quote:

Originally posted by Gary Carter:
If you still have the original refregerator, you may be able to get a rebuilt cooling unit. I did that and they are super easy to replace once you get over the fear factor.

I have also heard that behind camping world you will find discarded RV refreg. You could rebuild one of these.

BTW I bought my cooling unit on Ebay for about $300 if my memory is working today.

I've been looking into these rebuild kits for the fridges, unfortunately I don't know where the original fridge is. I remember when my Grandpa took it out when it stopped working, but no one has any idea where he put it! He never threw ANYTHING away, so I'm sure it's somewhere. It'll most likely show up when I buy a new one!

Does anyone know of the measurements of a fridge for a 84 Regal 25'?

I forget to get them when I was up there, and would like to know so I can further pursue a new/used fridge.

Thank You!

Probably the footprint is going to be 24"x24", perhaps slightly larger. The height can be quite variable.

A choice of types is possible, such as a 2-way, or 3-way, referring to the power sources of 12v DC, 120v AC, and propane.

So, you might need to determine what the current rating is on the power lines to the fridge position.

And whether you buy new or used, you will need to be aware of the recalls that have occured. The big players in the industry are Norcold and Dometic.

There is a risk that should a weld on the ammonia system fail, that the ammonia gas will leak, make contact with the propane flame, and produce a fire. The recall will provide new electronics controls so that if a leak occurs, the flame will be shutdown, protecting against fire. You'd still have a non-functional fridge though in that case.

So before you buy new or used, run the model and serial numbers on the vendor websites to determine if you need the recall remedy. It would be free if you did need it. But given a choice of a fridge with a potential for risks, and a fridge not known to have such risks by virtue of being a newer model, well, I'm sure you'd do the thing that is wise for you.
Matt

Thanks for the reply BarthBluesmobile

It looks like the used fridge I found should fit. It's a Dometic NDR1062. They say it has a brand new cooling unit installed. He is asking $400. Seems like a good deal, considering for a new Dometic NDR1062 is about $1,800 from Camper World.

I took your advice and checked for a recall, but I guess I need the serial number? I'll ask for that next. Should I still be concerned about a recall as much since he says the cooling unit has been replaced?

Thanks for the advice

-Curtis

Well I headed up north for a few days with a few parts in one hand, and a few tools in the other...



As soon as I arrived I wasted no time in getting started on waking this 454 up from a 5 year nap.

I started by changing the oil along with the oil filter.

I then changed out the plugs and wires (bought the plug wires from Auto Zone for $30, they have a lifetime warranty and are actually made in the U.S.A. surprisingly).

I then crawled under the Barth to sort out the 5 battery cables I found in the in the battery compartment. I followed 2 wires direct to the frame and 2 others ones up to the starter. I'm not sure where the last one went to though, maybe the generator? I connected my positive and one of the negatives to the only battery I was able to use at the time, which was not rated from a big 454!

I decided to forgo on turning the flywheel over by hand, seeing that I did not have the proper tool, nor did I really have the room. The Barth really sank down quite a bit, and I was not going to by laying under it while jacked up on soft ground. I also originally planned on using a boat gas tank to start it up as suggested, but couldn't justify spending money on it when I would never use it again. I decided to try starting it on the tank first, and then get the tank if I needed it.

I put the key in the ignition and turned it one click, and I had power.

After wishing for all the luck I had available, my dad said, "well, what are you waiting for?", so I went ahead and turned the key one more click...

It didn't even sound like it made it once around, and it didn't sound like it wanted to move anymore than that. I first think, well maybe my battery doesn't have enough power. So I go ahead and throw on my charger, and flip it to 50amp jump start. I hop back into the drivers seat, same situation, sounds like I don't have enough power. I start packing up my tools and whatnot, thinking I'll head back home, work for a week till I can afford the right battery, then come back up here and try here again.

As I about have everything all packed up, my dad says, why don't we take out the plugs and turn it over just to make sure nothing is froze up. I say what the heck, why not.

I grab my plug wrench, and pull out the first plug on the passenger side, and to my surprise, oil comes out of the cylinder...the same 2 cycle engine oil I poured down the cylinder about 6 weeks before. I continued to pull all the plugs out, and hit the starter a few times, getting as much of the 2 cycle engine oil out that I could, and watched the engine turn over free and clear. I would think this would mean that the engine is still rather tight, and the piston rings are sealing well.

I cleaned off all the plugs, threw them back in, hooked my battery back up, and sat down in the drivers seat once again. Once again wishing for all the luck I had available, I turned the key, only to hear the sound of an engine turning over just bit faster than last time, but not much. Once again convinced I needed a larger battery I decide to give it one more try before heading home...IT STARTED!



(p.s. Don't worry about the for sale signs, that's for another one of our trailers)

It started on 5 year old gas (I believe my grandpa put a treatment in the tank), and on too small of a battery! It smoked a little at first, but I believe that to be due to the 2 cycle oil burning off. It sound very clean, and quiet and idled perfectly. I turned it off just to check all the belts and fluid levels, and everything was perfect! So I started it back up, and pull it out of its resting place for the last 5 years!

I've got a video of me driving it around the front yard, but it's still uploading.

The brakes seemed to work fine, although the pedal would not come back, I had to pull it back by hand.

Next step is to change out all the belts and hoses, figure out the brakes, followed by new tires!

Sorry for such a long post, if you can't tell I'm a little excited!

Thanks for everyone help, I couldn't have done it without all the advice!

Stay tuned for more updates to come!

Thanks again
-Curtis

Good job!

That's gotta be a great feeling!

Curtis, I can just hear the excitement in your voice. You're a great story teller and I'm looking forward to hearing much more about your adventures. BTW, are you the youngest member of Barthmobile? If so, that certainly deserves some recognition. It's good to have someone who isn't an old fart like me( aka dirty old man, old coot etc)
Jim

Good show, Curtis!! Congratulations!

Sounds like that first kiss with that first girl friend. Enjoy it, it only gets better....................

Curtis, Let me add my congratulations to all the others. Keep us posted.

And Jim, if he ain't the baby of the crowd we can be sure it ain't me or you.

Nick

Good job Curtis. Maybe you can make it to DC in a few months. It's educational, so you might be able to talk your teachers into letting you go!!!

Congratulations Curtis! That brake pedal thing must be inherent in older P30 chassis. I had to install a heavier return spring in mine.

Great Job!! If it is still at your Grandma's the end of June and you want to go to South Haven for the GTG let us know. We could convoy down and between my tools and yours we should have enough to make it down and back LOL Jeff and Joy

just a couple of things I wanted to say.
1)The coach needs to always be as close to level as you can get to keep the fridge from dying. Jim can comment on the technical end of this but a friend of ours who replaced our coil $$$$ told us that the fridge always needs to be level to run properly. This is true on 98% of all rv fridges.

2)We have an aftermarket forward fuel tank 30 gal that we had to remove to replace hoses because of a leak & it was rather difficult since Jim had a bad back & I had to take it out. Everything is on top of the tank & you can't reach anything with your hand. I have pictures if you ever get to this point in your resurrection project.

Tere

PS WARNING!! I decided to check over the rear fuel tank by following the hoses up to the top with my hand. I pulled down an uninhabited snake skin which quickly halted the inspection & I determined the rear fuel tank was just fine.