Norcold 1201 LRM plague
Last year in Oct We had a new cooling unit put in a norcold 1201LRM and it was a amish unit from David at RV cooling the extend a ride warranty would cover it. I have talked to David many times before and after the installation.
after instlation we left and went south to tx, before getting just to Kansas the fridge was up to 45-50 which didn't alarm me much being on propane. But when we got to San Antonio Tx. it was up to 60 and would not get below that after sitting there for 3 days, I notice that the fans on the back were not running. I called the dealer which installed it and they made a appointment for a rv shop in mission Tx. to look at it. He said he didn't like the amish units and they were junk, I wasn't pleased with his attitude at all, I had faith in the unit, but I wanted it fix. I told him the fans were not running, and since he would have the unit out to put new fans in since they were 8 yrs old. 2-3 weeks later, he said it was ready and that the Amish unit was bad, he did put new fans on as requested. we winter in Tx. so making sure it cooled right, we took it home and parked it for 6 months it was cold inside when we parked it.
We started it up this April and the same thing happened, it cooled down but after getting under way it got to 50-60 degrees again, and the fans were still not running. Parked in Bandera Tx in the middle of now where but brush.
I happen to pack the old fans in the motor home, I jimmy ridged the fans to the bottom of the coils,
And I had the fridge working good within a day or so and was even on number 6 cooling when left there.
I had read good reviews of Iron Horse Rv in San Antonio Tx. so I made a appointment to have them look at the fridge. they were very prompt after we got there and said the wire connecting the thermostat was just jammed in and wasn't making a connection. I asked about taking the bottom fans off they said it would hurt leaving them on that these unit work better with all the air flow they can get. (not meaning just the amish units).
Anyway, on our way again, fridge cooled down, but with in a hour temp souring again. I tried running the genset while traveling with little difference, I finally figured out that there had to be air getting into the fridge from somewhere, while traveling also while sitting the coils ice up to fast they are thick
with in 2-3 days (it does defrost every 48 hrs. I have been watching).
After get back to Iowa and getting things unpacked for our summer stay ( we live in the mortorhome during the summer) I defrost the freezer and clean out the fridge, I could put a 16 gauge wire down inside about 6-8 inch on the bottom of the fins through the back plastic, the sides of the fins moved very easily, and was a gap on each side
I spent 2 hours just putting putty(the kind they put around the windows and doors in a rv) around they whole thing. hoping this would not hurt the performance of the fridge. on the ends I put putty and covered it with gorilla tape.
The freezer, I didn't know if this was normal but on the front lip of the
freezer on both sides there was a gap where they were put together, I also gorilla tape this.
I started the fridge, it was 1:00pm and 72-74 degrees, inside fin temp was 67, by 8 it was down to 35-37 fin temp was 24. I put the food back in, It has been cool here for a day or so, this weekend will be warmer.
I did check the door gaskets and installed new gasket material,from Home Depot so we do have a good seal. And no door alarm.
If any of this does sounds like it will harm the unit please let me know. I do need to find a place that really knows how to install these units. and get it done right as Mike Holms would say.
It has been 4 days and very cool here, no big ice on fins like before have turned down to 5. I wish I could post pictures of the gaps I found. Any comments would be appreciated. We do not have it in us to try to take it out and redo it ourselves, if we did it would already be done.
after instlation we left and went south to tx, before getting just to Kansas the fridge was up to 45-50 which didn't alarm me much being on propane. But when we got to San Antonio Tx. it was up to 60 and would not get below that after sitting there for 3 days, I notice that the fans on the back were not running. I called the dealer which installed it and they made a appointment for a rv shop in mission Tx. to look at it. He said he didn't like the amish units and they were junk, I wasn't pleased with his attitude at all, I had faith in the unit, but I wanted it fix. I told him the fans were not running, and since he would have the unit out to put new fans in since they were 8 yrs old. 2-3 weeks later, he said it was ready and that the Amish unit was bad, he did put new fans on as requested. we winter in Tx. so making sure it cooled right, we took it home and parked it for 6 months it was cold inside when we parked it.
We started it up this April and the same thing happened, it cooled down but after getting under way it got to 50-60 degrees again, and the fans were still not running. Parked in Bandera Tx in the middle of now where but brush.
I happen to pack the old fans in the motor home, I jimmy ridged the fans to the bottom of the coils,
And I had the fridge working good within a day or so and was even on number 6 cooling when left there.
I had read good reviews of Iron Horse Rv in San Antonio Tx. so I made a appointment to have them look at the fridge. they were very prompt after we got there and said the wire connecting the thermostat was just jammed in and wasn't making a connection. I asked about taking the bottom fans off they said it would hurt leaving them on that these unit work better with all the air flow they can get. (not meaning just the amish units).
Anyway, on our way again, fridge cooled down, but with in a hour temp souring again. I tried running the genset while traveling with little difference, I finally figured out that there had to be air getting into the fridge from somewhere, while traveling also while sitting the coils ice up to fast they are thick
with in 2-3 days (it does defrost every 48 hrs. I have been watching).
After get back to Iowa and getting things unpacked for our summer stay ( we live in the mortorhome during the summer) I defrost the freezer and clean out the fridge, I could put a 16 gauge wire down inside about 6-8 inch on the bottom of the fins through the back plastic, the sides of the fins moved very easily, and was a gap on each side
I spent 2 hours just putting putty(the kind they put around the windows and doors in a rv) around they whole thing. hoping this would not hurt the performance of the fridge. on the ends I put putty and covered it with gorilla tape.
The freezer, I didn't know if this was normal but on the front lip of the
freezer on both sides there was a gap where they were put together, I also gorilla tape this.
I started the fridge, it was 1:00pm and 72-74 degrees, inside fin temp was 67, by 8 it was down to 35-37 fin temp was 24. I put the food back in, It has been cool here for a day or so, this weekend will be warmer.
I did check the door gaskets and installed new gasket material,from Home Depot so we do have a good seal. And no door alarm.
If any of this does sounds like it will harm the unit please let me know. I do need to find a place that really knows how to install these units. and get it done right as Mike Holms would say.
It has been 4 days and very cool here, no big ice on fins like before have turned down to 5. I wish I could post pictures of the gaps I found. Any comments would be appreciated. We do not have it in us to try to take it out and redo it ourselves, if we did it would already be done.
