increased insulation for refrigerator

dougrainer wrote:
Model of refer and if in a slide room will help answer your question. Doug

Norcold N811RT

NOT located in slide. Located in rear of trailer due to rear kitchen.

Assembly line talk...

"¿Donde esta el rollo de la alambre amarillo?"

¡Esta agotado tonto. Hay blanco o café"

I found the offices of these Fredrico Fellini grade palaces filled with screams of anguish with vendors over pricing. Quibbling, whining, and angry bi-lingual shouts for assembly personnel to "Make It Happen!"

And one seeks design sophistication? The question will be drowned out by the chuffing of 300 staple guns. This was observed in the Lozenges CA area.

There were more units sitting outside to be troubleshot than inside being built. I would pay money not to return

I had the same 3" air space and filled it all with insulation. My fridge has never failed to cool on propane, even in extremely high temps.
It can only help.
While your in there check out the chimney. The hot air should have a smooth transition through the roof vent but many are just flat at the top. I found good instructions on-line of how to create a sloped surface.

A straight, linear air flow up and out is critical for cooling efficiency. Make sure there is zero gap above the refrigerator. If the roof vent is outboard of the back of the refrigerator, use aluminum sheets or some other heat resistant material to make a smooth curve up from the back of the refrigerator to the inboard side of the roof vent.

dryfly wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Shoddy RV MFG. installation and Norcold (or Dometic) will NOT cool properly.

Both Absorption RV Fidge Mfgs have 'instructions' for installaion that detail the proper clearances and requirements.
BUT RV MFGs fail over and over in following those instructions....they think 'Just build a space and screw them in place '

Goggle your Norcold MODEL Installation Manual and see HOW it was suppose to be installed.
Then correct the lack of proper installation done by RV MFG.
(Typical/generic -----side wall clearance/Zero, top clearance/zero/no dead air space and back wall to cooling unit/1"- with baffles if needed to direct/provide proper draft and/or fans if needed)

Totally agree about the lack of quality of RV industry!

I understand everything except the "backwall" zero clearance. Seems like you would need a little more space for the heat to vent, particularly when using fan(s).

RE-read what I posted.
NOTHING about --Zero-- clearance and backwall.

1" clearances is what I referenced with the backwall to cooling unit

Norcold 'N' Series manual
Installation clearances start on pg 22

Old-Biscuit wrote:
RE-read what I posted.
NOTHING about --Zero-- clearance and backwall.

Other than the non-standard punctuation and the lack of a Oxford comma leaving ambiguity, that is.

RE-read what I posted.
NOTHING about --Zero-- clearance and backwall.

1" clearances is what I referenced with the backwall to cooling unit

Norcold 'N' Series manual
Installation clearances start on pg 22
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Old-Biscuit:

I appreciate your advice and I understand what you were saying now based on reading the other posts and the drawings included. It was, in fact, the way you worded and punctuated the dimensions that were confusing.

I have downloaded the installation procedures and will try to modify my compartment accordingly. thanks.

If you are having excessive clearance issues in the back you can either build or buy a baffle meant to close that off from RV Cooling Unit Warehouse

Put one or two 12 volt muffin fans in the bottom blowing up or in the top vent pulling air up. Also a small fan inside to move the air I think will solve your problem.

When I Had may refer out to replace the cooling unit, I Cleaned out the messy insulation that was falling off the walls of the cabinet and replaced it with a water-heater-blanket from the hardware store.
It worked out real good being 48"x76"x2" thick with plastic on one side. I cut it first for the hight then down the middle for two 2 foot wide pieces to fit the cabinet walls. Then the piece off of the top I cut and fitted for the top of the refer and insulate it too. Now when sliding the refer back in, it slides right by the plastic faced insulation.