Dometic - Black Refrigerator Door Handle Combo Kit, Set of 2 for Americana Double-Door Models - Part# 38511740311

This is the genuine Dometic 38511740311 door handle combo kit in black — the current service part for the exterior door handles on Dometic Americana double-door absorption refrigerators. One kit contains two handles, which is enough to do both the refrigerator door and the freezer door at the same time.

Dometic’s parts appendix lists a single handle part number per model, so the same handle fits the upper and lower door on your unit. If your manual or parts list calls out single handle 3851174023 (or the earlier 2932093-03/8), this combo kit is what that handle is supplied as today. Handles are black; if yours are a lighter colour, contact us with your model number before ordering.

What’s Included

• (2) black exterior door handles, each with a moulded PUSH thumb-latch lever and two integral latch cams on the reverse
• (2) grey plastic airing position cards (Dometic part 3312986.403)
• (4) black self-tapping screws — two per handle, matching the two screw bosses on the back of each handle

Not included: door panels, door frames, hinges, hinge pins, door seals or gaskets, interior shelves, or the door reversing kit. This kit is the handle assembly and its mounting hardware only.

Do You Need This Part?

1. Find your model number. Dometic places the data label inside the refrigerator compartment, underneath the unit, or on the back. Read the model number from that label rather than from the RV’s paperwork.
2. Check it against the list below. This handle is listed for the Americana DM2652, DM2662, DM2663, DM2852 and DM2862. Earlier RM-numbered units in the same family often carry the same handle — send us your model number and we will confirm it from the parts appendix.
3. Confirm the colour is black. Dometic supplied these doors in more than one colour and the handles are not interchangeable across colours.
4. Decide how many you need. One kit covers both doors. If only one handle is broken you will have a spare, which most technicians want anyway — the second handle is usually the next to fail.

Typical reasons to replace: the PUSH lever has snapped, the latch no longer holds the door closed while travelling, or the handle body has cracked at a screw boss.

Technical Specifications

We publish only the figures we can trace to a Dometic document. Dometic does not print handle dimensions in the Americana manuals, and the measurements circulating on resale sites disagree with each other, so we have left them off rather than guess. Ask us and we will measure a kit on the bench for you.

Compatible Models

This list is exactly what Dometic’s own spare-parts appendix shows for this handle — we have not padded it. Always confirm against the manual for your unit. Many RM-numbered Americana refrigerators are the same cabinet under an earlier designation and take the same handle, so if your model is not listed, send us the model number instead of guessing and we will look it up in the parts appendix and tell you either way.

Installation Notes

• Turn the refrigerator off at the control panel and shut off the manual LP gas valve before working on the unit. Disconnect 115 VAC shore power and the 12 VDC supply if you will be opening any panel other than the door face.
• The handle mounts to the door face with two screws through the bosses on the back of the handle. Support the handle while you back the old screws out so the latch cams do not drop inside the door panel.
• These are self-tapping screws into plastic. Snug them until the handle is firm and stops rotating — do not run them down hard, as overtightening strips the boss and is the most common cause of a repeat failure. Dometic does not publish a torque figure for this fastener, so we do not quote one.
• Check the latch engages the striker with the door closed, then open and close the door several times before putting the unit back into service.
• Keep the airing position cards with the unit. Dometic’s instruction: “Use the airing position card to keep the doors ajar if the refrigerator is put in storage or will not be used for an extended period of time.”
• Manual: Dometic Americana Operating Instructions, form 3313240.016 rev D (26 pages, PDF) — the spare-parts appendix on pages 15–16 lists this handle and the airing position card. Hosted here for free, no registration required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a genuine Dometic part?

Yes. This is Dometic part number 38511740311, the factory service kit. There are aftermarket copies of this handle sold under other brand names and part numbers; this is not one of them.

How many handles come in the kit?

Two. Dometic sells this as a combo kit precisely because the double-door units need a matching pair, and the single handle it replaced is no longer supplied on its own.

Does it fit the upper door, the lower door, or both?

Both. Dometic’s spare-parts appendix lists one handle part number for the whole unit, so the same handle serves the refrigerator and freezer doors.

What is the grey plastic card for?

It is the airing position card. It holds the doors slightly open so the cabinet can air out while the RV is in storage, which is what stops the mould smell that greets people in spring. Two are included, one per door.

My parts list says 3851174023 — is this the right part?

Yes. 3851174023 is the single-handle number printed in the Dometic Americana parts appendix; it is now supplied as this two-handle combo kit. Some older manuals show 2932093-03/8 for the same position.

Will this fit my RM2652 or RM2862?

Very possibly, but we will not claim it without checking. Those models are not in the appendix we verified this part against. Send us your exact model number from the data label and we will confirm it from the Dometic parts list before you order.

Why Buy From Elkhart RV Parts

We are in Elkhart, Indiana, where these RVs are built, and we stock service parts by exact OEM part number rather than by vague category. Every listing on this site is checked against the manufacturer’s own documentation, and we host those manuals ourselves so you can read the parts appendix before you buy instead of taking our word for it.

Sources

• Dometic, Operating Instructions, DM2652 / DM2662 / DM2663 / RM2351 / RM2354 / RM2451 / RM2454 / RM2551 / RM2554 / DM2852 / DM2862 / NDM1062, form 3313240.016 rev D, 12/13/17, 26 pages — Appendix A Spare Parts, pp. 15–16 (handle black 3851174023; airing position card 3312986.403) and the airing-card instruction. Hosted by Elkhart RV Parts.
• Dometic, Installation and Operating Instructions, Americana series, dated 7-10-07, 21 pages — earlier Appendix A listing handle 2932093-03/8 and airing position card 3850781-01 for the same models.
• Kit contents (2 handles, 2 airing position cards, 4 screws) counted from Elkhart RV Parts’ own photographs of this kit, shown above.