Fail Footage of our RV Refrigerator Leaking Ammonia

[@theresamurders8132]

Thank you so much!!! It happened to me a couple months ago. I’m SO glad my boss lets me keep my dog at at work! I couldn’t imagine if she was in my camper alone!!!!!

[@buckreynolds1795]

thanks Ray

[@nj5wrick156]

Looks like Banden, Oregon.. Our niece lives there...

[@LoveYourRV]

It's Nehalem SP up near Cannon Beach. Does look a lot the same as Bullard Beach SP

[@nj5wrick156]

Sure does....We will be down in Quartzsite in Jan...maybe we will run into you guys. We just got back from Big Bend NP last weekend and time to go west again!

[@douglaslucas7612]

Not yellow 😔 it's white 🐻‍❄️

[@LoveYourRV]

Yellow --> kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5KlpKSkfs2Sa7M

[@jbr3rd]

Our Dometic refrigerator (RM2852) stopped working sometime in the last week. It’s approx. 15 years old and has been running pretty much continuously, 90% of the time it's on shore power. While researching my problem last night I viewed your June 2013 video about the heating element and tested mine. Mine showed closed, had resistance so I moved on. I tried the cooling system using on gas only. My pilot light started and I could tell the furnace/boiler was heating up. Within half an hour I could tell the metal plates in the frig were cooling again. I shut off the gas and it was then I noticed the hissing and faint aroma of ammonia gas like this Nov. 2016 video mentions. Now I guess I’m off to source a replacement refrigerator and will add this remove and replace repair experience to my 30+ years of "pleasure" owning motorhomes. Suppose I shouldn’t complain because the refrigerator cooling system has failed after so many years of flawless service. Nothing lasts forever, a fact my body reminds me of regularly these days! Any comments or advice you might have is appreciated and thanks for creating and publishing your videos!

[@LoveYourRV]

You're welcome, 15 years is pretty good lifespan. There are cooling units available but not cheap and with a fridge that old I'd guess its best to swap out the whole thing. Cheers, Ray

[@jcmakestuff]

We had this happen on our Dometic RM2652 refrigerator in our 2004 Wildcat 27RK too. I was able to purchase a Third party cooling unit that was not a stock replacement but an upgraded style for less than half of a new refrigerator. I was able to do the change out myself in a couple hours with the directions sent and a KZbin video from the manufacture. The wife was happy as the new fridges that were available we wouldn't have been able to use the Wood panels on the doors and she really likes that look in our rig.

[@LoveYourRV]

I was lucky to have a full replacement under an extended warranty we had otherwise I may have down the same. :) btw the new fridge (same model number) has a different looking cooling unit and no fan and boy does it cool well! Ice cream as hard as rock and meat freezes solid. I think they must have upgraded the design, our other one never worked this good.

[@carriepeters8519]

Thank you for this info. This is what was happening and I did not know how dangerous it was! You are much appreciated!

[@TheFiremanJoe]

I’m dealing with this very problem now! My 35 year old trailers Dometic fridge just gave up the ghost last week! From what I can tell from watching multiple KZbin videos, my fridge sprung an ammonia leak!

[@LoveYourRV]

Probably best to replace at that age.

[@TheFiremanJoe]

Love Your RV Yes, but I’m currently researching replacing the whole trailer! This trailer is sadly falling apart, and won’t last much longer! Hopefully will replace it this next fall!

[@LoveYourRV]

35 years is a pretty good run, I'll be happy if our's last half that long. :)

[@k.r.v.4219]

Thanks for sharing that Ray. Hope you folks have a pleasant and safe trip south!

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks Kevin. :)

[@K7CARadio]

Looks like you should have headed south a few weeks ago. Record rains in Oct-Nov. I had snow/rain/cold throughout N. Calif. Been basking in the mid-upper 80's the past 3 weeks so loving the warm weather in S. NV. My propane fridge died about 2 years ago and I replaced it with a Visanni A/C fridge for $175. I've been 100% off grid. Have had no problem keeping it running with my solar panels and battery banks. New cooling unit for my fridge runs about $600 now, so may take the plunge and revive the old fridge and save the wear and tear on the battery bank. Be nice to not have to babysit the solar panels for a change, but sure has been light on the pocket book with very little propane use. I've been very surprised how little propane I use now. I can easily go 2-3 months on 1 7 gal bottle. That's running the cook top and oven daily and hot water when I need it.

[@LoveYourRV]

I guess there are pros and cons each way. If I didn't have the warranty I was seriously considering an A/C fridge and adding to the off grid power system. Sure was wet on Vancouver Island! The good part of leaving so late is we get to stay longer into the spring which is a favorite time of year for us in the southwest. Cactus flowering and we get to explore the higher elevations on the way back like in Utah and New Mexico. Cheers Ray

[@StimRacingTrailerandTravels]

Hi NWHiker. Went to your channel to see what your sys looked like and how much solar. You should make a few categories of playlists to make it easier for us to find such videos. So just how much solar do you have and what do you use for back-up on rainy days like Ray has here?

[@K7CARadio]

Sorry, there's much I can do with my channel and haven't been too active lately. I have 590 watts of solar that I run portable. I have 3 pig tails on the outside of my camper with multiple branch connectors and can run panels off either side with extension lines. I have a 2500 watt Onan microlite built in that came with my camper as well as a Yamaha 1,000 watt generator. I've put maybe 50 hrs on the Onan the past 3 yrs, so rarely ever use that. If I'm driving all day and it's hot I'll use the Yamaha as it's so fuel efficient. I get about 12 hrs of run time on .5 gal of gas, and that works well for lights and charging if it's cloudy for more than 2 days. I run my Ham radios too, so that's a big power draw. Have had no problem keeping up with power demands with my solar if I get at least 6 hrs of sun each day. Living in the SW Desert isn't a problem.....:)

[@StimRacingTrailerandTravels]

Thanks for the overview. Very nice setup.

[@raybbj]

Hi Ray - Have you ever thought of running your fridge off your 1000W inverter while driving ?? Assumming your alternator is big enough to charge your battery bank

[@LoveYourRV]

No, not really. I don't find our fridge loses that much of its coldness when traveling for even 4-5 hours. We don't travel in very hot temps, so has never been a problem for us.

[@allenbennett4656]

hi ray this is a little of the subjuct but have you seen anyone hall an atv of the back hitch of a 5th wheel trailer i here you can its not a trailer it hooks up on the back off the hitch i no yours dosnt have a hitch but some do thanks allen

[@LoveYourRV]

I've seen it but I think it depends on the state you are in and where you are going. Some places don't allow triple tow but you can travel through. My home province of BC doesn't allow it so I guess I couldn't be insured.

[@sammiepuppy4196]

Thank you for sharing. Many people think extended warranties are a waste of money. You and I agree that it IS NOT! Just one repair can cost as much or more than the cost of the warranty. My RV has a residential fridge, and my biggest fear is that if anything goes wrong, the windshield will need to be removed to take the fridge out. Pretty scary to imagine. Safe travels!!

[@LoveYourRV]

Yikes! That wouldn't be any fun at all!

[@ojhiggins8600]

--- Posts: 17 View Profile Personal Message (Online) Re: Dometic fridge ammonia leak « Reply #32 on: Today at 02:25:05 pm » QuoteModify Hi Did the ammonia leak into your camper like it did mine. Dometic has denied the fact the ammonia can come into the camper. The fridge has two huge holes around the tabs where you screw it to the cabinet and also you can see daylight from outside showing under the bottom of the fridge. I sent them pictures and I plan to get a fog machine and put in the back access and film it coming in the camper. I plan to send that video to the attorney general in order to hopefully get a world wide recall on this problem. I am not the only one that could have died from this leak. A family on here also could have died had their dog not awakened them and got them out of the camper. It has been over two months and you can still smell ammonia in the camper. I had the fridge removed immediately and for a month and a half you could not get within 20 feet of it and that was in the open air. I just had it put back in the camper so I could prove to the company that there is a defect in the manufacture of their fridge and the ammonia can come int the camper and kill you. They said the fact the cabinet was sealed would prevent the ammonia from coming in. The cabinet is sealed in the corners from top to bottom and all around the top and bottom of the cabinet. But that is not where it comes in. It comes in from below the bottom of the fridge and through the mounting holes at the top of the fridge behind the panel that has the on off buttons and such. I am warning every one if you have a dometic fridge in your camper pull the bottom metal plate and the control panel up top and you will clearly see where outside air can and will enter the camper. I had my ac on which circulates the inside air. It sucked the ammonia right in the camper while I was sleeping. My fingernails, hair and throat are still suffering from the effects of the 99.98% pure ammonia. Household ammonia is 10% and breathing it can cause problems so imagine what this will do to you if this happens to you like it did me the other family and God only knows how many other people. Please help by contacting the attorney general in Indiana and make a complaint when you find these open places where the ammonia can come in because if it develops a leak count your blessings if you live through it. Modify message

[@LoveYourRV]

No, didn't get any ammonia inside. I had the outside access panel off so it dissipated pretty quick. We slept in the RV that night and couldn't smell any ammonia, my wife has an excellent nose for that sort of thing.

[@john-peterhundt5662]

I had my my Fridge go last month. It was 15 years old. The dealer also suggested replacing it because rebuilding it would only save me a couple of hundred dollars so it was better to pay a bit more and have a new fridge. Interesting enough most of the instalation time was taken up by removing my motorhome door (class A) to get the fridge out and back in. We were short by about a quarter inch with the door in. My new fridge (Dometic) cost me $2500 installed and that's in Canadian dollars or $1850 in USD at todays rate.

[@LoveYourRV]

Wow, 1/4 inch, that sucks. :( I guess 15 years isn't too bad, our only lasted just over 5. I think they are making then cheaper these days because I remember my old camper van fridge was still going strong at 20 years when I sold her.

[@john-peterhundt5662]

On the plus side, they were able to inspect/replace the door seals and I was told that if a motorhome is going to leak, "if it ain't the roof it'll be the door" and mine was in great shape.

[@LoveYourRV]

That's good to know, a leak is the worst thing.

[@john-peterhundt5662]

I was told that since your door sticks out more than your windows, when you frive in the rain there is a fair bit of pressure on the doors leading edge and if there is even a pinhole, water will be forced in. Water damage will show up as a slight discolouration on the inside at the bottom of the frame; usually in the flooring material. It' good to have someone with experience give you a heads up. The older gentleman supervising my fridge replacement knew his stuff and knew that the fridge would not fit. The rest of the crew wanted to try it anyway without removing the door and after lots of heaving and fiddling (they were careful) the bowed to his experience and did it his way. I always like it when older mecanics work on my stuff.

[@bobshaw4063]

Glad you got the fridge replaced under the extended warranty . Happy Thanksgiving to you and Angelina . Travel safe .

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks Bob, hope you have a nice holiday. Cheers, Ray

[@bobshaw4063]

Your welcome Ray and Thank You !

[@nj5wrick156]

We never smelled anything but we did get the "yellow dust of death" on our cougar's fridge. The leak was small but once it starts your have had it. Was pretty easy to replace but we had to take the door frame off to get the new one into the rig. UGH!! You would think they would make the doors just a little wider. LOL

[@LoveYourRV]

Ours must have fit through I saw no sign they took the frame off. Maybe the fridge's door and plastic trim comes off and then gets put back on

[@Walt1119]

Glad it worked out good for you! Thanks for sharing with us. W.

[@garycampbell8663]

That was a good deal there Ray.

[@heartbeat59]

I'm glad your refrigerator was covered by insurance. Thanks for taking us along.

[@hermes6587]

Thanks for sharing. Personally I have never been fond of extended warranties but having one sure worked in your favor. Food for thought.. Peace & happy travels.

[@LoveYourRV]

Me neither, I like to fix stuff and haven't used it even though I could have on many repairs. We bought it with every intention of selling the trailer after a 1 year trip of a lifetime, thought the warranty would help the resale a lot. We ended up loving RVing and never sold. At least we got our money's worth and still have two years left on it. Lucky. :)

[@alexbeck7133]

What's the name of a campground. Looks nice.

[@LoveYourRV]

Nehalem Bay State Park between Cannon Beach and Tillamook, Oregon

[@LifeInSerenity]

How was it dealing with the warranty company ? We have an extended warranty and have used it a few times. Roof top AC, factory installed inverter where the 2 biggest. It took weeks to get them replaced and we had to pay for shipping. Not a fun experience.

[@LoveYourRV]

We were lucky. The warranty was purchased from our dealer at the time of rig purchase 5 years ago. So, our dealer took care of everything. no paperwork, just a signature, and payment of the 50 dollar deductible. Kinda rare these days but they are fairly small operation and only deal in Keystone trailers.

[@raybbj]

What about your upgraded quiet fan(s)? Do you need to re-install? Also, to clarify, did this happen on the island before you headed south and you took it back to Greg's RV for warranty service?

[@LoveYourRV]

Yes, it happened a few weeks ago and had it done at Greg's. This new model 2016 doesn't have a fan so I'm hoping they have improved the design to the point an extra fan is not needed. I'll see what happens when we hit some hot weather.

[@raybbj]

Hi Ray, so I assume all is well with your fridge cooling. Is there no need for an additional fan on the back of the fridge?

[@golfnut2599]

wow actually able to get your money back from an extended warranty, great and a new fridge, that's cool

[@algray2604]

wow loving the beagle i have one. good info on the fridge and also the warrenty thanks.

[@LoveYourRV]

They are a pretty cool little dog. :) Cheers Ray

[@wanderlust101]

Good to know, Ray... thanks. Looking forward to your migration vids.

[@Closertoofree]

$1500 dollars well spent on the extended warranty.

[@guyazbell7437]

Tojo2go that's what a new rv frig costs all you did was pay for it then instead of now.

[@Desertfox92308]

Thank goodness for the extended warranty! Did you have to pay a small deductible? Get out of Oregon this time of year sucks! I lived there for 14 years:)

[@LoveYourRV]

ya, it was 50 bucks. haha, I hear you, I've lived most of my 53 years on Vancouver Island. We are pointed south, should be down in the California and AZ sunshine in a few weeks. :)

[@gordoncindy9386]

Hi Ray, really enjoy your videos. Did you look into the compressor style fridges when yours failed? I believe there are 12volt versions of these fridges that are, sort of, like the "normal" household variety. Perhaps in your case because you had a warranty, it wouldn't have been an option? I know very little about these compressor style fridges but they sound interesting. Cheers! :)

[@LoveYourRV]

I like to have the option of using gas when boondocking saving our batteries so less generator time. Compressor style demands quite a bit of electricity. I know a few folks that went that way and needed a much beefier solar and battery setup. Cheers! Ray

[@gordoncindy9386]

I agree that a 'normal' household fridge/freezer uses a lot of power and I wonder how people make them work in their RV. I too like the option of using gas. However I saw these Nova-Kool fridges on a KZbin channel called "The Fit RV". When I looked on the Nova Kool website it seems to indicate they use somewhere around 6 DC amps when they're running. Looks like they target the boating, RV and trucking markets. Sounds interesting, 6 amps is not very much. Another interesting thing about Nova Kool is that it seems to be based in Canada, in Coquitlam!?

[@LoveYourRV]

I guess it depends on how often it is drawing 6 amps? I think the best would be a smart fridge that would be electric when the sun is out and you have spare solar amps after the battery bank is charged up and the switches to LP Gas when the sun sets automagically. One thing I've noticed is the new Dometic DM2652LBX is night and day better than the older DM2652LBX I had. Cools way better, ice cream is hard as a rock, I run it at the warmest thermostat setting. I noticed the cooling unit piping is different. I bet they are worried about all the new RVs switching to compressor models and there was a class action lawsuit against some of the old models, I bet the have redesigned them to actually work! ;) Nothing like seeing your business declining to give a monopoly a kick in the pants!

[@gordoncindy9386]

HAHA, too true! Thankfully we don't have to make a decision about a new fridge right now but I always keep my eyes open to new things coming on the market and will be curious to see how this fridge thing plays out. Thanks for your thoughts and keep the great videos coming. :)

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

all that hissing ---------------------- i thought it would EXPLODE. a new refrig., great. all those puddles .......................... that's why i'm in central Calif. now.

[@LoveYourRV]

Me too!

[@Erik_Dye]

I swear these things are engineered to fail every couple years.

[@guyazbell7437]

Erik just saw a video on how sturdy the rv refrigerators are because of the steel coils I guess he was full of Obama or just trying to sell he also said regular way way cheaper reg electric refrigerators are built with inferior materials so you just really need to spend the fifteen hunded dollaz instead of the 285 dollaz at office max for a simular size electric refrigerator.

[@jbr3rd]

@@guyazbell7437 see my message above, my Dometic refrigerator lasted 15 years, your results may vary.

[@jbr3rd]

see my message above, my Dometic refrigerator lasted 15 years, your results may vary.

[@nealdavis350]

Very informative video, Ray. Thank you! Thank you, too, for featuring Angelina so prominently; she is very pretty. Safe travels to the desert!

[@LoveYourRV]

You're welcome! She is definitely a star. :)

[@bryantford3054]

Glad you got a new fridge. I've smelled the ammonia leaks but never heard them. I used to repair (ok-change out) RV fridges decades ago. They're so simple yet so finicky. Good luck to you. Enjoy the Oregon coast. I spent my summers there when I lived in an RV. I miss it.

[@LoveYourRV]

Thanks we take the 101 fall and spring and love it. Cheers!

[@IWreck92]

God those things sink when they fail. So pungent