didn’t end up showing it. Wasn’t edited out- just don’t have it!

[@ooeybc]

Excellent video thanks. You mentioned the guy helping you was a fridge expert from British Columbia. Well, I'm in BC and I need a fridge expert. Mine is a 3-way Norcold 662 out of a '92 C Class motorhome. The fridge still works on gas but the DC and the AC are kaput. Please post the guy's info, either here or by DM. Thanks.

[@CalledToWander]

@@ooeybc he actually asked us not to mention his business. The guy who diagnosed our fridge as dead is from BC but this guy who installed the new cooling unit is from Phoenix AZ. If you do a google search for RV fridge cooling unit repair or refurbished in phoenix his website should pull up.

[@jackieestrada9747]

Do you have any video how to fix a hole in the roof of rv.?

[@CalledToWander]

Unfortunately we do not. We always steer clear of buying RVs with roof damage and have not taken on any major repairs that involve that. I’m sure there’s someone out there with some information. Depending on the damage it may be repaired with Dicor lap sealant, eternabond tape and Henry Tropi-cool paint. We do have a video on roof maintenance using these.

[@hermanbrown5190]

Hello, What is the name of the cooling system you purchased. Trying to stay away from the Chinese brand. Thanks

[@CalledToWander]

It’s a refurbished cooking unit. We got ours through a friend of a friend. But you can search for Amish refurbished cooling units.

[@DaveScott-rl7qb]

I have a semi newer model Norcold N811. The fridge quit working so I checked the voltages at the 120 and the 12v (13.1vdc). When I power it, I here the contacts click but no spark, no gas valve energizing, no nothing. The inside reads and does all the things but the outside acts like it's not being told to come on. I do HVAC and the board is basically the same as spark ignition control boards on those but I'm at a point where I'm stumped. I did change the control board because I was pretty confident in my diagnosis. It does the exact same thing as the old. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@CalledToWander]

Sorry we’re not the experts. We were fortunate to find someone who was!

[@user-ki5hp1ng4n]

obviously the heating element got shorted, that's why i have one only left out and need to be replaced? I don't know what that means.

[@CalledToWander]

Nothing obvious to the average RVer. This is a common issue with the older fridges.

[@bradhigginbotham4157]

this guys good, I know that because Im good!

[@CalledToWander]

We'd love to be able to confirm how good you are, but good recognizes good so we'll take your word on it! He really is amazing!

[@CalledToWander]

We'd love to be able to confirm how good you are, but good recognizes good so we'll take your word on it! He really is amazing!

[@natelarge]

awesome video

[@CalledToWander]

Thanks!

[@kimmortensen4553]

I'm in British Columbia. We Have a 1987 Prevost. Cooling unit fried. would love to hire this gentleman to help me install a new cooling unit. Any chance of reaching out to him?

[@CalledToWander]

Unfortunately part of the deal was he said he does not need/want the work but would show all the details to us in the video. Sorry!

[@Glich_plays_games]

How do I know if replacing the coming unit is what I need to do?

[@CalledToWander]

Typically you will see a yellow crystallization forming on the pipes or underneath the baffle if you take a few screws off. Thats the ammonia leaking out.

[@Glich_plays_games]

I removed the panel and there's nothing yellow and no smell. It has power for the electric but does not cool. I turn propane on and it starts cooling. Will not cool on electric

[@CalledToWander]

@@Glich_plays_games the heating element is most likely bad. Search your fridge model number and “heating element” and you should be able to buy one. Amazon sells them too

[@Glich_plays_games]

@@CalledToWander thank you so much

[@CalledToWander]

@@Glich_plays_games Not sure what this could mean aside from perhaps the motherboard is bad. You could try and replace that (send it back if not). We replaced our motherboard at one point for another issue and it was literally plug and play. Number the fuses as you take them off and it's usually just 2 or 3 screws. Another option if it works on propane is just to run it on propane. If you stay anywhere for a longer period of time, install an Extend A Stay propane adapter like this and use an external tank you can take and refill/swap out. My money is on the motherboard for the electric, but that's only because it seems evident it is not the propane system. amzn.to/4dS2cnv

[@aliciaadams4629]

How much did it cost to hire a professional? Looking at a camper that needs a new cooling unit

[@CalledToWander]

We were fortunate that this was just under $1,000 - well below the replacement cost for a new fridge. Of course, rates and availabilities vary depending on where/when you are looking for help. Just keep in mind that these specialized experts are not always easy to find. General RV repair people may know how to tinker with different components but may not how to replace (or know whether it is even necessary) the entire cooling unit. Hope you find someone that works for you!

[@ronpetroski7203]

Being a mechanic. I will let the rv pro do this one.

[@CalledToWander]

We agree!

[@JJRiggsEquipment]

I have a question for that tech if you know how to reach him.

[@CalledToWander]

Sorry but he asked to remain anonymous in exchange for being so thorough in the demonstration.

[@johnnylucero586]

My unit just went last week. Can you tell me where I can get the replacement unit and the cost?

[@CalledToWander]

Unfortunately our friend does not want or need the business and only allowed us to film and share because he wanted people to understand the challenges involved. There are certified RV mechanics out there who will replace units for you. Look up the Amish for cooling unit replacement as well. Sorry we can't offer any other specific info.

[@SalteeChick]

Where did the installer purchase the cooling unit? I need to replace mine, but definitely don't want the China version that won't last long.

[@CalledToWander]

@@SalteeChick he takes the old broken ones off his customers unit and refurbishes them. He says the newer dometics are all Chinese crap and the older ones were from Sweden. He only refurbishes the Swedish ones I believe.

[@whatfreedom7]

What kind of labor should people expect to pay for this?

[@CalledToWander]

General RV repair/install labor is between $100-$150/hr plus mobile charge if someone comes to you. This guy included the refurbished unit with his labor for somewhere around 1K. It's been years and I don't remember the full amount. But it was a few hundred for the refurbished cooling unit and it took him around 5 hours for install.

[@verdigo5892]

Where is this guy and how much does he charge?

[@CalledToWander]

Unfortunately a deal for being able to film was not disclosing this information. Our friend has all the business he wants and needs. But he wanted to show viewers the challenges in going DIY and what to look for if you went that route. There are RV mechanics out there who will do these replacements. You just have to search and perhaps drive a few hundred miles if necessary.

[@verdigo5892]

@@CalledToWander Understood. Thanks for the reply.

[@Thinker2-truth]

The #1 cause of fire in an RV is the Propane Fridge. Solution: Convert to 12VDC Compressor type which is 100W not 300W efficiency.

[@CalledToWander]

We’re good. Thanks

[@Thinker2-truth]

@@CalledToWander Full coverage! Ah?

[@jeremywallace5961]

You seem to be trolling

[@Thinker2-truth]

@@jeremywallace5961 So stating facts is "trolling" in your world?

[@carolmaplesden916]

You say I can hire someone to work on my fridge but I've called 3 people and spoke to a whole lot more on the phone and bo one will work on it So who do I call

[@CalledToWander]

Depends on where you are, where you are willing to travel and the quality of the people you call. We are not fridge experts and this guy requested not to have his name or contact info mentioned. But there are plenty of handy fridge repair people across the US and Canada. You may have to travel to find one (we did - from Mexico to Arizona).

[@carolmaplesden916]

@@CalledToWander I have no idea

[@stevenlight8929]

If i was worried about a rusted screw I sure wouldn't hammer it with a impact.

[@CalledToWander]

He’s a professional and did exactly what he knew to do

[@jeffmill6683]

I wish I seen this before I ripped out my old fridge.

[@CalledToWander]

Sorry! Hope the new fridge is working out!

[@marcibowman1603]

Call to Wander, does he have KZbin channel?

[@CalledToWander]

He does not. He has a very interesting perspective of the world, which is part of why he was willing to share his expertise but not market his business or person in the process.

[@cavaleiro95]

Wow these refrigerators are so dam complicated and a night mare , why don’t they just install a residential fridge ??

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

You can't run generators in a lot of places after dark.

[@CalledToWander]

These refrigerators were first built years before modern technology provided energy-efficient options. Residential fridges now are very energy efficient. But, for example, running this fridge on electric is very inefficient. However, these fridges (pre-2000s) were built like tanks and for having the efficiency of propane, they were a great option. The newer residential fridges cannot handle the road as well as these and I doubt any fridge you buy in 2024 will still run like this one does 25 years later. To directly answer your question, we looked at the pros and cons of residential fridges and when we found this guy we confirmed that it is better to repair the older, better-built fridge than to put in something we might have to replace 2 or 3 times in the life of our RV.

[@pwtimbie]

Dude! Just get too the repair, You talk a bit too much.

[@CalledToWander]

You don't have to watch. This was a literal step-by-step DIY repair done by a professional for people to know how to do it. Thanks for watching!