20 replies to this topic

[Bisleybud]

We will be taking delivery on our new Grandby shell in Sept. Would like to hear comments on how owners like their Dometics 3 cu. ft. 3 way refrigerators pro or con?

How level do they have to be?
Do they work very well on 12 volts while traveling?

[MarkBC]

Leveling: Some people complain about the need for leveling...but aside from the refrigerator's needs, I don't like living on an angle, so I always level the camper for me. I don't like it when eggs run over to one side of the skillet.
How level? I have a little bubble-level and I make sure the bubble is in the middle -- I carry several leveling planks for this purpose. I don't have an angle measurement. I think the owner's manual specifies a couple of degrees within level.

DC use while traveling: It will keep the food cold, but it doesn't have enough power to get a warm fridge cold...at least, not very fast. You need to have already chilled it down with propane mode. And if I stopped en-route for an extended time while using DC -- like to shop in a supermarket or eat a meal -- I always turned the setting OFF DC, either lit the propane or just turned the fridge off. I don't know if it was necessary to turn it off, but I know that DC draws a lot of power in a 3-way.
Eventually I discovered that it works fine to run it in propane mode while driving. It's not officially recommended...but many do it, and they don't blow up or burst into flames. Individual choice, obviously.

Overall I liked my 3-way fridge. It worked well and propane to feed it is cheap and convenient. They're used in the vast majority of RVs. I have a friend with a $50,000 Airstream trailer and it has a 3-way fridge.
Periodically (every couple years?) you may need to clean the propane burner of some kind of deposit/corrosion. I couldn't figure out why my fridge wasn't getting cold, but found (from a WTW thread) to remove and clean the burner with a wire brush: That was the problem!

The only thing I didn't like about my 3-way (Norcold, but very similar to Dometic) was when (after 5 years of use) the system ruptured catastrophically and spewed ammonia gas into the camper (and outside). I was driving at the time -- not in the camper -- so I didn't die.

My 2¢.

[Stan@FourWheel]

Hey Bisleybud

The owners manual says the 3-way refrigerators have to be within 3 degrees of level.

(so the refer has to be pretty much level to be working correctly)

They don't work very well on 12v battery power.

(they suck alot of power if you are running them on 12v)

Best to use electricity or propane to run the 3-way refrigerators.

Hope this helps.

Happy Camping !




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We will be taking delivery on our new Grandby shell in Sept. Would like to hear comments on how owners like their Dometics 3 cu. ft. 3 way refrigerators pro or con?

How level do they have to be?
Do they work very well on 12 volts while traveling?

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[leadsled9]

I like my 3-way generally. It works fine as long as you keep the burner slots clean. Like Stan said, running in on 12 volt will run down your battery.

Cleaning the burners should be part of your annual maintenance.

When and if mine ever dies....I'll replace it with one of the newer DC compressor models as I have since added a solar system to my camper. It would be nice to be able to cool down the fridge while parked in my angled driveway before a trip.

[1tonpaulie]

Must be kept level even when not being used. Or the camper is off the truck. I took my camper off and it was not level for a week or so. The next week end I put the camper on the truck and turned the fridge to propane to chill fast. The next day I went to load the fridge, the fridge was HOT the freezer was Cold. That 1 week mistake cost $800.00. When I ordered the FWC Grandby I got it with a Engel MT 35 with a Two Zone.
IF you keep the 3 way close to level it will last you many years. Good luck!

Paulie

[Brad's Dad]

Must be kept level even when not being used. Or the camper is off the truck. I took my camper off and it was not level for a week or so. The next week end I put the camper on the truck and turned the fridge to propane to chill fast. The next day I went to load the fridge, the fridge was HOT the freezer was Cold. That 1 week mistake cost $800.00. When I ordered the FWC Grandby I got it with a Engel MT 35 with a Two Zone.
IF you keep the 3 way close to level it will last you many years. Good luck!

Paulie

You are saying that storing in an unlevel position (without using the unit while stored) will damage the refrig?

[1tonpaulie]

Yes Sir I Am.

[DanoT]

You are saying that storing in an unlevel position (without using the unit while stored) will damage the refrig?

I find this hard to believe, but I am no expert. Are there any RV techs out there with a definitive answer?

I have a 2011 Phoenix Camper with a 3cu ft Dometic 3 way. It has an auto feature that runs the fridge in the optimum mode. So when driving down the road it goes to 12v, when stopped with the engine off it switches to propane and when plugged in to shore power or generator it goes to 120ac. There is a manual over-ride, so if the battery is low you can set it to run on propane when driving to more quickly recharge the battery. I just installed a 12v fan in the lower compartment at the back of the fridge. It seems to help handle heat build up back there and help cooling efficiency.

[Desert Rancher]

I have a 2011 Phoenix Camper with a 3cu ft Dometic 3 way. It has an auto feature that runs the fridge in the optimum mode.

Interesting, do you know what model number it is?

Thanks~

[DanoT]

Interesting, do you know what model number it is?

Thanks~

It is a RM2354 made in China (where else?) in 2010.