Owner’s Manual 5
Effects of High Altitude on Propane Gas
Operation
When you operate the refrigerator on propane gas at altitudes
higher than 1.7 km above sea level:
- You may experience reduced cooling performance of the
refrigerator.
- You may experience burner outages.
To avoid these possible problems, Thetford recommends that you
operate the refrigerator on AC when at altitudes higher than 1.7
km above sea level.
Start up - DC operation (3-way models only):
- Make sure that 12 volts DC is available.
- Turn the selector switch to the DC position (
).
Shut down:
- Turn the selector switch to the OFF position ( ).
DC operation precautions:
This refrigerator is made to operate on DC power while your
vehicle is “in transit” and AC power or propane gas sources are
not available. Operate the refrigerator on DC power only when
the vehicle engine is running.
For the refrigerator to operate correctly on DC power, the battery
must be maintained in a fully charged condition.
For the battery to be fully charged at all times during refrigerator
operation on DC, the vehicle engine must be running and the
battery charging system must be in good operating condition.
Keep in mind the following electrical precautions for DC operation
of the refrigerator:
- Good battery condition is necessary for correct DC operation.
- The capacity of the battery charging system must be more
than what is necessary for the refrigerator and other DC
appliances.
- While the vehicle engine is running, make sure the voltage
of the DC power supply leads at the refrigerator is more than
11.5 VDC.
DC operation guidelines:
DC operation is intended only to maintain the temperature of the
refrigerator and its contents when they are already cool.
The DC operation is not intended for the initial start up and
cooling of the refrigerator. Always use either the AC operation
or propane gas operation to initially start up and cool the
refrigerator. The refrigerator must be cooled and the temperature
must be steady before you operate the refrigerator on DC.
Keep in mind the following guidelines for DC operation of the
refrigerator:
- Use DC operation of the refrigerator while the vehicle is in
transit.
- Do not use DC operation until the refrigerator and its
contents are completely cooled.
- Only use DC operation if the vehicle battery and battery
charging system are in good operating condition.
Refrigerator Care Checklist
Your refrigerator will give you years of trouble free service if you
do these simple checks every three to six months:
- Keep the food compartment and the freezer clean. See
“Cleaning”.
- Defrost the refrigerator as necessary. See “Defrosting”.
- Make sure the door seals correctly. See “Door Sealing“.
- Be aware of any cooling changes that are not because of
weather, loading, or gas control changes. If changes occur,
contact your dealer or an authorized Service Center.
- Make sure the gas supply is propane gas only and not
butane or a butane mixture.
- When in propane gas operation, examine the appearance of
the flame. See “Gas Flame Appearance”.
- Make sure the air flow in the lower intake vent, through the
refrigerator condenser and coils and out the upper exhaust
vent is not blocked or decreased.
- Make sure the area behind the refrigerator is clear. Do
not use the area behind the refrigerator for storage of any
materials or combustible materials, especially gasoline and
other flammable vapors and liquids.
