Furrion arctic 16cu ft 12v fridge issues

[LeeBr]

Bought a new 2023 cougar on 1/27/24. First trip out Furrion arctic 16cu ft fridge model fcr16dcasa-bg quit working. Took it to the shop they replaced the fridge picked up on a Monday 4 days later same issue. Took it back to the dealership, they replaced fridge again with same model. Picked the unit up on Monday with the 3rd fridge and took off, 2 days later same problem. I keep getting a “FF” error code which is freezer fan, but each time fridge has to be replaced. Today we had an electrical burnt smell checked the fridge and same error code. Has anyone experienced anything like this?

[wiredgeorge]

https://thecampingadvisor.com/furrio...e-not-working/

[SXSChris]

Well I don't have the same model fridge but my 12v furrion fridge stopped getting cold but the freezer still works. I did all the troubleshooting and come to find out there was an electrical fire by the compressor. FCR2ODCAFA-SV that's my model #

[LeeBr]

I didn’t mention it in the original post but my freezer still works, fridge side won’t cool. They tried replacing the freezer fan but that didn’t help.

[JRTJH]

So, if I read your posts correctly, the dealership has replaced your refrigerator three times and this is the 4th failed unit?

Have you contacted Keystone? There's something wrong other than "junk refrigerators from a lowest bid company"... I can't imagine 4 refrigerators with the same issue, built at different times, installed and failed within a few hours of installation and that it's the refrigerator system failing....

Maybe there's an issue with the DC power to the refrigerator? Or an issue with clearance behind/around the refrigerator cabinet? Or ????

It's time to "call on the big guns" and get Keystone involved (from the customer's perspective, not from the dealership's warranty approval perspective) and also to contact Furrion to discuss their "FOUR IN A ROW" failure rate ....

Keystone Customer Service: (866) 425-4369
Furrion Customer Service: 1-432-LIPPERT (+1-432-547-7378)

I would not "sit by and rely on the dealer to resolve this" without some "customer involvement with Keystone and Lippert/Furrion". You deserve much better than 4 trips to the dealer to install 4 new refrigerators and for them to still blame the problem on "bad refrigerators"... There's a reason why "4 in a row" failed and it very likely may not be "Furrion's sub-par reputation"......

[LeeBr]

I have spoken with Furrion and Keystone, neither have an answer other than “it’s still under warranty”. I’ve asked for a different brand refrigerator as this seems to be an ongoing problem for multiple people. I’m waiting on an answer now.

I’ve been assured all electrical aspects have been looked at.

Thanks for the reply. I will continue to follow up with both Furrion and Keystone until I get an acceptable and permanent solution.

[sourdough]

Lee I would be pressing VERY hard to have a different brand fridge installed. I highly, highly doubt you have received 4 different Furrion fridges with the same issue that fail in the same time span - the odds of that are astronomical. Lippert/Furrion won't be the ones giving the approval for that so I would press Keystone.

I would also be digging around to find other folks to talk to; others that have had issues, repair techs that work on Furrions etc. and see what I could come up with. Those techs at the RV dealership should know a better cause than "bad fridge" and I would insist they tell me what troubleshooting they have done - have you talked to them? At this point a warranty is useless and pointless. Who cares if it has a warranty if every trip you take is ruined because the fridge dies and the "give you a new one" that fails again? That is a non starter to me.

[Raptor Dave]

Something wrong here!
I would be more apt to think there is a different problem other than just "crappy" refrigs. 4 in a row? Something wrong!

[GlasNav]

I'ld recommend hooking up one of the new ones to a 12v power source and have it run freestanding for a few days.

Does the installation provide adequate ventilation?

A few years ago Samsung had their hands full with the circulation fans and circuitry in their household fridge freezers failing at an exorbitant rate, and only the freezer working. Could Furrion have encountered the same design flaw / failure, or have the Chinese stolen the Samsung schematics along with the flawed design? Sorry, no I'm not, but that would be amusing!

[Alibaddy]

I can offer a suggestion. We have a 2021 Alpine 360 RL which has demand hot water heating. We kept getting error codes on the heater, and the only fix was to cycle all sources of DC power off and then back on after a minute. Suburban call me I needed a DC to DC converter which I had never heard of, however I got a hold of a DC to DC converter rated up to 40 volts in and up to 40 out but it receives 12 volts in and 12 volts out and that solved the problem. So perhaps you have some kind of interference on the 12 volt circuitry that is causing your problem. As a test, try turning off the breaker for your converter and the switch for the batteries, then wait a minute and turn it back on and see if the fridge works properly.

[LeeBr]

Update, keystone has agreed to try another model refrigerator. This will for sure let us know if it was the fridge or an electrical issue.

[JRTJH]

Great news. Hopefully this change to a different brand will give you "reliable refrigeration"....

[LeeBr]

The dealership called today asking approval to modify the rv so the new refrigerator will fit. I have approval with a couple of caveats. A couple hrs later they called back and said I have water damage in the floor under the refrigerator. Now I’m waiting on keystone to approve the repair. I’ve now owned the rv for 74 days and it’s been in the shop for 41 days. Any ideas on next steps, I want to push for a new rv.

[chuckster57]

Odds are very slim that you’ll get a new RV. The faulty fridge at this point isn’t Keystones fault. Was the water damage caused by the fridge?

[LeeBr]

The service tech is supposed to figure out today where the water came from.

[drrelli]

How did they not notice water damage when removing three earlier fridges? Or did the last one cause all the damage? Or did they really change out the fridges before? Something seems fishy…

[LeeBr]

I had the same question with no answer from them. They did swap out the others, because each time it it would have new packing material inside and I took a photo of the model and serial number on the first one to make sure it was replaced.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by drrelli

How did they not notice water damage when removing three earlier fridges? Or did the last one cause all the damage? Or did they really change out the fridges before? Something seems fishy…

Originally Posted by LeeBr

I had the same question with no answer from them. They did swap out the others, because each time it it would have new packing material inside and I took a photo of the model and serial number on the first one to make sure it was replaced.

The vinyl flooring and carpet are laid on the wooden floor decking before the sidewalls and cabinets are placed in position. It's very likely that if the dealer was replacing the same model refrigerator with no "modifications to any structure" then it was just a "pull the old one, install the new one" with no reason for them to remove or cut the existing flooring, so they would not have inspected the "wood under the vinyl flooring."...

However, if they needed to pull the cabinet and then modify the floor in any way, they probably needed to cut away part of the vinyl floor cover and that's when they discovered some water damage "under the vinyl".

So, there's a chance, if they never removed the vinyl floor during the previous refrigerator exchanges, they didn't discover what they didn't inspect (or have a reason to inspect) because they had no purpose in that area and did no work under the vinyl.

Now, if they did remove the vinyl floor cover or if that might have been cut away at the factory during assembly (unlikely if it's an internal refrigerator with no exterior venting) then they "should have seen what is directly under their nose"....

But, most 12 volt refrigerators are completley "inside the RV" appliances and there is no exterior venting and probably no reason for the factory to cut away the vinyl flooring inside the refrigerator cabinet.