Norcold Refrigerator stopped running on LP

Rebar
Rebar Member Posts: 29
in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
We are camping near Moab, UT, running on LP and Solar/Battery.  The Norcold 3-way refrigerator started right up last Thursday.  It ran steady and cold until Sunday night.  I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed the green light flickered, and then went out.  I watched it for a few minutes and the refrig started itself up again, the green light came on.  THis happened 3-4 times during the early morning hours, then it wnet out for good.  Checked the LP, and it was about half full.  Charged the LP tank to full, and tried to light the refrig again.  Nothing.  Anyone ever have this happen?  Any suggestions?
2014 T@B Model Q - Silver/Black Towed with 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser (Orange) Live in Denver, Colorado "Bad decisions usually make for really good stories!"
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Comments

  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    How's your battery power? Am I remembering correctly that it needs battery power to ignite?  I don't have one yet, so I'm not sure. 
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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  • Rebar
    Rebar Member Posts: 29
    Battery is topped off.  We have solar panels keeping it charged up.  I can hear it "clicking", as it attempts to light the hearing element.
    2014 T@B Model Q - Silver/Black Towed with 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser (Orange) Live in Denver, Colorado "Bad decisions usually make for really good stories!"
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  • Lisa33
    Lisa33 Member Posts: 260
    I'm just guessing, but is the T@B level?
    Lisa. 2008 T@DA, previously 2012 6x10 SS. Southeastern PA
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  • Dalehelman
    Dalehelman Member Posts: 2,414
    Does your stove light and operate properly?
    1. Hash  T@B Fun
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  • Dalehelman
    Dalehelman Member Posts: 2,414
    Are you holding the red button in until the green stops flickering and burns steady?
    1. Hash  T@B Fun
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  • andyhe
    andyhe Member Posts: 20

    This happened to us in our 2015 model this last summer near Canyonlands Utah... what is with this area and the LP frig?  Perhaps the altitude?

    It stopped working just as you see it.  After we got home I talked to the factory and they said it likely needed a new relighter module and thermocoupler.  They sent one out and I had the dealer install it and after that it's back to working.  Apparently there were a bad batch of frigs that fail in this way... at least according to the factory as we were not close to the first reporting this.

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  • andyhe
    andyhe Member Posts: 20

    btw... I hope for your sake it is something simpler than that.  We ended up just using the frig as an ice box for the rest of the trip.  If the stove works and the trailer is level then I don't think there are many field serviceable parts in it.

    The thermocoupler was very similar to one in a hot water tank and went from close to where the button is to all the way underneath the front lower corner.  The relighter module was a small black box with some wires running into it.  I've got the old one at home that I can take apart to see if there is anything inside that can be serviced/fixed if that would help at all (though I'm doubtful).

    I remember sitting there holding in the button until the green light was on and releasing it after 30 seconds and seeing it immediately go out probably forty times.  Just a tad frustrating.

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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    As I recall, the manual warns to not hold the button in for more than 14-15 seconds after the light comes on or you could damage the ignighter. I use 10 and it's always worked.
    I've been in northern AZ and southern UT the last two weeks - Hope it's not a jinx
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  • andyhe
    andyhe Member Posts: 20
    PXLated said:
    As I recall, the manual warns to not hold the button in for more than 14-15 seconds after the light comes on or you could damage the ignighter. I use 10 and it's always worked.
    I've been in northern AZ and southern UT the last two weeks - Hope it's not a jinx

    Hm.. wonder if that's why mine broke.  Painful lesson but good info to have. thanks
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  • Rebar
    Rebar Member Posts: 29
    Great comments, all!  Thanks!  And please pardon the typo's in previous posts.   They were created BEFORE morning coffee (what was I thinking?!?) The camper is level, front to back and side to side.  (scored a nice, even campsite!)  I'm aware of the lighting procedure and have followed it to the letter.  It is odd, because it lighted right away when we arrived, ran for a few days, and then....that odd, going out, starting up, going out starting up sequence throughout the night (see originating post).  I have a phone number someplace for Norcold.  I'll try that as well.  Either way....camping continues and we giving our Coleman Extreme Cooler a good workout here in the desert!   =) NWARD! 
    2014 T@B Model Q - Silver/Black Towed with 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser (Orange) Live in Denver, Colorado "Bad decisions usually make for really good stories!"
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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    edited April 2015
    Just a thought - did you get both propane tanks filled at the same place? Is there such a thing as bad propane - moisture?
    Even though the cooktop works, the fridge could be more susceptible.
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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    Ours ran great, til we hit New Mexico, and its >5000 feet... Then it stopped. Stoopid thing.
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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  • jkjenn
    jkjenn Member Posts: 6,417
    Verna said:
    How's your battery power? Am I remembering correctly that it needs battery power to ignite?  I don't have one yet, so I'm not sure. 
    Yes, battery is needed not only too ignite but also for the fan. The hotter the weather, the more the fan seems to run. When I ran it in the fall it seemed to not run much at all.

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    Thanks, Jenn.  I'll remember that now.
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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  • Michigan_Mike
    Michigan_Mike Member Posts: 2,858
    I'm not familiar with the Norcold units but it appears that some do register error codes on some of the units. there was also comments about "resetting" the power board on the unit and the explanation below sounded a bit time/effort intensive. This was done to clear the error codes and get the unit back to normal opertion: http://www.ehow.com/how_7679848_reset-norcold-control-board.html
    Mike - Elmira, Mi / 2019 T@B 400 / 2021 Chevy Silverado LTZ
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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    The couple I met a couple of weeks ago in a 2014 T@B had a Norcold with a digital panel. My 2015 is all analog knobs so I'm not sure one could get error codes to act on.
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  • Sgtjohn
    Sgtjohn Member Posts: 238
    Mine sat in the garage all winter and the propane fired right up.  However after towing the T@B for a few hundred miles and sitting, I found the propane would not light.  We hooked up and towed it a few miles and I tried again with the propane and it lit w/o problems.
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  • Vindalou
    Vindalou Member Posts: 6

    My T@B came equipped with a special "high altitude" device between the propane tank and the unit so the fridge would work at higher elevations.

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  • Wanderoo
    Wanderoo Member Posts: 553
    My T@B has the high altitude vents also.  One thing to realize, is that the first time you fire up the Norcold for the camping season, it will take longer for the propane to work its way through the lines.  This is normal.  My Norcold took longer than the manual-mandated time limit of 14-15 seconds to hold the red button, but it fired up and I had NO issues for the remaining 10 days of boondocking and running my Norcold on propane.  
    Beth, 2015 Toyota Tacoma (Ramblin' Rose), 2014 T@B S M@xx (ClemenT@B)
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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    Once it lights though - the green light comes on - I believe they recommend releasing after 10 seconds or so or you can burn out the ignighter.
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  • jojoperk
    jojoperk Member Posts: 10
    My Norcold doesn't seem to be working at all--does the green light come on when running on AC or DC power?
    Michelle, Bar Harbor, ME--2015 Toyota Tacoma, 2015 T@b S-Maxx
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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    The green light is just when running on propane. As far as I can tell there's no indicator that the thing is running when on battery or shore power. Pretty much have to open and feel.
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  • jojoperk
    jojoperk Member Posts: 10
    Thanks, PXLated! Helpful!
    Michelle, Bar Harbor, ME--2015 Toyota Tacoma, 2015 T@b S-Maxx
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  • DurangoTaB
    DurangoTaB Member Posts: 754
    Echoing Lisa...be sure you're level, especially front to back.  I had similar problems at 8,000ft and that solved it (and Moab isn't that high).  You do have the high altitude kit (now standard), i.e. two vents on the front?

    J.D. & Sue

    Durango, CO    2014/15 S M@xx :  "Dory's HabiT@B"  Keep on swimming...

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  • Nomad
    Nomad Member Posts: 7,209
    Really - Didn't know we had the altitude kit - Good to know
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  • Sgtjohn
    Sgtjohn Member Posts: 238
    Mine quit working when it was in the garage for 4 months and after we took it out and traveled a couple hundred miles it started working again.   I think it had something to do with equalization of freon?
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  • Ratkity
    Ratkity Member Posts: 3,770
    I believe it's an ammonia-based system. There's a chance the propane was depleted in the lines and it took a while to bleed the lines of air. The best way to prime your propane line is to turn on the kitchen burner and continually trying to light it. You'll find after you get propane in the lines, the frig will start right up (usually). In addition, if your battery was too low, the frig won't light. Traveling a couple hundred miles might have topped off the battery enough for the igniter to work properly.
    2017 820R Retro Toy Hauler from 2015 Tabitha T@B from 2009 Reverse LG Teardrop (but a T@Bluver at heart)
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