Dometic RM 2454 has died, looking to swap for a Truckfridge TF 130

[Jim Harper]

Hello All,

It's been a while since I used this forum, and opened a new account since I couldn't remember much about my old one!

I have Hull 389, Nov 2018, and I suspect the eyebrow board on the Dometic RM 2454 is shot, and no eyebrow boards are available anywhere including Dinosaur Boards. 

I have bookmarked a few pages on this forum with tips on how to possibly revive the board and will try them next week. 

I seem to remember that someone swapped out their Dometic for a Truckfridge or something similar, and in case I can't get my Dometic going,  I would be very appreciative of any tips or threads on how to pull it off.

Thanks in advance, 

Jim

 

[topgun2]

Jim - 

Welcome back!

You might want to send a PM to Seadawg in this regard.

Bill

[Overland]

I’d start with the thread below, which has a link to a larger thread where @SeaDawg discusses their Truck Fridge install.

 

[SeaDawg]

Jim, it would be a real shame to have to replace the whole fridge for want of a $100 part. I know it was difficult to find five years ago, for me. I think I finally found a beige one on Amazon, then a black one at an rv service center in Arizona.  If I  remember correctly,  there were two different eyebrow made for the same fridge, and which one we needed depended on the serial number. Did Dometic at least give you that part correct part number? 

We replaced our rm2454 with a truckfridge, about 4 years ago. The hardest part was removing the old fridge, as in the Elites, the space between the shower wall and the fridge wall is too small to remove the Dometic fridge in one piece. Paul had to disassemble it, and take it out in pieces. Otherwise, we'd have had to remove the shower wall and the entry door to get it out.

The truckfridge was just barely small enough to get through that narrow space, with maybe an 1/8 inch each side to spare, because it doesn't have the enormous cooling unit hanging on the back.

The pros--The truckfridge has worked very well for us. It cools down quickly, and maintains temperature well, and it works consistently! It's maybe .5 cubic foot larger capacity than the Dometic we replaced. It was about half the price of a comparable marine fridge. It fit in the cavity, and I gained a small shallow drawer beneath it.

The cons--it uses 60 to 70 ah a day, and we typically rely on solar for our power needs. We've upgraded our rooftop solar to 400 watts, but still have only space for 2 group 31 batteries, 105 ah each, in our Elite. So, I have to deploy portable solar if we camp in the shade, or break out the Honda every few days. I don't think the unit, especially the door, is as well insulated as the marine versions. I can see the outlines of the door shelves in condensation sometimes. The handle is a bit chintz, but it does stay closed during travel. The freezer is really tiny, like a shoebox, but it does make ice quickly. We often camp for six or eight weeks at a time, and if it's humid, I have to defrost the freezer every 3 or 4 weeks. (In all fairness, the dometic freezer iced up, too, over time.) The freezer door is also a poor design, held in place with two thin plastic pins that are the "hinges", which will break if you operate the door with too much ice build up. (I know from personal experience. ) The replacement door is expensive and hard to find, so if you go that route, keep the freezer defrosted!

If you have other questions,  I'd prefer you ask here, rather than pm me. These questions pop up every so often, and I  think it's better to make comments available to everyone. 

I think the 3way is actually a great boondocking fridge, as it uses so little power and propane when running on gas. But I  have to say, I love the reliability of my truckfridge,  and its size made it possible for us to do the swap ourselves. An Elite II has a wider opening,  so swapping in a new 3way isn't as troublesome. 

 

 

[Jim Harper]

Thank you all for the links and the prompt replies.  I will do a few things to revive the board and will try to source one all next week before I pull the trigger.  I'm not a boondocker, I use a Honda 3000 watt gen , so power would be no problem.  I have the LE II, so I should be able to get things out in one piece.

I will let you know how things go!

Jim

 

 

[Jim Harper]

Oh and yes Dometic gave me the part number......2932884030.  Black.  Nothing on Ebay or Dinosaur Boards and several other places so far.  It may need both boards, and in any case they have to be compatible.  That could be another issue.

Edited January 8, 2022 by Jim Harper
Part Number

[SeaDawg]

That part number looks like it might be missing a digit or two.

Edit: thanks for editing the part number. 

[Jim Harper]

Fixed it.

 

[mossemi]

If you fixed the fridge, can you elaborate?  It might help someone else in the future, maybe me.😊

Mossey

[Jim Harper]

Yes I will.  Today I have to limb up some trees, tomorrow through Fri I will try to revive/find a new board, if it works I'll pass along the methods, if no joy then I'll replace the Dometic with a TruckFridge and pass those ideas along too.

I should have bought a complete set of boards when I bought the Oliver.  I'm the dumbest smart kid on the block.

Jim

[mossemi]

My bad!  I thought you fixed the fridge, but now I get it.  You fixed the part number!  That’s why I’d rather talk than type or text.😎

Mossey

[SeaDawg]

@Jim Harper, have you seen this thread? May or may not be helpful, but worth taking a look.

 

[SeaDawg]

So, I took a break from hunting down a couple of tiny motors for our solar vents on the boat, and researched your eyebrow board. None of my usual sources have it. One company, that I've never ordered from, and has mixed reviews, suggests that it is discontinued,  and the lower control board must also be replaced to function with a replacement board. Plus, disconnecting the igniter, and thermocouple , as they are now integrated into the lower control module?. This company, in Oregon, sells both as a kit. They also charge a big restocking fee, if you guess wrong, at what you need.

Because none of my usual sources have the board you're looking for, it may just be true. Maybe Dometic consolidated all the changes across the varying parts/years into a standardized system, changing both boards. I don't know, as I haven't had a dometic fridge in 4 years.

If it were me, I'd get back on the phone with Dometic tech services (it can be a very long wait/hold time...) and investigate further. If it's so, perhaps Dometic has both of the newer boards in stock. Or, if they can give you the part numbers,  you may find them on Amazon, or Dyers, Panther, or Adventure rv, or even someone local. Make sure you have the model and serial number on hand when you call Dometic.  I usually take a photo of the label on the fridge, so I don't transpose numbers writing them down. Maybe you'll get a more helpful tech, this time around.

I feel your pain. I've spent probably 10 hours looking for two tiny motors for the solar vents on our boat. I found them, in Germany,  but the company won't ship to USA or Canada. I may have to resort to "phone a friend ," get them shipped to a friend in the eu, and pay for forwarding. At least the replacements would be German made. A lot of hassle for 2 parts costing 12 euros each. However, replacement vents would be over $200 each. Marinco doesn't stock or sell replacement parts. They used to, but no longer, and the units are solid, other than the dinky motors. 

 

[Jim Harper]

Thanks for the help!  I have bookmarked the suggested thread for troubleshooting ideas.  I am going to troubleshoot, then try to replace one board only, if I can find it, this week, then order the TruckFridge and go with the swap by the end of Jan if no joy.  Don't want this dragging on and I never trusted absorption fridges anyway, too complicated, too many things that could go wrong.......like having your unit "buss out in flames" and burn to ashes....... 

Note to self.......Insist on buying a full set of boards (Water Heater, Furnace, Fridge) with any new RV purchase. If they can't get them in a timely manner, then ask, "Why are you trying to sell me an RV that's hard to get parts for?  Perhaps we should consider this in the price...."

Would save a lot of grief.

Jim

 

[Jim Harper]

Update:  Power into the ignitor (outside) board is OK, all fuses there (3 of them) OK.  Appears to be the on/off switch itself.  Must be pushed in for a while, firmly, to hear a relay click outside, then inside board lights up.  Will not stay "ON" reliably though.  Next step:  Pull inside board and clean contacts, re test.  This image might be rotated, the black AC power cord is at bottom. 

[dewdev]

1 hour ago, Jim Harper said:

Update:  Power into the ignitor (outside) board is OK, all fuses there (3 of them) OK.  Appears to be the on/off switch itself.  Must be pushed in for a while, firmly, to hear a relay click outside, then inside board lights up.  Will not stay "ON" reliably though.  Next step:  Pull inside board and clean contacts, re test.  

Jim:

I have the same issue on getting my frig to start up. I also need to hold the start button in for awhile before it starts and the board lights up. Also sometimes it will not stay "on" the first time, so try again until it does. 

Mainiac had the same problem and told me how to get the frig going this way. Be patient and keep trying and it should work and continue to run.

Good Luck

[Jim Harper]

Here is the back of the eyebrow board, rotated 90 degrees, focusing on the power switch.  The rows you see L to R are actually vertically disposed.  I am getting no continuity from any terminal on the left (top) to any terminal on the right (bottom) when the switch is on, yet the board will still work when plugged back in and the power switch held firmly.

I am assuming that the two center solder connections (double lumps) should show continuity when on.

Next step? Contact cleaner and compressed air.

[Jim Harper]

Thanks, that trick may be the way to go.

Jim

[dewdev]

Jim:

BTW, Forgot to say that my Dometic Refig is also a model RM 2454. I wonder if this startup issue is just inherent to this model even when the controls are new. (I am the second owner.)

Please post any new results you find from your trouble shooting.

[Jim Harper]

Sprayed contact cleaner on switches, then blew out with canned air.  Will reinstall and go through new startup procedure (hold until it lights up) and then let everyone know how long it stays on.

Reinstalled.

Held switch down until AC was automatically selected, then released it, so far, so good.  I'll check on it daily and keep you guys posted.

Jim

[bhncb]

15 minutes ago, Jim Harper said:

(hold until it lights up)

Do not hold the power switch in until the display lights up. The switch latches "in" when released and the contacts may bounce during the process. This could produce a false "off" signal to the micro-processor aborting the startup sequence. Just push in and release. It takes some seconds before you'll get the initial check indication.

[Jim Harper]

I wish press and release had worked.  I've waited several minutes with no joy, then had to pry the board out, remove the pin connection, reconnect, and try again.

Jim

[Jim Harper]

Hello All, 

Have tested the fridge for about two weeks, 5 days on, 3 days off, 5 days on.  Each time to start I pushed the "on" button in and held it until the relays outside clicked and the eyebrow board lit up properly indicating that it had selected the power source.  On the first test I ran through all three power modes, the second test was with AC only. 

The fridge worked fine without shutting down. 

My conclusion is that it's not time to replace the fridge as long as I can get it to work reliably by holding the on/off switch in on the board until it starts. (I know, this could change tomorrow).  I'll keep testing it before our trip in March.

This seems to be a hack that can keep your fridge working for a while. 

It may simply be the on/off switch module.  I removed the board from the fridge and tested continuity across the terminals, but there was none in either the off or on position.  Don't know if this is a bug or a feature, it may need to be plugged in for this to happen, I don't know.  I could wire a simple SPST switch to replace it and can solder fairly well but this seems to be a bit beyond that. 

Looked everywhere for the board, no joy.  See above in the thread. 

Anyway, hope this thread gives someone a tip they can use.  I'll eventually replace the fridge with a compressor unit but I don't think I need to do it just now.

Jim 

 

[BackofBeyond]

Jim,

You have discovered just the trick. My Dometic was just as yours - after much frustration I found holding the button "in" until it "latched" on to be the answer.  The thing worked flawlessly ever since.  Still, Dometic sucks as a supplier. 

RB

[Jim Harper]

Yep.  My Dometic is dated 2017, and they are already out of boards for it.  I just hope it's a "permanent" fix.

Jim