Fridge Trouble

[BRES]

I have a three way norcold fridge that is turning into a financial black hole. I think that one of the many repair shops i have visited put a valve in that is unnecessary and probably screwing up the fridge. I went to the norcold site but their diagrams are weak and do not answer my question. Would someone please take the time to photograph their gas hook up on the backside of the fridge? In that way i could be sure prior to tearing the assembly apart. Thanks...the model # is n3OO.3L

 

[chnlisle]

I have one on my current FWC but, as every one here knows, I have little faith in these POS. If you cant fix it yourself doing something simple junk it and turn the space into storage. If you desperately need a fridge get and Engle and if not get 1 or 2 Coleman Super Duper eXtremes and use block ice. Cover them and they'll stay cold for a week in 100+ temps. Every time I go camping I expect mine to fail like the others have.

 

[mtn-high]

I took a pic of my Notcold (LOL) 300.3 (no "L) but I keep getting an error message when I try to upload the photo.

DD/anyone.....WTF am I doin' wrong? (jpg...resize or not resized, it won't go through)

mtn

 

[RonSchon]

Maybe just post it on shutterfly or some hosting place and link to it? That's how I try to do it - that way I can always find pictures without wondering what the heck I did with them.

 

[chnlisle]

I took a pic of my Notcold (LOL) 300.3 (no "L) but I keep getting an error message when I try to upload the photo.

DD/anyone.....WTF am I doin' wrong? (jpg...resize or not resized, it won't go through)

mtn


Dawg posted something the other day about this but I cant remember what.....I'm old

I'll try to post a pic and see what luck I have.

 

[chnlisle]

Same thing for me. "error this upload failed". Dawg!!!! Help please tell me this isn't like a Norcold

 

[pvstoy]

http://www.wanderthe...hp?/topic/1111/

There are some pictures in this post...see if you get what you need..

 

[bsharp007]

I just got back from a two week trip to the Sierras, a lot of the camping was above the 9000ft level. The Norcold refrigerator would not light on propane for the first week and I tried every day before I had to throw out spoiled food and bought a cheap styrofoam cooler for the rest of the trip. The camper is a 2008 Eagle with the 1.7 Norcold and the refrigerator had worked on previous trips to the mountains so I didn't expect the failure. Previously I camped out of a VW camper with a 3 way refrigerator and spent hundreds on it replacing almost all the components and it never really worked right from day one. I wanted to believe them when they told me at 4WC that "they really haven't had any problems with these refrigerators". But I'm curious if others who have this model of Norcold have had problems or if they have been able to mod it so it works at high elevation?

 

[chnlisle]

I almost feel guilty because of how much I hate these things. Given the amount of money lost on the 3 I've owned hate could be too mild a word. The current one in my '04 Hawk is hard to start. It seems once its running its like the energizer bunny. Last year on our trip up to Big Lake in the White Mts. I started it in Tucson drove up to 9000' camped all week and drove home and it never quit. Go figure.

Now that I've written this you know whats going to happen?

 

[bsharp007]

I know exactly what you mean, I almost took the one in my VW out and beat it with a bat after dozens of hours working on it. I finally got it working right before I sold the van, I prayed it would lite when I showed the new owner how everything worked, hope he's had better luck. Anyway on this last trip the refrigerator suddenly lit and I was camped at 10,000' and worked for about 6 days perfectly so I resupplied the refrigerator with fresh food before it inexplicitly stopped working for the rest of the trip, back into the cheap cooler.
If course I'll take it to the Norcold place , they already know me by first name, I'll also pray and offer small sacrafices, fiddle with it to no end,
but in the end I'll end up with 1000 dollar closet and a marine cooler or Engel.



I almost feel guilty because of how much I hate these things. Given the amount of money lost on the 3 I've owned hate could be too mild a word. The current one in my '04 Hawk is hard to start. It seems once its running its like the energizer bunny. Last year on our trip up to Big Lake in the White Mts. I started it in Tucson drove up to 9000' camped all week and drove home and it never quit. Go figure.

Now that I've written this you know whats going to happen?

 

[HERR42]

wow. it amazes me.
those units are relativly simple. its hard for me to understand how they could NOT work.

two rules:

you must adhere to the leveling requirements. buy an inclinometer if you have to. 6 and 3 degree limits off of plumb are pretty tight. i know that a few more degrees in the wrong direction and the flame will not hit in the right spot. on mine if the fridge is on a 10 degrees incline, right side uphill the flame will be in the wrong spot. no worky. this is the way i park in my driveway when parked facing the garage. tilt it the other way by parking the truck facing the street, and it works...all depends on where the heat from the flame is going.

you need a reliable flame, or the heat from the attached 110v or 12v heater strip. there aren't any moving parts.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

In the manuals for the refrigerators, most say that you could have trouble at elevations above 5500 ft.

But in general, most customers don't have too many problems with them at high elevations.

Do they happen sometimes ? Yes.

Are they usually easy to fix ? Yes & No.


The most common problems / things to try to fix it / get it working again ...

1. Make sure you get your propane filled before you leave. Having a full propane will only help, not hurt the situation.

2. Remove the small wind cover / sheet metal shield and make sure the small slits in the tip of the propane line are clear from rust, spider webs, or debris. Clean or spray compressed air to clean out as needed.

3. Make sure the small rod (thermocoupler) over the pilot light flame is directly in the flame. If the thermocoupler is not hot, the propane flow will automatically shut off.

4. At the same time, press the sparker a few times to see where the spark is jumping to? Ideally the spark should jump down to small slits in the tip of the propane line. If it is jumping elsewhere, re-adjust it so the spark goes to the tip of the propane line.

5. If that doesn't work, press & "hold down" the gas adjustment knob and try and light the pilot light with a long BBQ lighter. You will at least be able to see if propane is coming out on not, regardless of whether it stays lit or not.

6. If you are getting propane, but it is not staying lit, I would say 99% chance the thermocoupler needs to be moved over into the flame or the propane flow is restrictled so the flame is not tall enough (not hot enough). Adjust thermocoupler or dis-assemble propane line and clean out properly.

7. If everything is working, but the pilot light goes out from time to time, try all of the above first, and then add an Atwood Automatic re-lighter.

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/1111/


8. Make sure the refrigerator is as level as possible !


It is a very simple system.

It is usually going to work forever almost flawlessly, or not at all if the pilot light is not going or the refer is not level.

Hope this helps.







.

 

[mtn-high]

It must be the (un)luck of the draw on these units....

I live @ 7250msl and most of my camping is at that elevation or above. Other than the initial start-up of the system, I've had no problems starting the fridge on propane "at altitude" and have camped as high as 11K. (knock on wood)

I also noticed the same thing HERR42 did about the incline of my driveway. Backing in, it doesn't LOOK like the truck is unlevel..but it is...and that small variation can seriously screw with the operation of the unit.

I hope ya figure it out......

mtn

 

[chnlisle]

Here's one for you. Why can I drive from 3000' up to 9000' and back with the propane running and no problem.

 

[bsharp007]

Here's one for you. Why can I drive from 3000' up to 9000' and back with the propane running and no problem.


It's a mystery to me, all I can tell you is this is the second 3 way Norcold I have had that doesn't work properly on propane. I thought that the things Stan and others mentioned were helpful and will do all of them and have in the past, but my refrigerator is almost brand new so my guess it's probably working as good as it ever will. Once the warranty runs out I'll sell it put in something that works consistently Like an Engel. In the meantime I have a nice marine cooler that works every time.

 

[BRES]

hey guys

thanks for everything..i really appreciate all the help ....i also appreciate that I am not alone with my agony over this dam refrig....i have spent on repairs and food, over 600.00...

but again thanks for all the trouble and help...i looked at some pictures and they have adapted my system so that it doesn't work...but now i can fix it and watch it no work for other reasons...hee hee

 

[chnlisle]

hey guys

thanks for everything..i really appreciate all the help ....i also appreciate that I am not alone with my agony over this dam refrig....i have spent on repairs and food, over 600.00...

but again thanks for all the trouble and help...i looked at some pictures and they have adapted my system so that it doesn't work...but now i can fix it and watch it no work for other reasons...hee hee


If it's any consolation I'm no fan of them and mine works...uh oh kiss of death.

 

[mtn-high]

Not that it probably helps at this late date, but THANKS to DD's tweeks, I can now upload photos.

 

[BRES]

I just got back from a two week trip to the Sierras, a lot of the camping was above the 9000ft level. The Norcold refrigerator would not light on propane for the first week and I tried every day before I had to throw out spoiled food and bought a cheap styrofoam cooler for the rest of the trip. The camper is a 2008 Eagle with the 1.7 Norcold and the refrigerator had worked on previous trips to the mountains so I didn't expect the failure. Previously I camped out of a VW camper with a 3 way refrigerator and spent hundreds on it replacing almost all the components and it never really worked right from day one. I wanted to believe them when they told me at 4WC that "they really haven't had any problems with these refrigerators". But I'm curious if others who have this model of Norcold have had problems or if they have been able to mod it so it works at high elevation?

 

[Kokopelli]

I've got a 2008 Eagle and no problems with my fridge. Have camped at 11,400' and it worked fine. Have 17 nights in it from low elevation to high and it never once went out. Took me a while to figure out the match between the temp setting, outdoor setting, sun exposure, etc but I think I've got that down now. Definitely no problem with keeping it cool enough. I start up the fridge at least 4 hrs (sometimes the night before) before we leave to pre cool the fridge before putting food in it, and never turn it off propane until we get home. Couldn't be happier.

Sorry for your problems. No secrets to offer as I haven't done anything special.