New Dometic Fridge - exhaust smell

[Kevin77]

Hi all. Just purchased a 1700BH. During the walk through, no issues. Towed it 4 hours home. While the family checked it out, I was noticing a smell that my wife pinpointed as coming from the vent behind the fridge. Almost like a burning smell.

I shut the fridge off and took it to storage. Came back over, turned propane back on, and after awhile the same smell reappeared. It’s in the 90s, so I can’t tell how well the fridge is cooling off, although the freezer was cool last night. Fridge, not so much.

Is this possibly the fins burning off dust, or something else?

Thanks

[creativepart]

Well, it is possible that the smell is burning off dust or even sawdust from the manufacturing process. It's also possible it's a problem with the Fridge construction.

RV fridges cause a large number of RV fires every year. So, it would not be unheard of.

Have you removed the outer cover on the side of the RV? Perhaps you can see what's happening.

If it continues even a little I'd call the dealer, call Winnebago or call the fridge manufacturer. You'd hate to go out on your first trip and have this issue.

As for cooling. An RV fridge cools the freezer first and it can take 24 hours to cool the whole fridge down. Most folks with RV fridges bring the TT home a couple of days before leaving on a trip and turn the fridge on ASAP to give it time to reach temp.

It cools fastest on Propane, but once cool electric should keep it cool. Also, many people refrigerate all the food going into the fridge before loading into the newly cooled fridge. Putting warm food in your newly cooled fridge will quickly make the fridge warm up and give it a harder time getting cool.

[creativepart]

Not to scare you, but to make you aware:

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/refr...ml#post5344487

[Kevin77]

I opened up both outside vent covers. Some sawdust in there, but not much.

Vent cover on top (by fins) is hot. Lower cover not. I cannot see any flame from the burner jet, but the sunlight may be preventing from seeing it right now. Protection cover over the burner jet is hot, so I am assuming there is a flame. A fan sound is constantly running.

Trailer is level. Fridge has been on for about 2 hours now. Freezer is noticeably cooler and the fins in the fridge are cooler as well.

[Morich]

If a vacuum is handy, I might go the extra to try blowing anything out by attaching the vac hose to the exhaust instead of intake? Leaf blower would be handy if on hand!

[DavidM]

I suspect it is accumulated dust burning off from non use, or maybe sawdust burning from never having been used at least on propane. Our furnace always gives off a burning smell the first time it is used in the fall.

But try to check for a mouse or hornets nest inside the burner tube that is baking off. A blockage like a nest would be a real fire concern, dust much less so.

The cooling you describe is perfectly consistent with a functioning fridge.

David