RV Refrigerator

[Boehler]

The refrigerator in our 2016 Jayco 5th wheel is not operating as consistently as I would like, and seems rather expensive to run on either gas or electric. It is a Norcold model 1210 and we are considering replacing it with a residential type unit.
Anyone out there have any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[RustyJC]

Our current Mobile Suites came with a residential fridge. It's powered by a 1500 watt pure sine wave inverter while we're on the road, and shore power when we're set up or in storage. It's the best move I've ever made - I've had both Norcold and Dometic RV fridges fail cooling units over the past 20 years, and there's always the fire hazard with them that's been the subject of recalls (we have 2 friends who have lost RVs to fridge fires). There are even boondockers who have made the switch to residential fridges. They just add more solar panels to handle it. If you get to the point where you have to replace an RV fridge, I'd certainly recommend that you take a serious look at switching over to a residential fridge.

Rusty

 

[Jim W]

I also agree with Rusty, We have had three different 5th wheel trailers, two with the RV style fridges. One unit had the Dometic RV fridge, worked fairly will but would not keep the food real cold on a 90+ day. Our other 5er was equipped with the Norcold RV style, we had trouble with the control panel on that unit. Some times the unit would not switch over from electric to gas when disconnect from shore power and on Auto.

Our current 5er has a residential fridge in it and we love the unit. Works great and will keep food cold even with the inverter shut off. My wife usually turns this on when the truck is hooked up and the legs are retracted, the inverter is in the same compartment that has the control panel for the leveling system. She forgot once and when I checked that compartment I over looked that the inverter was off, so we drove 8 Hours with the fridge not operating. When we got to the campsite the inside temp of the fridge was 40F and the food was still good. I will never purchase another RV without a residential fridge in the unit. Now if they would only start installing a small residential stove my wife would be really happy.

 

[RustyJC]

Now if they would only start installing a small residential stove my wife would be really happy.

A number of modern RVs have induction cooktops available to replace the propane ranges. For baking, of course, there's the convection microwave.

Rusty

 

[SnoKing]

The refrigerator in our 2016 Jayco 5th wheel is not operating as consistently as I would like, and seems rather expensive to run on either gas or electric. It is a Norcold model 1210 and we are considering replacing it with a residential type unit.
Anyone out there have any thoughts or recommendations?

I do not believe that model has a very good rep! Couple things to do. Put one of the little battery power circulation fans in the refrigerator. Look at the back, if it is in a slide then they do not vent very well. There should be fan(s) on the back and you can by-pass the thermostat on then to run when ever it is cooling. Look for misplaced insulation blocking air flow.

Look at the drawing in post #10 if you can get to this site, and assure that the baffles are installed correctly.

https://www.heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/60482-Norcold-2118SS-Not-Cold-Enough

Also if in a slide make sure the propane hose is not getting kinked with the slide in.

Chris

 

[Bill Stockard]

The refrigerator in our 2016 Jayco 5th wheel is not operating as consistently as I would like, and seems rather expensive to run on either gas or electric. It is a Norcold model 1210 and we are considering replacing it with a residential type unit.
Anyone out there have any thoughts or recommendations?

This link may be helpful: https://www.turbodieselregister.com...rator/page2?highlight=replace+rv+refrigerator

For photos of the residential fridge replacement process, check post # 29

Bill

 

[Jim W]

A number of modern RVs have induction cooktops available to replace the propane ranges. For baking, of course, there's the convection microwave.

Rusty

It's the oven that she wants to replace some day. But our 2016 Cedar Creek did not come with a convection microwave and I do not want to spend the money for now on one. So we manage to get by on the poor excuse for a oven in the RV, the stove top burns are OK.

Jim

 

[Boehler]

Thanks for all the replies. I did add an additional 12 volt fan at the bottom in back. It faces up and runs constantly. My biggest problem is that on occasion, the temps in freezer and the refrigerator compartment increase to unacceptable levels. (35 to 40 in the freezer and 55 to 60 in the frig.) I could hear the gas burner operating and the two factory installed cooling fans running. This happened when we were in Lower Alabama (LA). Our repair man there tried to get a replacement cooling unit from Norcold, but they dragged their feet for more than 4 weeks and we had to leave for Ohio. We bought a $99 compact frig. to get by. When we got to Ohio, the Norcold seemed to work OK.

We had the trailer at the dealer where we bought it last October (2015) for some warranty work, and asked them to look at the refrigerator. They found nothing wrong. A few weeks later it did the get- warm thing again, but began cooling after a few hours. Even tough it is still under warranty, I am considering replacing it.

 

[LandShark]

It is possible for these gas fridges to work well. We have a Dometic RM3962. We spent June in Phoenix and southeast NM with temps over 100 every day. The fridge was typically at -7F in the freezer and 36F in the fridge in the early morning. Freezer and fridge would both go up about 4 to 6 degrees by the early evening when we were parked for the day in full sun. When driving all day the temps would usually end up at 0F and low to mid 40'sF by 6pm. The important thing, for me, is that the freezer makes ice and keeps ice cream hard!

Fridge is mounted in the slide, so there are the standard 2 12v fans plus I have added a 110v computer fan at the bottom that runs any time we are on shore power. At some point I'll look into replacing the 12v fans with new high efficient computer fans.

 

[crispyboy]

Our trailer has a Norcold N640 which is about 10 years old and installed by the previous owner. When first using the trailer I was extremely frustrated in the performance as the temps would bounce around and the 90+ temps would leave things way too warm inside.
I found an installers manual for the unit and noticed that it was not installed correctly.
There is supposed to be 0" of clearance on sides and top and ~3/4" in the rear. I placed new insulation board (hvac) along the sides, built a false wall in the rear and placed batt insulation on the top. This left a "chimney area" for the heat to go only through the frige coils. I went one step farther and in the very top of the trailer I put a 6" computer fan.
I have found that the computer fan is only needed during the initial cool down before leaving. Last weekend we camped in 94 degree weather and had to keep adjusting the refrigerator because it was dropping the temps below freezing.
Our friends have a regular refrigerator and it really limits their boondocking experiences.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Our trailer has a Norcold N640 which is about 10 years old and installed by the previous owner. When first using the trailer I was extremely frustrated in the performance as the temps would bounce around and the 90+ temps would leave things way too warm inside.
I found an installers manual for the unit and noticed that it was not installed correctly.
There is supposed to be 0" of clearance on sides and top and ~3/4" in the rear. I placed new insulation board (hvac) along the sides, built a false wall in the rear and placed batt insulation on the top. This left a "chimney area" for the heat to go only through the frige coils. I went one step farther and in the very top of the trailer I put a 6" computer fan.
I have found that the computer fan is only needed during the initial cool down before leaving. Last weekend we camped in 94 degree weather and had to keep adjusting the refrigerator because it was dropping the temps below freezing.

One of our previously owned Hitchhiker II fifth wheels also had Dometic fridge that would not cool well when the ambient temperature was above 90 degrees. It too was installed incorrectly. There was open space above the fridge and like yours there was air space along the sides. I added insulation the same as you and installed a 12-volt computer cooling fan at the lower vent to force cooling air up across the coils. I discovered I didn't need to run the cooling fan unless it was above 100 degrees outside.

One of our Lance slide-in truck campers with a Norcold fridge was bad about flame blowing out when traveling. I had the run the onboard generator and run the fridge on 120-volts AC to keep it cooling in hot weather. When the temperature was below 80 degrees, it would stay cool running on 12-volts DC. I made a homemade baffle to prevent downdrafts and turbulence along the side of the camper from blowing out the flame. After installing the baffle, it would cool very well while traveling in 100 degree heat. Also, I purchased a wireless thermometer with two sensors and placed one in the freezer and the other in the fridge section. I placed the wireless thermometer remote monitor on the console in my truck and could tell what the temperature was inside the fridge anytime while driving down the road.

Bill

 

[Boehler]

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and get a Samsung residential model. There is a French door model that will fit the hole without much trouble.
Lowe's has it on for $998 and I can get a 10% veterans discount.

 

[SnoKing]

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and get a Samsung residential model. There is a French door model that will fit the hole without much trouble.
Lowe's has it on for $998 and I can get a 10% veterans discount.

I was just reading the reviews on it. Some say the shelf spacing is a problem. SNOKING

 

[Boehler]

As long as it holds a few 12 ounce beverage cans, it's OK with me!

 

[Cummins12V98]

We have the Kitchenmaid and are VERY pleased with one full year of fulltiming under its best.

 

[Killgore]

Cummins12V98, is the Kitchenmaid running off a dedicated inverter?

 

[Kirwin]

As far as the Norcold temperature swings, they do go through a defrost cycle every 48 hours of operating time. I know mine does warm up a lot when it is does this. It melts the frost off the refrigerator coil then starts cooling again.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Cummins12V98, is the Kitchenmaid running off a dedicated inverter?

Yes it's a 1,000 watt Magnum. The frig and freezer are at the same temps after a long day on the road as when hooked to shore power. Very impressed with system.

 

[Killgore]

Okay, and thanks. Appears to be a better way to do things as long as you have sufficient battery power. I tend to like separating myself from the expensive 2-way units,
although what I have presently is doing a good job.

- Ed

 

[RustyJC]

Okay, and thanks. Appears to be a better way to do things as long as you have sufficient battery power. I tend to like separating myself from the expensive 2-way units,
although what I have presently is doing a good job.

- Ed

Our residential fridge is powered by a 1500 watt PSW inverter when we're on the road. The trailer's batteries are maintained by the +12VDC feed from the truck's batteries and alternator via the trailer umbilical while we're traveling.

Rusty