Having had the fridge repaired before leaving the UK – the ignition for the gas operation was not working costing a significant price due to the need for the fridge to be taken out – following successful operation for several days, this time it would ignite, but then not stay lit. Decided that, as temperature now getting hotter, and wanting to use gas to save 3 – 4 eu per day electricity costs, particularly given solar panel happily running any other electricity needs, I should try and get it fixed as relatively near Malaga. Also wanted to finally remove and dump the electric step, a major cause of stress, which have not used for almost the last year, due to the damage it’s incurred when the vehicle has grounded given its low height, and not wanting to end up in the situation where it’s out, and will not retract. The grounding is now regularly occurring given the steepness of ramps/access to sites, and just non-primary road layouts.
So contacted Dometic Spain from the number in the manual, and was given the number of a caravan repair centre on their books in Malaga. To cut a long story short, I spent some 7 hours in the non-confidence-inspiring garage setting using google to try and convey the correct information while the owner and his seeming apprentice, who only spoke Spanish, very slowly throughout the day extracted the fridge, tweaked everything, removed the step – yaay, and responded finally positively to my google-enabled Spanish question as to whether they’d managed to fix it. Not able to take payment by card, I was duly dispatched with the apprentice in his car, into Malaga past several banks, until we reached the bank he had obviously targeted, so that I could get the necessary cash. Another of those experiences where faith,trust and mind-control was required. The fridge is indeed igniting and continuing to work successfully on gas – still remains to be tested on electric!!, as when trying to confirm that the electric function was ok following the re-installation, I was told that they hadn’t repaired the electrical side of things – and I couldn’t face trying to explain that I knew that, but it needed to be tested to ensure all the necessary cables where correctly hooked up! Will have to be pay for an electric hook-up at the next place 🙂
