Suggestion Check basement fridge/freezer serial numbers even on new rigs

[MarkMaxPayne]

Even though a Dometic recall was published in July 2020 and my 2023 model New Aire was built in Oct 2022, my serial number was in the range of that recall letter. Newmar must have ordered a container or two or three <grin> of these Dometic basement storage fridge/freezers. Even though the rig was built 2 years and 3 months after the recall, no warning sticker on the device and the rig shipped from the factory to the dealer with both 120VAC and 12VDC outlets plugged in at the same time. I purchased it with both plugged in and am going on 9 months with this potential fire hazard being none the wiser. Even though I registered my CFX345 with Dometic, no recall letter. Lots of opportunities to pay for an extended warranty on a defective unit though!

To check your model and serial numbers: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2020/RCONL-20E040-2225.pdf

The recall remedy for this potential fire hazard if both are plugged in at the same time? A sticker they'd ship you to apply to the unit to warn you to only have one or the other plugged in, but not both.

I hope this helps somebody not to have what could be a very bad day...

Best,
-Mark

 

[team bradfield]

I've never used the 12v, but good to know, thanks

 

[jaydee325]

NHTSA should be notified. All parties (Newmar, Dometic, Dealer, and NHTSA) let this slip.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Read the recall, seems like the “fix” is don’t plug in two sources of electricity? Am I wrong?

 

[team bradfield]

That's how I read it

 

[TheLooks]

But there is no oversite for any RV or RV company. They have been skating along this way for all time. I routinely see things that would not pass code in any house in the US. Some say the prices would skyrocket if codes were implemented. But you would not need guys like me as often or make lengthy and expensive trips to service centers.

 

[MarkMaxPayne]

NHTSA should be notified. All parties (Newmar, Dometic, Dealer, and NHTSA) let this slip.

I can see how this happens. Already registered owners are notified, but nobody had registered the CXF3xx prior to myself, the end user, many years later... The lesson I learned from this is to check all devices in any rig I purchase (even new) for any prior recalls or service bulletins. Had I paid for a professional inspection by an independent 3rd party before purchase, it may have been flagged. For some reason that's a natural and normal step when buying boats, but when it comes to RVs, not so much.

Best,
-Mark

 

[Underboss]

I am curious why anyone would plug in both the 110 and the 12v. Has common sense been removed from the equation? Like how cars now have to come with a warning to not drink the antifreeze.
This is why I buy new and take the hit. I know the only fool touching that rv before me was the tech at the dealership and I can overcome that with a testing/checking every system. Who knows what a previous owner did.

 

[old timer]

Any way I can check for recalls on a 2017 forest river trailer? I purchased it from a dealer, as is.I don't think it has been used mutch.

 

[Neal]

This is unfortunate as I have the CF-80 (not affected) but the design of the 12V and 120V plugged in the same time is so if you lose your shore power (driving, etc.) you are still providing power to the cooler to cool. Is it going to be a problem for a day? Probably not but I also don't believe these units are sealed or insulated as well as residential refrigerators and aren't going to maintain temp as long, just a guess.

 

[team bradfield]

Mine runs off the inverter, as does my residential fridge while driving, If your 120 is not available, there wouldn't be an issue

 

[Neal]

Mine runs off the inverter, as does my residential fridge while driving, If your 120 is not available, there wouldn't be an issue

Good point, on second cup of coffee, wiring diagram in head is coming alive I'll probably disconnect my 12V line as well, not needed.

 

[Underboss]

Good point, on second cup of coffee, wiring diagram in head is coming alive I'll probably disconnect my 12V line as well, not needed.

In my 2023 Jayco Swift Lithium the refrigerator is hooked up to both 110 and 12v. But I only put the inverter on when using 110. But thinking about it, when the inverter is on, the 12v is still connected. So technically its designed this way.
One solution is not always correct and I have a feeling that the engineers are clueless when they design the wiring. So I cannot blame the owners

 

[flyboy013]

My CF110 has both 120VAC and 12VDC connected. Looking at my main and inverter breaker boxes, the CF110 appears to be on the main breaker panel, so it wouldn't be getting power when not connected to shore (or gen) power. So when underway (not connected to shore power, the CF110 would be operating on 12VDC. I would not want to have to connect and disconnect the 12VDC connection each time we are traveling. The recall notice doesn't address the CF110 units.

 

[osuallen]

Since it has both 120V and 12V supply, Newmar has the 120V on a non-inverted circuit. I consider it a design flaw by Dometic for not providing the necessary control for the unit to be simultaneously connected to both 120 and 12 and use 120V as the primary and roll over to 12V if 120 is not present without any potential for fire damage. The primary user of these coolers are motorhomes.

 

[MarkMaxPayne]

In my 2023 Jayco Swift Lithium the refrigerator is hooked up to both 110 and 12v. But I only put the inverter on when using 110. But thinking about it, when the inverter is on, the 12v is still connected. So technically its designed this way.
One solution is not always correct and I have a feeling that the engineers are clueless when they design the wiring. So I cannot blame the owners

Well, and when the sales and/or PDI handover guy tells you it is some sort of failsafe feature of the unit to run off either and automatically switch to 12VDC when there isn't 120VAC available to power it...

 

[team bradfield]

Since it has both 120V and 12V supply, Newmar has the 120V on a non-inverted circuit. I consider it a design flaw by Dometic for not providing the necessary control for the unit to be simultaneously connected to both 120 and 12 and use 120V as the primary and roll over to 12V if 120 is not present without any potential for fire damage. The primary user of these coolers are motorhomes.

Guess I'm lucky. Mine is on the inverter, always on along with residential fridge, I've never used the 12v plug

 

[Underboss]

Well, and when the sales and/or PDI handover guy tells you it is some sort of failsafe feature of the unit to run off either and automatically switch to 12VDC when there isn't 120VAC available to power it...

There is no access, switch or plug. The only way to do anything would be to remove the refrigeratornand unplug the 110 or the 12v.

 

[MarkMaxPayne]

Here's a how I did it vs. a how to do it. If you choose to do similar it is at your own risk.

On my rig I added two relays to controll that the 12VDC plug only gets power if the 120VAC is without power or disconnected. This isolates the 12VDC circuit if 120VAC has power as to prevent the particular 12VDC backfeed to other downstream 12VDC cicuits because of the defect in the Dometic cooler controller board as called out in the recall. IMHO they should recall/replace these boards, but it appears they got away with a "do not plug in both 120VAC and 12VDC at same time" sticker.

I did the work such that I could go back to how the factory wired the 12VDC outlet by simply moving the 2 factory connections in the 12VDC outlet box back to the socket, which disconnects my mod. A 120VAC sense wire plugged into a 120VAC outlet splitter in the bay powers a 120VAC relay. If the relay is powered it disconnects 12VDC trigger voltage to a second 12VDC high amp relay. That second relay only powers the 12VDC socket the cooler plugs into when there is no 120VAC present on the first relay. If I had my druthers I would have made the mod inside the cooler itself vs the RV storage bay, but this was easier...

On my unit, if the cooler is already powered on at the time, it seems to stay on (after a quick delay) as power goes back and forth between 120VAC and 12VDC. Yay!

120VAC outlet splitter: Amazon.com
120VAC relay that can switch 12VDC to power the 2nd relay: Amazon.com
12VDC high amp relay with built-in fuse: Amazon.com

Pics: installed mod, mod jumpers to leverage factory 12VDC outlet without cutting or splicing into factory wires and easily return back to factory config, closeup of relays mounted next to 12VDC outlet box.

Best,
-Mark

 

[SteveMA]

Nice idea and execution.