Lp gas

alethaj · 06-09-2013, 05:40 PM

We have trouble with our 3795 Voltage Toy Hauler Dometic Fridge..when I put it on LP, when we are traveling the burner will not stay lit and the fridge gets no power and everything gets hot inside the fridge. Have no problems while we are stationary so when I take it to the dealer they say they can't find anything wrong with it..it is only while we are traveling that it seems to blow out and then the fridge gets hot.. Dealer said there was nothing they could do??!!!..this is our 3rd camper..first Dutchman product..and we have never had this problem before...any suggestions??

kevinmiles · 06-09-2013, 08:08 PM

The fridge, even when running on gas, needs 12 volts to operate the controls. Any chance your 12-volt cut-off switch is turned off?

alethaj · 06-09-2013, 08:43 PM

I don't think that is it because it works when we change it from AC to LP and for a few miles down the road...we stop and check it after a few miles..it takes anywhere from 36 to 50 miles and it is ALWAYS off and beeping ...I told the dealer to hook it up and drive it 50 miles and they will see that it is not working but they say they can't do that...when I take it in for service it is beeping and I tell them ..."go out and open the exterior door and you will hear the beeping"... telling me that the LP is not working and the fridge is not getting power.. they say.." yep, I hear it" ... I will leave the unit there and called in a few days and they say.."can't find anything wrong with it" ..I am so upset with Dutchman I don't know what to do!!

Cooper · 06-10-2013, 12:43 AM

We don't tow with the fridge on.....too much of a safety concern with an open LP valve and potential of an accident and fire..

Maybe when your traveling the flame in the fridge burner is being blown out and the gas safety valve is staying closed until you manually reset it...just my thoughts.

Coops

alethaj · 06-10-2013, 01:14 PM

Coop..that is what the dealer said...it was being blown out and they couldn't do anything about it...We load the fridge and freezer before we leave home so it is the pits when we get where we are going and everything is warm..or ruined..the unit is parked at home and we have a 50 amp. breaker so we can turn the fridge on and get it cold before we load and leave..just don't know how to keep the darn thing lit..

kayakcrazy · 06-10-2013, 02:05 PM

DW and I don't use the propane when driving for the very same reasons as posted above (safety

). What we have been doing the last few years is filling one of those 12 volt coolers with our next meal and a few drinks. This way we don't need to open the fridge until we can get it cold again. It's been working great so far.

kevinmiles · 06-10-2013, 08:44 PM

I wish I could help you here. Although the comments above are all valid, the bottom line is that if we are travelling a long day and it's very hot outside, we sometimes use the fridge on propane when we are travelling and it works. Yours should work too! As mentioned previously, it is probably because the flame is being blown out and safety mechanisms prevent it from re-lighting. Can you think of any reason why too much air is getting into the burner area? High speed? Wind conditions? Good luck with finding a solution.

ATCguy · 06-10-2013, 09:17 PM

I've got a different take on this:

You said, "...when I put it on LP, when we are traveling the burner will not stay lit..."

Why are you switching it to LP? On my Voltage 3200, I leave mine in the "auto" setting, and am having no problems with it switching to LP (and staying cold) when not on shore power.

Question for everyone: Is it possible that switching it into LP mode, instead of putting it in "auto" mode, might have something to do with it?

Just thinking out loud...

sundancer 87 · 06-10-2013, 09:50 PM

Question for everyone: Is it possible that switching it into LP mode,
instead of putting it in "auto" mode, might have something to do with it?

That's sort of doubtful. Manually changing from LP to AC is pretty much the same as letting 'auto' do it. Basically, a circuit senses 110 volt AC. When that mode is removed the circuit drops out and defaults to the other mode, LP.
It's probably no more than a single pole double throw 110v AC relay that is normally held closed when AC is applied to it. When the AC is gone the relay opens and the contacts throw and close the circuit that controls the LP circuits. This is a simplified version that works for many things but it being in a Dutchman product their change over circuit is probably much more complicated, like the high temperature limit switch that opens and can't be rest in most cases.

alethaj · 06-11-2013, 12:08 AM

We started out with it on AU...and it would not stay lit...when we unhooked from shore power we could hear the LP kick on so knew that was working...when it kept blowing out, we put it on LP before we unhooked..thought that may keep it burning...but no such luck..guess we will ice chest everything we have to take and find a grocery store when we stop for longer than overnight...
Thank you for the input.. really appreciate all of you..

sundancer 87 · 06-11-2013, 12:44 AM

I wonder if you might not have a loose wiring connection that may be letting the gas valve close after a few miles of vibration. Another problem the loose connection might cause is resistance and thereby causing the valve to drop out.

You could run a separate wire to the gas valve and take a drive and see what happens. You can get a fused wire from AutoZone or similar to do the temporary wiring job and have protection of the fuse.

Tanman · 06-11-2013, 01:15 AM

We travel with our fridge on LP on every trip.. Some very long and some just over 100 miles. Now I have no idea if the fridge flame goes out when traveling or not but every time we stop it is burning. When we reach our destination 5 or 600 miles away everything is always still frozen, the fridge is still cold inside and no evidence of it not being on. Our unit is a V3200 with a double door refrigerator in it. Why the difference in ours and one going out I have no idea. My point is mine seems to stay burning but who knows??

Nana & Poppy · 06-11-2013, 11:54 AM

Your fix may be as simple as putting a shield in front of the flame......to protect it from the wind. Yea a stealer oh I mean dealer probably would not do that because of liability BUT.....I'd give it a try!

kevinmiles · 06-11-2013, 12:14 PM

Just one last thought..... Sometimes a second professional opinion is a good idea. I guess your fridge is a Norcold. Right? I had a problem with my Norcold fridge in my last trailer (nothing similar to your problem) and called them for warranty help. They were excellent and solved my problem very fast. Why not call them and see what happens.

sundancer 87 · 06-11-2013, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanman

We travel with our fridge on LP on every trip.. Some very long and some just over 100 miles. Now I have no idea if the fridge flame goes out when traveling or not but every time we stop it is burning. When we reach our destination 5 or 600 miles away everything is always still frozen, the fridge is still cold inside and no evidence of it not being on. Our unit is a V3200 with a double door refrigerator in it. Why the difference in ours and one going out I have no idea. My point is mine seems to stay burning but who knows??

When absorption refrigerators reach the set point temperature the flame isn't extinguished, it tapers off by reducing the amout of LP going to the burner. If the flame were extinguished completely it would take too long to recover the loss and the food would warm and add to the work the box has to do to recover.

Theoreticially that's the way they are designed to work. Not much has changed in the burner assembly of these units over the years.

sunofabeach · 06-11-2013, 05:14 PM

i had a similar problem as well. my fridge just would not work when i switched it to propane.

i needed to take my trailer in for some minor fixes and mentioned it to the service manager. we turn on the fridge and the gas just would not light. we cycled the switch a few times and miraculously, it stayed lit.

he tried blowing it out a couple times and it would relight itself. turns out that there was an air bubble in the line somewhere that had to work its way out by us cycling the fridge on and off a few times to prime it.

alethaj · 06-12-2013, 12:08 AM

Thanks Sundancer..will ask the dealer to check that out...they are not the smartest people I have ever dealt with for sure...

kodiak 2013 · 06-12-2013, 01:27 AM

Try lighting the stove or LP device to draw LP to the fridge to give it source to feed on and make Shure battery is 2/3 full

GOLDENYEARS · 06-12-2013, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayakcrazy

DW and I don't use the propane when driving for the very same reasons as posted above (safety

). What we have been doing the last few years is filling one of those 12 volt coolers with our next meal and a few drinks. This way we don't need to open the fridge until we can get it cold again. It's been working great so far.

Perhaps there is a spider web that is impacting things in the burner plumbing, or one of those peskiy bugs that like to lay their larva in gas orifices along with a little mud. Or this that and the other. All are possible.

as far as running your fridges and hot water heaters on propane while traveling is, in my opinion should not be a concern. With the new large hose coupling on the propane line the propane will be restricted should there be a line break or other failure in the distribution system. Like wise with the new OPD. If there is an excess flow of propane flowing through that valve (again a leak, hose rupture, fire etc) the flow of propane is restricted or halted until reset.

At any rate I have always traveled with my propane on, refer and hot water heater running and have never had a problem.

However, when traveling through tunnels, on ferries and things like that, federal law does dictate that the valves are shut off and pilot lights extinguished.

sundancer 87 · 06-12-2013, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alethaj

Thanks Sundancer..will ask the dealer to check that out...they are not the smartest people I have ever dealt with for sure...

Since real mechanics have been replaced by computers and 'technicians' and parts replacers the art of diagnostics has become a lost art.

You might also mention that the tech check the gas pressure going into the burner assembly. He really needs to check it at the closest point of the orifice. That ensures proper pressure all the way from the tank.

It should be somewhere around 11 water column inches, and he should have the guage to check it.

Ask him to disassemble the burner tube to see if it has restrictions, i.e., mouse turds, dead bugs, or saw dust to name a few. While there he could physically remove the orifice and see if it's partially clogged. While he's in there have him check the thermocouple to ensure it's placed in the proper position of the flame.

Ask him to check the flame height and color. You might mention to him to put a fan on the service panel to mimick the road wind.

The problem isn't a static problem so he needs to try and replicate the conditions that cause it to die on you.

Lastly, ask him to get off his arse and treat your problem as if it is his. The thing is, you just can't stand in front of a problem of this kind and shrug it off because the problem doesn't fall on the floor.

This is not right and they shouldn't blow you off.

You may also like: