Replace RV Refrigerator with Residental Model

[Grey_Mountain]

For those who have replaced their fridge with a residental model, what model did you use and what was the approximate cost? The fridge I have is a NORCOLD 1200LRMD.

Thanks.

GM

[Bill_Satellite]

HadEnough wrote:
What's a "smoke sniffer?"

Someone who dry camps and runs a generator. Cute, huh!

[HadEnough]

What's a "smoke sniffer?"

[Planning]

Grey Mountain wrote:
For those who have replaced their fridge with a residental model, what model did you use and what was the approximate cost? The fridge I have is a NORCOLD 1200LRMD.

Thanks.

GM

We bought the Fisher & Paykel RF170BRPX6 (discontinued and replaced with similar model Fisher & Paykel RF170BRPX6N). The fact that it has recessed side-of-door handles made it instrumental for our choice so as to deconflict with the slide-out.

We rid ourselves of the continually problematic since brand new Norcold 1200 series. (I do not want to serve an appliance's needs; I want it to serve mine. I wanted no difference in performance than what we have in our residence.)

The F&P is exemplary; it is an inverter model and uses little electricity. We are not smoke sniffers so we always operate on full hook-ups. With two 24 group 12 volt RV/Marine batteries and a pure sine wave inverter our batteries are at 12.7 volts at the end of a 10 hour drive.

[AllegroD]

2chiefsRus wrote:
RF18HFENBSR
33"-Wide, 18 cu. ft. Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator from Lowes - $1466 back in 2015. Installed ourselves with help from friends. Had to take new refrigerator apart to get through front door. Removed passenger seat to give us more room to get the fridge inside.

x2 We found it on sale at Lowes and got Vet discount on top of that. Love it.

[2chiefsRus]

RF18HFENBSR
33"-Wide, 18 cu. ft. Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator from Lowes - $1466 back in 2015. Installed ourselves with help from friends. Had to take new refrigerator apart to get through front door. Removed passenger seat to give us more room to get the fridge inside.

[jjrbus]

Grey Mountain wrote:

jjrbus wrote:
In my class A I had a household refrigerator. Basicly went from power pole to power with it. Had a large battery bank and generator so could boondock when I wanted.

Now have a small Toyota and do more boondocking than hookups. Been thinking a house fridge would be nice, but having the propane available works out very well.

I would say it depends on your use of the RV.

We never boondock. so an electricity-only fridge would work for us. We have had repeated problems with this unit.

GM

Then there is no reason to have a tripple power fridge. If you do move it here and there an inverter and house battery would be a must if you have it unhooked for more than a couple hours. A fridge will stay cold for a bit if there is no power to it. I freeze a small container of water and put a coin on top, if the coin ends up on the bottom I know it thawed.

Only my opinion and worth what you are paying for it.

[imgoin4it]

Grey Mountain wrote:
We have an icemaker and water with the current unit, but not used. Lowes sounds like a winner. What is the model nr of the unit you got?
Thanks.

GM

Grey Mountain. told you (and everyone else)wrong. The refer is a GE 18.6 CF counter depth French door with ice maker. Model number GEW19JGLBB. Fits in a 33 inch space.

[Jayco-noslide]

I don't get why a residential? What am I missing? It won't run on propane when you're not plugged in will it? Our 15 year old frig in our Class C works great, freezes ice cream and more. Even better after a burner replacement.

[accsys]

We replaced our Norcold 1200 with a Whirlpool WRS342FIA 22 cuft in 2013 and haven't looked back. We had to install a side by side since the reefer wasn't in a slide and didn't have enough room to open a drawer freezer. The dimensions on it are 32 3/8 deep without handle, 65 7/8 high and 32 3/4 wide. It fit in the old space with very little modification of the woodwork. The doors are completely outside the cabinet. That same model is probably not still available but you should be able to find the dimension guide available for most any model you wish. We also changed our 2000 watt MSW inverter out to a pure sine wave but many just install a 1000w PSW for the reefer only.

[Grey_Mountain]

jjrbus wrote:
In my class A I had a household refrigerator. Basicly went from power pole to power with it. Had a large battery bank and generator so could boondock when I wanted.

Now have a small Toyota and do more boondocking than hookups. Been thinking a house fridge would be nice, but having the propane available works out very well.

I would say it depends on your use of the RV.

We never boondock. so an electricity-only fridge would work for us. We have had repeated problems with this unit.

GM

[jjrbus]

In my class A I had a household refrigerator. Basicly went from power pole to power with it. Had a large battery bank and generator so could boondock when I wanted.

Now have a small Toyota and do more boondocking than hookups. Been thinking a house fridge would be nice, but having the propane available works out very well.

I would say it depends on your use of the RV.

[Grey_Mountain]

We have an icemaker and water with the current unit, but not used. Lowes sounds like a winner. What is the model nr of the unit you got?
Thanks.

GM

[imgoin4it]

Having a whirlpool installed as I post this. It is 18 CF French doors with freezer on the bottom. Basically fits into existing space except have to lower floor one inch to get it in. Have to trim out about a half inch of space on either side of refer. It is a counter top depth with water dispenser inside refer and Ice maker in bottom freezer. Got it a Lowe’s hardware. Really did not care for water and freezer but that’s the way it came. Got black doors to match micro and stove. Should be finished by this next weekend. Anxious to try it out on a trip. Refer cost about $1700 and don’t know the installation cost. Work is being done by my favorite independent RV tech.

[Lwiddis]

Are you certain of the amp hour draw? Cost and model are only two of the considerations IMO.