Heyupluv
Free Member
The 8000 fridge freezer Saga
I thought some funster’s may be interested in this bit of info some may already know about or encountered it before…so here goes
Dometic 8000 series Fridge/freezer……problem with the freezer door locking solid
While away our freezer door locked solid and no way of accessing the contents.
So we travelled to a Dometic agent..who was a nice chap…
What he said is those 8000 fridge freezers you have are the all singing and dancing, low wattage ….Dometic electronic nightmare….
After he had a good look around the freezer…(as I had done before going to him as the fridge/freezer is still under warranty (just))…he tried banging on the door with hand,
He then said you have one big problem the fridge/freezer needs to come out,,,that means taking all the panels off on the outside of the van off…disconnecting cables and gas pipes…the electronic board….it is not an easy job he said…..but the biggest problem is getting it out of the Rapido Motorhome wooden unit,,,the screws that hold it in the wooden unit are on the inside of the fridge and FREEZER…and that is locked solid….
And the chap was correct .. Rapido had built the fridge/freezer into a unit so it was flush…looks good Mmm…but impossible to take out no access. To the door catch or door hinges.
I got the feeling he did want to tackle the Job..as kept walking around a seeing to other vans coming in…his mate said he has done one before and had a terrible job with it saying they are designed by idiots and built by idiots and then fixed into units by idiots, without thinking what would happen if they went wrong …there built on benches????
After coming back to have another look….
His solution was to drill a large hole in the front door panel of the freezer to try and hit the locking mechanism that is if you drill in the correct place as there is a long plunger that operates the lock inside the door… or drill a large hole from the side through the motorhome veneered panel and through the freezer side wall…this would mean replacing the whole veneered panel and the freezer that would be a major job also replacing the front panel and a new fridge freezer…….
Wow ….this is a No NO
I nearly had a heart attack…..…
One thing I have learned…with my engineering /electrical/ joiner/ builder…and of course Fish& Chip shop..Mmmm background..try the easy/simple items first before you go for the kill… a rebuild…that is last resort.
While the Dometic man was away ringing Dometic…he left his books about 98 pages on that one 8000 series.
I took a look inside and noticed the button that you push up inside the door looked like it had a breakdown…so I suggested to him with two fine hooked strong wires we may be able to pull the button mechanism down..Ok we will give it a try…after a few minutes yes it came apart with a spring flying around the motorhome.
By removing the plastic (6” to 9”) plunger we could push up a long strong metal screwdriver so a little more force on the locking mechanism inside and eventually the door came open.
THE PROBLEM WHY IT WAS LOCKED SOLID WAS, THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS INSIDE THE FREEZER AND THE CONDENSATION FROM ITEMS YOU PUT INSIDE TO KEEP FROZEN OR TO FREEZE ENDS UP INSIDE THE PLASTIC LOCK…..YES YOU MAY NOW HAVE GUESSED THE PROBLEM THE LOCK WAS FULL OF SOLID ICE….
I will put photo’s on for you to see the freezer lock…….so before anybody starts drilling your freezer try this
!/ switch the freezer off and let it defrost…..if it’s under warranty claim for the food, if there is not much frozen food in write it off.
2/ If that fails try pulling the two button plunger down and keep an eye out for the spring..
If that fails then it is up to the Dometic agent….
After all this had taken place about 1 ½ to 2 hours…I said to the agent how do I owe you. The answer nothing, today has been a leaning curve for me, I have learnt from you …I said me to looking at your manuals.:thumb:
So I gave him 20 euros….I do not blame the agent at all…I blame the manufactures and the Dealers Dometic and Rapido….the Agents have to pick up the pieces.
a lot of photo's to follow
Mel:thumb:
I thought some funster’s may be interested in this bit of info some may already know about or encountered it before…so here goes
Dometic 8000 series Fridge/freezer……problem with the freezer door locking solid
While away our freezer door locked solid and no way of accessing the contents.
So we travelled to a Dometic agent..who was a nice chap…
What he said is those 8000 fridge freezers you have are the all singing and dancing, low wattage ….Dometic electronic nightmare….
After he had a good look around the freezer…(as I had done before going to him as the fridge/freezer is still under warranty (just))…he tried banging on the door with hand,
He then said you have one big problem the fridge/freezer needs to come out,,,that means taking all the panels off on the outside of the van off…disconnecting cables and gas pipes…the electronic board….it is not an easy job he said…..but the biggest problem is getting it out of the Rapido Motorhome wooden unit,,,the screws that hold it in the wooden unit are on the inside of the fridge and FREEZER…and that is locked solid….
And the chap was correct .. Rapido had built the fridge/freezer into a unit so it was flush…looks good Mmm…but impossible to take out no access. To the door catch or door hinges.
I got the feeling he did want to tackle the Job..as kept walking around a seeing to other vans coming in…his mate said he has done one before and had a terrible job with it saying they are designed by idiots and built by idiots and then fixed into units by idiots, without thinking what would happen if they went wrong …there built on benches????
After coming back to have another look….
His solution was to drill a large hole in the front door panel of the freezer to try and hit the locking mechanism that is if you drill in the correct place as there is a long plunger that operates the lock inside the door… or drill a large hole from the side through the motorhome veneered panel and through the freezer side wall…this would mean replacing the whole veneered panel and the freezer that would be a major job also replacing the front panel and a new fridge freezer…….
Wow ….this is a No NO
I nearly had a heart attack…..…
One thing I have learned…with my engineering /electrical/ joiner/ builder…and of course Fish& Chip shop..Mmmm background..try the easy/simple items first before you go for the kill… a rebuild…that is last resort.
While the Dometic man was away ringing Dometic…he left his books about 98 pages on that one 8000 series.
I took a look inside and noticed the button that you push up inside the door looked like it had a breakdown…so I suggested to him with two fine hooked strong wires we may be able to pull the button mechanism down..Ok we will give it a try…after a few minutes yes it came apart with a spring flying around the motorhome.
By removing the plastic (6” to 9”) plunger we could push up a long strong metal screwdriver so a little more force on the locking mechanism inside and eventually the door came open.
THE PROBLEM WHY IT WAS LOCKED SOLID WAS, THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS INSIDE THE FREEZER AND THE CONDENSATION FROM ITEMS YOU PUT INSIDE TO KEEP FROZEN OR TO FREEZE ENDS UP INSIDE THE PLASTIC LOCK…..YES YOU MAY NOW HAVE GUESSED THE PROBLEM THE LOCK WAS FULL OF SOLID ICE….
I will put photo’s on for you to see the freezer lock…….so before anybody starts drilling your freezer try this
!/ switch the freezer off and let it defrost…..if it’s under warranty claim for the food, if there is not much frozen food in write it off.
2/ If that fails try pulling the two button plunger down and keep an eye out for the spring..
If that fails then it is up to the Dometic agent….
After all this had taken place about 1 ½ to 2 hours…I said to the agent how do I owe you. The answer nothing, today has been a leaning curve for me, I have learnt from you …I said me to looking at your manuals.:thumb:
So I gave him 20 euros….I do not blame the agent at all…I blame the manufactures and the Dealers Dometic and Rapido….the Agents have to pick up the pieces.
a lot of photo's to follow
Mel:thumb:
Last edited: