Dometic or Norcold

I have had a small dorm unit in there for quite some time, and it is no longer working for us. I am going to re-measure the opening and see which fits better. I would be going with either the n641 or the Dometic Classic 6 cubic foot. They are both very similar models, with the Norcold being $100 cheaper. I appreciate the input. I spoke with the guy in the parts department at PPL and he basically said they are virtually the same. The key is to use them and not let them just sit.

Thank you!

Since you have the opportunity to change things out you might also want to take a look at the household fridge option. It may not be an option for your particular setup as you need an inverter and sometimes additional batteries, but now is the time to make that consideration.

Old Servel refrigerators for homes weighed a ton. The steel in the cooling plumbing was high nickle content and twice as thick as the soup can steel in today's units. Coolant has changed very little Hydrogen embrittlement and impingement on steel still goes on.

Add whoopee Zoomie gimmicks and if you get a unit that lasts more than 5 years in moderate or high usage, count yourself lucky.

My Dometic RM2862 has been trouble free.

It has been ON for 7 yrs.
Temp control goes from 1-5. We have only had to use #3 in hot and #2 in cooler weather.

Other than routine cleaning and running it level haven't had to do anything.

donn0128 wrote:
From reading on here over the years it appears that Norcold's either catch fire or refuse to cool properly. While Dometic has had a few recalls by and large they have been good trouble free refers.

My Dometic caught fire.

They both have had too many failures and recalls. The only thing that concerns me more about the Norcolds is the reports of broken hinges and an inability to get a replacement part without buying a huge expensive assembly. (maybe someone will comment on that issue..)
Otherwise I would buy which ever one you get the best deal on.

I would buy the one that fit your space the best.

In talking with the people that I encounter in my RV travels about fridge issues, it appears that there are just more Norcolds out there than Dometic. Could be the reason for more service calls/issues.

It seems to me, based on my own experience, that the biggest problem with any type of refrigerator in an RV is how it is installed. Many of the manufacturers do not strictly follow the guidelines provided by the refrigerator OEMs resulting in poor performance. The key to good operation is making sure you have an excellent way of expelling the heat. This becomes an even larger problem when the refrigerator is installed in a slide or in a small RV where a roof exhaust isn't possible or practical.

macsplinter wrote:
I've had both, no trouble with either one.

x2

I've had both, no trouble with either one.