Tech Tip: Auto-Relighter for Propane Refrigerators

Has your propane flame gone out alot, kodachrome?

I use propane while driving/most of the time after forgetting the 12V system was on a few times while stopping.

I had intended to join the crowd and install a relighter but I found a work around that has worked well without doing much at all/without any expense.

When I winterized the Hawk last Winter I decided to cover the vents with "something" to try to keep the mag chloride out of the mechanics of the fridge. (I leave my camper on full-time)

Being it was election season...there were a plethora of "signs" around. Some of these are paper...some are "coroplast". I found one that was coroplast (that was for the opposing team, LOL...just kidding) and cut a rectangle the size of the louvered door......and taped it in with alum foil tape. I left the top vent open because the road grime rarely travels that high.

The result.....no crud in the fridge compartment....and a fridge that stays lit at 80mph.....pretty much all the time.

Ibn summer I broke the tape loose...but left the coroplast in the compartment....leaning up against the mechanics. The flame rarely goes out..... (except at gas stations where I turn it off myself)

now i see no reason for a relighter.

FWIW....I'm rarely below 7200 ft (my house elevation) and have ahd no problems lighting the fridge since the inintial startup when new. I think the mention in the book of elevation is a CYA on their part.

not sure about the thermostat being uselss on 12V. I run mine full blast most of the time anyway...LOL

I bet yer getting stoked about the journey. We need to have that coffee soon, huh?
laugh.gif


be well

mtn
 
On another note, I was trying to figure out what output or cooling is being done on 12V DC while driving. The manual says that the fridge works on continuous, not via the thermostat like on AC. This is for the Dometic 3-way ( RM-2193 ). So is the thermostat knob ( 0-7 ) non-applicable when using 12 V DC?


The 12V is either on or off. There is one knob for the propane adjustment and the other adjusts the 120V.
 
Concur on the knob: AC only. DC is 100%.

Regarding your thermistor. To remove the metal mounting flange, you can take a set of heavy duty wire cutters and just clip the back side, where the metal is thinnest. Forget about trying to grind or drill out the welds on the other side. Just trust me...

Before you reassemble, test to make sure your spark is happening at the center of the chamber. I tried the wacky bend it around job on the wire, but had a hard time getting a good spark. I gave up and snipped the wire shorter, and then bent

I've only used it once since adding the correct thermistor, but it seems to work fine. And installing it was fairly easy.
 
Thanks guys, good to clear that up about the 12V DC thing.

Mtn, I have never had my flame go out, but I have also never driven with the gas on either. I thought about the windbreak on the lower vent too, seems logical.

The re-lighter may be one of those gizmo's that is stored in the goody box in the camper until needed. I don't mind the piezoelectric starter except for not knowing if it is running or not in bright light without putting my ear up to it and listening.

Now I wait for the UPS man for my Arctic Pack....
 
I ordered the auto-relighter today. Last week my red push button kicked my BUT out in the desert trying to light it in the wind!
 
I received my re-lighter to day and it took me 30 minutes to install. I needed to cut off the factory mount and cut and bend the probe. It took 3 attempts to get the sweet spot. I blew it out and it re-lite every time. It was well worth the $$.
 

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Hi everyone, I am beginning to plan some summer trips and my Dometic RM 2191/2193 ALWAYS goes out when I drive, it is in an ATC Bobcat. It sounds like there has been reasonable success by just partially covering the louvered access door, so the flame is less exposed to wind.

I am wondering if this simple fix poses any sort of safety hazard and/or if it would effect the efficiency of the refrigeration system? Can the exhaust still get out?
My camper is not at my house now, so I can just run out and peek and the inner workings of the Dometic.

It seems like I could block 50% of louvers and there would still be a lot of air that could feed the flame.

Obviously I would prefer the free, permanent, easy fix.

Thanks in advance.
 
Do the Auto-Relighter mod first. I would be a little leery of blocking airflow to a fridge, especially in hot weather. I have had good luck keeping the flame going in all but HEAVY head and cross winds (40+ mph) with the relighter.
 
I had the problem of the pilot goin out when driving on the highway.

My solution was to wedge a pie tin in there in front of the louvered door to block some air. Id take a picture but you get the idea. Works great and free.

I do try to remember to turn off the fridge and relight it after getting fuel. The pilot is only about 3 feet away from the fuel filler on my truck.
 
Maybe it would be smart to put something on your gas filler door or on the door release that would remind you to put out the flame when getting gas. A piece of duct tape on the filler door, like a string around your finger. I could see how the vapor could easily build up in the fridge compartment and then you've got problems if your fridge is lit.
 
Google reigniter and you'll find several in the $30 range plus you will need an electrode. I think I got mine off e-bay for less several years ago. Get the 12v model and you won't have to mess with batteries.
 
Try American RV in Azusa. I bought mine there for under $50, but that was 8-9 years ago.

cwd
 
Decided to try this for my frig on our Northstar TS1000. Bought a new old stock relighter on Ebay and decided to test it before installation. It sparks from the probe to the ground wire when I turn it on but I figured if I heated the probe up with a small butane torch it should stop sparking once it gets hot. It doesn't, even when the probe is glowing red. Should it? If it won't stop sparking with the butane torch why would it stop sparking once the frig flame warmed it up? Maybe I'm missing something.
 
My relighter stops sparking as soon as the pilot flame ignites. I don't think the probe temperature causes the spark to stop. I'm not sure of the physics or chemistry involved but I believe the arcing is stopped by the flame itself and not the probe temperature.
 
Yes. I have since learned that the relighter work by sensing resistance through the flame. I got a new electrode and got it to work through the flame on my gas stove. Haven’t installed it on the frig yet.
 
Installed it today using the original electrode which came with the frig. Seems to work quite well. Atwood no longer makes this 9 volt relighter. Robert Shaw makes a 9 volt relighter for around $80. Part number 735-002 or maybe 785-002
 
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