Does microwave need to be an "RV" microwave?

RoyF wrote:
My microwave has died at age 14, so I'm looking to replace it.

Question: does the microwave in an RV necessarily have to be an "RV" microwave. (Some microwaves are marketed as "RV microwaves".)

I've never seen an Microwave labeled as an "RV Microwave".

There are brands of microwaves that you only see on RVs and not at Home Depot or your favorite appliance store. High Pointe is one that comes to mind.

On High Pointe, and likely other microwaves used by RV OEMs, the case is set up so you can attach a mounting flange to it to which holds it in a cabinet. Other than that, a microwave is a microwave is a microwave.

RoyF wrote:
My microwave has died at age 14, so I'm looking to replace it.

Question: does the microwave in an RV necessarily have to be an "RV" microwave. (Some microwaves are marketed as "RV microwaves".) Or can I use any residential above-the-range microwave if it fits the hole?

My old microwave was a Domestic, 950 watt, 21 3/4" wide, in a 22" hole.

did you look to see if it could be repaird first. mine wasnt that old but it died , a new RV one was 450.00 couldnt find one that was the right size that I could just screw the trim to, so found a local apliance repair who does diagnostics for 50 bucks. then if you get the work done they take that off the total. for mine it ended up being a cheep plug they just replaced and it is back in service for 59 bucks.

Steve

No longer a thread on microwave ovens, but here is my two-bits on new RVs & TVs... We just bought a brand new 2022 low-end travel trailer easily towed by our SUV for weekend camping and our semi-annual cross-country march. (our primary RV now stays year-round at our winter home RV park).
The 2022 rig had an antenna, wall mounting space for a TV - but no TV. No shelves in the cabinets, no place to hang a towel or any similar frills for that matter. I've been on a first name basis with our UPS driver over the past two weeks given all the little boxes I've ordered.

I was shopping new rv's last week. All had tv's in them.

When was the last time you looked? You can ask them to put a TV in...for an extra charge but most come without.

Furrion....that bastion of quality?

When did the RV Industry stop providing TV's? Every one I have purchased came with a TV. Most every one I look at on dealers lots or at RV shows comes with a TV. Why would they care regardless? It would fall under the TV manufacturer warranty like every other item in or on the RV. Appliances, tires, frame, running gear etc. The RV manufacturer warrants about 15% of the total.

Furrion claims their TVs are vibration resistant and have coated electronics to make them more capable of taking humidity and temperature changes. Do you believe that? My experience with 2 of them tells me they're cheap junk, but you'll find them in tens of thousands of RV's as they are associated with Lippert.

JimJohnson wrote:
RV specific microwaves may be built with a little higher vibration tolerance, but I have plenty of non-RV specific appliances that work just fine.

I would be shocked. I know the RV industry stopped providing TVs because they were a huge warrantee hassle as they are just cheap stock TVs and no one builds them for vibration tolerance. I doubt anyone is making $50 microwaves with extra vibration tolerance.

JimJohnson wrote:
RV specific microwaves may be built with a little higher vibration tolerance

LOL, not at all. At least from the high quality RV specific brands such as Furrion, High Pointe, Contoure, Magic Chef, and the others. All low grade junk.

theoldwizard1 wrote:
They cost a lot more money, but inverter microwaves use less power.

not really. I have a regular one in the house and a panasonic inverter in each of my trailers. Physics and electronics determines power draw. For the same output power, line draw is virtually the same. Total power draw likely varies between different units, but not enough to really care about.

Now the inverter units when running at less than 100% output will draw less peak power than non inverter, total watt-hours likely remains pretty much the same. The inverter units power draw at less than 100% is pretty linear decrease between 100% and about 20%. Below 20% it is non linear partially due to the overhead draw for control.

Now there are THREE advantages (at least) to the inverter microwaves from panasonic.
1) for power settings below 100% power doesn't cycle between 0% and 100% so if running of a generator you don't have the generator cycling up and down
2) I've found the constant X% power for defrosting, warming etc. to do a better job than the cycling power units
3) I can run my 1200W inverter microwave off my 1000VA true sine inverter. At 50% power setting it draws about 800VA and runs nicely off the inverter. And at 50% power it doesn't take twice as long as 100% to reheat something. Don't need to fire up the generator to run the microwave for a few minutes to heat something.

And to the OP question. I've run "home" microwaves in both my trailers since 2004. They work fine as long as you get one that can fit in the spot. And they are lower cost.

They cost a lot more money, but inverter microwaves use less power.