Chinook RV

Hi All,

I'm having some major issues with my refrigerator, I never use it on propane as long as I had my RV. Always on electric, today I plug my RV into shore power and the GFI circuit turned the power off to the fridge after a few minutes. So I did a little trouble shooting to the best of my ability and none of the fuses to the "Dinosaur MICRO P-711" board were blown. I checked the 120VAC heating element with my multimeter to test whether or not it was bad. It read 36 Ohm's, I believe it should be around 42 or 43 Ohm's, so removed it and decided to purchase a replacement. Afterwards I removed the cover for the burner assembly an I was shocked at what I saw (see images). In your opinions does this look like it could be salvage? If I removed the rust, purchase a new BURNER, ELECTRODE & THERMOCOUPLE would it be worth it? I did not see any leakage from the unit, just rust. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I would not have changed the AC element due to a few ohm of difference, but it really depends on the condition. If the rest of the fridge is in good shape (no leak, good electronic and the coils are in good shape) then it maybe worthwhile to get the new parts to replace the rusted out components. Keep in mind that these are 20 yrs old, but I think if we take good care of it, 40% of them should last 30 or 40 yrs easily. Did you check to see if the fridge is in the recall list from Dometic? you may want to do the recall service too if you decided to get new parts.

It's been a while since I posted updates on my refrigerator issues. Chin_K thank you for your help, I took some of your suggestions an cleaned up and replaced parts. It was a task finding the correct parts for this unit because of it age. The 120V heating element was bad and ohms do matter, please check your service manual for the correct Watts, Ohms & Amps for your elements. That being said my DC, AC & Propane selections all work, In hindsight I saved much money, thinking I had to replaced the cooling unit itself. I'm starting to upload some BEFORE and AFTER images for anyone who may have had some of the same issues I had. Thanks again to everyone for your help.

Regards,

NOTE: Images were taken BEFORE replacing fridge parts.

Beginning process of removing rust, cleaning and disassembling Burner Housing (See Images Below)

NOTE: I capped off the propane line as an additional safety measure.

I replaced all ground connection terminals then heat shrink them, mostly the ground terminals. I also purchased a new Terminal Block, Lrg 2 Way. There were some slight burn marks or overheating indications on the original block, so for safety reasons I replaced it.

NOTE: I capped off the propane line for additional safety reason while I was working of this project.

This project update will be my last as I have completed the installation of both heating elements and a new 120V outlet. Although I initially lost some confidence as I could not find a suitable YouTube video to guide me, I ultimately sought the help of a professional, a gentleman named RV Roof Doctor, who was able to complete the project with ease. While I may not be an electrician, I enjoy tinkering with machines and their parts. The project components included a Terminal Block, Large 2 Way, 12V 275W Heating Element, 325W-120V Heating Element, Thermocoupler, Burner Orifice, Burner Housing, MISC Terminal Ring Connectors, MISC Heat Shrinks, and a 120V Electrical Outlet. Now that everything is operational, I hope my experience can be helpful to others facing similar challenges. On to the next project!