Chinook RV

Hello All,

First post here. I'm super excited. I just got my first RV, a new-to-me 1994 Premier. I picked it up two nights ago and couldn't resist camping in my driveway last night. Anyway, I've had the chinook plugged into shore power for 24 hours now and the fridge isn't getting cold. It's a single door Norcold, somewhere around 5cf, but I can't read the model on the attached plate. On both propane and AC, there is a little heat coming from the unit when inspected from the panel outside the coach and a faint hiss, both of which I believe to be good signs as I have a basic understanding of the absorption process. I'm worried that one of two (or both) things are happening. Either my driveway is too sloped for the fridge to operate correctly, though I don't think it's that big of an angle, or it's damaged or damaging itself by trying to operate on a slope. I'm at work now and it's plugged in, trying to cool, but I recently read that it can crystallize by trying to operate it at an angle. I can't get home for a couple hours still to turn it off or move it.

What I really want to know is:

Any clue what model this is?
What angles give your refrigerators issues?
Am I doing irreparable damage having left it on shore power while I slept and went to work?
Any suggestions?

Thanks.

How extreme was/is the angle? Post a pic in the driveway maybe? I've had some fairly tilted angles and been ok, but steep can crack the boiler thing. I think that would release ammonia into the RV btw.. But don't quote me on that.

Welcome! And congrats on your new Chinook! Exciting times

On the absorption refrigerator, they "say" that any angle that would be comfortable for living is okay. The other thing is that a slope side to side (on the rig, not the fridge) would not be as bad. Reason is if you envision the tubing like a giant pachinko machine the "slopes" all go fore-and-aft (meaning from front of rig to back). So if you have a fore-and-aft (of the rig) tilt, then the slopes in the tubing are exaggerated, and that can cause the problems. But tilting the rig side to side, doesn't accentuate the slopes and rises in the tubing, so it's not as bad. What can happen, as I understand it, is the powder type stuff can start to "clog the arteries" of the tubes, which only work by gentle flow due to heat rising, so don't have the force to cleanse themselves. Reason driving on tilts and hills is no problem is that the stuff is always being shaken up and around, so can't settle and make clogs.

If you ever decide to change to a DC compressor refrigerator, then they are fine up to a 30º angle (which is more than you'd ever want to angle!).

I can't speak to your 1994, but when I was Chinook shopping I looked at a 1999 Chinook Premier - with the single door refrigerator (inner plastic freezer door) - and it was a Norcold model 6053. So there's a chance that's what yours is. It looked like this (sorry for the blurry pic, but it does show what it looks like for ID purposes). If this is the model you have, I have a manual and repair guide I could upload to the reference sub-forum.

Hi

That looks very similar to mine. I'd appreciate if you uploaded the manuals.

As far as the tilt goes, I used an avalanche slope meter and guesstimated the slope at roughly 7 degrees. Obviously, in my excitement, I've already slept in it in the driveway and the tilt was perfectly comfortable for sleeping. Clearly too much for the fridge though.

The GOOD NEWS is that I but the front wheels up on 4 pavers (those big square bricks) and it got cold. I'm really glad it still works, and it works well. I froze my nalgene solid... oops.

I'll upload what I have to the reference section and then link to it here. Good to know you got it working. It's possible you have done some damage (the "stuff" can cake up a little bit like hardening arteries), but who knows, so you might as well just move on forward and enjoy your cold food and beverages. Do keep an eye out for leaks or corrosion in the outside hatch area - especially yellow powder residue. Just to stay on the safe side.

I thought I had read 3º, but now that seems almost too level to be right. I'll see if I can find that figure again.

Okay, just looked in the repair manual for that refrigerator. As a part of troubleshooting it asks,

Is the refrigerator being operated in a comfortably level position?

So I guess you just need to ask it if it is comfortable

BG

Here is a link to some documentation for this type of refrigerator that I put in the Reference sub-forum.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=484

thanks for the upload.

I guess my fridge is like the princess and the pea... too uncomfortable for its own good.