Interior Adjusting the door on Thetford N3185 fridge

Macca_75

Well-Known Member
Aug 3, 2016
680
596
93
49
SE Suburbs, Vic.
Hey guys,

I noticed on our last outing that the fridge door is not sealing correctly (unless I use the latch, which is a PITA). The latch itself closes however there is movement in the door and the seal isn't doing it's job.

As most service centres are currently closed and I have spare time on my hands I have hitting Google.

I note that on https://www.thetford-europe.com/au/en-AU/products/refrigerators/absorption/n3185-e

Q. Why isn't the door closing properly?
A. It may be that the door of your refrigerator needs to be adjusted. Contact your dealer or Thetford Service Centre to check this.

Given all service centres seem to be closed does anyone how to do this? Is it as easy as loosening some bolts on the hinges (I am not home so can't check the fridge until tonight). Is this likely to be the cause/fix for my issue?

My other thought is maybe having the door latched closed while in storage (possible I forgot to leave it open) has compressed the seal. Maybe the answer is a new seal?

We are taking the van away again in a few weeks and would like to try and sort this out before we leave if I can (as well as a short list of other things to be done).

Thanks in advance.
 

Boots in Action

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2017
2,054
1,806
113
Ferny Grove, Queensland
Hey guys,

I noticed on our last outing that the fridge door is not sealing correctly (unless I use the latch, which is a PITA). The latch itself closes however there is movement in the door and the seal isn't doing it's job.

As most service centres are currently closed and I have spare time on my hands I have hitting Google.

I note that on https://www.thetford-europe.com/au/en-AU/products/refrigerators/absorption/n3185-e

Q. Why isn't the door closing properly?
A. It may be that the door of your refrigerator needs to be adjusted. Contact your dealer or Thetford Service Centre to check this.

Given all service centres seem to be closed does anyone how to do this? Is it as easy as loosening some bolts on the hinges (I am not home so can't check the fridge until tonight). Is this likely to be the cause/fix for my issue?

My other thought is maybe having the door latched closed while in storage (possible I forgot to leave it open) has compressed the seal. Maybe the answer is a new seal?

We are taking the van away again in a few weeks and would like to try and sort this out before we leave if I can (as well as a short list of other things to be done).

Thanks in advance.

Hi @Macca_75 , I too have a Thetford fridge, but fortunately there is no problem with door adjustment. Depending on the age, the main problem is probably wear on the hinge pivot points (bearings) which are usually nylon inserts. It is unlikely to be on the metal pins themselves. Is the problem with the door height or with the side closure points?? Is there any play on the hinges themselves, this will cause the door to sag. If there is play in and out, I would check the fixing screws for the hinges which are easy to remove to see what is happening. I have a copy of the Thetford Installation and Owner's Manual, so I can always copy the section that you want and send it to you. See if you can find/locate the slackness somewhere and the fix is easy even if you have to use extra packing to get the door to close evenly. Spare parts are available too. If you need further help, let me know. It is most unlikely to be the seal itself unless door has been jammed against something when closed. Good luck!
 

ChrisFatboySydney

Active Member
Feb 29, 2016
136
142
43
45
Sydney
Hey guys,

I noticed on our last outing that the fridge door is not sealing correctly (unless I use the latch, which is a PITA). The latch itself closes however there is movement in the door and the seal isn't doing it's job.

As most service centres are currently closed and I have spare time on my hands I have hitting Google.

I note that on https://www.thetford-europe.com/au/en-AU/products/refrigerators/absorption/n3185-e

Q. Why isn't the door closing properly?
A. It may be that the door of your refrigerator needs to be adjusted. Contact your dealer or Thetford Service Centre to check this.

Given all service centres seem to be closed does anyone how to do this? Is it as easy as loosening some bolts on the hinges (I am not home so can't check the fridge until tonight). Is this likely to be the cause/fix for my issue?

My other thought is maybe having the door latched closed while in storage (possible I forgot to leave it open) has compressed the seal. Maybe the answer is a new seal?

We are taking the van away again in a few weeks and would like to try and sort this out before we leave if I can (as well as a short list of other things to be done).

Thanks in advance.

I had this problem since new. Particularly when I put stuff in the door shelf’s the door would not close properly.

Thetford sent me some c-clips to raise the door height which fixed the problem.

Ck