Big fridge problem

[Tombs]

In my 5er I have a norcold refridgerator model # N611. Last year I had a problem with it and it quite working. Took it to the dealer and they replaced the board in it. It worked fine until this past Oct. I was hooked up to my 1000 watt yamaha gen with the fridge on gas, It quite again. Then a week ago, I was deer hunting, same thing, It was hooked to my gen. Ran for about 5 days then quite again. Took it to the dealer and the darn thing was ice cold and they said they could'nt find anything wrong. Well today, just for the heck of it, I plugged it into the gen, and again it quite working. All this is happening while plugged into the gen and the fridge is on GAS. I thought if the thing is on gas it dont need 110 power to operate. Everything eles works fine. Lights, funace, water pump, T.V. ect, and both batterys are at full charge. I just cant figure this out, it dont seem right to me. Any body have any clues as to what might be going on with this unit? And I must say, its a 2004 Four Winds Express.

[Tombs]

In my 5er I have a norcold refridgerator model # N611. Last year I had a problem with it and it quite working. Took it to the dealer and they replaced the board in it. It worked fine until this past Oct. I was hooked up to my 1000 watt yamaha gen with the fridge on gas, It quite again. Then a week ago, I was deer hunting, same thing, It was hooked to my gen. Ran for about 5 days then quite again. Took it to the dealer and the darn thing was ice cold and they said they could'nt find anything wrong. Well today, just for the heck of it, I plugged it into the gen, and again it quite working. All this is happening while plugged into the gen and the fridge is on GAS. I thought if the thing is on gas it dont need 110 power to operate. Everything eles works fine. Lights, funace, water pump, T.V. ect, and both batterys are at full charge. I just cant figure this out, it dont seem right to me. Any body have any clues as to what might be going on with this unit? And I must say, its a 2004 Four Winds Express.

[RV Wizard]

The refrigerator does not need 120 volts to operate on gas but does need 12 volt dc to do so. You should make sure the battery in the trailer is in good condition. If the voltage to refrigerator drops to 11.5 the ref will not operate as it needs this voltage to hold the gas valve open and monitor the flame and temperature of the fresh food section. It sounds like you are loosing your 12 volts. Check to be sure the converter or charger is working properly and keeping the batteries charged.

[Tombs]

Thanks, I know both of the batterys are charged. This only seems to happen when its on the gen. If I plug the trailer in to the house hold current, and on gas, it seems to work fine. But then when I plug it up to the gen. and on gas it stops working. It does not do this all the time though. Now this only happens when its plugged to the gen, and on gas. It seems to be getting the voltage. Maybe a bad gas Valve? It's got me totally stumped. I have been trying to contact Four Winds but have not gotten an responses yet. Thanks.

[Two Bit]

See if it runs OK like this: <UL TYPE=SQUARE> <LI>the refrig on gas <LI>the generator NOT connected <LI>The camper NOT connected to 110 volt <LI> the batteries ON, supplying 12 volt to the refrig.[/list]That way you are testing with gas and batteries. If it runs OK that way and then acts up when the generator is connected then the generator is somehow causing a problem with the 12 volt feed to the refrig., although I dont see how it could affect the 12 volt feed. Is it trying to run on AUTO mode?

[Tombs]

OK, The fridge is not on auto. I have it switched to gas. It's weird because it doesnt happen all the time. If its just on the batterys, its fine, If its on the houshold current, its fine. Only when its off the gen and only on gas, is when it messing up. But everything else works. And thats the problem. I too, dont see how that could affect the 12 volt feed. If I'm not mistaking, the generator just feeds the batteries and the converter then to the appliances. And as long as the batteries are up, it should work, but it doesnt. Making me go crazy.

[Two Bit]

Try using a digital meter to read the 12 volt imput at the refrig when running the generator and when not running the generator. It should not change much. It sounds like something screwy is going on with the 12 volt feed at the refrig.
you said<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>... the generator just feeds the batteries and the converter then to the appliances. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Your generator should only be supplying 110 volt AC, just like being hooked to shore power. The converter takes some of the 110 volt and changes it to 12 volt to charge batteries, run lights, power the 12 volt feed to refrig., water pump ect... (this is a long shot)If the generator is wired where it is also outputing 12 volt DC to your batteries that might be the problem. Some gernerators (I believe the Yamaha is this way) have outputs for 110 volt AC & 12 volt DC. You should not hook the 12 volt outputs to the camper 12 volt at the same time the gen. is supplying 110 volt AC. That would be charging the batteries from the converter and the generator at the same time. Not good and could cause whacky voltages.

PS. Sorry if you already know this stuff, but it is hard, over the internet, to determine someone's level of electrical understanding.

Keep asking questions, someboby will get it figured out.

You might also test the 110 volt output of the generator. The converter may not like the voltage that it is receiving from the generator which would cause it to throw other than 12 volts to the refrig.

[FiverBob]

HMMMM, wonder if the voltage is dropping low when the generator is being cranked? If it drops too low and the fridge sees the low voltage, and if the circuit is really sensitive, it may be kicking the refer out and not coming back in even as the voltage comes back up.

[MikeT]

Also check the frequency of the gen set. It may be way off 60 Hz. and causing strange problems.

[Tombs]

Yes the Yamaha does have the 12 volt thing but, I dont ever use it. Cranking the generater up? The manual to the gen. says to unplug everything before starting, so thats what I do. Then plug the trailer back in. Just dont want any surges or the like. I'll check the gen's. voltage but i'm pretty sure its good. Thats what the meter on it says any ways. Plus that it runs the T.V and D.V.D. player fine. This thing is still amking me nuts though.

[Tombs]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike T (miket):
Also check the frequency of the gen set. It may be way off 60 Hz. and causing strange problems. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have no idea how I would do that Mike. But as I said it doesnt do this all the time. When I was deer hunting the fridge ran fine for 5 - 6 days straight before it started whacking out and quiting. Seems that if the freq. was off, it would be off all the time, not just some times. As I said though, I know nothing about the freq. stuff.

[FiverBob]

Frequency should not affect the fridge since you are running it on DC. I was assumming you were cranking the genny while everything was plugged in - - how do you crank the genny if it is not plugged in?????? Where does the gen get its cranking power?

[Tombs]

OK, Fiver Bob, you got me there. I thought when you said cranking you meant starting it. what exactly is meant by cranking and cranking power? You guys are just saying stuff like this to make me nuts, arent you. LOL.

[Sunny]

Tombs
I think he meant start it. I would tell him with a rope and your arm, I don't think your Gen is electric start. I hope I am not wrong on this.

Tom