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2021 Monacoer’s Refrigerator Poll


Scotty Hutto

RV Refrigerator Poll  

91 members have voted

  1. 1. What type fridge came on your coach from the factory

    • Norcold / Dometic / Other Absorption
      85
    • Residential Fridge
      6
  2. 2. Have you changed your fridge out?

    • No
      17
    • Yes
      74
  3. 3. If you’ve changed your fridge, what brand did you go with?

    • Amish (JC Refrigeration)
      9
    • Dometic
      2
    • Norcold
      7
    • Fisher-Paykel
      3
    • GE
      2
    • Samsung
      45
    • Whirlpool
      8
    • Other Residential
      10
    • Other Absorption
      5

This poll is closed to new votes


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28 minutes ago, biloxi_dad said:

I have a 2005 HR Ambassador with the 4-door Norcold reefer.  After I purchased in 2017, I took it to an authorized Norcold repairman and he made some changes  that made it work better, but would like to swap it out for a residential.  I don't feel comfortable doing the changeout myself.  Furnace is below frig and want to keep it.  Does anyone have suggestions as to where i might take it to have the changeout?  I live in Biloxi, MS.

John H.

2005 HR Amb. & Jeep toad

Watch these videos (you’ll need to find them from his channel) and see how this guy did it. 

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John, I had Billy Thibodeaux's RV in Scott LA do my install back in 2012. They did an excellent job. Not cheap but not one problem with the install or operation of the fridge ever since then.

The shop is about 200 miles from Biloxi.

They allowed us to stay in the coach at night as it took a little over one day to install it. We were Full-Time Rver's back then.

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2 hours ago, biloxi_dad said:

I have a 2005 HR Ambassador with the 4-door Norcold reefer.  After I purchased in 2017, I took it to an authorized Norcold repairman and he made some changes  that made it work better, but would like to swap it out for a residential.  I don't feel comfortable doing the changeout myself.  Furnace is below frig and want to keep it.  Does anyone have suggestions as to where i might take it to have the changeout?  I live in Biloxi, MS.

John H.

2005 HR Amb. & Jeep toad

John, scroll up to my previous post and click on the link provided. Scroll about half way down and you'll see my install. It's pretty straight forward and if you're somewhat handy with a screwdriver, you can not only save yourself a bundle but you can do it your way. I can provide you with some easy tips and suggestions if you decide you want to do it yourself. The Samsung is almost the same size as the Norcold. One issue you might want to consider it the height of the fridge. Since it's a bottom freezer and not a side by side, the top section of the fridge is going to be higher than the Norcold. My coach had a drawer below it so the install was easy. Originally, I was going to leave the drawer but realized that would make the upper part of the fridge pretty high for my wife, so I removed it to keep the fridge at a reasonable height. You won't be able to do that because of the heater, so just make sure you measure the height of the fridge so you won't be disappointed after it's installation. Without the doors on, the Samsung will easily come through the side emergency window. We used a forklift to lift it up to window height and slid it in thru that window. The Norcold left the same way. We also used the forklift to put the Norcold in the dumpster where it belonged. We changed out in 2014 so we're in our seventh year with the Samsung which has been flawless. Going from 12cu ft to almost 20 was exceptional, especially when you're full timing. We can now take advantage when something is on sale. If you decide you want to tackle the install, feel free to call, text or email me and I'll be happy to answer any questions....Dennis

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1 hour ago, 96 EVO said:

You can't vote in this poll if you haven't changed out the fridge. Question 3 has to be answered for the vote to be counted !

Yikes!  I didn’t know that!  Just select Norcold or “other absorption” for this one.  
 

Next time I’ll make sure to word it better and include that you didn’t change out as an option. It won’t let me change the poll since people have voted. 

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One thing I'd be interested in knowing is how many people who replaced the Norcold with a residential has had problems with the residential and if so what type of problem. 

I know I've read on other forums of problems with the Samsung but not many.  Based on the poll to date it looks like about 50% of the ones replaced have been Samsung. 

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4 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

One thing I'd be interested in knowing is how many people who replaced the Norcold with a residential has had problems with the residential and if so what type of problem. 

I know I've read on other forums of problems with the Samsung but not many.  Based on the poll to date it looks like about 50% of the ones replaced have been Samsung. 

The common problem a few years back had to do with ice developing because a resistance wire was not in the correct place.  I recall the fix was to remove a back panel and install some sort of clip to keep the heat where it needed to be.  It was a quick fix IIRC.

 

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1 hour ago, jacwjames said:

One thing I'd be interested in knowing is how many people who replaced the Norcold with a residential has had problems with the residential and if so what type of problem. 

I know I've read on other forums of problems with the Samsung but not many.  Based on the poll to date it looks like about 50% of the ones replaced have been Samsung. 

Sounds like a great subject for a poll next week!😉

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On 2/27/2021 at 10:58 AM, jacwjames said:

One thing I'd be interested in knowing is how many people who replaced the Norcold with a residential has had problems with the residential and if so what type of problem. 

I know I've read on other forums of problems with the Samsung but not many.  Based on the poll to date it looks like about 50% of the ones replaced have been Samsung. 

Ok I know a lot of manufacturers put residential refrigerators in their rigs including trailers. That’s where they saw the most problems with RR’s. The ride in trailers are far more ruff than in our airbag coaches. But for me the RR’s are so much better for space and cooling especially in hot weather conditions. 

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On 2/27/2021 at 1:58 PM, jacwjames said:

One thing I'd be interested in knowing is how many people who replaced the Norcold with a residential has had problems with the residential and if so what type of problem. 

I know I've read on other forums of problems with the Samsung but not many.  Based on the poll to date it looks like about 50% of the ones replaced have been Samsung. 

Jim,

AFAIK, I have been the only one who has reported a problem with the Samsung early on after installation and that was with the RF-197 model that was installed in April 2012. Well with exception of the member who did his own installation and was attaching the freezer latch to the side of the fridge when he drilled into the fridge and punctured the coolant line. Had to remove and purchase a new one but that was a self-inflicted problem.

My problem started in the summer while up in Alaska where we would get water collecting under the crisper bins. Once we returned to the lower 48 I set up a service appointment under warranty to have it looked at. The service tech determined that the defrost drain line in the fridge compartment was clogged with frozen ice. He also determined that there was a technical bulletin or recall (I don't remember) on the clip and it was being replaced with a much larger one. So he ordered two plus a new back cover as the insulation foam was destroyed when he removed the cover due to the ice.

Once he had the new clips in hand he came back and installed one in the fridge and one in the freezer compartments. All had been well for many years after that. However, a couple of years back we started to get a very small amount of water under the crisper bins again so once we got back home and moved everything back into our home I shut down the fridge to let everything thaw out. I removed the back panel in the fridge and installed some copper wire by wrapping it onto the heater coil and then down into the drain tube further than the new clip was inserted. Haven't had any water under the crisper bins so far.

The second problem was with the main control board. However, I have not had the need or desire to replace it as yet. For whatever reason the temperature swing in the freezer had gone from just a few degrees up to about 10 degrees. I always monitor the temperature in the fridge and freezer compartments daily. That habit was left-over from the NotSoCold days. The freezer is set for -2 but it will swing from about -4 to + 6 or so which still keeps everything well frozen.

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On 2/25/2021 at 5:56 PM, veraken said:

There wer several residential refrigerators that would fit my  current opening with only minor mods. I decided on a Frigidaire FFTR1022QB which, once removing the doors, fit thru my door opening. (current model FFET1022UB)

I did a ton of research before replacing my Norcold RV refrigerator and this one came out #1 by far. If you plan to make the conversion, here are some things to consider.
1. These fridges are not built-ins and will require clearance for air circulation. The Frigidaire needs only an inch on either side, which is probably all you'll have anyway. The back only requires 2" clearance. Other brands wanted far more. Don't be tempted to skip that. They do call for 12" on top, which is impossible for a MH. Instead I installed fans (see #2 below).
2. Operating temperature. Other brands I looked at said their fridge wouldn't operate below 60 or above 90 degrees, and warned against using in a garage. No such restriction on the Frigidaire. Just keep it between 10 and 110 degrees, per the manual.
3. It fit my existing opening with only minor modification.

Installation:
1. I installed a separate 120v outlet controlled by a switch inside the MH so that I could easily turn the unit off when not needed without going outside to pull the plug (some units do not have an on/off switch).
2. I chose not to seal off the existing outside openings. I put a screen on the lower opening and installed 3ea. 12v fans in the upper vent to assure good air circulation. I used the 12v wiring from the old Norcold and put the fans on a thermally controlled line with a separate switch inside my MH.
3. In the back, I anchored the unit by putting 2 lag bolts through the bottom metal rails of the refrigerator into the flooring.
4. Inside, I attached (using 3m 3M Scotch 4910 VHB Tape 2 sided tape) 2 metal brackets to the top of the refrigerator and then screwed these to the wood above the refrigerator. I then trimmed around the perimeter of the fridge with black plastic L channel which I purchased from Display Products online ( Extrusions by Display Products Online). This can be purchased with the tape already attached.

IMG_1718.JPG

I went with this same fridge but in stainless. Been going strong for 6 years. Never have had an issue.

 

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Our 2003 dynasty got the Samsung after the NotCold puked.  I changed the inverter to pure sine wave and had 4 x 75 ah lithium batteries that replaced the lead acids.  The Samsung drew practically nothing for power.  I could run for 3 days or so.  
 

My current 2006 dynasty was ordered with a whirlpool side by side.  Not as nice as the Samsung.  It does have 8 lifeline agm’s.  When they die I’ll put the 4 lithium’s in.  

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Here is just another example of what can happen with your NotSoCold aka Norcold RV fridge. This guy wasn't as fortunate as some of us.

Re-posted from the Sunday Edition of RVTravel Newsletter. "Jack Lynch spent 45 years teaching in New Jersey. He must have moved a lot of students’ hearts. Jack’s wife died in 2011, and Jack bought a Class A motorhome and hit the road. After traveling 100,000 miles, another tragedy hit. Jack’s motorhome caught fire when something went wrong with his refrigerator. Everything Lynch owned went up in smoke on February 15 in a Sarasota, Florida, RV park. Jack’s former students got wind of the disaster. One of them started a GoFundMe page with a goal of $52,500 to try and help their mentor get back on his feet. Already the fund has hit $50,317. Aside from the monetary contributions, the heartfelt comments left are a gift in themselves. Just one example: “Mr. Lynch was a great teacher and both my brother and I had him at MHS. I chose to major in English in college because of him. He deserves better than this tragedy and we wish him a speedy return to his dreams of travel!”

teacher-mh-up-in-flames-nfui.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

I had the Norcold 1200 in my coach and after reading about all the fires I decide to remove mind and install a residential frig. With my opening size I had to use the Fisher Paykel and have been very happy with it. Once I removed the Norcold the char marks on the walls from (getting so hot) made me realize what a great decision this was. I am just glad we have forums like this or I would have never thought about it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/2/2021 at 7:47 AM, throgmartin said:

I went with this same fridge but in stainless. Been going strong for 6 years. Never have had an issue.

 

Chris, I am planning on installing the same fridge.   Was there a need to increase battery capacity?   I currently have 4 6v, how long will they run this fridge?   Any issues with keeping the door shut while traveling?  Any need to add any additional cooling in the rear?     
thanks

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54 minutes ago, tomgagne55 said:

Chris, I am planning on installing the same fridge.   Was there a need to increase battery capacity?   I currently have 4 6v, how long will they run this fridge?   Any issues with keeping the door shut while traveling?  Any need to add any additional cooling in the rear?     
thanks

I never installed any extra batteries. I run my generator a lot ( it gets hot in Florida ) so no idea on the battery hours. I blocked the vent off on the sidewall of the coach but left the roof vent open. In regards to the doors, most residential fridges have to have door locks. I made a simple strap attach to the sides of each door that snap in place.

It has been a great fridge.

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On 5/25/2021 at 4:39 AM, tomgagne55 said:

Was there a need to increase battery capacity?   I currently have 4 6v, how long will they run this fridge?   Any issues with keeping the door shut while traveling?  Any need to add any additional cooling in the rear?

No need to increase battery capacity but if you can easily it will reduce the amount of generator time when not hooked to shore power. I also have 4 6 VDC batteries.

I did two different power consumption studies using a Kill-O-Watt meter hooked to the Samsung RF-197 fridge. On average our fridge uses 1800 watts per day. That equates to about 160 AH of battery/Inverter usage just for the fridge. Nominally 4 6 VDC batteries will have approximately 450 AH available which 225 AH are the recommended maximum point of consumption before recharging aka 50% SOC.

I closed up both openings used for the NotSoCold, side and top.

No additional cooling needed providing you remove all material on the walls used for the NotSoCold.

We use a Velcro Strap to keep the upper French Doors closed. We use small short drop pin to lock the freezer drawer. See photos.

My fridge has been running flawlessly for over 9 years now. Certainly one of many upgrades that should have been done sooner versus later.

Samsung Freezer Drawer Lock Key.JPG

Samsung Freezer Drawer Lock.JPG

Samsung French Door Lock CU.JPG

Edited by Dr4Film
To correct my bad math - Killowatts to Watts
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On average our fridge uses 1800 kilowatts per day.”...pretty sure it’s 1.8 KW/day. The 21 cuft Whirlpool I installed draws 8 amps (measured before the 1000W PSW inverter) and uses 1.2-1.3 KW/day with the ice maker turned off.

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9 minutes ago, Ivylog said:

On average our fridge uses 1800 kilowatts per day.”...pretty sure it’s 1.8 KW/day. The 21 cuft Whirlpool I installed draws 8 amps (measured before the 1000W PSW inverter) and uses 1.2-1.3 KW/day with the ice maker turned off.

You are correct. I have posted this many times but this time I got my math discombobulated. (getting old is not for sissies)

1800 watts or 1.8 Kilowatts is the correct figure.

I measured mine with the ice maker on.

Edited by Dr4Film
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I switched mine from the Dometic 1402....the Dometic just seemed to be getting "tuckered out". I had done all the tricks such as replace/repair the drain lines which were internal and would be a PITA to fix. Folks were reporting that the drain lines needed to be replaced from the cabinet all the way down as they were a source of air leaks.

We could never really load the unit fully when shopping as there were no reserves or such. I added a supplement cooling (exhaust) fan to the system in the upper vent and also swapped out the sensor to a lower temp so that the cooling would come on quicker. Since I never really boondocked, the additional cooling was not a problem. I did talk to the Dometic engineers and they said that was recommended, but that for "battery life", they chose the higher 125 dF sensor. I actually put in the Norcold sensor which was 116 (memory) dF sensor.

In 2018, we had planned a 8,500 mile trip over almost 3 months....and I did NOT want to fight or worry about the Dometic.

We chose the newer Samsung as the older, larger one was discontinued. Actually, it uses a smidge more juice than the older one. Installed the "Fridge Lock" device that many were using. Totally satisfied... 

One thing, you NEED to insulated the outside panels as the newer ResRefers have a narrower operating range. No more...unless you get an "outside rated" running them on the back porch. Tom Johnson in Marion did the install using my fabricated mounts (3M double adhesive) and they said they would use this next time on their installs.

Once I insulated the vent panels and also closed off the vents (insulated also) the side openings, we have not had any issues. Did purchase the Lowes extended warranty.

As to the batteries. Am still using the 4 Trojan T-105's that is the original Monaco setup. At the 2018 Gathering, there was a mega discussion about batteries and ResRefers.

The gist...when boondocking, shut off all power (unplug) to the electronics such as Sat dish receiver, TV, etc. Put the ResRefer in the Energy mode. Shut off the icemaker (heat to get the ice out of the mold) should be sufficient. MOST folks have (and should) converted to LED interior lights...fortunately my Fluorescent tubes are OK.

NOW, you WILL need to run the Genny about 2 hours or so once every 24 hours...and again, it depends on what other habits you have. Obviously domestic water needs play a part as the pump will run.

We were in a Sequoia and they have a screwy "Quiet Time" where you can run the Genny during the day....and we would be gone. Rather than let the AGS work off a voltage drop, you can trigger the AGS via a harness from an external source. I installed a timer so that the AGS got a START (close a switch) signal in the AM and in the PM. I then backed off on the charge time to 2 -3 hours and never had any issue and we played board games in the MH at night with the LED lights.

 

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For those looking for a latching system for the french door refrigerators, there is on the market a speciality latch first put out for the Samsung RF 18.  They now have expanded to other brands.  I tried to find them on the internet with no success and my coach is in storage miles away so I cannot get it.  It is made of a twisted aluminum bracket which fits between the lower freezer door and the upper doors by using existing door bolts.  The bracket has an opening that accepts a substantial plastic tee that inserts into the bracket during travel, holding the three doors shut.  Just pull the tee at the stop to use the doors.  When storing the refrigerator empty, it works in reverse to keep a small air gap between the doors and the freezer door.   Has felt pad so no scratch on doors and no drilling.  Installation is 15 minutes and not even noticeable.

I found it here on this site (I think), so hopefully someone can provide the address of the manufacturer.  It was not expensive, but I cannot remember the price.  Around $30.

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