Cutting Cabinets

You need a carpenter to do the cabinets for you. Tech to install frig unless you can do it yourself. Any carpenter should be able to cut cabinets and retrim so it looks original to your unit.

I should have checked with Dometec, instead I listened to what I thought was a qualified installer.

Last night one of the many messages I left with RV techs was returned by a guy who works on 'coaches' does cabinetry and installs. I explained to him I don't have a coach I have an old class B and a limited amount of money. Tomorrow (saturday) I am going to drive the 50 miles to let him look at it. He said he would "price it right". We'll see.

This is about the last hurrah with me and this thing. If it isn't ready to go by the first of the year I will either sell it or burn it.

Thanks everyone for the responses, great forum and nice people.

Bob J.

When I replaced the old 6-cft Dometic in a Class C with a new 8-cft, I did a lot of measuring. I knew

1. I could get Old OUT and New IN via the coach door. That may not always be true as the appliances and furniture can be set in place before walls and windows are in.

2. Depth was OK. Getting more depth would mean fridge sticking into the living area, not good.

3. Width was fixable by removing a side strip as Chris described.

4. I had to do away with the space above the fridge entirely, but that was mostly 'cause I was increasing the cft. I did still have to cut a little off the very top of the cabinet.

5. Going LOWER would not have been an option since bottom of fridge compartment was on top of a Wheel Well.

Can you trim the cabinet above the Fridge and not have to cut or eliminate the doors?

I don't see a good reason why you can't skip this "installer" and change it out yourself. Will the location of the LPG line connection change? That looks like the biggest issue to me. Ours required very little changes, and I leak tested with bubble solution before using.

BE SURE you comply with the VENTING instructions, and don't assume the original install was done correctly!

A little oscillating cutter tool like this one from HF will let you cut in close spaces. A little harder to make the neatest longer cuts, though.

Going lower usually is not an option- while it is possible, you must allow for venting of LP, and moving the outside access door is a magnitude more difficult, plus the issues of service.
The only problem with going up is the doors- if you remove the old refrigerator and look at the cross piece at the top, you will likely see it is removable, pocket screwed from the back. If it isn't, it will be stapled- just pull the staples. After removing it is fairly easy to move the floor of the cabinet up.

You might even find there is a filler piece to the side- usually refrigerator openings under 23.x inches wide use a side filler piece as well.

Have you checked to see if Dometic has a unit that is about the same size as your old one? It is ALWAYS best to cut the top. The bottom, the floor of the refer cabinet and such is supported and you will have to cut out the floor and drop it and then make and install supports for the floor and then seal it. Do you have roof top ventilation or sidewall ventilation? THAT will also be a factor in determining going hi or low. If you go HI and the top of the refer condenser coil is higher than the sidewall vent, the refer will not vent correctly. Doug

I think low is the best idea, and find a mom pop shop to do it.neatly if you can,t .you could cover the jut with a nice piece of perferated metal.

I'd look below and see what could be done; even if it had to be a "butcher shop" job wouldn't be as noticeable. How bout 1 1/2 inch above, and 1 1/2 inch below!!

Doug