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NorCold Fridge - How Sensitive to Being Unlevel?

3TV
Explorer
Explorer
I've got a 2019 Wolf Creek 840. How level does the fridge have to be to work optimally? I have heard you can damage the fridge if it is operated on unlevel ground. How unlevel before it causes a problem?

Thanks.
2019 Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie SWB 4x4
2020 Lance 825
2021 Grand Design Momentum 350G
19 REPLIES 19

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Explorer II
Last time my fridge stop working becouse of tilt was when fridge had piezo-electric igniter and could run without 12V supplied. Guess what years that was?
Anyway, my experience is that fridge will WORK even with big tilt when thermostat calls for max output.
Once it cycles off on cold night, it will not start working again till you level it and even then you might have to shut it off for few hr fot the ammonia to drain down. So if you park for the night at tilt, set thermostat to lowest temperature.
I never experienced when operating fridge at tilt will shorten its life. Sold my conversion with fridge being about 25 years old and still working perfectly.

jaycocreek
Explorer II
Explorer II
Running an RV fridge off level is signing a slow death warrant on that refer unit and changing the unit can be a pain and costly..Do not rum your RV refrigerator off level when stationary..

One of the horrors of buying used is the RV fridge and did they know what there doing or did they run the fridge off level giving it a slow death,but it still works..

Here is just one of many links to a Norcold refer with issues after not being level when it was in use..

Norcold issues off level
Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

Geo_Boy
Explorer II
Explorer II
Go to, ARPRV.com and your concerns will be addressed.

Tvov
Explorer II
Explorer II
Years ago I asked about leveling my camper on this forum, and the advice that I was given that I always pass on is to level your STOVE top. So when you cook eggs and stuff it is not going to one side of the pan.

If your stove is level, everything else should be fine, including level beds (I hate sleeping unlevel).

If your frig has level problems when your stove is level, then your camper has some serious frame / build problems!

I put two of those inexpensive stick on levels on the front corner of the camper when we bought it, I can see them while unhooking and using the tongue jack. I don't think I had a smart phone back then!
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2021 F150 2.7
2004 21' Forest River Surveyor

joerg68
Nomad III
Nomad III
My personal opinion/experience: As long as you feel comfortable sleeping in your camper, you should be fine.

The manual for your refrigerator will give more information. I googled and randomly came up with this quote from the manual for their NX6/8 models:
"The refrigerator is made to operate within 3ยฐ off level side-to-side and 6ยฐ off level front-to-back (as looking at the front of the refrigerator). Operating it at more than these limits can cause damage to the cooling system and create a risk of personal injury or property damage. Make sure the vehicle is level before you operate the refrigerator".

We use the built in level in our smartphone for leveling, btw.

Additional info: The cooler unit in the back with the sloped piping needs to be fairly level looking from the refrigerator door to keep the gravity flow running. In the other direction, it is more tolerant (looking from the refrigerator side). The way most fridges are installed that means the vehicle needs to be fairly level front to back, more so than side to side.

If parked for a short while, for shopping etc., it doesn't really matter. Over night, I am less tolerant than my frigde. So is the shower drain.
2014 Ford F350 XLT 6.2 SCLB + 2017 Northstar Arrow