RV refigerators life span?????????

We had a 1978 Jayco Cardinal pop-up whose fridge was still working when we sold it in 1996. Since 1996, we've owned 3 5th wheels with RV fridges. 2 of them had fridge cooling unit failures at 3 months and 6 months of age respectively - these included both a Norcold and a Dometic. If it matters (and I doubt that it does), the RV fridge that didn't fail was a Norcold.

The current 5th wheel has a residential fridge with inverter for obvious reasons....

Rusty

Got 3 years out our Dometic. Not long at all.

In some defence of it the unit had done many many miles, many many times switching from propane to power.

Tough enviroment. Not your typical summer weekend only use or sitting undisturbed in one place as a seasonal.

Guess I better knock on wood.

My current Dometic is going on 11 years and I just had to replace the cooling unit this summer.

Ours lasted 10 years and was used on gas/electric. However, we bought the TT used and it was used previously as a seasonal (not traveling) setup and the Fridge was always left on during the use season. So, in that respect it is probably hours of usage and not calendar age.

greende wrote:
Probably, but I think the lifespans are all over the place. IMHO they work till they fail.

That was exactly the answer I was looking for. Thanks

Older RV fridges can easily last 20+ yrs cause they were built with thicker wall tubing.

Newer ones cut costs due to expense of steel...thinner wall tubing was used. And thermal stress cracks happened where welding was done. Usually on electric heat element holder and perk tube wall.

Same chemicals have been/are being used........Anhydrous ammonia, water, hydrogen gas and sodium chromate (rust inhibitor)
Atwood recently got into RV absorption fridge market with their 'Helium' fridge
(Replaced hydrogen gas)

Thinner wall tubing is more prone to overheating which KILLS a absorption fridge

Also........more bells & whistles, more electronics,,,,,more issues with operating.

The older RV frigs would last 20 plus years. But the newer ones, well I see them failing or 2 or 3 years. I will not have another RV frig.

Ken

I sold our 1970 Travel trailer last year, and the (original) fridge was still working fine. I replaced the electric element about 5 years ago, but it never stopped cooling on propane.

:)

CC

I have seen them go 20 years without a problem and I have seen some go out in 2 years.