Refrigerator Advice
The cooling unit in our refrigerator was replaced by a local RV repair shop under our extended warranty. Now I’m concerned about some potential new issues with the refrigerator. Our previous motorhome was a smaller RV with a two-door refrigerator, and we never had any problems with it cooling during the summer. However, our current motorhome is a 40-foot American Revolution with a four-door refrigerator, and to make matters worse, this motorhome is 90 percent black. It does have a white roof.
Norcold representatives have told me that the inside temperature of the refrigerator should be around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the refrigerator was repaired (during our cloudy and rainy days in the Southeast), it has held this temperature on the coldest setting (9). We have 30-amp shore power to keep the refrigerator cold, but we have never run the roof air-conditioning units. I have the vent fans on and the entry door open (weather permitting) during the day, and the windows open. This unit is stored outside with no cover and under very little shade. Is there any need to run the air conditioner? I am sure the inside temperature of the motorhome reaches into the 90s, but I do not think the AC needs to be on. Also, does the refrigerator need to be set on the coldest setting?
Dean Tate, F282087
Dothan, Alabama
The interior temperature of the motorhome definitely will have an effect on the ability of the cooling unit to perform up to standard. The sun shining on the mostly black sidewalls of the coach also will create an additional load on the cooling unit. Under these conditions, the refrigerator controls should be set for maximum cooling, and great care should be taken to open the refrigerator door as little as possible.
If the food in the food storage compartment cannot be maintained at approximately 40 degrees, raise the bail on the ice maker (if so equipped), as making ice creates an added heat load. Put a thermometer in a glass of water and place it on a middle shelf to determine the actual temperature of the food, as an air temperature reading can be misleading.
Since the cooling unit does appear to be working, but not optimally, you should check to make sure the clearances behind and above the refrigerator are correct. There needs to be some airflow for the cooling unit to work properly. You also might consider purchasing one or two 12-volt-DC muffin fans above the cooling unit to exhaust the heat upward and away from the cooling unit.
More Cool Advice
i have an ice maker problem in my refrigerator. When we travel for a week, I always cool the refrigerator down to 7 degrees Fahrenheit in the freezer and 36 degrees in the refrigerator. Then I start the ice maker. When the week is over, and we come home and empty the refrigerator, there is an inch of ice in the bottom of the ice container. It makes ice just fine, and we lift the wire when we travel.
I contacted three Norcold repair centers. One said that the ice maker needed to be replaced. The second thought that perhaps the wire was becoming stuck in the up position (that would mean it wouldn’t make ice). The third said that they had never heard of this problem before. So I tested it myself. The first test was with the water connected, shore power on, and the refrigerator off (two days; no problem). Next, I fired up the refrigerator and put the wire up so it would not make ice (two days; no water or ice in the ice container). Then I lowered the rod and made ice for two days (no water or ice buildup in the ice container). Do you have any ideas?
Gary Lewis, F340150
Brooklyn, Wisconsin
A layer of ice in the ice bin is usually the result of the water solenoid valve leaking through. Sometimes when the water pressure is high, it leaks, and when the water pressure is low, it does not. Turn off the water supply to the ice maker to determine whether this might be a cause. Replace the water valve if you determine this is the problem. Another possibility is that unfrozen water in the ice mold sloshes out when traveling. Lay a paper towel on top of the ice bin to see whether this is the cause. If you find that this is indeed the cause, one suggestion is that you raise the wire bail at least an hour before driving so that the water doesn’t slosh out. The water must come from somewhere, and there is only one source; it’s just a matter of determining what’s causing the problem and correcting it. I hope this information helps.
Jump Start Relay
I have a preowned 2008 Holiday Rambler Neptune XL. I have noticed that the jump-start relay (located in the battery compartment) is very hot to the touch when I keep it plugged in to shore power while sitting in the yard or at a campground. Several of my friends who also own Holiday Rambler motorhomes have the same jump-start relay, but theirs are not hot. Do you have any information you can offer about this and possibly how to the correct the problem?
Thomas Felch, F425597
Hudson, New Hampshire
I don’t have personal experience with a Holiday Rambler jump-start relay, but if the relays on your friends’ motorhomes are not hot and yours is, I’d say it shouldn’t be.
The first thing you need to do is to confirm that the relay you are speaking of is actually a battery boost relay solenoid. On a boost solenoid, one large lug is connected to the house battery bank and another is connected to the chassis battery bank. When tested, each will register voltage, but the voltage readings should be different, reflecting the voltage in each battery bank.
To test the relay, check for voltage between the small signal terminal and ground with the boost switch turned off. If there is no power to the small signal terminal, yet the voltage to both large lugs is the same as when tested earlier — engine off and shore power and generator off for at least an hour so the battery bank voltages will not be exactly the same — then the points in the solenoid are stuck and the relay needs to be replaced. However, if there is power to the small signal terminal with the boost switch off, then you will need to determine why it is receiving 12-volt-DC positive electric with the switch turned off.