Why switch to a Residential Refrig, thinking out loud !!

If Norcold units are fire prone, when time comes to replace it put in a Dometic.
You don't hear too many things about recalls or fire issues with Dometic.

Residential refrigerators are made to sit in one place, not bounce around on the road. That being said, apparently there is not a very high failure rate due to the bouncing, but I am unwilling to take the chance.
I do quite a bit of boondocking, and I do not have an inverter (and don't want one). I run the generator as little as I can get by with.
I once walked away from a very nice little Dodge-Based Class C (which was exactly what I wanted at the time) because somebody installed a residential frig.
As has been previously stated, "To each his own". There is NO "right" or "wrong" about the issue, it is purely personal preference.

I have had both, my last motorhome had a Dometic and my current motorhome has a Whirlpool. For size, cooling, freezing I would choose the residential any day. I had the fire extinguisher installed behind my Dometic and still worried about a fire. My motorhome came with it new from the factory so I have a 3k inverter and 8 6v batteries. Personally I would never go back to the absorption style. It was one of the reasons I chose this particular motorhome.
Steve

Sez Hoo! wrote:
If Norcold units are fire prone, when time comes to replace it put in a Dometic.
You don't hear too many things about recalls or fire issues with Dometic.

They(Dometic) had the same type problem a few years ago. Doug

Dometic Recall Information

UPDATE: Dometic Voluntarily Expands Refrigerator Recall

PLEASE NOTE: This website only confirms whether or not the designated refrigerator is on the recall; it does not determine whether or not the recall kit has already been installed on the refrigerator.

Dometic recently expanded its recall on a population of two-door refrigerators. The original recall included some two-door refrigerators manufactured between April 1997 and May 2003. The recent expansion of this recall now includes the same two-door refrigerators, manufactured between June 2003 and September 2006.

To find out if your refrigerator falls within either of the recalls, enter the model and 8-digit serial number of your Dometic refrigerator below.

Dometic has voluntarily recalled a population of two-door refrigerators manufactured between April 1997 and May 2003. To find out if your refrigerator falls within the recall, enter the model number and 8-digit serial number of your Dometic refrigerator below.

harold1946 wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
wait a minute, he evidently has a perfectly fine RV refrigerator and you want him to rip it out and put in one he can't run while boondocking? keep in mind that more of these did not catch fire than those that did. :)
bumpy

I am a full timer and boondock 90% of the time. I was not aware I could not do it with my residential. Should I rip it out and go to an absorbtion? I think not, for all the reasons Dave mentioned.

Harold,

I'd like to hear more about how you use your residential in a boondocking situation. One of the swaying factors on which Winnebago I go with is the availability of a standard RV fridge versus a residential. I'd like to know things like how long you can go without hookups or genny and the like. Do you have solar panels, etc.

Could you start us a new thread on this topic, please?

Thank you!

Ivylog wrote:
Brian, like you fire is my main concern as I've seen way too many burned MH's from Norcold fires. I installed one of these in the roof vent and a smoke alarm behind my 1200. Several years ago I replace my cooling unit with a Amish one and left those items plus the Norcold band-aid recall box. Since I store my MH inside I only run the refer one day before leaving and when I get home.
Now if there was a decent sized residential unit that was the same size (only 64" high) that would come in the door then maybe... but there is not.

Really, YOU have seen too many fires on Norcold 1200's? I have been in the RV service business for 34 years and the Norcold 1200 has been out almost 20 years. I have seen NO FIRES from a failed/leaking cooling unit. I have seen fires from insect nests and bad LP connections. I live in a Million person plus area (DFW texas) and we have hundreds of thousands of RV's. I have replace scores of 1200 cooling units over the years that were leakers and never once did one catch on fire. YOU are just one on many ill informed that like to jump on the bash Norcold 1200 wagon. I would/have NO problem with me or any of my family having a Norcold 1200 in their RV. Doug

supercub wrote:
My only concern with my Norcold is fire. As far as cooling, My rv refrigerators have always performed well. Sooooooooooo........instead of doing a costly switch over to a residential.......I'm considering adding a fire extinguisher from "Mac the Fire Guy" and be done with it. I'm sure the chances of having a unit fail resulting in fire is very low overall, but the extinguisher would be added insurance. Looking for thoughtscomments on this subject? Thanks
Brian

our norcold has been ok...just ok. we've replaced it once in 14-years and for the most part it cools ok. but we rarely boondock these days. we rarely spent a night off the grid and i'm tired of dealing with the frig and the associated anxiety. is the weather too hot? will the food spoil? when we start looking to replace our model year 2000 MH we'll be taking a closer, more analytical look at residential refrigerators.

mowermech wrote:
Residential refrigerators are made to sit in one place, not bounce around on the road. That being said, apparently there is not a very high failure rate due to the bouncing, but I am unwilling to take the chance.

I just had this same conversation with the owner of an Adventurer in the campground where I am currently staying. I was asking him his reasons for not opting for the residential choice and that was his answer.

I, like the OP was always worried about fire in the Norcold or the Dometic. It worked quite well except for keeping the ice cream hard.
So last fall we put a residential fridge in. I wish I had done it a long time ago. It works great and I sleep a lot better. As for them having to be in one place all the time, I think that myth has been busted with the years that people have had them in units. Also, I don't do much boondocking so I can't speak to that. When travelling, I don't worry about it for the time I am on the road. Having said all of this, please remember this is JMHO. Macktee

My Dometic unit will keep ice cream hard as long as it is on the top shelf. I have the 2 door side by side fridge. So the top shelf is reserved for ice cream when we have it. The fridge temp settings has always stayed on the lowest setting.