Robert,

Responding to your questions:

No, I have never inverted an amonnia-water refrigerator.

"If you "haven't spent years" working on these beasts what are you
saying?"
I was explaining that even though I've serviced numerous amonnia-water
refrigeration systems, large and small, and even though I maintained
this equipment for years, that was not my principle activity so I did
not and do not consider myself to be an expert on them.  My library of
refrigeration books includes no references suggesting that this
inversion procedure should be followed.  But I definitely have read
several warnings to NEVER lay them on any side or invert them because
this has been known to cause them to stop working entirely.  I used to
subscribe to both Trailer Life and Motorhome magazines, and I believe
I recall reading this same discussion there.  As I recall, it was
suggested that inverting a malfunctioning unit sometimes restores it
to functional condition, but sometimes it kills one that's working
poorly and really needs to have non condensables evacuated.  I'm only
passing on what others wrote.  The certainty your friend portrays is
very different from what others who have postured themselves as
experts have written in nationally published RV advice columns.  As to
deciding what's right, I still think I'd wait for Dometic to give
their advice.

"Huh? What does this paragraph mean???  You aren't convinced, yet you
know nothing about what I wrote about?  What's "scary" about the
suggestion?"
I meant that though I've spent a lot of time trying to learn about
these fascinating thermal transfer systems, I still don't know enough
to be certain that the advice you were repeating was wrong or right.
The part that I find scary is the specter of several List subscribers
become experimental test cases who didn't realize that inverting their
refrigerator MIGHT cause it to stop working entirely.  That's why I
wrote to Dometic asking them to give their opinion.  They built them.
If they say it is safe and effective to invert them to improve their
performance, I'll accept their opinion.  By contrast, comments by your
interesting retired heating & refrigeration acquaintance were only
very interesting to me.

I wasn't taking pot shots at you nor him.  But if he's wrong, and
yourwriting screwed up half a dozen of these little units at maybe
$750 (?) a pop, who would pay for them?  Not him nor you I would
guess. Those owners would be the ones taking the risk and they would
be the ones to pay.  Or are you prepared to underwrite any damage
caused by following that advice?

I'm pleased that your family stories include things like your Dad's
'55 Chevy's in Chattanooga which was fixed by pouring Bon Ami down the
carb to "score" the cylinder walls.  I hope you will excuse me for my
comparatively less exciting approach as I tend to be a risk averter.

All the best to you,
John