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Old 09-04-2018, 03:25 PM   #21
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I can only relate my own experiences with a Dometic 2310 which are that the LP worked fine in the AZ White Mountains (c.9k feet) and recently in Glacier (not as high but higher than 5.5k). Always cooled into the 30s. Maybe my unit is a fluke? I do agree with the 12v: there temps rose to the 40s. I did drive some with LP on. Always shut down before even entering gas station. Open flames around gas vapor not the best idea. But I also experienced LP flame apparently blowing out when driving on the road.
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Old 09-04-2018, 03:52 PM   #22
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Default I too have driven on LP..... but, probably should not....

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I can only relate my own experiences with a Dometic 2310 which are that the LP worked fine in the AZ White Mountains (c.9k feet) and recently in Glacier (not as high but higher than 5.5k). Always cooled into the 30s. Maybe my unit is a fluke? I do agree with the 12v: there temps rose to the 40s. I did drive some with LP on. Always shut down before even entering gas station. Open flames around gas vapor not the best idea. But I also experienced LP flame apparently blowing out when driving on the road.
It's safer on battery....
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Old 09-04-2018, 03:54 PM   #23
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3280 feet elevation? That rules out a huge chunk of the country.


Are you certain that is what they said?
Hi booster,

Yes, it says that, but Roadtrek selected it anyway! Go figure.

It would rule out much of my travels, more than half the days. I would have to change it out, no choice.

Bud
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Old 09-04-2018, 03:56 PM   #24
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Default Again, the 2000 series models have a limit of 5,500... higher altitudes will affect

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Originally Posted by GallenH View Post
I can only relate my own experiences with a Dometic 2310 which are that the LP worked fine in the AZ White Mountains (c.9k feet) and recently in Glacier (not as high but higher than 5.5k). Always cooled into the 30s. Maybe my unit is a fluke? I do agree with the 12v: there temps rose to the 40s. I did drive some with LP on. Always shut down before even entering gas station. Open flames around gas vapor not the best idea. But I also experienced LP flame apparently blowing out when driving on the road.
OK.... if you have a 2000 series and go to 9,000 feet, you're talking around 3,000 above the specs. but, my 8000 series was 6,000 above... a little different.

Fluke? you decide. I think you need shore power above 4,000 feet with my RM8501...
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Old 09-04-2018, 04:40 PM   #25
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You can summarize the combined info from the Dometic and Norcold manuals as follows:

1. At 3280 feet it might get more difficult to light the fridge.

2. At 5500 feet cooling performance might be reduced.

If you lower the gas pressure a bit when at higher elevations by turning on other gas appliances like a stove that could help with ignition problems.

I tend to keep empty space in the freezer at a minimum by putting plastic bottles of water in there. There is usually a few of them in a frozen state in the freezer and I think that helps keep temperatures in acceptable ranges.
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Old 09-04-2018, 08:52 PM   #26
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Marcopolo's observations are worth considering. Units obviously differ from each other and that makes it hard to generalize. Difficulty in lighting could be a greater problem in the 8xxx series. Makes sense that altitude would effect flame temp on any unit. The bottom line remains how your specific unit performs at higher altitudes.
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Old 09-04-2018, 09:08 PM   #27
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It certainly may be really only the way the burner is tuned. Just like with any fuel, the air/fuel mixture needs to be correct to get the maximum output available from whatever oxygen level you have at any given elevation.


It sounds as if the new frig was tuned for lower elevation than the older ones mentioned. That tuning would make the burner at correct mixture at maybe 1500-1800 feet, lean at sea lever, and rich at the 3200 feet. At some point the burner gets too rich and won't generate enough heat, not light well, fouls the burner with soot, so if it is tuned to a lower elevation you get richer, sooner, as you go up and hit the bad point earlier.


No matter how you tune it, you max output is still going to be reduced by the reduced amount of oxygen available, following the same % reduction as a normally aspirated engine would, I think.


They may have tried to optimize the burner tune to the elevation they think was used the most improve cooling. Tuning for lower elevation would put more gas input into the burner, so more cooling capacity, but it will also go too rich sooner going up in elevation.


On edit, here what a quick search came up with for derating burners for elevation.


http://www.upgnet.com/PdfFileRedirec...1.13V-0496.pdf


Seems to be orifice change only, but I assume the mixture would be tweaked with the burner air inlet to reduce CO.


I saw else where to use the same 4% per thousand feet increase that is common with gasoline engines, but several places said that once the mixture is corrected for elevation, the derating of heat output would be more like 2-3%, which is also similar to what happens when you correct the mixture in a gasoline engine, which the computer does automatically these days.
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