Dometic Danger - Montana Owners Club

mobilrvn · 09-02-2006, 10:50 AM

Debated which forum to list this in, but think this one gets read the most. We have a Dometic RM2852 refrig. Mo opened the door and it fell off! Luckily she didn't have anything in her hands and was able to hold onto the door and lower it to the floor. Easily could have fallen on her foot and broke it or amputated some toes. The hinge on the bottom of the door just crumbled into about six pieces. Looks like the plastic failed. Can't understand why they don't have metal hinges;

sure our old one did.

Don't know how one would inspect it. Know I have looked at it from the top part of that hinge, but never got down on my hands and knees to look at the bottom side. Anyway, approach your refer with caution and shine a light on the bottom side of the hinges every once in a while.

Of course, it has to happen on Sat of a long weekend. Got some covered foam insulation. Cut it to size (two pieces), taped the two together with Gorilla tape that I just bought yesterday, put a handle in it, used duct tape for a hinge and it works OK to keep the cold in.

MoBillTuxRex&Princess
Fulltiming since '93
'04 3575; '06 2500HD Duramax/Allison

CountryGuy · 09-02-2006, 10:53 AM

YIKES

Gotta say, think that is a first!

Course, it is gonna happen on Saturday of long weekend, it is a Murphy's Law special! SIGH

Good luck with this

Wrenchtraveller · 09-02-2006, 01:05 PM

Wow! Thank goodness no one was hurt. First time I have ever heard of this. Any kids using it for a swing or something? Good luck getting it fixed and take care, Don.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

txkrumm · 09-02-2006, 02:59 PM

That is the strangest thing...

Steve and Tara Krumm
2004 GMC 4X4 Duramax Allison
2003 Montana 3655 FL

BillyRay · 09-05-2006, 03:57 AM

hopefully it's a fluke thing!

BillyRay

2002 3500 Chevy D/W 4x4 C/C Diesel
2004 3685FL

Parrothead · 09-05-2006, 01:06 PM

Your frig should still be under warranty.
Happy trails......................

Sue and Ed Rowe
Hemet California

2005 3400RL

2006 GMC 3500 Dually, D/A, Crew Cab, Long Bed

pud2 · 09-05-2006, 03:33 PM

This is not a frequet thing but i have seen it before. The plastic gets brittle or the door gets swung open to far and it will crack the hinge. I agree they should be metal but o well. You can get replacement hinges at a rv parts place. Good luck.

Darrell&Pam
06 3670
06 F350 Lariet P.S.D. C.C. DRW.
Husky 16k glider
Huntly-Yorkie
Zachary,La.

bsmeaton · 09-05-2006, 04:57 PM

I guess having the refrigerator quit over a holiday weekdend is no longer my worst nightmare!

. Glad no one got hurt. I think I'll remove all those refrigerator magnets.

Brad & Dory

mobilrvn · 09-07-2006, 06:06 PM

Up date: Glad that the refer is still under warranty. Dometic was easy to deal with, but it was a struggle to find someone to do warranty work. Called Dometic on Tues am, the gal sounded like this wasn't an unusual occurance, so watch it. The real joy is the hinge is actually part of the door. One does not get a new hinge, but a new door! Found a place near Birmingham where we are currently staying which would do the work--Burton Campers. Took the old door to them so they could change out the wood door panel. They had ordered the door and it arrived the next day, so over night delivery. But, of course, it couldn't be that easy could it? NO, Dometic sent the wrong door--actually the carton was marked as the correct door, but Murphy got into it and the wrong one was in the carton. Of course, no overnight delivery this time, so we are still waiting. And we have no kids to swing on the door!

MoBillTuxRex&Princess
Fulltiming since '93
'04 3575; '06 2500HD Duramax/Allison

jrgwdenner · 09-08-2006, 02:12 AM

We bought our rig from Burton's and get it serviced there. They have always treated us well. I hope you will be able to say the same when this is all over.

Wrong, we bought our rig from Dandy RV in Birmingham. Duh??

Judy
http://spaces.msn.com/bamatravelers/
http://bamatravelers.blogspot.com
Traveling with Glen and Greta in our 2004 Dodge dually and Montana 3380 RL

mobilrvn · 09-12-2006, 05:44 PM

Update No. 2: Grrrr! Burton's just called to say that there is a shortage of refer doors at Dometic and that they won't get one until after the first part of Oct. What a crock! Can you believe that because of a broken plastic hinge, there are no replacements (a new door) for nearly a month. Guess they must be having a lot of problems with broken hinges--watch out. Dometic is moving to the top of our hate list!

MoBillTuxRex&Princess
Fulltiming since '93
'04 3575; '06 2500HD Duramax/Allison

MAMalody · 09-12-2006, 08:09 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by mobilrvn

Update No. 2: Grrrr! Burton's just called to say that there is a shortage of refer doors at Dometic and that they won't get one until after the first part of Oct. What a crock! Can you believe that because of a broken plastic hinge, there are no replacements (a new door) for nearly a month. Guess they must be having a lot of problems with broken hinges--watch out. Dometic is moving to the top of our hate list!

Tell them to take one off a unit and when they get the door for you they can keep it and put it on the unit the scavanged for you!

Mike

F350 7.3L LB SRW
2003 3575RL

mobilrvn · 09-14-2006, 12:14 PM

We can't ask them to do that. First they are not a Keystone dealer; the lines they carry have Norcold refers. It is warranty work and you have to jump through Dometic's hoops--the dealer isn't going to make much on this work. Feel good that the repair shop is trying, we called five shops before we got any help. Added another layer to our makeshift door and it seems to help.

MoBillTuxRex&Princess
Fulltiming since '93
'04 3575; '06 2500HD Duramax/Allison

MAMalody · 09-14-2006, 07:20 PM

I meant tell them to have Dometic take a door off. It is not really a Keystone problem, it is a dometic problem. I, too, appreciate a shop trying to help with a unit that is not theirs. Go to the dometic site and call them yourself. I have done that and got through to them. On hold for a while, though. Good luck!

mobilrvn · 10-13-2006, 05:44 PM

Wow! A month and a half later and we finally got the repacement door for the refer. Guess we had to wait for everyone to get back to work from summer vacation in Sweden. It is the little things in life that make you happy, like a door that opens and closes and to have the light come on, too! So far this year we have been without full use of the ref. for more than six months--nearly three months total just waiting for parts. We are thankful for all the effort that Burton Campers put forth for us in getting the door---just to replace a broken hinge!

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