A while ago the refrigerator in our Winnebago view developed a problem. We noticed while driving along that the ‘fridge’s red error light was on. The 12V supply, which is what we typically run with, was not providing voltage; shore power was clearly unavailable; and we run with the propane valve off. We switched manually to propane, opened the valve, and the refrigerator hummed along like nothing was wrong.
When we stopped I checked all the fuses I could find and they all seemed ok. What’s going on? We stored “Li’l Beast” with this problem unsolved a while ago. In preparation for a upcoming trip, I pulled “the beast” out and checked everything for operation. Yup, the 12V issue is still there.
So where would the Norcold’s 12v fuse be? I searched the web for information on our Winnebago View’s wiring, on the sprinter van wiring, and on the refrigerator. There’s so much bogus information a search dredges up: Winnies for sale, Samsung refrigerators for sale, Mercedes wiring diagrams for C models. There’s just so much to wade through. Then I found this:
They sell a circuit to “defend” your motorhome refrigerator. I’m not buying the ARP defender, but I was really pleased to find this description of the Norcold control unit and the location of the 20amp fuse. Interesting the ARP people recommend replacing that fuse with an in-line spade fuse that can be moved outside the control unit for easy replacement. Sounds good to me. Now I’ll just verify that the fuse is the issue. Since both 110VAC and the propane source work, that 20amp fuse is the most likely culprit.
I have one other issue that requires research. The passenger side lock/unlock fails to actuate. The driver’s side works just fine. This is most likely an issue with a wiring harness between the door lock controller and the passenger door. I read somewhere that the control unit is located under the driver’s seat. We’ll see.