Dometic vs Dino Board December 02, 2009, 03:24:10 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108091Going to be taking "The DogHouse" next week to have the fridge issue addressed. Now my question is IF it is the board why go with a DINO board vs OEM Dometic? The fridge is out of warranty so no issues there.Thanks in advance for the replies..Sylvia"The DogHouse" '96 30IB
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #1 – December 02, 2009, 03:41:20 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108092QuoteGoing to be taking "The DogHouse" next week to have the fridge issue addressed. Now my question is IF it is the board why go with a DINO board vs OEM Dometic? The fridge is out of warranty so no issues there. If it were me, I'd definitely use the Dinosaur board. On a previous RV, we had to have the board on the Dometic refer replaced twice...the first time with an OEM board, the second time with a Dinosaur. Never had another bit of problem with the refrigerator after that.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #2 – December 02, 2009, 03:46:17 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108093"IF it is the board why go with a DINO board vs OEM Dometic?" In a nutshell: the Dometic boards are built as cheaply as possible. The Dinosaur boards are built as well as possible. That's the consensus of many posts I've read over the years from users and technicians, and as a former electronics technician, I agree. I haven't needed to replace my Dometic fridge's controller/ignitor board with a Dinosaur board, so I can't speak from personal experience. But I have worked with my fridge's "eyebrow" control panel. The circuit-board construction is the cheapest possible--the sort of throwaway board I'm used to seeing in a 99-cent electronic toy. As a technician, I can see just from the photos and descriptions on Dinosaur's website that their boards are of much higher quality. To be technical, I'm talking about cardboard/phenolic single-sided boards in the Dometic products, versus G10 epoxy/fiberglass double-sided boards with plated through-holes in the Dinosaur products. For the layperson, Dinosaur has a good explanation here:http://www.dinosaurelectronics.com/Circ_board_des.htm>For more information, see Dinosaur Electronics's website:http://www.dinosaurelectronics.com/>Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #3 – December 02, 2009, 04:22:20 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108094Quote"As a technician, I can see just from the photos and descriptions on Dinosaur's website that their boards are of much higher quality."Andy Baird And as another former Electronic Tech, I confirm and support what Andy had to say. My experience is 14 years USAF and another 20 years in private industry, part of which was in the manufacture of printed circuit boards, primarilly for the FAA.Dinosaur rocks!Steve S. Lazy Bones & Jiggs
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #4 – December 02, 2009, 04:28:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108096On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:21:39 -0000, lejest2003 wrote:QuoteDinosaur rocks! No doubt it's good stuff. Might be the way to if you are out of warranty. Otherwise, you would be inviting warranty issues.Cheers, Don
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #5 – December 02, 2009, 04:34:16 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108097I also agree with getting the Dinosaur board. I used one
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #6 – December 02, 2009, 05:41:32 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108099"Might be the way to if you are out of warranty. Otherwise, you would be inviting warranty issues."Don Getting warranty service from Dometic usually isn't worth the time it takes. Go Dino and forget the Dometic board, there is a world of difference AND customer service between the two.Larry
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #7 – December 02, 2009, 06:24:15 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108101well after reading the current threads on this topic I am getting a little concerned. My old refer the dometic rm763 finally croaked. The replacement is the rm2620 which appears to be able to slip in the vacant space. The norcold replacement appears to be an inch too wide and the same tall. I can't see carving up the cabinet for the Norcold, but now I am concerned with the Dometic model holding up. Are the brand new ones any good??? Thanks John 85'FL.
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #8 – December 02, 2009, 06:45:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108103john owens wrote: My old refer the dometic rm763 finally croaked. The replacement is the rm2620 which appears to be able to slip in the vacant space. The norcold replacement appears to be an inch too wide and the same tall. I can't see carving up the cabinet for the Norcold, but now I am concerned with the Dometic model holding up. Are the brand new ones any good??? --- The Dometic may not be the greatest refrigerator (and the customer service is terrible, as Larry pointed out), but is the Norcold any better? Both Dometic and Norcold refrigerators have been the subjects of extensive and ongoing recalls, apparently for the same problems. JMHO, but I'd avoid "cabinet carving" and go for the Dometic replacement that slides into the existing space! ;-)Joan
Re: Dometic vs Dino Board Reply #9 – December 02, 2009, 06:58:57 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108105"I can't see carving up the cabinet for the Norcold, but now I am concerned with the Dometic model holding up. Are the brand new ones any good?" We've been griping a lot here about Dometic, but let's not go into a panic. This is a situation similar to the "blown spark plug" situation: they work OK most of the time for most people. If you go ahead with a Dometic replacement, it's probably not going to die in six months. :-) That said, if I were going to spend $1,200 on a new refrigerator, I'd spend the extra money to carve out that cabinet for a Norcold. In fact, that's exactly what the previous owners did on my first (1985) Lazy Daze. It wasn't that big a deal, especially considering the total expenditure. And they (and eventually I) got a much better fridge. Not that Norcolds are *perfect*--they've had their own recalls in recent years, although they've handled them much more responsibly than Dometic did. But everything I know tells me that your chances are better with a Norcold... and the design is better as well, with details like eye-level controls, an audible malfunction alarm to tell you that you've run out of propane, cast-metal door latches instead of flimsy plastic ones, and so on. If it's a choice between spending $1,100 for a drop-in Dometic replacement or $1,200 for a Norcold that requires a little trimming of the opening, my feeling is that the extra money for the Norcold is well spent.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Dometic vs Norcold Reply #10 – December 02, 2009, 10:39:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108106I mentioned Norcold's cast-metal door latches in my last message, but forgot to say that the Norcold door *hinges* are also all-metal. Bumper has described in detail in earlier posts just how poorly designed Dometic's plastic door hinges are. When one of those plastic door hinges breaks, as has happened to at least one of our members, you have a MAJOR problem on your hands!Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Dometic vs Norcold Reply #11 – December 03, 2009, 10:26:10 am Yahoo Message Number: 108112I've appreciated all the good info on this subject, and now I have a question. I recently replaced my fridge with another Dometic on my '95 LD and I've been disappointed with the results in a recent 3-week trip. When the outdoor temp got to 85 or so the fridge had a hard time staying below 40. In reading the manual I got the idea that there was a way to adjust the settings on it but haven't taken it to the shop to learn more about that yet... or whether it's even true. You folks seem to be saying replacing the board with the Dino is a good idea. I also read on the Dino site that they have a new controller that allows for simple adjustment as in a thermostat. Knowing I'm in warranty yet, I'd welcome your suggestions about how to handle my Dometic situation. Thanks so much.Chuck in Bellevue '95 RB
Re: Dometic vs Norcold Reply #12 – December 03, 2009, 10:34:12 am Yahoo Message Number: 108113QuoteIn reading the manual I got the idea that there was a way to adjust the settings on it but haven't taken it to the shop to learn more about that yet... or whether it's even true. If you open the refrigerator door and look at the fins at the upper back, you'll see a slide attached to one of the fins. This slide moves up and down on the fin to adjust the cooling. I've forgotten which way to slide it to cool the refrigerator more, but I'm sure someone here can tell you.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Dometic vs Norcold Reply #13 – December 03, 2009, 11:15:23 am Yahoo Message Number: 108117On Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:25:05 -0000, "chuckx6" wrote:QuoteI recently replaced my fridge with another Dometic on my '95 LD and I've been disappointed with the results in a recent 3-week trip. When the outdoor temp got to 85 or so the fridge had a hard time staying below 40. You were in 85 degree weather and you are complaining? LOL I guess you meant the freezer, not the fridge?QuoteIn reading the manual I got the idea that there was a way to adjust the settings Read a little more and you will find out how to make the freezer colder by sliding the "probe" on the fins.QuoteKnowing I'm in warranty yet, I'd welcome your suggestions about how to handle my Dometic situation. You can put a non-Dometic board in, but don't expect Dometic to honor the warranty. Your call.Cheers, Don
Re: Dometic vs Norcold Reply #14 – December 03, 2009, 12:03:55 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108122Quote From: Don Malpas To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 9:03 AM Subject: Re: [LD] Re: Dometic vs NorcoldYou can put a non-Dometic board in, but don't expect Dometic to honor the warranty. Your call.Cheers, Don
Re: Dometic vs Norcold Reply #15 – December 03, 2009, 01:55:42 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108129Chuck, first try adjusting the temperature by sliding the temperature sensor, as others have described. And keep your expectations modest. Although experts say 37° F. is the ideal temperature for a refrigerator, RV fridges operate in a much more variable environment than home fridges, so even if the unit is well adjusted, it's not unusual for the temperature to go up five or six degrees on a warm afternoon, only to come back down at night. These brief excursions won't cause any harm--you're unlikely to get food poisoning. :-) If your only problem is that the fridge has "a hard time staying below 40," a new controller/ignitor board may not change that. In any case, it's not a cheap fix... so try sliding that sensor first, since it doesn't cost anything to try.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Dometic vs Norcold Reply #16 – December 03, 2009, 06:09:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108135Thank you all for the suggestions. Lynda, I easily found that fin slider and I either hadn't read the book very thoroughly or I'd forgotten reading that (it's been a month or so). So I appreciate your help and the suggestions from all of you. The slider doesn't seem to have any indicators giving results for sliding it one way or the other. But on my next trip south, or when the weather warms here again, I'll adjust it and see what difference it makes. If that doesn't help, replacing the board with the Dino might be a smart bet, as some of you suggest. And Andy I like the suggestion to be tolerant of some temperature differences.Great help from all of you. Thanks for your time and knowledge.Chuck in Bellevue, WA '95 LD
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #17 – December 03, 2009, 06:54:56 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108136Quote In reading the manual I got the idea that there was a way to adjust the settings on it but haven't taken it to the shop to learn more about that yet... or whether it's even true. If you open the refrigerator door and look at the fins at the upper back, you'll see a slide attached to one of the fins. This slide moves up and down on the fin to adjust the cooling. I've forgotten which way to slide it to cool the refrigerator more, but I'm sure someone here can tell you.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/ http://tinyurl.com/2n75e9 Here's a link to some photos on how to adjust this refer temp control or sensor. Is it called a thermistor?Chris
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #18 – December 04, 2009, 10:31:21 am Yahoo Message Number: 108147Quotehttp://tinyurl.com/2n75e9 Here's a link to some photos on how to adjust this refer temp control or sensor. Is it called a thermistor?Chris Chris, thanks so much for that link. As others said in comments to that link, I'm surprised I hadn't noticed that before, or read the manual more carefully. This is so simple, and apparently works. Thanks again to all for the wise information.Chuck - Bellevue, WA
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #19 – December 04, 2009, 11:35:35 am Yahoo Message Number: 108149"http://tinyurl.com/2n75e9> Here's a link to some photos on how to adjust this refer temp control or sensor."I used my little Casio labeler to print a label that says... and mounted it on the movable plastic sensor, so that I'd be able to remember that sliding it up means colder fridge temperatures and vice versa. Wouldn't it have been nice if Dometic had molded this text into the plastic piece itself? :: sigh ::Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #20 – December 05, 2009, 10:03:22 am Yahoo Message Number: 108154QuoteI used my little Casio labeler to print a label that says... and mounted it on the movable plastic sensor, so that I'd be able to remember that sliding it up means colder fridge temperatures and vice versa. Wouldn't it have been nice if Dometic had molded this text into the plastic piece itself? :: sigh ::Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/ ================ Yes, Andy, it seems that would have been a simple addition for Dometic. But guess what? Thanks to your Eureka! CDs I now have a labeler also and what you do is exactly what I'm going to do when I figure out up from down! (Oh, come to think of it, that's been a lifelong process for me that I'm now convinced will never end!)Chuck in Bellevue, WA
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #21 – December 05, 2009, 10:51:48 am Yahoo Message Number: 108155"what you do is exactly what I'm going to do when I figure out up from down!"Up is colder (in the fridge compartment), while down is warmer.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #22 – December 05, 2009, 11:21:42 am Yahoo Message Number: 108156Think North-South in the Winter. North warmer than the South, that is.best, paul"Thriving not surviving" - Paul Schaye (at 2008 NYC Marathon) - See our website at www. LazyDazers.com
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #23 – December 05, 2009, 11:34:20 am Yahoo Message Number: 108157Quote From: Andy To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 8:51 AM Subject: [LD] Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings"what you do is exactly what I'm going to do when I figure out up from down!"Up is colder (in the fridge compartment), while down is warmer.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/Or, another way to remember this for those who don't label the thing: As you go to a higher altitude, it most often gets colder. This is the "lapse rate" and is generally 3.57 degrees Fahrenheit per 1000 feet. So, up = colder.bumper
Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings Reply #24 – December 05, 2009, 04:53:46 pm Yahoo Message Number: 108168Quote From: Andy To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 8:51 AM Subject: [LD] Re: Dometic vs Norcold - how to adjust temp settings"what you do is exactly what I'm going to do when I figure out up from down!"Up is colder (in the fridge compartment), while down is warmer.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/Or, another way to remember this for those who don't label the thing: As you go to a higher altitude, it most often gets colder. This is the "lapse rate" and is generally 3.57 degrees Fahrenheit per 1000 feet. So, up = colder.bumper I think there's an explanation for how it works: The thermistor measures temp at its location and switches fridge on when it feels warm - some definite "setpoint" temperature. Cold air is dense and lies at the bottom of the fridge (when the door's closed). So if you want it to get colder, move the thermistor up so the fridge will make more cold air to lie below the thermistor location. And when you want it warm move the thermistor down so there is less cold air under it when it switches off.John
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