Posted 2012-07-08 10:22 PM (#145458) Subject: Check the fridge!!!
Veteran
Posts: 197 Location: AZ
A large group of us were camping up in Flagstaff this weekend. Ah, the cool weather.
Anyhow, a friend was packing her LQ to come home and she smelled something burning from inside the kitchen area. She looked inside. Nothing. She went outside to the outer panel and she found a piece of fiberglass touching the hot pipes and was smoldering. It had also started to melt the outer covering.
Luckily, she found it before she pulled out of camp or the unspeakable would have happened.
Posted 2012-07-10 10:15 PM (#145514 - in reply to #145458) Subject: RE: Check the fridge!!!
Veteran
Posts: 186
Good Reminder to all. I recently got a used trailer with a 2003 Norcold 3 way fridge - it worked the first time I used it on gas but did not keep stuff very cold. The second time I wanted to use it, it wouldn't keep running. I have the original owners manual read that cover to cover - the part they said to clean was already very clean, I went online and searched didn't find any tips, so my ol man (he comes in handy at times) took off the upper vent and found a vent type thing that had like a dip stick in it that looked like you were supposed to take out and clean - it was full of soot - clogged up. Now why didn't the manual say anyting about it? Because that is how they get you to go to the shop and pay them $75.00 an hour or two for a ten minute job.
Posted 2012-07-10 11:05 PM (#145517 - in reply to #145458) Subject: RE: Check the fridge!!!
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Any time a trailer is put out of service for a time, it's a good idea to thoroughly inspect all the gas appliances before they are again used. Bugs, shifting shielding, loosening insulation can all block the proper gas/airflows that are necessary for a proper combustion.
The servicing of these appliances is usually accessable from the exterior panels on the trailer. A vacuum cleaner, an air compressor and sometimes an artist's paint brush, will help in making sure everthing is clean. The shields can be removed and the gas flame can be inspected for colour and intensity. The thermocouples can be observed within the flames, to see if they are properly adjusted and heated.
The push terminals onto the various electrical boards can be removed, the surfaces cleaned, and a dielectric grease can be added to restrict corrosion.
This effort only takes a few minutes and only a minimal tooling is needed for each appliance. It will lessen the trips to a dealer for service, save you money and ensure reliability.
Check the fridge!!!
