snail Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 Hi guys after your previous help with my catches, I now require fridge vent winter covers, I have seen some on eBay but not specific to my fridge? Ours is dometic RM721L model, type C40/110, absorbtion 3 way My vent covers are slightly rebated from the edge and in the rebate measure 440mm x 145mm, is this where the winter cover fits in to the rebate? will any covers this size then fit? Thanks Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 Dometic markets a 'kit' of two winter covers for the sort of vent in your photos. The kit includes a long cover (WA130) that fits to the bottom vent and a shorter cover (WA120) intended for the upper vent when that vent has an integrated gas-exhaust on the vent's right side. However, your photo shows that your installation has the gas-exhaust separate from the vent and, consequently, you could fit a WA130 winter cover to the upper and lower vents to gain maximum protection. Useful advice here https://www.leisurespares.co.uk/brands/dometic/fridges-dometic-and-waeco/winter-vent-guide-dometic/winter-vent-guide 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail Posted November 30, 2023 Author Share Posted November 30, 2023 Thanks Derek, I will check tomorrow, with the fridge on gas, extra separate vent is for my gas heating system I think? a single outlet blown air burner Thanks for your reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 The vent in the picture is definitely the 'fridge vent. (hence you can use two full winter vent covers) I think you'll find the heater flue is mounted at the edge of the underbody, slightly forward of the fridge vent position. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DickB Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 I suggest you make your own winter blanks. I made mine from an acrylic sheet from a shower back. A simple sheet of aluminium or even hardboard would do. Easy to cut out the necessary openings from the photos shown online in the adverts for these blanks being sold at ridiculous prices. Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 12 hours ago, snail said: Thanks Derek, I will check tomorrow, with the fridge on gas, extra separate vent is for my gas heating system I think? a single outlet blown air burner Thanks for your reply OK - I did wonder whether the thing in the top-right of your 3rd photo was a gas-exhaust outlet for the fridge, but it was in roughly the right place and I didn't know what else it could be. Historically, when Dometic fridges generally had a small capacity, the fridge's gas-exhaust was connected to an outlet in the right end of the upper fridge vent (LS100). An example is below and it will be apparent that the 'short' (WA120) winter cover does not obstruct the gas-exhaust outlet. Later on, when Dometic fridges became larger and fridge/freezers were introduced, it became more common to have a separate outlet for the gas-flue, or just to have no external outlet and allow the gas-flue to exhaust into the void behind the upper fridge vent. In such cases (as on your Tempo) the longer (WA130) winter cover - that was originally intended for the lower fridge vent (LS200) - could also be used on the upper fridge vent. As far as I'm aware the only 'Dometic kit' available comprises a WA120 cover and a WA130 cover. I've seen this kit advertised for around £35, but I've not seen new 'cheap' individual single WA130 covers being offered. I never added winter covers to the Dometic fridges of my motorhomes and, although the Thetford fridge/freezer of my Rapido motorhome came with winter covers (that could be fitted behind the vents) I never used them. But our motorhoming was always from late-March to early-November and never in really cold weather. A pair of new Dometic WA130 covers won't be cheap, and (as DickB has said) it should be fairly easy to DIY covers. Me, I'd use thin aluminium sheet and (having removed the vents) 'wire' the covers securely on. Fitting instructions for the 'genuine' Dometic winter covers are here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sI4sA-SDQM and, as long as an opening at the base of each DIY cover were left to allow air to enter/exit, that should be fine. Also - although not pretty - a 'wired' DIY winter cover shouldn't fall off as can happen with the Dometic covers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 You have two options if DIY'ing the vent covers. If you only require them to close the vents in storage then you can completely cover the existing grilles with a plastic or metal sheet but if you intend to use the fridge with the covers in place you MUST leave the bottom one or louvres open for the fridge to function. Dometic recommend fitting the covers when the ambient temperature is below something like 8 degrees C to restrict airflow and prevent overcooling (freezing) of the fridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail Posted December 1, 2023 Author Share Posted December 1, 2023 Morning guys, thanks for your replies, Derek, Robin hood, you are of course exactly correct, the separate vent is for the fridge, heater vent is near bottom of van body So I need two covers that are 440 x 130 as I've seen advertised this allows for a 15 mm gap as Keith rightly says for air circulation, would this be neccessary if using fridge on 240 volt only, we have just been away and the cold air coming in through the vents, you can feel the cupboards are really cold when you open them Incidentally I have found the set of three winter covers from our Hymer a class with thetford fridge if any one is interested? Unfortunately won't fit our current van Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 48 minutes ago, snail said: So I need two covers that are 440 x 130 as I've seen advertised this allows for a 15 mm gap as Keith rightly says for air circulation, would this be neccessary if using fridge on 240 volt only, we have just been away and the cold air coming in through the vents, you can feel the cupboards are really cold when you open them Yes, the fridge relies on a flow of air over the external coils to function correctly. If you can feel cold draughts around the cupboard joints then you need to look at the rear of the fridge to see if it has been correctly installed and sealed from the MH interior. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 As Keith has advised - whether the fridge is running on 12V, 240V or gas, if winter covers are fitted (Dometic or DIY variety) the upper and lower covers must have an 'air-gap' in order for the fridge to cool properly. This old discussion may be of interest https://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/73860-dometic-fridge-winter-covers/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail Posted December 1, 2023 Author Share Posted December 1, 2023 Ok guys all understood thanks for help once again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 19 hours ago, snail said: Thanks Derek, I will check tomorrow, with the fridge on gas, extra separate vent is for my gas heating system I think? a single outlet blown air burner Thanks for your reply Out of idle curiosity I looked at on-line photos of Autocruise "Tempo" models around 2010 vintage and they all had the small perforated vent above and to the right of the upper fridge ventilation grille. I'm pretty sure that this vent is a 'remote' outlet for the fridge's gas-flue and there's an advert for it here https://www.jacksonsleisure.com/caravan/motorhome/spares/dometic/fridge/flue/exhaust/vent-kit/ If you remove your Tempo's upper ventilation grille, it should be immediately apparent whether the small perforated vent is connected to the fridge's gas-flue or to your heater. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail Posted December 1, 2023 Author Share Posted December 1, 2023 Yes Derek it is, on my last picture I posted you can see the heater exhaust vent down by the van sill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 As shown on image below then... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail Posted December 7, 2023 Author Share Posted December 7, 2023 Thank you to all contributers, a pair of wa130 covers arrived and i fitted them yesterday £50 from eBay 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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