It's OFFICIAL !!

[Executive45]

Before: Norcold 1200 LRIM



After: Samsung RF197 ACPN


Took me almost two full days to install it, but considering I did it at the campground without the luxury of the correct tools, I am satisfied with the result. Took 3 hours after plugging it in to get the fridge to 38 degrees and the freezer at -2.....Dennis

[drifterpilot]

OK, Thank you for the info.

[Mr_Mark1]

drifterpilot wrote:
Well, it looks like everyone knows the answer to this question as it has not been asked. This is a residential fridge so I presume there will be no LP to it.
When traveling, how is temperature maintained? Generator running?

Drifterpilot, it will run off the inverter from the house batteries (alternator from the engine). It is smooth as silk. The batteries will need to be recharged once a day in the morning and once in the evening (2 hrs. per our manuel) at each event.


MM.

[drifterpilot]

Well, it looks like everyone knows the answer to this question as it has not been asked. This is a residential fridge so I presume there will be no LP to it.
When traveling, how is temperature maintained? Generator running?

[nwrandski]

Looks great!

[lj2654]

Looks great Dennis! If mine ever goes I will have to follow suit....I know my Norcold will go out the center entry door as I replaced the cooling unit 2 years ago. Hopefully the samsung will fit thru the door opening too.....

[mchero]

Executive wrote:
@strudeau....to get it through the front door, the passenger seat would have to be removed. It was easier through the window.

@st687... we had the Amish cooling unit installed a little over a year ago. It worked flawlessly....my problem was with the ice maker line. Norcold, for whatever reason runs the line up through the cooling unit and it is simply pressed into the feeder tube and attached with silicone. After failing twice...(pulled out) I was irritated with it...fridge needs to be pulled forward to reattach. When it failed this last time, that was it....done!

@OhhWell...no, but I got an apology from DW for not letting me do it when the Norcold cooling unit failed......Dennis

Just swapped the coolng unit out on my Norcold side by side. No problems with the ice maker hose. Mine has a SMALL hose clamp on the end.

Would have liked a residental but we boondock & don't have the solar installed...YET! LOL

NICE JOB!

[OhhWell]

tahiti16 wrote:
Sounds like a great idea Dennis I never really understood people closing up the vents. Not that I would expect them to cut a hole in the side or roof for a vent on a new coach, but it is there why not take advantage of it. :B

Hope this ends all the trials and tribulations you have had with your fridge.

That might depend on where you camp the most. Being a residential fridge, it is designed to pull from a somewhat climate controlled environment. The advice I have seen has been to close off the outside vents and keep the elements out.

My travels are limited these days to Florida so closing would be a no-brainer for me. If I had a nice fan setup, I would maybe do some internal venting.

[tahiti16]

Sounds like a great idea Dennis I never really understood people closing up the vents. Not that I would expect them to cut a hole in the side or roof for a vent on a new coach, but it is there why not take advantage of it. :B

Hope this ends all the trials and tribulations you have had with your fridge.

[J-Rooster]

Executive wrote:
For the inquiring minds....:B

We removed the driver's side second window, which fortunately is also the escape window. Lifted the fridge with a forklift and slid the Norcold out and the Samsung in. Had less than an inch clearance..in fact, I'd bet we couldn't have slid a dollar bill through the space...:E.

I had a drawer under the Norcold so that had to be sacrificed. My original plan was to simply make a smaller drawer but because I'm a little OTT about stability, the new floor for the fridge was made out of angle iron which left no room for a drawer. If you look at the pic you'll see the 5" piece of 3/4 ply across the bottom. That will be finished off with a matching piece of oak whenever I get somewhere with the proper equipment to make a decent looking piece and finish to match. I found a good match for the trim at Home Depot. I left the existing propane line until we are settled for the winter when I'll remove it from the bottom of the coach and plug it there.

Really, it was a pretty easy install, if you take your time. Having the proper tools would make it much easier but it is doable with what most of us have in our toolboxes. Anything else, there's always HD or Lowes..:). The biggest negative was/is, my body hasn't fully recovered from being a contortionist for two days. Lots of bolts in too small spaces....Dennis

Good job Dennis!

[DSDP_Don]

Dennis.....I know you were on the fence for awhile about putting in the residential refer.....but isn't nice!

At least on Monaco coaches, which have a narrow door, the Norcold and Samsung can be removed/installed through via the front, once the doors are removed. On the Monacos, you need to disconnect the arm at the top of the door so the door swings all the way open, giving you almost two more inches. The front passenger seat needs to be removed to make the turn. It sounds like a lot of work, but really isn't. I've done two. The other was an Itasca Meridian and it fit through the front door too.

Both my Norcold and the one out of the Meridian were still working fine. We both sold ours on Craigslist for #350.00 each. This helps defray the cost of the $1200.00 Samsung.

[Executive45]

tahiti16 wrote:
Say Dennis what did you do with that fan set you made up?

I left it in place along with an on/off switch in case the Samsung needs some additional venting in high humidity situations.....Dennis

[tahiti16]

Say Dennis what did you do with that fan set you made up?

[ArchHoagland]

I noticed by casual observation the big container of peanut butter filled pretzels.

You keep eating those and you'll need a forklift to get you out of the coach too.

(Nice job on the refrigerator)

[Executive45]

holstein13 wrote:
How much more internal volume did you gain?

Roughly 66%.....Dennis