Refrigerator Facts
I have a 1996 American Eagle with a Dometic side-by-side refrigerator. It won’t maintain the cold when in the electric mode. The freezer works fine, but the refrigerator does not stay cold. However, it will stay cold when it is in the LP-gas mode. I replaced the thermistor and the board, but to no avail. What else could be causing this problem?
Joe Bowling, F294104
San Benito, Texas
If the refrigerator works fine on the gas mode but not on the electric mode, the most likely culprits are the 120-volt-AC heating elements. Side-by-side refrigerators have two heating elements, and if one is defective, only partial cooling will occur. To test the heaters, unplug the 120-volt-AC service cord and perform an ohms test on each heater. Disconnect the leads from the control board to test. Each readout should show approximately 70 ohms. The ohms reading on the defective one will either be very high or completely open (no reading). Replace the defective element. Parts can be purchased directly from Dometic with a credit card (800-544-4881).
Shifter Arm
I have a 1994 Coachmen Catalina on a Chevy chassis. I broke the shifter arm completely off the steering column. I have not been able to contact Coachmen or Chevy about finding another one. I am at a loss.
Richard Watts
Farnham, Virginia
Try contacting Coachmen again at (800) 453-6064 or visiting the company’s Web site, www.coachmenrv.com, to find a dealer. Another option may be to contact Workhorse Custom Chassis (877-294-6773; www.workhorse.com), which took over Chevrolet’s P-Series chassis manufacturing operation in 1999. You also may try visiting a Chevrolet dealer to see whether they can determine the proper part number using your motorhome’s VIN.
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