French Door Residential Refrigerator - secure for travel?

[bobinraymoremo]

We have a Samsung residential refrigerator on order, RF217ACPN to be exact, to replace our Norcold 1210. We were wondering if those that have this type of refrigerator had any suggestions on how to secure the door and freezer drawer for traveling. We have thought of child locks but were afraid that they would scratch the finish.

[bobinraymoremo]

beemerphile1 wrote:
I can't help with the doors, I'm curious how you will get it in the RV? That is a big refrigerator.

We were told depending on the dimensions either remove the door frame or remove the big rear window, probably the rear window.

[John_S_]

I have a velcro strap on the top doors and a second one that goes down to the freezer. I saw a hook that you can put on the freezer to hold it shut.

[beemerphile1]

I can't help with the doors, I'm curious how you will get it in the RV? That is a big refrigerator.

[D_and_A_plus_6]

We have 2 Residential Refrigerators, on in our indoor kitchen and one in our outdoor kitchen. So far our longest trip has been about 4 hours and everything stayed cold, even our ice in the ice maker. I did buy a inverter, but thinking now why!!

[MeanderMan]

"Keeping your food safe at the correct temperature as you travel is going to be your biggest problem with a res fridge. Unless you are living in your RV in one place and have permanent electric hook-up."

This is a false statement. There's no reason a residential refrigerator can't maintain the same temperature hooked up, running on inverter, or running on generator. Ours has never varied, and we check it since it has an on-door display. In fact, it works better than our Norcold 1200 ever did. The only problem is that I sprained my wrist trying to scoop the rock-hard ice cream.

[hitchup]

We toured one of the new DRV Suites a couple of months ago, with a side by side Whirlpool refrigerator. They used a Velcro strap and nothing more to keep doors closed in transit.

Don't know what they'll use for freezer drawer as the new 2014 1/2's will have the French Door and bottom freezer.

[John___Angela]

No problem. Good luck and happy travels.

[bobinraymoremo]

John & Angela wrote:
Depending on the door handle design just throw a piece of Velcro around the two handles. Having said that the times we have forgotten to do this the doors stay closed.

Re keeping it cool while driving. I am assuming your install will include a proper sized inverter. If so no worrys as the charge line from the truck will be more than adequate to keep the batteries powering the inverter charged up. Residential fridges don't use that much power.

Thanks for the velcro tip. As far as the inverter goes we decided since we travel 150-200 miles and do not boondock that we did not need one. We'll see how it goes, we can always add one later.

[YC_1]

Go to comment 140 for an elegant and simple device.

[John___Angela]

Depending on the door handle design just throw a piece of Velcro around the two handles. Having said that the times we have forgotten to do this the doors stay closed.

Re keeping it cool while driving. I am assuming your install will include a proper sized inverter. If so no worrys as the charge line from the truck will be more than adequate to keep the batteries powering the inverter charged up. Residential fridges don't use that much power.

[rockhillmanor]

Keeping your food safe at the correct temperature as you travel is going to be your biggest problem with a res fridge. Unless you are living in your RV in one place and have permanent electric hook-up.

Double doors tend to open more than the single door while on the road. Do not put any heavy items, or don't put any food stuffs in the 'door shelves' to help prevent this.

It's usually the weight of items placed IN the door that can make them open from the extra weight.