Goodbye Dometic RMD8505, hello Thetford T2160

[Lenny HB]

Uncle Lenny HB we need to have a chat about putting one of these in my van when the season is over

Even you could do that, a simple straight swap, cap off the gas pipe and pull the link on the CBE distribution unit to give the fridge permanent power.

 

[WESTY66]

Even you could do that, a simple straight swap, cap off the gas pipe and pull the link on the CBE distribution unit to give the fridge permanent power.

Errrr hello!!! This is me you’re talking about you lost me at “link on the distribution unit”
Once you’ve explained and shown me a dozen times I’ll have a crack at it, Gas, plumbing, NO problem, electrics it’s a dark art

 

[Adrian Athos]

My absorption fridge/freezer is 4 years old and I’ve never been happy with it. I installed extraction fans (which worked well) and replaced the heat sink paste. Despite this I found the freezer temperature varied considerably (probably because the thermostat is in the fridge). The freezer wasn’t cold enough for ice cream or keeping some foods cold enough. I didn’t like the fridge at the bottom as I had to get on my hands and knees to access food at the back of the bottom shelf. I didn’t like the way the freezer food had to be packed. The fridge took a long time to get down to temperature and cooling was very uneven.

Well, the cooling unit at the back gave up. The cost of replacing it, assuming you can still get them (which would involve removing the fridge/freezer), was the excuse I needed to ditch the RMD8505.

I’ve replaced it with a Thetford T2160 compressor fridge/freezer. It has the same external dimensions as the RMD8505 so is a straight swap. The fridge is at the top, it has an internal fan, the interior light that actually shows what’s in the fridge and it comes with a full set of shelves (unlike the RMD8505). The 3 star freezer is a pullout drawer, making it easier to pack and access food, and it is cold enough for storing ice cream! I was concerned about the noise it might make but it hasn’t woken us up. The cost of it is significantly cheaper than the Dometic replacement (which I believe is a different size requiring modifications to the cabinet).

I wish I’d done this change a long time ago.

It uses about 45Ah over 24 hours. I have 210Ah of LiFePO4 (2 x Fogstar 105Ah), 240W solar, 30A B2B (Votronic VCC 1212-30). So far, so good.

I will be posting some Dometic fridge/freezer items for sale over the next few days.

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Hi,
Great article. I am on my second Dometic RMD8505 fridge-freezer in 7 years and like you wish I had replaced it years ago! Looking at Thetfords it looked like the T2160 was the nearest replacement, however based on Thetford and Dometic measurements the T2160 is 2mm wider than the RMD8505 and the RMD8505 is rather tight in my motorhome's housing. Do you remember how tight your Dometic was in the housing of your motorhome? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Stratford on Avon.

 

[StillGoing]

Hi,
Great article. I am on my second Dometic RMD8505 fridge-freezer in 7 years and like you wish I had replaced it years ago! Looking at Thetfords it looked like the T2160 was the nearest replacement, however based on Thetford and Dometic measurements the T2160 is 2mm wider than the RMD8505 and the RMD8505 is rather tight in my motorhome's housing. Do you remember how tight your Dometic was in the housing of your motorhome? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Stratford on Avon.

The Dometic was a tight fit. The Thetford was about the same. I’m not far from you so happy for you to have a look at my motorhome. Please message me.

We’re currently touring Spain and Portugal. Loving the Thetford. It’s so much better than the Dometic. Hot weather is not a problem for it.

 

[StillGoing]

Hi,
Great article. I am on my second Dometic RMD8505 fridge-freezer in 7 years and like you wish I had replaced it years ago! Looking at Thetfords it looked like the T2160 was the nearest replacement, however based on Thetford and Dometic measurements the T2160 is 2mm wider than the RMD8505 and the RMD8505 is rather tight in my motorhome's housing. Do you remember how tight your Dometic was in the housing of your motorhome? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Stratford on Avon.

The dimensions I have are:

Thetford T2160 - 1245mm 525 563 (h w d)
Dometic RMD8505 - 1245 525 578 (h w d)

The Dometic also had a small seal on each side to stop fumes or gas entering the living area.

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[1967bowesj]

The dimensions I have are:

Thetford T2160 - 1245mm 525 563 (h w d)
Dometic RMD8505 - 1245 525 578 (h w d)

The Dometic also had a small seal on each side to stop fumes or gas entering the living area.

Depth sizes are slightly out, rmd is 568, thetford is 578 from that link.
The seal is usually at the rear edge and usually rebated into the surrounding wood so can be removed when you change fridge

 

[Amber5on]

Thank you very much for this information!
I am currently using the RMD505 refrigerator. It is terrible. At full power, even now - in winter in Greece - the temperature in the freezer is -5-7 degrees - and in the refrigerator +7-12 degrees. It seems to me that this is too much.
I am glad that there is a replacement for a 12V compressor
I am sure that I will change it to Thetford T2160
I am starting to search around Europe where it is cheaper to buy it.

 

[Lenny HB]

Thank you very much for this information!
I am currently using the RMD505 refrigerator. It is terrible. At full power, even now - in winter in Greece - the temperature in the freezer is -5-7 degrees - and in the refrigerator +7-12 degrees. It seems to me that this is too much.

Before spending a fortune on a new fridge worth spending a few bob to try & get the 8505 working. Our last two vans had 8505's over 10 years very little problems with them.

When as the chimney last cleaned if not for a few years I would do that and replace the gas jet and burner. Although the burner is only a bit of stamped metal it can make a huge difference to the fridge performance.

If it gets colder on mains than on gas it's a sign that what I mensioned above needs sorting.

Also have you fitted any fans?
I fitted two external ones inside the top vent controlled by a temperature controller.
I also fitted one internal in front of the fins this helps the fridge recover much quicker when the dorr has been opened.

 

[StillGoing]

I fitted fans and replaced the heat sink compound before my fridge/freezer died. Whilst they helped, the freezer was still crap. It was down to poor design by Dometic. There is only one temperature thermostat and that is located in the fridge. If the fridge is at the right temperature, cooling to the freezer stops even if the freezer is not at the right temperature.

I would never willingly have a fridge/freezer without separate controls for the fridge and the freezer. The Thetford compressor has been brilliant.

 

[Lenny HB]

I fitted fans and replaced the heat sink compound

I forgot to mention the compound well worth replacing if the fridge is more than 3 years old, which it will be as the 8000 series has not been made for 5 years.

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[rambo]

had my dometic on since the start of covid its on moor than its off ,had only a couple of small problems with it but that was not a problem for a man of my siliva.my mate did have problems with his so i took it apart and found a problem with the pcb so priced one up with dometic holly smoke it was pricey .i know a nice old chap in portsmouth he soldered a couple of new bits onit fully tested it .he got twenty quid me mate got a fixed board.its allways worth seeing if a board can be fixed .....

 

[cyberyacht]

rambo who is this "nice old chap" as Portsmouth is just down the road and could be useful at some point in the future.

 

[WESTY66]

Before spending a fortune on a new fridge worth spending a few bob to try & get the 8505 working. Our last two vans had 8505's over 10 years very little problems with them.

When as the chimney last cleaned if not for a few years I would do that and replace the gas jet and burner. Although the burner is only a bit of stamped metal it can make a huge difference to the fridge performance.

If it gets colder on mains than on gas it's a sign that what I mensioned above needs sorting.

Also have you fitted any fans?
I fitted two external ones inside the top vent controlled by a temperature controller.
I also fitted one internal in front of the fins this helps the fridge recover much quicker when the dorr has been opened.

Yes you’re right about having a crack at the old one uncle Lenny HB my fridge went awry twice and I was ready for chucking the towel in then after a chat with Paul Two on Tour about the burner and uncle Lenny about the paste I then fitted a new door seal, re pasted the fins, fitted new burner, 3 top fans pulling out, 2 bottom fans pushing in, now works great on No4 not quite there on No3

 

[tomdrumbrae]

HI

I did do it myself. Hymer had already installed a suitable 12V supply as I was able to run the RMD8505 off the leisure battery with the engine off (it took about 15A), so I didn’t need to install new cables.

If you haven’t already done so I recommend reading the T2160 installation manual. Section 7 gives details of the cable size and fuse size.

Thetford T2000 manuals

Did you manage to get it out the habitation door .. any tips on this . Picture of fridge extracted. I can lift it over the cabinet
Re 12v supply did you use the existing feed or is there spare feed . TIA

 

[Tude]

My absorption fridge/freezer is 4 years old and I’ve never been happy with it. I installed extraction fans (which worked well) and replaced the heat sink paste. Despite this I found the freezer temperature varied considerably (probably because the thermostat is in the fridge). The freezer wasn’t cold enough for ice cream or keeping some foods cold enough. I didn’t like the fridge at the bottom as I had to get on my hands and knees to access food at the back of the bottom shelf. I didn’t like the way the freezer food had to be packed. The fridge took a long time to get down to temperature and cooling was very uneven.

Well, the cooling unit at the back gave up. The cost of replacing it, assuming you can still get them (which would involve removing the fridge/freezer), was the excuse I needed to ditch the RMD8505.

I’ve replaced it with a Thetford T2160 compressor fridge/freezer. It has the same external dimensions as the RMD8505 so is a straight swap. The fridge is at the top, it has an internal fan, the interior light that actually shows what’s in the fridge and it comes with a full set of shelves (unlike the RMD8505). The 3 star freezer is a pullout drawer, making it easier to pack and access food, and it is cold enough for storing ice cream! I was concerned about the noise it might make but it hasn’t woken us up. The cost of it is significantly cheaper than the Dometic replacement (which I believe is a different size requiring modifications to the cabinet).

I wish I’d done this change a long time ago.

It uses about 45Ah over 24 hours. I have 210Ah of LiFePO4 (2 x Fogstar 105Ah), 240W solar, 30A B2B (Votronic VCC 1212-30). So far, so good.

I will be posting some Dometic fridge/freezer items for sale over the next few days.

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We have the same and you can turn the freezer off and the fridge only uses 15amps

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[cdreed01]

HI

Did you manage to get it out the habitation door .. any tips on this . Picture of fridge extracted. I can lift it over the cabinet
Re 12v supply did you use the existing feed or is there spare feed . TIA



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Hi- we’ve a HYMER T698 and wanted to know if this’ll squeeze though the Hab door….or did it go via the passenger door

 

[StillGoing]

Hi- we’ve a HYMER T698 and wanted to know if this’ll squeeze though the Hab door….or did it go via the passenger door

Mine came through the hab door.

 

[cdreed01]

Mine came through the hab door.

Excellent! Many thanks for your prompt reply!

Since installing it how its performance been and also battery usage - we have a 280Ah LIFEPO4 fitted so feel this will be ample - along with solar and an Ecoflow

Best regards,

Colin.