The Refrigerator

Appliances in the Outback

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We bought a generator to run the saw and to recharge batteries. The thing is noisy, so we don't like using it too often.
We put up a tank and have water shipped in but plan to dig a well some day.
We broke down and got cell phones that have some coverage (mostly - on a clear day) on our property.
And we bought a couple 20lb propane tanks to power a heater and a grill.

If we spend more than a couple days up there, all our ice melts and we either need to leave or go to town and buy ice. We found out from people with RVs that they make propane refrigerators. The trick was finding one that is free standing. We also wanted one with the ability to some day plug into an outlet when we get some power up there.

We finally found one at Isley's in Mesa. It's manufactured by Explorer. It cost a little over a thousand dollars. And it had to be special ordered. Here's an email I sent to the manufacturer:

My wife and I recently bought a GRQ8 Refrigerator from Isley's RV in Mesa, Arizona. They ordered it and called us when it had been delivered to their dock. We never opened it because it was well packaged and we had a long trip.

We took it to our cabin and hooked up the propane and was able to make ice by the next day. However, the thermostat was set for "Max" but we did not think the refrigerator was as cold as it should be, especially since the outside temperature got down to the 50s overnight. We thought we'd try using it in "Electric" mode, but could not find any wires or terminals to connect to any power source. We were told that the unit was "3-way" when we bought it.

I looked in the manual (actually just a photo-copy was delivered in the box with the refrigerator) and only found information about hooking it up to gas, nothing about electric. So I thought maybe they sent the wrong model. I searched all over the unit for a model number or serial number or any number and could find no numbers or information plates at all.

I then looked at the box it came in and noticed someone had neatly cut away portions of the box where there could have been some description of the contents of the box. I also noticed a picture of a unit that did not have a separate freezer door.

Looking at the box reminded me that the thermostat knob was already broken (although somewhat useable) when we unpacked the refrigerator. Further, the only identifying mark on the refrigerator was not one, but TWO "Explorer" stickers on the freezer door, side by side so it says "ExplorerExplorer".

Needless to say, we are not too thrilled about this unit at this time. We would like to know if there is a proper manual, if there are electrical hookups, what is supposed to come with the unit, how to find out the model number of the unit, and can we get a new thermostat knob shipped to us?

Thank you,

Deb wrote another email to Isley's and Explorer and Isley's responded the next day. They say they got us the wrong model and agreed to get the electrical adapters and a new knob for us. But that was 2 weeks ago.

Currently, I don't know or care who's fault it is. This is a classic problem with the customer/retailer/manufacturer relationship. No one seems to be at fault, but the customer's only recourse is to bitch loud enough to draw attention. This is not the first time this has happened to us since we bought the land. It's getting so that every time we do anything, the hardest part is dealing with the people standing between us and what we need. And no amount of money can adequately grease these wheels - only loud squeeling works.

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