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This past weekend my fiance and I were preparing to load up the Winnebago to head home. All of a sudden we smelled the strong odor of ammonia. Five minutes before that I had restarted the refrigerator on propane. I opened the freezer and was almost knocked out by the overwhelming odor. My first guess would be a problem with the refrigerator (duh). Where should I start looking for the problem? What should I look for? I'm guessing the fridge is original equipment making it about 16 years old. It also didn't work very well on AC. Should I just start shopping for a new fridge? --Danny May Dear Danny, You have a leaking cooling unit which literally renders the refrigerator inoperable. At a minimum, the entire cooling unit will have to be replaced. Though cooling units can become internally blocked by operating off-level, the release of ammonia is quite indicative of a hole somewhere in the piping. Because of the corrosive nature of pure liquid ammonia it may, over time, eat through the sodium chromate protection and the walls of the piping. The process is accelerated when the unit is operated off-level. Off-level operation on either LP or electricity results in over-heating the components. If the leak point is situated at or near an exposed section of piping at the rear of the refrigerator, a bright yellow residue is usually visible. If the leak is in an internal section of pipe hidden by insulation you may not find it, but any indication of an ammonia smell confirms a leak. Typically, RV service centers replace the cooling unit with a refurbished unit, sending the damaged unit back to the supplier to be repaired, recharged and placed back into inventory. The entire replacement can take anywhere from two to four hours to complete. Cooling units cannot be repaired in the field but must be replaced. THOUGH AN EXPENSIVE VENTURE, RV owners must often contemplate a complete refrigerator upgrade versus the cooling unit replacement. It depends on the age of the refrigerator and how fond you are of your existing unit. For your 16-year-old refrigerator, seriously consider a complete refrigerator replacement. You will then have a new unit warranty and all new parts. With a cooling unit replacement only, the original components are still aged and non-warrantable. Weigh the cost differences in your area and don't be afraid to shop around for better prices if possible. Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor, is a well known RV author and the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry's most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD titled Do It Yourself RV Care.  RVs for saleMotorhomes, Travel Trailers, Fifth Wheels, Truck Campers, Pop ups and much more. See the big selection at NewRVer.com. Click here. Top of Page Get your FREE RV Travel Newsletter every week - sign up now.
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