2017 Swift / Sterling twin axle Dometic fridge
Help please
We are experienced caravanners with a brand new 2017 Swift Conqueror 645 and Dometic 190 litre RMD 551 Tower Fridge Freezer. Does anyone else have issues with this model fridge or any advice please?
The same fridge freezer is fitted in twin axle Swift Conqueror/Elegance and Sterling Continental/Elites. Also in Bessaccar TA models.
We noticed the fridge feeling warm inside and were advised by the dealer to take measurements. We performed tests, then returned to the dealer who also found similar results on 230v operation over 2 days. Dealer states that they emailed Dometic who replied that everything is operating as it should with the fridge. However, as it currently operates it is not usable on tour or in fact when sited.
Note - user instructions state that you should use power setting 3 (medium) in ambient temperatures of between 15 and 25 degrees to maintain safe food storage temperatures of 0-4 degrees.
Fridge...
All temperatures were measured on the coolest lowest shelf. Used Bluetooth "peanut" device so that measurements can be taken with door closed. As an aside these cost about £20 on amazon and link to smart phone and are brill. Measurements match second conventional thermometer in a cup of water inside fridge.
Issue
Excessive time to cool on gas and 230v at full power setting 5 even in cool ambient temperatures. Does not cool to between 0 and 4 degrees on power setting 3 or 4 at all. Temperature rises when moving from setting 3 to 5 e.g. From 2 degrees to 9 degrees over 3 hours @ 18 degree ambient.
Temp increases quickly on tow.
To illustrate:
Initially cooling down fridge from ambient 15 degrees on full power mains - takes well over 12 hours to get to food safe temp i.e. 4 degrees.
Then on 12 volt tow full power 5 setting for just 2 hours, goes up from 3 to 9 degrees.
Once on site it takes more than 12 hours overnight at 230volt mains max cooling power setting 5 to get fridge cold again.
Then opening the door as quickly as possible to get milk out just four times in a day resulted in the fridge rising in temperature from 1.7 degrees to 10 degrees between 12pm and 5pm external ambient was 18 degrees, fridge vents were shaded under trees. Internal caravan temperature was 23 degrees) and this was with fridge operating on mains full power 5 setting. (User manual suggests power setting 3 in this situation)
Cooling on gas instead of mains makes no difference to rate of cooling or maintenance of temperatures.
The fridge just seems to lack cooling power in all modes of operation. When you open the door quickly it just does not cool down again.
Having the fridge fuller or more empty makes no difference. It is not useable even on relatively cool days. Goodness knows what it will be like on sunny hot days?
Perhaps there may be a problem with heat exchange performance or inadequate levels of insulation. Door seals seem fine. The cupboards above and below the fridge freezer are very cold inside perhaps indicating lack of insulation, but we can't be sure.
Feel at a loss because dealer is just saying that is how it is based on their own measurements and correspondence with Dometic. I left the caravan with the dealer for 5 days to test. I suggested that they compared measurements to other caravans in stock with the same model fridge but unfortunately they said they just did not have enough time to do this and to deal directly with Dometic.
Freezer seems to work ok but defrosts on 12v tow.
Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for long post.
Best regards
Trevor & Gill.
Comments
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http://www.caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=49759
interesting discussion here
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Unfortunately, situation normal. It seems that Dometic 8551 fridges have a general problem of getting cold as soon as there are summer temperatures involved. We had a Lunar Lexon 640 since 2014 and we always had to run it on setting 4 or 5 in order to maintain 4°C or better. On taking it to France in the summer, internal temperatures went up to 15°C or higher if the external ambient was 30°C or more (we just gave up keeping food cold, buying perishables on a daily basis). We have very recently changed to a 2017 Lunar Delta with the same model fridge and on first use it, too, took overnight to cool to a safe temperature and then needed setting 4 or 5 to maintain 4°C. Dometic offer an accessory 12V fan for ambient temperatures above 32°C, but I think it is pie in the sky to believe you only need it for such high ambients. Anything over 25°C is more like it. The freezer compartment generally seems to perform better. Apparently Dometic's specification for this unit is that it should achieve 7°C in the fridge and -12°C in the freezer at 32°C ambient - we've never seen anything like this performance, yet Dometic have checked ours out on more than one occasion and declared it to be working correctly! Incidentally, we spoke to the owner of a Buccaneer 'van whilst in France this year, with a different model large Dometic fridge/freezer, and they had no problems.
There have been recent discussions on 12V towing performance. If you have a Euro 5 or 6 diesel, you may have almost zero cooling effect as the 12V circuit to the 'van can apparently shut down as part of the fuel saving/emissions régime. That happened on both our previous and current tow cars, with no easy solution. Again, travel with nothing in the fridge unless you can arrange to have a large cool block in place, or a frozen 4pt bottle of milk!
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Thanks heddlo. Great and detailed response. Aware of the issue on EU6 engines and smart alternators.
My issue here is that the fridge is not performing as specified. Surely that is a trade description matter. Customers should not accept.
With your fridge Heddlo, can you get it down to 4 degrees at ambient temperatures of 15 to 25 degrees?
Today on holiday in Cornwall outside temperature now is 14 degrees and fridge is at 11.1 degrees running on 230volt mains, 5 bar max setting... (been on that setting since 1800 last night)
Thanks again
Trev
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That sounds like something is very wrong! Should be down to working temperature after cooling overnight at only 14 deg outside, though opening the door can result in a 2 deg rise. With mine I didn't normally have a problem maintaining 4 deg at ambients up to 25deg, though at max 5 bar setting. Same with our new 'van so far, but it's very early days for that. I agree such poor performance should not be accepted and we will be tackling Dometic at the NEC, though after a frustrating 3 years of trying, normal life needs to go on! Hope you can get something sorted soon.
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I have a new Swift 580 with a newer version Dometic fridge compared to my old one. Last one was brilliant even at 35 degrees. This one the fridge is great but found some issues with the freezer failing to keep meat frozen at the front of the compartment. I am investigating further as it is possible I stacked it too full although never had a problem with the old one. Only difference is that this freezer compartment is removable to enable a larger fridge compartment if you so choose.
i have a Euro 6 engine and towbar fitted with the vehicle specific wiring kit. It gives a constant feed to the fridge and never cuts out. Disadvantage is that you can't leave it connected for too long when parked although not had an issue with an hour or two so far.
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Thanks for the info MDD10, it appears the newer fridges work better than the 8551's. We also have the fridge wiring on our new car but still no joy with our previous fridge in keeping cold whilst towing. Have yet to check with the new caravan.
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Well, I have just encountered exactly the same problem. Bailey with Dometic RMD8551. Has worked fine for 2 years. Was away for 3 weeks recently and worked fine. Arrived home and defrosted fridge. After a 3 days defrosting and cleaning, plugged in, switched on and travelled again. Of course it does not work when travelling, as documented elsewhere. However now been on EHU since Saturday and fridge is warm. This morning, flashing orange light and beeping. Fridge warm. Have now switched to gas to see if it cools down. No warnings at the moment.
Looks like fridge is knackered.
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We have a new swift sprite quattro which we purchased at the beginning of the year. We had problems from the start with the fridge being too warm. The dealer told us it was the control panel software causing the problem so they disconnected the fridge from the panel and said the problem was fixed.
We took the van away in this country and even on setting 5 electric or gas it couldn't get to the safe temperature. We took the van back to the dealer and they ran checks over a few days. They decided that the fridge was faulty and ordered and fitted a new one 3 days before our annual holiday to France.
The new fridge couldn't get to temperature either. It took over 3 days for the fridge to get below 8 degrees at night and as soon as we opened the door a couple of times in the day it couldnt get back into the blue zone on our fridge thermometer. The freezer never got below -8 or -9 the whole 2 weeks.
Our dealer is at a loss. They have ordered another fridge and we are waiting to take the van back for this to be fitted.
We are not sure what our next step will be if this fridge doesnt get to temperature. We really like the van apart from this fridge problem.
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Our 2013 Swift van is also fitted with a Dometic fridge, though not your tall one. And ours also struggled from day 1. Of course, if it’s cool outside and you wait long enough, the fridge will drop to the threshold of safety, 8 deg, but takes a further age to reduce to a conventional 4 or 5 deg for food safety. To positively assess it’s cooling you need to wait for a warmer spell, so assessment can be a drawn out process. And believe me, we nagged and pestered our dealer about the matter. They removed the fly screens inside the vents, promising success which didn’t occur. Then they fitted auxiliary fans, which only helped a little. Finally, on the Isle of Wight, it stopped - so we called in a Dometic agent, who seemed to know the model inside out and prescribed the replacement of the entire chilling assembly - then it started working again, but only just. Back home we had the entire chilling unit changed. It’s a £450 job, which has fixed it. For us there’s a simple truth - there are far too many Dometic fridges which don’t cool properly, and if you have one, then the only remedy is to replace the cooling unit. Oh, and forget any claim that it needs servicing annually because that won’t fix it either.
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Don't know if it's relevant - but looking at new vans - Swift and Bailey - the other day, I noticed there seems to be a trend on some models to position the fridge so that when the door is clipped open, the fridge vent(s) are behind the door and obviously on the awning side. Although it may be an attempt to balance out the axle loading, it's not ideal.
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I've got a Dometic fridge in our MH. Based on our experience of its performance, it can counteract all that polar ice-cap depletion.
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