'18 view all electric fridge thermostat issues

[nibor]

Have the new all electric fridge in our '18 view. Anyone have an issue with the thermostat? In the freezer it cycles from 14 deg to 45 deg even with a computer fan I wired into the fridge section. This is with the thermostat set to 5 (coldest).

Popsicles and ice cream turn to soup!

Prefer to just fix it myself than deal with the wait and expense of taking it to a dealer even though it is under warranty if the fix is low cost (<$50).

thanks,

robin

 

[old-geezer]

Have the new all electric fridge in our '18 view. Anyone have an issue with the thermostat? In the freezer it cycles from 14 deg to 45 deg even with a computer fan I wired into the fridge section. This is with the thermostat set to 5 (coldest).

Popsicles and ice cream turn to soup!

Prefer to just fix it myself than deal with the wait and expense of taking it to a dealer even though it is under warranty if the fix is low cost (<$50).

thanks,

robin

We had the exact same issue.

Norcold is fully aware of it as they got a batch of faulty thermostats. Unfortunately the entire refrigerator has to be pulled out to access the back to change it as the capillary tube goes from the top of the fridge, into the back and into the evaporator coil in the upper left rear of the freezer.

I found a mobile repairman to do mine on site.

 

[luvlabs]

There are some long posts on IRV2 in the Winnebago forum about this refrigerator. Call your dealer, advise him of the repair needed and let him get stuff ready. Also talk to Winnebago as this is a warranty repair. Winnebago may spring for a mobile repair if you are not near any dealers.

 

[billbo]

Yes, the "long" post on iRV2 is mine (or I started the mess). Just go through the process. It appears all of the units with a bad thermostat are not yet repaired. Replacing the thermostat has corrected several of the units while three of us had to get the refrigerators replaced. Two of us posted that trial over on other board, it was long, painful and tedious and heated. While getting all the work done I suggest you ask to have your DE0061 connected to both AC and DC power, it will work far better overall. By now you probably know WGO only connects the 12VDC side. Good luck! Here's hoping the thermostat is a fix and done with yours. Yeah, at least WGO is totally aware of the whole thing and they have been since August of 2017, documented. I picked up our V24D 1/29/18. It is a "rolling" problem until all the bad thermostats are replaced. There are at least two different series of this unit affected as well, different serial number ranges which implies we don't yet know the full extent of the series with bad thermostats. Be sure to run a live test on your refrigerator once the thermostat is replaced. Load it up with food, put probes in the freezer and bottom section and monitor performance. Right now my replacement unit is performing just about like my stick and brick unit. I can run it at 0*F at just over 4.5 on the control to 2*F on exactly 4.5 on the control measured properly in the freezer. We had to add an air flow block in the bottom section to prevent freezeup there. Want more info let me know.

 

[billbo]

I forgot another detail which you might want to have checked when they pull the refrigerator. The wiring to the A/C (air conditioner) runs into the display panel above the refrigerator. Since they are "busy" in that area ask them to loosen that panel and check the wiring to the A/C. Several units have had really bad wiring, cut up, knotted, twisted, all messed up there. There is a dummy electrical box in the bottom. It is used to connect the 12-2 wire from the AC distribution panel to the roof pull to the A/C which also should be 12-2 per WGO drawing and code since the breaker is 20 amp. Do it or have it checked. Some units got 14-2 installed from the distribution panel and through the roof - not code.

 

[nibor]

Thanks for the info.

Regarding wiring to AC in addition to DC, is having AC simply good way to provide consistent DC voltage regulation? I'm using lithium batteries so voltage is typically 13.2V all the time and we dry camp a lot though occasionally plug in.

robin

 

[billbo]

Robin,
In your case connecting to 120AC will provide little advantage. You have spent the cash on lithium, might as well use it! For the rest of us who are more frugal (or just don't have the cash for lithium) connecting to both sources gives a nice way to run the unit on shore or generator and allow our batteries to charge up better. I'm looking at putting in T-1275s in our rig. Cart batteries but they give 300amps since 12 volts in parallel. Normally I'd go 6 volts in series but these look promising and one reports good use with them. Yeah, your batteries will provide better regulation than the Norcold converter module which is used for 120AC to run the 12VDC compressor. We do boondock but spend a lot of time with shore power as well. I like having two ways to power the unit since it comes with both.

 

[Winterbagoal]

Ours seems OK.
Our chronology is as follows.
We have the all electric fridge in our 2018 N24V. Our unit hit the assembly line in early March 2018. We picked it up 3rd week of March in Ontario, Canada. Apparently the Canadian chassis from MB was touted as the main build delay, since our Navion was ordered in late October 2017.
As for the fridge, it seems to function well, so far. The N24V has been plugged into shore power when not being test driven, pretty much since we got it. I only recently discovered this topic, and have just tested our fridge for cooling. I hadn't even thought about trying it until I saw this issue mentioned on here and elsewhere.
Our numbers.
The freezer gets down just below 0C at the 3.5 setting on the dial. The lower compartment sits at around 5C at that same setting. Both are reasonable numbers, I think, without actually having anything in it, up or down, except some bottled water downstairs. Time, and real world usage, will tell.
I don't know if this information helps anyone?

To all who have the problem, may you get it fixed as painlessly as possible, and without further cost.

 

[billbo]

Mike,

Just my penny here but you need to get close to -17C to store frozen food so try 4 or 4.5 setting with food in the freezer. At least -10C to be safe. Like you said, I hope everyone gets theirs working fine if there is a thermostat issue or whatever. It took us about two months of nagging, fussing, pleading and finally one fine gentleman from Norcold stepped up to the plate and made it right. We went through all the technical hoopla of probes in alcohol mixture, regulated door openings, monitoring temps ya-da-da. Annoying but very happy with the unit now. We've had, hopefully, most of our "new" RV bugs smashed now. Still have to get a failed solar panel replaced - yes, even that. Converter died, replaced. Anyway enough for one new RV. Seems like I promised myself about 10 years ago I would never buy another new rig but here we are again. I think the road is looking pretty clear now, safe travels ahead.

 

[Winterbagoal]

Hi billbo.
The numbers I posted were from some functional testing over the last 24-48 hours, mostly to see if we had the thermostat problem, and weren't absolutes for how we normally use our fridge in the motorhome. Sorry if I gave the impression that those were numbers we'd use in the real world while traveling. I was just testing our fridge's basic capabilities.
To clarify, we typically don't store a lot of frozen food (rarely, and for very short periods of time, if at all) but might make ice for drinks, or to freeze our porta-packs for external cooler use. That's about the extent of our "rolling freezer" requirements. As long as the lower compartment, at the temps I've observed at around the 3.5 setting keeps the water cold and the rest of the "buffet" cool, we're good to go.
If we were to require longer term frozen food storage, your numbers are clearly based upon the recommended USDA/CFIA numbers, which we could probably achieve by nudging the setting closer to the maximum "5" as you suggest.
Thanks for the penny's worth of input. Duly noted, and appreciated.

 

[nibor]

I just read the thread on IRV2. What a S*#Tshow!!! Called Winnebago and they said to call the dealer and the dealer is booked out till June and I'm pretty confident it they will screw it up because it is a CampingWorld.

Does anyone know what the part number is for the thermostat? I believe it is 634786

thanks,

robin

 

[billbo]

Yeah, bad show all around. After all the hoopla etc. none of us got the new thermostat number. I believe that is partly because there are different series of units (different serial number ranges) and various thermostats and partly because of the mysterious secrecy. I don't know who is trying to hide what but anyone who reads the forums should know about it now. Unfortunately many buy the rig before research on forums or don't know about them. Apparently they were alluding to a thermostat with black on the back as "bad" and white as the good new one until one of us had a bad white one as well. Sadly I suggest you not try to order one. The replacement will be based on your serial number inside the refrigerator and working with either company is simply "take it to the dealer". I think one person in this thread reported having a mobile service tech replace his - worth a shot if WGO will help. One thing I know for a fact is you do not have to take the rig to your purchasing dealer. I found a great WGO dealer, not CW, to replace my refrigerator. Had to drive 70 miles one way, left it there over the weekend (they worked on Saturday as well) picked it up that Monday. I finally tested my solar panels and isolated the bad one today, 0 volts output in full sun. I'll get this one replaced but they look pretty darned flimsy, curled up etc. so in the future I'll be getting another brand, with diodes between each cell. Another 140 mile round trip, whew!

Good luck with your thermostat and I really hope that gets your rig on the road functional.

 

[CyBeth]

Just found this discussion and viewed the iRV2 thread as well. We have a 2015 RoadTrek CS Adventurous with the same Norcold refrigerator. For the first 2 years, it worked well, but then when we took the unit out this year, we started experiencing all the symptoms described. We were at the the RoadTrek factory and they replaced the whole fridge and the new one also gave the same frustrating results. Since it starts up and works, it appears to be fine. But after the initial cool down, the compressor does not come on and things start to warm up.
Sounds like this thermostat issue to me!
Where is the thermostat and what does it look like. I have an appointment next month to address this and a few other issues and would like to see it resolved, hopefully with a functioning thermostat.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[GeorgeRa]

Assuming this fridge is a compressor based; did you consider using electronic thermostat in lieu of an electromechanical capillary probe-based thermostat. In my Isotherm Cruise 85 I replaced the old style capillary thermostat with the Isotherm Smart Controller with probe located inside the fridge not on the cold plate and it works great. No more clicking relay and in my case, refrigerator is quieter because it operates often at lower RPM. There is also a generic electronic thermostat with digital temperature display.
https://www.go2marine.com/product/3...MI5KTawMDE2wIVxGB-Ch3ruQesEAQYBSABEgKKN_D_BwE
https://www.indelwebastomarine.com/int/products/cooling-technology/isotherm-smart-energy-control/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2hAWqFVkUI

 

[mlmurrah]

The Norcold in our new '18 View 24D worked continuously on our current and first trip in the View from Texas to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for almost two months. Then in Iowa it stopped cooling and melted down, leaving puddles in the floor one morning. We cleaned up the mess, turned off the switch above the door and then turned it back on. That was two days ago, and it has been cooling and freezing since. We took it to a dealer in Council Bluffs, and they called Winnebago for assistance, and they told them to call Norcold. Norcold apparently was not very helpful, but they told the tech, that if it happens again, to pull the wires from the thermostat and short them together to bypass the thermostat. If that fixes the problem, the thermostat is bad. That suggestion tells me that Norcold thinks the problem is the thermostat. The thermostat wires are on the on-off switch behind the grill above the refrigerator. Winnebago did tell the tech that the Norcold refrigerator is designed to operate on both AC and DC but that they had hooked up only the DC wiring. If I have to have the fregrigerator pulled to replace the thermostat, I am going to get the AC hooked up as well.

 

[mlmurrah]

Yes, the "long" post on iRV2 is mine (or I started the mess). While getting all the work done I suggest you ask to have your DE0061 connected to both AC and DC power, it will work far better overall. By now you probably know WGO only connects the 12VDC side..

How big an issue is it to have the A/C side of the refrigerator hooked up? Is there a long run of wiring that requires lots of disassembly? How expensive is it? I am assuming that the refrigerator is already being removed to replace the thermostat.

 

[Geriakt]

I have to shake my head over all these brand new RV issues. It is a shame the industry can't sell a quality product that is QC'ed before it leaves the factory. I thought this new Norcold AC/DC compressor unit was to fix all these problems from the try power units?

1) For the Norcold AC/DC units that do work well, how many hours or days of battery life do you get running this unit when boon docking? With or without 300 watts of solar? 2) Since it is a AC/DC unit I would want the AC side working too so when running off shore power. Batteries die and have a memory as the battery ages. This makes no sense to me why Winnebago does not plug the unit it to a 110 volt outlet like they do on the try power unit.

3) Is it possible to start a new thread on these T-1275 batteries? I would like to learn more as I will need to replace my house batteries soon.
Tom

 

[old-geezer]

The Norcold in our new '18 View 24D worked continuously on our current and first trip in the View from Texas to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for almost two months. Then in Iowa it stopped cooling and melted down, leaving puddles in the floor one morning. We cleaned up the mess, turned off the switch above the door and then turned it back on. That was two days ago, and it has been cooling and freezing since. We took it to a dealer in Council Bluffs, and they called Winnebago for assistance, and they told them to call Norcold. Norcold apparently was not very helpful, but they told the tech, that if it happens again, to pull the wires from the thermostat and short them together to bypass the thermostat. If that fixes the problem, the thermostat is bad. That suggestion tells me that Norcold thinks the problem is the thermostat. The thermostat wires are on the on-off switch behind the grill above the refrigerator. Winnebago did tell the tech that the Norcold refrigerator is designed to operate on both AC and DC but that they had hooked up only the DC wiring. If I have to have the fregrigerator pulled to replace the thermostat, I am going to get the AC hooked up as well.

There is no AC connection on my refrigerator as it's the DC-0061. Only if you have the DE-0061 does it also have an AC power connection.

When on shore or generator power they get unlimited DC power from the power supply. In my case it's under the passenger side bed. Being that ours are compressor refrigerators and are installed in RV's with DC power supplies I see no need for an AC connection whatsoever.

I really like the fact that I don't have to level the coach every time. I just make sure we're feet downhill for sleeping and level side to side so one of us doesn't roll out of bed and we're done.

FWIW, mine also had a bad thermostat but the refrigerator has performed flawlessly since (several months). Norcold is fully aware of the faulty thermostat issue.

 

[gliderpilot]

I have a 18' Navion 24V, just had my thermostat replaced.

Fridge works great now!

Norcold is very aware of this issue, apparently they had a large
batch of defective thermostats from their supplier.

 

[stevepsd]

Just bought a '19 View 24J with the Norcold AC/DC (DC 0061) refrigerator.

According to its serial number (28653xxx) it is the latest version of the refrigerator (at least as Norcold shows).

Is there a way to tell if I have one of the bad batch of thermostats or do I just wait and see?