Dometic 2807---worth a gamble???

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Dometic 2807---worth a gamble???

Postby Treeview » Fri Mar 02, 2012 7:45 pm

I found one for sale, $100. The ad says that the freezer works and the fridge works 'off and on'.

I know, I know...can't tell anything from an ad. But...how much of a chance is it that I would by something that isn't worth fixing?

Buying something like this should follow a formula like:

Used price+repairs=half of new price

Any input?

Tom
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Re: Dometic 2807---worth a gamble???

Postby Wobbly Wheels » Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:35 pm

If it works 'off and on', that suggests to me that the cooling unit (all the sealed tubing with the refrigerant) is intact - that's a deal breaker for sure (everything else is replaceable)
It might be something as simple as a thermostat or a heating element, but you won't know till you get it home and can tear into it.

Right now I'm working on an old Dometic RM36 (~1973) that worked great on gas but no joy on electric. It's an LPG/12V unit from a camper and the PO had run the DC power wiring into the unit's AC breaker without changing the 12V element first and burned it out. I confirmed it with an ohmmeter and am ordering a replacement unit ( @120V instead of 12V) and I'll do a bit of rewiring to make it a LPG/110V instead. The new heating element will be about $40 + shipping.

If it's from a camper and you want to put it into a trailer, check that the electric side is AC or AC/DC and not DC-only. The DC heater in mine draws 10A, which is FAR too high a draw. In a camper, it's running off the truck's alternator so that draw is no big deal....but you certainly don't want to be pulling that out your batteries to keep the cans frosty.

If you are planning on installing a converter anyway, it might work for you because that way you can still pre-chill the fridge the day before you leave by plugging the trailer in.

As far as cost goes, I don't know that I would pay anything for it unless I confirmed it was working 100%. If you drag it home and decide it's not fixable within your skill level, it will cost you to dispose of it because the coolant has to be captured.
I got the whole camper through craigslist for a case of beer and the dump fees after I stripped it (~$60), and that included a working stove/oven, lamp, so-so fridge that will work fine when I'm done, a almost new portapotti, windows and a bunch of other bits and bobs. They were happy to get rid of it and I got the appliances I needed for almost free: win-win.
There are deals out there, but they won't spend the money on a newspaper ad to let you know about them. Somewhere, somehow, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who has an old camper or trailer on their property that they want gone - ask around and wait for it.

A spotty fridge for $100 ?
That's too much of a gamble for me, but it's JMHO.
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Re: Dometic 2807---worth a gamble???

Postby Treeview » Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:37 pm

Thanks for the insights. It would be a learning experience for sure. I'm going to pass.

Tom
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