Refrigerator Issue

[MoonMullins5]

We have a 2009 Coachman Sportscoach 401FK
The freezer side fills with snow quickly
Do we need freon or a new refrigerator ?
Can't seem to get a straight answer from Camping World
Currently in Ft Myers FL area
Any ideas?

[450Donn]

Bad door gasket.

[Ludmilla]

Put mineral oil on the gasket and see if it softens up and gets a better seal.

[450Donn]

Using a dollar bill, open the freezer door, place the bill anywhere between the door gasket and frame. Close the door. If the dollar bill pulls easily, your gasket is shot. new ones can be found via the internet.

[okmunky]

I agree it's a bad door gasket. When my Dometic refrigerator door gasket tore after 5 years of fulltiming I tried replacing the gasket. Bad idea! Next I ordered a new door. Good idea! I found the best price on Amazon.com You'll need the model number -- it's just inside the door on the handle side. I took a picture with my cellphone.

They come without the decorative front panel but I salvaged the one that matched my cabinets from the old door by popping off the plastic door trim and sliding a metal carpenter's square between the panel and the door. I was shocked to see how much butyl glue was used to hold this 1/8" piece of panel in place! Overkill, for sure. Any thin sturdy metal piece will work.

The whole job only took a bit over an hour.

PS the price of the gasket alone is almost as much as the door with gasket.

[ScottyBye]

As other have stated. Your symptom sound like a bad door gasket.

[Halwiseguy]

F Y I If fridge works on gas & elec. it is filled with Ammonia . Your problem is the door gasket. Good luck . Hal 2006 Landmark 36.5 2011 Ram 3500 6.7 cummings

[scenic route]

Also...

On our last coach, we had the Norcold 1200 that would require de-frosting on most trips. I think most RV fridges have some sort of drain line that goes to the backside of the fridge terminating into a small collection cup. Taking off the vent panel, I noticed that the cup was dry and I thought that might allow warm/hot air(similar to a dry "P"trap) to flow back into the refrigerator via the tube. I put some water in the cup and made sure the end of the drain hose was submerged. I also added a small amount of veggie oil to cut down on evaporation.

The next two summers, we took trips that lasted 5 & 5 1/2 months without having to de-frost either the fridge cooling fins or freezer side during those trips of constant use. We also could lower the temp number due to the fridge side freezing food on the lower shelves. The freezer side still kept the ice cream solid.

This may not be all of your problems, but should help cut down on the 'frosting' and add to the efficiency of your(and maybe other's) fridge. We kept one of those small "D" cell fans on both sides to keep air circulating... that seemed to help too.

[okmunky]

My Dometic drains outside. I have added the bug plug (a plug with small holes to keep dirt daubers out) but warm air going up the tube sounds likely to add to fin frost. When I first got my RV there was some of the tube caught in the outside vent and water was filling up the bottom of the frig. I took the kink out and water now drains on the ground outside. I wonder if there is a happy medium between frosty fins and puddles?