Tips on inspecting a used RV fridge?

[Cubey]

A local source of used RV parts and appliances has an older Dometic 2 way fridge and quoted me $100 for it. I think he quoted me a higher price last year but I guess due to it's age and the odd size of it vs newer ones, no one wants it. However it's almost exactly the size I need for my existing opening. It's a bit taller than my opening but I think I can expand the opening a bit without ruining the shelf above.

Anyhoo, when I first asked about it last year he said it worked fine. I assume he probably tried it on 120v but it could be he also tried it on propane.

The fridge is, unless I'm mistaken, an RM2400. For some reason I write down the model # of it but "400" stuck in my mind when I did look at the model # on the front. That model dates back to the 80's so it could be the correct model, or at least close to it, since the fridge measured about 40" tall (not counting the front bezels) yet the dimensions I'm finding online state around 32". Hmm...

Anyway, does anyone have any tips on what to look for on the condition of it? I will try to remember to call him up the day before I told him I'd return to buy it and ask if he'll plug it in so i can see it cooling by the next day when I come back to pay. I bought my used gas stove from him and it worked fine, though I did buy a used converter that didn't work. The stove kind of helped make up for it however since I was able to sell off parts of the old stove that had the entire oven burner assembley missing.

I think $100 is pretty darn good for it. It has a decent looking fake woodgrain front and the inside isn't bad and it's been stored indoors since it was pulled from an RV.

I might be able to get $100 for the 120v only fridge I'm replacing in the trailer *lol*

[Cubey]

A local source of used RV parts and appliances has an older Dometic 2 way fridge and quoted me $100 for it. I think he quoted me a higher price last year but I guess due to it's age and the odd size of it vs newer ones, no one wants it. However it's almost exactly the size I need for my existing opening. It's a bit taller than my opening but I think I can expand the opening a bit without ruining the shelf above.

Anyhoo, when I first asked about it last year he said it worked fine. I assume he probably tried it on 120v but it could be he also tried it on propane.

The fridge is, unless I'm mistaken, an RM2400. For some reason I write down the model # of it but "400" stuck in my mind when I did look at the model # on the front. That model dates back to the 80's so it could be the correct model, or at least close to it, since the fridge measured about 40" tall (not counting the front bezels) yet the dimensions I'm finding online state around 32". Hmm...

Anyway, does anyone have any tips on what to look for on the condition of it? I will try to remember to call him up the day before I told him I'd return to buy it and ask if he'll plug it in so i can see it cooling by the next day when I come back to pay. I bought my used gas stove from him and it worked fine, though I did buy a used converter that didn't work. The stove kind of helped make up for it however since I was able to sell off parts of the old stove that had the entire oven burner assembley missing.

I think $100 is pretty darn good for it. It has a decent looking fake woodgrain front and the inside isn't bad and it's been stored indoors since it was pulled from an RV.

I might be able to get $100 for the 120v only fridge I'm replacing in the trailer *lol*

[Cubey]

Correction: I think the model # is RM660. The manual for it and the drawings in it look more like what it was. Plus the height is around 40 inches.

[RV Wizard]

Will you be needing to use it on gas? If so then you will want to see that the burner does infact ignite and the flame looks like a Bic lighter. Have it running for 24 hour before you pick it up on electric and switch to gas when you arrive. You may have to open the door to get it to cycle back on. Also look at back side for bad rusty spots. Look for any yellowish powder (sign of leak). Good luck and let us know what the turn out is.

[Cubey]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Wizard:
Will you be needing to use it on gas? If so then you will want to see that the burner does infact ignite and the flame looks like a Bic lighter. Have it running for 24 hour before you pick it up on electric and switch to gas when you arrive. You may have to open the door to get it to cycle back on. Also look at back side for bad rusty spots. Look for any yellowish powder (sign of leak). Good luck and let us know what the turn out is. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, that's my main reason for wanting it. It's currently sitting on the floor in the guy's storage area (a very old gas station/single bay service station in front of his house) so I'd have to take along my own propane and hose to hook up to it for testing it. I was skimming the manuals for some older models and I saw that they have 3/8" flared male connectors, is this correct?

I'll keep in mind about the yellow. Another thing I saw online was to take a dollar bill and stick half way in and close the door on it. If there's no resistance then the gaskets are bad.

I already told him I'd come back and buy it on the 3rd though I haven't signed any agreement or put any money down on it so should I decide to back out of it I can without any obligation or loss of money. I will go back on the 3rd and inspect it better than I have thus far.

[RV Wizard]

It does have 3/8" flared connector for the lp gas line. Be sure to have good regulator and 3/8" flare nut on end of hose from lp gas tank. If it has electronic ignition you will need a 12 volt source as well. Good luck and let us know if you buy and how it works out for you.

[Cubey]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Wizard:
It does have 3/8" flared connector for the lp gas line. Be sure to have good regulator and 3/8" flare nut on end of hose from lp gas tank. If it has electronic ignition you will need a 12 volt source as well. Good luck and let us know if you buy and how it works out for you. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Oh yeah, regulator.. almost forgot about that. I can take along the switching double one from my trailer I guess. I have a very small deep cycle 12v battery from a scooter I can take along for power in case I need it. Might have to go pick up a fitting to convert the regulator to 3/8". Hmm, i shouldn't have to buy a hose actually, i can use the one that connects bewteen the regulator and the distribution pipe system for the trailer. So I just need a single fitting to convert it to 3/8". Glad you mentioned that.

[Cubey]

Due to rain yesterday I ended up going back today to buy the fridge. I had a friend along who witnessed the guy saying if it didn't work he'd give me a refund. My friend hauled it in her pickup for me so it wouldn't have as rough of a ride as it would on the utility trailer (although it's going to end up in a travel trailer..) but anyway she was there when he said it.

So we get it back here and we hook up the propane etc and it didn't seem to work. I cleaned out a ton of mud dobber nests from it including all around the burner. I noticed that the ignitor (manual push kind) went in and didn't come out.

So I ended up carefully laying the fridge on it's side (without being plugged in) and check it out and found it was sticking so I just taped the pusher piece to the ignitor push button thing with some masking tape (it's plenty far from the burner so it's safe) so then I tried again and was able to make the ignitor come back out by pulling.twisting the knob and i thought it wasn't working. I kept pressing and pressing the ignitor (as the directions say to do until it's lit) so i then give up, walk around to the back and load ane behold.. it's working!! So YAY! it works on propane! Also works on 120v. Either the 12v has been removed or it may have never had it, I'm not sure. the model is supposed to have 12v but oh well, I don't care, it's a push igniter anyway and there's no light inside of the fridge so I guess it just lacks 12v.

[Cubey]

Oh yeah, it was an RM660. I'm going to have to slightly butcher the original interior to make it fit as it's about 1" taller than the opening. However it was only a shelf over it which i can easily put back in with shelf brackets or something like that which is only for my small microwave anyway so it won't matter much. If I do it properly, the changes won't be too awfully noticable. I started changing it, but haven't cut out a piece of the wood yet until I fully test the fridge to make sure it doesn't OVER cool. I have a plastic cup of water in the freezer area and also at the bottom of the fridge part. The freezer cup should freeze but the fridge cup should not. I had it at MAX for a few hours (running it on 120v right now) but I lowered it down to about 3 now that it's somewhat cold inside. So I'll leave it closed up overnight and check it in the morning.

[RV Wizard]

Cubey, glad to hear that the ref. is working out for you. Let us know and post some photos when you are finished installing it.

[Cubey]

I ended up buying a thermometer at Wal-Mart last night and putting in the fridge compartment at the bottom. This morning I checked it and it's down to about 22 degrees and the water in the cup next to it was pretty well frozen, much too cold for a fridge area. I've lowered it down to number 1. I guess I may have to leave the fridge open a few minutes to warm it back up some so I can see if it does better on "1".

[Cubey]

After lowering it to 1 it seemd to stay the proper temp in the fridge area.

However, I then noticed some wetness on the back down on the propane connection and traced it up to where the cooling coil pipe is going into the refrigerator compartment. Here are photos to show where it is:

http://shasta.illiop.com/gallery/dis...ge.php?pos=-66
http://shasta.illiop.com/gallery/dis...ge.php?pos=-67

Is there a way to seal that up? It's just water so it seems to just be melted frost most likely. I just wonder if it frosted up when I had it on 3 (too cold) and then when I lowered it, it melted. I wish I knew if it was frosted up before I turned it down *grumble*

[RV Wizard]

Most likely the wetness is due to condensation from the cold surface of the evaporator and connecting tubing. I would recommend wrapping the tubing with a putty or closed cell foam rubber tape. This will insulate the tubing from moist air and reduce if not eliminate the sweating.

[Cubey]

Well, aren't I just a big bad of forgetfullness. I forgot to address that issue before putting it in. I should be able to pull it out and support it with something on the front (so it doesn't fall forward) and get to it from the keyed back access panel outside.

It's very humid here lately and it was just out in the open air under the carport up on a table for testing/cleaning so it was probably just sweating.

I made a worse mistake though yesterday that I'm regretting now. I and a friend had to remove the door frame to get the fridge inside (I think the last owner did the same to get the original fridge out). I notied almost no butyl tape so I commented that I needed to put some. So then we got the door frame back on and I remembered it. We were affraid to take it back off again due to the fact that it was very hard getting back on and we had to bang it on a bit. There was considerable wood rot which we patched up some with plastic wood fillter (a thick paste substance that will harden when dry).

So now I guess i'll have to just clear caulk around the door frame to try to seal it up which I really hate, especially since we had the whole door frame off and we both forgot to put the butyl tape on even after I pointed it out. It pretty much has NOTHING sealing around the door frame and the (aluminum) skin of the trailer. The fact that none was there leads me to believe that the last owner had it off before and may have peeled it off.