Frank Bergamo Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Eddie, If it were mine, I would not run it on electric or propane if it was not close to level. JMO. Hope this helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 You may have one of the good ones. FWIW, when I removed the Norcold to replace with a Samsung we took the cooling unit off the back to be able to take it out the front door. It was installed very poorly with a large gap between it and the cooling plate so the cold transfer was very poor, no wonder it didn't work very well. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven P Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Eddie, You mentioned needing the propane option of the fridge working to keep food cool while traveling. You can run the genny for fridge power and not use propane during travel. Then you can run your rooftop ACs also to keep the coach cooler. If your trips are just a few hours and your fridge is cold when you start, you could not run the fridge until you get to your destination. Just keep it closed. I'm glad you have found the issues. That's good news. Even though your batteries are new, if just one goes bad, it can ruin all of them. You can usually have an auto shop test them for free. Just take pics of the wiring before unhooking. For reference, your genny should always be able to charge the house batteries. That's part of its job. My Magnum charger has an on/off button for the charger though so you can turn off the charger if needed. With your MH engine cranked and running, your alternator will charge the chassis (engine batteries) as priority, and likely charge the house batteries once the chassis batteries reach a certain point. You would need to know more about the system you have though. I was having issues in this regards and found a bad relay that was not letting my house batteries charge from the engine alternator while on the road. Replaced the relay and working again. One last thing, if those are flooded batteries, check all water levels today and fill appropriately. With all of this going on, you may have low levels. And another "laster" thing, you can use an external battery charger on the house batteries if the onboard charger is not on. I believe (and someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I hope), if the batteries are all hooked up in the coach, just hook the pos and neg cables from the external charger to the same battery terminals that the main house cables are hooked to and set for 12V charging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Do you have the manual for the RC7-GS? If not you can download one from this web site which is under the category - Downloads / Electrical Systems. It explains what the indicator lights mean under different conditions, how to set it up and how to use it correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitechpete Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 On 2/23/2021 at 2:39 AM, Frank Bergamo said: Eddie, is the thermometer in the fridge or freezer? 32 degrees is great for the fridge side, 10 or below for the freezer. Also, it is critical that the coach is level or as close to level for the unit to work properly. If it is not level you can damage the heating coils requiring replacement of the coils. Hope this helps. I think that the thermometer is showing 32C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven P Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 4 hours ago, hitechpete said: I think that the thermometer is showing 32C Good catch. That is what it shows. 32c, about 90f? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennzo Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 Steven, Jim, Frank and the good Dr., Appreciate the overwhelming support! I dd go back out last night around midnight and shut off the propane option to the fridge....it wasn't 1° cooler, so it'll have to wait for another day. I did clean the flue and related assemblies (man, the rust/dust was everywhere!) and was able to witness the propane assembly operate, so it at least works on that side of the equation....once the coach is level, it should work, yes? Good idea about taking along an external battery charger! And downloading the RC7-GS manual for better understanding of the platform....I do feel the need, as simply pressing the buttons and not really interpreting the functionality is frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven P Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 I'm still a novice to this, but glad to help where I can. So the fridge isn't cooling at all on propane, but does on electric? And the propane part of the fridge does work? My understanding is that either the electric or the propane is heating the gas causing the cooling, so if the propane is working, I'm not sure why it wouldn't cool. However, know that myself and many others have changed to a residential fridge for better and safer cooling and before you invest a lot of money in that fridge, you may want to look at those options. Keep the updates coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 Next time you test to see whether your refrigerator is working I would closely monitor. It is a known problem that the coolant within the system will crystalize and form a blockage preventing it's circulation and ultimately cooling of the refrigerator. Once this happens the refrigerator is basically toast. Some people have had success pulling the refrigerator and turning it upside down to dislodge the blockage but it never goes away and it's a short term fix. I was concerned about mine early on and purchased and installed a automatic fire extinguisher behind the fridge that might prevent extensive damage if it was triggered by heat but not a guarantee of putting it out since flames travel up quickly. Here's a link to one along with the ARPV system https://www.arprv.com/rv-fires.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennzo Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 Steven and Jim, Yeah, I thought that odd, too...it cools when hooked to Shore, bit nothing with gennie or propane...🤔 also, the coach wasn't level, so I didn't want to push my luck....I have since attempted to level the coach...it's close, but not close enough...the street is at an incline (which I've addressed) but the pitch to curbside is pretty aggressive, and I'm unable to correct it enough I did buy 2 new fridge thermometers from Lazy Days yesterday, so I'll be able to update with new pics once cooled. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 When mine failed I was using it on electric. The black box was showing the dreaded red light, it had kicked the refrigerator off due to high heat sensor. I reset the box and shortly after it kicked again so I shut it down and ultimately scrapped it. I replaced the Norcold with a Samsung but with the furnace underneath it was not an easy install. Here's a post I did on IRV2.com on it. https://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/samsung-install-finally-done-461001.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob M cKeown Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 I has a similar issue on my 03 Signature. Did not charge on Shore Power or Generator. Dave Pratt pointed me in the right direction to the Big Boy Relay. It was not working, no buzz and no green light on the rear run panel in the engine compartment. There was a 7.5 amp fuse blown that caused the problem. Replaced the fuse and all is well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennzo Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 Jim, Wow! Well done....that looks to be outside my skill set, especially the forklift part and removing windows. I have read where the front windshield is removed to facilitate fridge removal and installation. 😱🤯 I'll keep a close eye on our Norcold. It really is a beautiful fridge, complete with the cherry cabinetry on the doors. But when that fateful day arrives, I'll share my solution as well 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikedavem Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 Re: Norcold refrigerator. Unless the owner does a lot of dry camping, as I do, a residential refrigerator is probably the best solution when the unit fails. In my case I chose to replace the Norcold cooling unit with an Amish cooling unit. I also have installed axillary fans, an automatic fire extinguisher, and the Fridge Defend control unit. The arprv.com website has extensive information on how these refrigerators work, and their various strong and weak points. My freezer now stays between 8 and 15 degrees. Of all the improvements I made, I think the Fridge Defend was the most important, as it addressed design defects in the refrigerator's control system. It will greatly improve safety and the longevity of the refrigerator, and prevent damage caused inadvertently by the owner. I recently bought a second RV, a small travel trailer with a dometic refrigerator. One of the first improvements I made was to install the Fridge Defend and auxiliary fans on the refrigerator. 2002 HR Endeavor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennzo Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 Dave, Thank you for the suggestion. I will dive into their site and explore my options. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonwink Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 On 2/22/2021 at 8:57 PM, Frank Bergamo said: Eddie, If it were mine, I would not run it on electric or propane if it was not close to level. JMO. Hope this helps. From the Norcold 1200 RV refrigerator Owner's Manual: LEVELING: CAUTION: The refrigerator is made to operate within 3° off level side-to-side and 6° off level front-to-back (as looking at the front of the refrigerator). Operating it at more than these limits can cause damage to the cooling system and create a risk of personal injury or property damage. Make sure the vehicle is level before you operate the refrigerator. Trying to use the refrigerator outside of these limits is asking for trouble. The boiler will overheat which may cause a fire and the solution could crystalize which is not reversible. Treat your absorption refrigerator with care and it will give you many years of service. Abuse it and pay the consequences. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennzo Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Thanks for the comments... I have returned it to storage this morning (I began to feel Code Enforcement was on the prowl yesterday around the neighborhood). I am on flat, level concrete at the storage facility (Big Boys Toys U-haul Storage in Thonotosassa, Fl). I plugged into 30A Shore, ran back home so my wife could make her 9AM Zoom meeting, then got back in the TDI to go back out and check on it again... The freezer was already working (it was down to 40 degrees and getting colder! 👍), yet the fridge portion didn't budge...still sitting around 60 degrees...I'm thinking once the freezer gets to its temp, the fridge will/should follow? I'll update in the morning....working 12 hr shifts at night with Amazon can take a lot out of as person. 😣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikedavem Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) It'l take overnight to get completely cold. Good news is that the cooling unit seems to be working. The norcold 1200 monitors the temp only in the refrigerator. There's a clip with a wire going to it on one of the fins in the top right back of the refrigerator compartment. This is the part that senses the temperature. The cold refrigerant solution circulates first to the left freezer compartment, then to the right freezer compartment, before cooling the refrigerator compartment. So the first place to freeze will be the back of the left freezer compartment. (this is where to keep your icecream ) 2000 HR Endeavor Edited February 25, 2021 by bikedavem added coach sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennzo Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 😄 Oh my gosh! That's exactly what it was doing! The left freezer was very cold, the right side though, not as much...and fridge was just warm... I will update with pics of temps tomorrow before we embark to Marianna! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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