Residential fridge upgrade?

[JimM68]

It's looking like our Dometic NDR1402 "Z-Door" side by side may not be long for this world.

What started as "it doesn't cool when we are moving" has turned into "the fridge cools fine but the freezer rarely gets below 10 degrees.

Our moho is a monaco "SKQ" front kitchen layout, and the fridge is in a slide.
My measurements show 32 1/2" width, " depth, and 63" height. Height could maybe be stretched to 67 with some cabinet mods. Under the front corner of the fridge there is a slideout ht adjuster. Removing it would buy a little more.

I read a lot about samsung rf197's. discontinued, still available with some looking, and 70 1/2" tall according to the spec sheet. Yet they fit.

We talked to a guy with an '07 Endeaver 40 SKQ a couple weeks ago, wish I'd understood what has become an urgent wish that I'd spent more time with him. He has an RF220, also listed as 70 1/2" tall. He mentioned the slideout adjuster...

Looking online, it appears there is only 1 32/33" 3 door with water and ice through the door. Fisher & Paykel RF170.
It's shorter too, at 67" and change.
Expensive, and no idea if it would live happy with our magnum modified sine wave inverter?

Any info - details - pictures - links is appreciated.

I was hoping to make this a winter project, and maybe even pay someone to do it, but the need is getting urgent, and in 3 weeks I sell my warehouse and forklift. That forklift would make passing a fridge in and out the window a cakewalk.

[Sprig]

I have purchased a residential refrigerator for my RV, but do not yet have it mounted in place. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject.

The Maytag unit that I purchased has shelves have have to be lifted before they will slide; reducing the chance of things moving around inside.

I purchased a 2 door side by side because the doors do not have to swing as wide; with the slides in, like at a rest stop, getting into the refrigerator would be a little tricker I think.

Very important to consider that residential refrigerator hinges are NOT the same as RV refrigerators. My Dometic hinges allowed the doors to open in the same space as the width of the refrigerator up to 90 degrees open. Most residential refrigerators open wider right from the start and simply require extra space to the sides.

My replacement refrigerator is bigger in every dimension; especially on the inside!

I'm fairly certain that I will have to remove the wheels because of two issues. The bottom floor material of the cabinet rework won't support both the static PSI let alone the bounce PSI loading. Also, with the wheels off the unit is about 1/5" shorter (to just about exactly 65"). Yes, this matters in my RV.

I should have removed the old refer before purchasing the new one. The manufacture did some goofy wiring over the refrigerator that I was unaware of. Fortunately, I can rework the wiring to my accommodate the refrigerator I purchased. However, if something else more difficult was encountered it may have meant trying to find some way to sell the refrigerator just to buy a different one with other dimensions.

With my floorplan, the extra bit that the refrigerator will stick out is not an issue; the handles on the refrigerator may be a slight issue. What I am saying here is that while most residential refrigerators may "stick out" further then before, it may, or may not be, any issue if it works with your floorplan. Don't disregard a unit just because the older unit was smaller in any one dimension; do the measurements and determine if a larger size will work with your floorplan.

I like to boondock. I don't always know how great my water will be. I am going to alter the ice maker water lines to source from my kitchen sink cold water line which is filtered.

I am leaving the propane supply line in the general area; and capped. I may some day find a way to use this line as a "quick connect" to an outside grill.

I know one poster said it took 2 full days to do. For me, it has taken several, and I'm still not done.

I do not have the tools to cut the new floor square. I went to Home Depot and the guy screwed up the cut on the first piece I bought. Short story is, I went back to a different Home Depot, took a tape measure off the shelf, and marked with a red Sharpie where I wanted the single cut made. I told them to cut the material "on the mark". This sorta gets around their "No precision cuts" rule.

So, I'm actively working this in progress and hope to be done in a couple of days. I've been taking photos to show the slow progress.

Hope this helps others think about what it takes for this upgrade.

[lucyg]

Ivylog, I found the Whirlpool models you mentioned. Sorry, have not played around in the forums for awhile. Wish us luck!

[lucyg]

Ivy log. Hello, we have a Fleetwood Expedition that we would like to change out the refrig to a residential one. Our refrig is in the slide. I saw where made mention of some whirlpools that might fit, thou I could not see where you mentioned the models. Would you mind mentioning a gain? We were told by an RV place that specializes in this that they couldn't find one. We are desperate as we have spent too much money on the Norcold and still don't work right. Thanks

[JimM68]

This thing is gonna make me crazy...

4 and 34 degrees since yesterday, and making more ice than we use (tho I'm not making margaritas cause I'm out of tequila...)

Today I'll do that checking in the burner area, see what there is to see.

[Ivylog]

With a roof vent I would not worry about the area above the coils. I would want 1" between the coils and the outside wall so all of the air goes through the coils. If you have more than 1" then a large baffle spaced off the outside wall will help the most.

I would switch your fans so you can run just two or all four when it's really hot out.

[Daytonaman]

Hey Ivylog, wondered on your "dead space" comment as I am currently souping up mu 1200lrm with 4 upper vent fans. I noticed there is alot of empty space between the condenser fins and the roof vent; like about 12 in. Also there is a 1in open space above the box. Are you advising to baffle this area?

[Ivylog]

Is there anything to be gained in there? Yes, you need to see if there is a dead air space above the top lip of the vent. If there is, you need to add a baffle at a 45 angle to increase the air flow out the vent, even with fans.

The Whirlpool units I listed above are exactly 65" tall when you take the wheels off. You gain 3/4" when you cut out the board across the top that holds your unit in. If you have 1" space above your current unit in the slide, you will have the 65" needed for one of these units by removing the 1 & 3/4" of wood above your unit without lowering the floor. It is not counter depth so it's not going to come in the door.

Granted they do not have ice on the door and they are not three door... two door with the freezer on the top. I looked for years before I found one this short over 16 cuft.

Unlike the Samsung's that have DC compressors and run fine on MSW power, I would add a 500W PSW inverter to run any refer with a AC compressor.

[JimM68]

Thanks guys!

Dometic "recess dimensions" from the install manual:
height: 63 3/16
width: 32 3/4
depth: 26 1/16

I had the freezer open too long yesterday redoing my icemaker install.
Freezer is 16 degrees... 😞
Fridge is 33.
I'm making a good amount of ice, and no longer dribbling water all over 🙂

Bullydogs, you have the same floorplan, same fridge in the same slide as I do. And yours works like mine used to. Sure wish it would again, itsa good unit and works well for us. or did.

Don, have you done one in a slide?
This height issue is really screwing with my head.
Especially since I have seen with my eyes a samsung RF220 in "my coach"
I really really really should have paid more attention. That fridge is almost 71" tall!

I've measured 10 times, even if I remove the slideout adjuster completely and trim the top to the limit I can't find even a tick more than 70 inches

I do have my rear fans on a switch and running continuously.
I've never opened up the burner area, and do not currently have access to a decent ladder to get at the top vent, though I could pull the picnic table over and put my stepladder on it.

Is there anything to be gained in there?

[Dance_Chick]

We put in a Samsung RF18???? It's a french door model. We didn't install it ourselves, but had it done. I do know they had to do some mods, but not sure exactly what.

I've posted this numerous times on other threads, but feel it bears repeating. If you don't go with a Samsung, make sure the manufacturer will honor the warranty if installed in a RV. I know for a fact that Frigidaire will not. Plus, make sure you do not receive a defective fridge BEFORE you install it in the MH. It never occurred to us that we might have received a defective fridge, so didn't even think to plug it in before the install. What a hassle!!!!

[Executive45]

Jim, I installed mine myself. The old one went out the emergency window in the living room. The new one came in the same window. Here's a link with pictures...Dennis

Samsung Install

[DSDP_Don]

Jim....I've done three of them. If you can find an RF197, it would be huge. It will run on your inverter with no issues and fit your cabinet like it was made for it. If you find the RF197, it will fit thru your front door. You take your passenger mirror, loosen it and swing forward. Next, you disconnect one end of the upper door arm. This allows your front door to swing all the way open and gain two inches. Lastly, you unbolt the passenger front seat and move it out of the way. If using the Samsung, it's lighter than what your removing. Strip out the interior shelves and remove the doors. It will fit thru the front door with an inch or two to spare. It's pretty light and can be done by two people. One inside and one outside.

Make a rolling cart out of a Harbor Freight furniture dolly so you can roll the refer around inside the coach. If you make it the same height as the floor of the new refer opening, you can slide it right in.

On my Diplomat, I had the heater under the old refer. I had to cut the feet and rollers off of the Samsung and didn't install a new floor. I just used a rail system. I also added a second Magnum, 600 watt inverter to run just the refer.

PM me if you have any questions.

[TechWriter]

JimM68 wrote:

Any info - details - pictures - links is appreciated.

First, make sure you check you current fridge manual for install dimensions. This should help you select a replacement.

If you haven't already done so, check out possible fridge replacements at www.appliancesconnection.com. You can specify height & width to narrow down your choices.

Finally, you may need more than your forklift. Your current fridge weighs over 300 pounds and manhandling it could be prolematic.

Consider having it installed. I did. Here's my fridge install.

[bullydogs1]

You might want to check the vent/flue for your fridge...you might not be getting good ventilation....I mounted a fan in the upper vent to pull air thru and put a manual over ride for the two fans back there in the lower part..Turn them on when over 90 out and between the two, my fridge is 37 and my freezer is 4 degrees or less..perhaps your cooling fans are not coming on with the snap disk that is in there..you might want to check that too and just make a switch like I did and run them...You might be surprised.

[Ivylog]

I recently installed one myself. It is a Whirlpool WRT771RWYB 21 cu ft which is the closest I could find that would fit BUT it was still 3/4" too high for the Nocold 1200 I replaced. I was able to make it fit without loosing the drawer below... happy DW.
I was at HDepot getting water line fittings and they have basically the same Whirlpool refer on sale for $648 plus $99 for a ice maker... I bought mine at a Sear's Outlet for $500 including ice maker, but that was eight months ago as scratch and dent. In years of looking this is only refer over 16 cu ft I found that was not 70" tall.
WRT311FZDW... white
WRT311FZDB... black
SS for $949. I have seen same refer with water on the door, but not ice.

I added a separate battery bank (500 AH AGM) and a 1000W PSW inverter with a 100 amp charger and transfer switch as we boondock often. When running it's 8 amps into the inverter (100W) and 22 amps during the icemaker harvests cycle. Amazing how energy efficient these Energy Star refers have gotten. The compressor is not much bigger than a grapefruit.

Just got back from first camping trip with it and I did a test of my battery system even though we had power. Did not get on the DW about leaving the door open too long...:B and used a fair amount of ice. The batteries started at 13.2V and 24 hours later they were at 12.5V. After one hour with the 100 amp charger they were back to 13.2V. Could probably go 36 hours before reaching the 50% point on the batteries but we usually run the generator every evening.

Slide note: With the LR slide in the refer is not any further into the hallway than the slide itself.