Norcold Refer Woes

[DTAUG]

Just returned from my first trip in my new Arctic Fox camper. Everything worked fine except for the new generation Norcold refer. Running on dc (as per manual), when we stopped for lunch it had shut down with a no-co code. Reset it and everything looked fine. When we arrived in the desert in Nowhere, Oregon, the refer had shut down again, same code. Tried to reset it again. No go. Pulled out the manual and discovered that you can only reset a fault code once, and then the control board shuts down!!!!! You cannot even get to another fuel source (AC or LP)!!!! What a piece of crap!!!! Called Norcold on a borrowed phone and they said to take it 300 miles to Shade Tree RV Repair and Bull Semen and they would tell him how to reset the board. I explained I was an engineer, with my tools and gauges, and in the middle of the desert, and could they please tell me how to reset the board? "Nope, it's against company policy. " So we bought two bags of ice and threw them in the $1,500 bells and whistles refer. We only managed to loose half the food in four days. When I got back to town I called the Norcold Service Center to get it fixed. I have to wait three weeks because he is backed up with new refers with the same problem. It appears that Norcold shot themselves in the foot again with this new and improved model. What good is an RV refer if it shuts down in the middle of nowhere and will not let you use an alternate fuel source? However, now I know how to reset the board if it happens again! Norcold said that if this is done by an owner, it will void the warranty, however, there does not appear to be any way they can tell. I don't want to post the secret, but if you need to know, PM me and I will provide the info.

 

[klenger]

Arn't you glad they haven't put a chip in the toilet yet?

 

[Bill Stockard]

klenger,



They have!!



Have you seen the new push button electric flush RV toilet?



Bill

 

[EricBu12]

I am buying a Desert fox toybox trailer and I don't know if it has the new norcold but on the specs it says "Double Door Climate Control Refer w/Raised Panel Inserts" and then on options, there is a 8 Cu. double door refer. is this the new norcold? am I gonna have trouble? What is the model of the refer that has the problem?

 

[DTAUG]

Models

My manual lists N62X/N82X and N64X/N84X. I don't know about the two-door model.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I've had many Dometic fridges over the years in many different RVs and they aren't problem free either.



I wish the RV industry would get away from the finicky slow cooling gas absorption type fridges and utilize a very energy efficient compressor type fridges that are in some European RVs.



I don't remember which one, but either Earthromer or the Turtle Expedition doesn't use a gas absorption fridge in their RV.



Bill

 

[EricBu12]

Thanks DTAUG I will look at the Reefer when I get it.....



Yeah, Earthromer has a Compressor style. Don't know the brand



The thing with that is, it is expensive. Just Like My ARB chest fridge/freezer, it is $900. where as you can get the Coolatron Thermo-electric cooler/warmer for $100... ... .



I have run My ARB cooler in an over the road truck I drive.....

Run it continuously 24 hrs a day except for weekends off at home for over 2 years now and it works flawlessly. Even one time it was in a travel trailer and the AC was off, we were using it as a chest freezer and in vegas, the inside of the trailer was 122 deg. the cooler was running full tilt and it was at 18 deg inside... ... Compressor styles just do better thats for sure... .