Level Refrigerator

[jjackflash]

This may have been asked before but I can't find it.
I know the refrigerator has to be leveled,but how long can it stay off level while running before it's damaged?
Our house is on a down grade and I need to know if I can park in front for about half an hour just to lock up and take care of a few things before departure.
Thanks ahead for any replies!
Jack

[illapah]

As I understand it, level is not as critical as it once was. I doubt if a half hour of off-level would hurt but a call to dometic customer support may be useful.

[8.1al]

Half an hour certainly wouldn't hurt anything. turning it off for that time wouldn't either. The Dometic rep at one of the national fall rallies said "if you don't pick up speed walking from one end of the trailer to the other then you are level enough"

[Waynem]

I'm personally happy if the bubble on the level is just inside the line. I have had not problems since Auguest of last year when I purchased the 3400RL. I think you want to be as level as possible, but it's not necessary to be "perfect."

My drive way has about a 2 ft drop to the front and I use a cinder block under each front jack, extend the jacks down about 2 inches, drop the feet, and raise until my bubble says I'm level. I use a carpenter level on the basement door molding on the top side for front to back leveling. I'm never perfect in my leveling experience and have not had any problems. But, I'm close to level and have not stayed more than two weeks in one spot.

Here is an article form Campers Corner on RV refrigerators.

I think the key word for "newer" refrigerators is "relatively" level. I don't know how to define relatively in leveling a system and each model refrigerator can have different specifications. Always nice to converse with the manufaturuer to determine such things.

[jjackflash]

Thanks for the info. guys,Iam out front ideling now.
Jack

[sreigle]

I was told at some seminar thing that if I am comfortable in the rig, so is the refrigerator. We're a little off level and have been since Feb 14 and will be until mid-April. We're maybe a half bubble off. The fridge door doesn't fully latch on it's own so we have to push the handle to get it to snap the lock.

If yours will be far enough off balance to potentially cause damage, I think I'd shut it off. For that 1/2 hour the temperature won't change enough to be noticeable unless you open the door. Leaving it running will not create enough damage to be noticeable, by itself. But it will cause some damage and the damage is cumulative. You cannot undamage it without replacing parts. Do it enough time and you'll slowly lose effectiveness. We've parked on some pretty steep parking spots for half an hour or an hour or so for various reasons while traveling. We just shut off the fridge until we return.

[Hemlockusa]

A half bubble on the level is allowable for standard operation. If more than that it will operate, but not properly. There are a lot of us that run with the unit on from one place toanother, so if you look at it that way. once you start up the mountain it's going to take awhile, if you know what I mean. It will still cool
safe travels and remember BRANSON IS GREAT IN 2008 Expect you there later John

[jjackflash]

thanks everyone,I think to ease my mind I'll just shut'er down.
Jack

[jpkelpe]

At the Rally Paul went to a seminar about refrigerators and they said that it is more important that it is level from front to back than sideways and that it could be off 1 foot in 10 foot of "run" or 10%. that means if we are 30 feet long we could be off 3 feet--I would complain if it was that unlevel.