Repair or replace fridge?

BGlegal1 wrote:
Of course replacing the entire fridge is several times the cost of just the cooling unit.

Cooling unit: $1,100.
Several times more would make it $3,000, eh?
Entire fridge: $1,200

Seems like honest shop - mere $2,000 in labor :)

PS: about RR fridges and developments in solar technology. The only major development in panels in the last 5-6 years was that prices dropped a lot, after China had flooded the market up to the limit and beyond. Controllers are not getting any cheaper.
LiPo batteries could change the game, maybe, I donno, prices are still ridiculous and this is not "solar", strictly speaking.

When I planned my 500W solar, I did this with a small and efficient compressor fridge in mind. Not 18 cu.ft RR, but 6-7 cu.ft with 12V DC compressor. More efficient than 120V RR fridge of same size. As it turned out, on a dark and wet winter day at Latitude 30 my 500W solar could barely keep up - without compressor fridge.

SMK is right, big 120V fridge is a burden when boondocking. In terms of solar array, the very minimum requirement would be 600-700W.

Dougranier is spot-on. The wadded (blanket) insulation on "too old of a unit" tends to sag, leaving void areas that gain air temperature like crazy. Older plastic shelves and castings like interior door moldings tend to crack. Electronic eyebrows will burn out, and sometimes a new tube set does not include a new AC heater element. There is just too much ELSE to go wrong, in a rebuilt unit more than 4-5 years old. Oooooo I forgot door gaskets. My bad.

If your norcold 1200 has the retrofitted black box (634677) and the light is flashing call 406-494-1959 or arprv.com to get the correct bypass for your fridge. Throw the black box in the trash! KM Atlanta, GA

eichacsj wrote:
Forgive my ignorance what is RR?

Residential Refrigerator

This would be a regular 120v compressor fridge.

Put "residential" in the search box for lots of reading.
For off-grid camping there is a bit of extra to prepare.
For hopping between campgrounds with electric the residential compressor fridge replacement seems to be a slam dunk.

Energy Star Residential Refers use less energy than a 100W bulb when running... About 50 percent of the time. My 21 cuft will go 36+ hours before my 500AH batteries need charging. I have about the same cost as a cooling unit in my DIY install.

kalynzoo wrote:
I had the coils replaced on my previous Norcold 1200. It worked well after the repair and I had no further issues.

It is rare for the Box insulation to be damaged. But, you CANNOT determine if the insulation has been compromised until you pull the refer. Once the refer is pulled, you check the insulation condition, and IF there are loose pockets or weak areas, you inform the customer of what you found. Then it is up to the customer to make a decision----Replace the complete 1200 or go Residential. If a customer still wants a new Cooling Unit, he is informed that we are not responsible if he has cooling issues. As to what causes the deterioration, Norcold has never stated WHAT causes the breakdown of the foam box insulation. I doubt it is Ammonia, as almost ALL the 1200's I have replaced cooling units in have had Ammonia leaks. I have had only 1 that failed to cool correctly years ago and that is when Norcold informed me that the Insulation was defective(after sending them pics after the new cooling unit could not keep low temps in hi ambient heat). Since that one and only, I make sure I check the condition of the BOX insulation. Doug

I had the coils replaced on my previous Norcold 1200. It worked well after the repair and I had no further issues.

AllegroD wrote:
If and when mine fails, I will pay a few extra bucks for a RR upgrade.

Forgive my ignorance what is RR?

I faced a similar dilemma a few years back. After tons of research and soul searching went with an Amish cooling unit. The thing is fantastic. I highly recommend you look at that option.

You may want to take a look at this RV Cooling Unit Warehouse.

Kayteg1 wrote:
With latest progress in solar technology lot of RV owners switch to compressor refrigerators and love them.

Careful here. Unless solar array is larger than 400-500W there is a good chance that compressor fridge will need a generator often. The only progress that I've noticed in the last 5-10 years was lower prices of panels.