Residentail refrigerators in motorhomes

chili's trip wrote:

northmeck0255 wrote:

ClassAGeek wrote:
I am always fascinated by these threads...

"We ONLY need to run the generator 4 hours a day since adding a residential fridge".

Isn't this a major disadvantage?

Full Disclosure: After 5 years of camping we finally past 10 hours on the generator this summer. That's 10 hours lifetime.

Having to run a generator daily would be enough for me to quit camping altogether. Am I the only one?

Yes. ;)

No!

NO! If I had to run the generator four hours a day, I think I would find another way rather then a residential type refrigerator.

If you are going to have full hook up's all your life, THEN! I can see a residential refrigerator. But if I was to dry camp a lot, THEN I would have to make a tough decision as to whether to invest on a costly venture of installing a pure sine inverter, adding two more batteries, modify the slot where the frig goes, also would have to find a place to install the extra two batteries because there is no more room in the compartment now. There are six batteries in there already. Two chassis and four house. Need a electrician to rewire all this changes, and a carpenter that would do a good job. You do not want a half a** job looking like an add on. But if you plan to be on a campground all the time with full hook ups, Then a residential is the way to go.

I guess I have been one of the lucky persons with the Norcold 1200LRIM because it has been a very good refrigerator for the last ten years whether in 120 degree weather in Laughlin, Nev. or cooler places in the pacific northwest. I just adjusted the thermistor up or down and can get it to cool a lot or not so much. The freezer has always kept the ice cream frozen solid and the steaks solid like a rock. So like I said, I must be one lucky guy.

But I still keep my eyes open on some of these articles (especially)the refrigerator that impresses me the most is the SamSung RF197 ACRS.

northmeck0255 wrote:

ClassAGeek wrote:
I am always fascinated by these threads...

"We ONLY need to run the generator 4 hours a day since adding a residential fridge".

Isn't this a major disadvantage?

Full Disclosure: After 5 years of camping we finally past 10 hours on the generator this summer. That's 10 hours lifetime.

Having to run a generator daily would be enough for me to quit camping altogether. Am I the only one?

Yes. ;)

No!

John & Angela wrote:

RayChez wrote:
Warranty?

Good question Ray. No idea. Hope to not find out. Been almost two years though. I wonder how good my warranty is for.

Thanks for your honest answer. I have been wondering because I have had my Norcold 1200 now for ten years, and just in case I have to replace it I would want some kind of warranty.

John & Angela wrote:

cKarlGo wrote:

John & Angela wrote:

cKarlGo wrote:

Blaster Man wrote:
Be sure you can fit the new one through the door of the coach.

You know, I've been kicking around going to a motorhome and I have been wondering just how they get some of these fridges into the coach or how you'd replace one.

I put mine in through the front window. Had to change it because of a crack. The glass guys passed it through to Angela and I. Too easy. :)

What size fridge? I've been looking at Thors and they have full sized fridges in them. I've asked a couple of dealers how it would be done and they seemed astonished that I'd consider such a scenario.

Apparently I'm the only person int eh history of the world who has ever had a fridge break.

A 22 foot whirlpool. And yes we dry camp, a lot. If you are going to dry camp though do it right and add appropriate battery and solar facility. The reason some dealers are surprised is that many are not aware of how little power new fridges use in comparison to what they did even 10 years ago. Most think you are chasing it down the road with an extension cord. Not there fault, they are not appliance sales people. My dealer was the same, and I work here. :)

Good luck.

No. I asked them how you would replace a residential fridge already in a unit if it breaks. Not how to install one in a unit without one.

Some have asked about getting a residential in the coach. In my install I first removed the entrance door and screen ( be care full this door is very heavy), drivers and passenger seats,then took the doors off the 1200LRIM removed it out the entrance door. I purchased a Samsung 24.5 cu. ft. counter depth at Lowes side by side on sale for $1200. Removed the doors from it and passed it through the entrance door with 4 men. Actually the Samsung weighed less and was about 1" narrower than the Norcold did. I fabricated a platform to set the Samsung on that was the same height as the platform the refer was going to sit on so it could be rolled in and out as needed. I also in stalled a pure sine wave inverter but found out later that it was not needed as Samsung rectifies the incoming voltage to DC and the refer runs on DC current according to their FAQ on their web site and the tech. that replaced a faulty control panel. This also proves that the warranty is also valid when installed in a MH. I have 4 6volt batteries and have run this unit for over 12 hours on battery power and the battery voltage was down to 12.4 volts. Inverter keeps it powered when driving.
Anybody have any questions PM me; KDK

And, for those of us that are installing smaller refers (ours is 12 cf), the cost of the refer was a little less than $500.00, so we went with it knowing ours wasn't covered under warranty. I have read somewhere on one of the forums that Samsung does honor the warranty. I couldn't find a Samsung small enough for our space so we went with the Frigidaire. I agree, the peace of mind is worth more than worrying about a warranty.

First I would like to say that the peace of mind of not worrying about my refer causing my motor home to burn down is worth any consideration of a warranty. I purchased my RF197 on line through the Appliance Connection NY, free shipping and a warranty extended for five years and they knew that I was installing this in a Motor Home. But given the cost of replacing my Norcold with another Norcold or going the Amish route was not acceptable to us. I am not aware of this same problem existing in a Dometic brand, if I am wrong I apologize for that. But if I absolutely was determined to put a gas absorption refer back in I would try to go that route. I have said before I had visual evidence of my roof trying to catch fire at the top where it was vented and down along the sides where the flu was wrapped in insulation. Why does it seem it is always the Norcold and not the Dometic? Should this not raise an obvious question in the minds of people still arguing over residential versus gas absorption? This is such a large community of like minded people all going in different directions with different opinions very interesting isn't it....Good that we live in a country where we can have different opinions....

Don. I guess it depends how optimistic one is as far as expected sunshine etc. We took two approaches.

* Enough battery capacity to run the fridge for at least one day above and beyond what normal coach usage is. This is assuming zero solar output.

* Double the daily solar output required to power the fridge. This allows some wiggle room for cloudy days etc. This solar capacity is above and beyond what solar capacity we need for other consumption.

Comfort zones as far as capacity will vary from person to person and even where your live. We were over capacitied in solar and battery before the install so we only had to make minor changes including switching to LED bulbs in the coach.

When we dry camp we essentially operate as if we were plugged in. This includes usage of all power hog appliances like microwaves, juicers, toasters, keurig coffee maker etc etc etc. not proud of this but this is our house and this is how we roll. A residential fridge is not one of our main power draws.

John & Angela wrote:

cKarlGo wrote:

John & Angela wrote:

cKarlGo wrote:

Blaster Man wrote:
Be sure you can fit the new one through the door of the coach.

You know, I've been kicking around going to a motorhome and I have been wondering just how they get some of these fridges into the coach or how you'd replace one.

I put mine in through the front window. Had to change it because of a crack. The glass guys passed it through to Angela and I. Too easy. :)

What size fridge? I've been looking at Thors and they have full sized fridges in them. I've asked a couple of dealers how it would be done and they seemed astonished that I'd consider such a scenario.

Apparently I'm the only person int eh history of the world who has ever had a fridge break.

A 22 foot whirlpool. And yes we dry camp, a lot. If you are going to dry camp though do it right and add appropriate battery and solar facility. The reason some dealers are surprised is that many are not aware of how little power new fridges use in comparison to what they did even 10 years ago. Most think you are chasing it down the road with an extension cord. Not there fault, they are not appliance sales people. My dealer was the same, and I work here. :)

Good luck.

what is considered an "appropriate battery and solar facility"?

don

RayChez wrote:
Warranty?

Good question Ray. No idea. Hope to not find out. Been almost two years though. I wonder how good my warranty is for.