What would you do? Norcold defect

[hawgguy]

Background:

Just picked up new 2011 Ventana 3962.

Norcold 1210 IM

Fridge quit with Li oP (high temp limit) as soon as dealer turned it on during PDI. The small black box that Norcold installed as part of their recall fix has a red LED that is lit (error, non-resetable)

Dealer and Newmar very up-front and supportive.

Bought the coach from a dealer 1500 miles away and drove it home. I received a call from Newmar on the day of the sale stating that they were shipping a brand new fridge to the Newmar dealer closest to me (90 miles away). I have an appointment for the swap, which they will do while I wait, next week.

Questions:

I have done a bit of research and see that often the fridge is removed through the window on the driver's side slide. Pop window, swap fridge, replace window. (and hopefully leak test).

Salesman that sold me the coach says the fridge can be swapped through the front door after removing the passenger seat. (my door measures 28 inches at its widest. Fridge depth is 24 inches so this is plausible.

Both of these options are fraught with the possibility that damage will be done to (my new!) coach during R&R.

Which option would you request (window or door) if it were your coach?

Shouldn't it be possible to just request that fridge be fixed in-place by installing a new recall-fix black box?

The selling dealer did give me 100 gal diesel for my troubles.

P.S. The coach is otherwise fantastic and performed flawlessly during the 1500 mi shakedown cruise home. Only other problem was a loose passenger side mirror that was easily fixed with the allen wrench included with the Ramco mirror documentation.

[powerboatr]

i find it odd norcold is replacing the whole enchilada
yes the black box brain can be replaced quite easily without removing the fridge

however its a new unit, let them replace it and document all the ins and outs, if something gets damaged the installer should be liable, i know that doesnt make it any better
i would freak having a winder popped to remove the fridge.

1500 miles is a long trip to go back for repairs....
sort of puts you in a bad place.....
but all in all norcold should would make it right.

my icemaker took a powder this week.....no rhyme or reason, worked to good for a long time now its sensitive.
dont know your delivery schedule but i would have never accepted the unit at the dealer until it was right. if that meant a return later or a few nights in a hostel so be it.
i would imagine the dealer would comp you for your travel

good luck

[Triker56]

Take it to the appointment with your toad attached.
Unhitch the toad and go out for breakfast/lunch.
After you are done eating, go shopping/movie etc. for a couple hours.

They will replace it the best and easiest way they know without you telling them how you want it done.

It's new and still under warranty. If the window leaks later, it is covered.

[num1dgh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triker56 Take it to the appointment with your toad attached. Unhitch the toad and go out for breakfast/lunch. After you are done eating, go shopping/movie etc. for a couple hours. They will replace it the best and easiest way they know without you telling them how you want it done. It's new and still under warranty. If the window leaks later, it is covered.

Good advise from Triker56. Just check the coach over with them carefully so that they can see and acknowledge no dents/scratches/etc., then look it over extremely carefully on pick up. If you notice something the next day you somehow didn't catch, call them immediately.

[Mr_D]

We installed the Splendide washer/dryer combo through the door. Removed the passenger seat and two of us horsed the unit in. I did remove the door stop so the door would fold back further. No damage to either unit.
If the refer will go in through the door I'd do that with no qualms. Good deal on the diesel!! Can't beat almost free!
Here in WA if a car/motorhome must be transported over 100 miles for warranty work the factory must pay for it, that's how I got paid for all the fuel to drive our rig to and back from Nappanee. I didn't know that at first and made several 105 mile (one way) trips to the selling dealer with no free diesel even.

[Perry White]

It'll go over the seat. Did you know you can take the two concrete weights out of the Splendide. Not heavy after that. Two bolts hold them on. I got a set sitting in the basement.

[Conquest102]

I would agree with the others maybe take some pictures of both possible areas where they will be working. Then LEAVE and come back later don't add to there stress by watching over there shoulder.

[Sammie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawgguy Background: Just picked up new 2011 Ventana 3962. Norcold 1210 IM Fridge quit with Li oP (high temp limit) as soon as dealer turned it on during PDI. The small black box that Norcold installed as part of their recall fix has a red LED that is lit (error, non-resetable) Dealer and Newmar very up-front and supportive. Bought the coach from a dealer 1500 miles away and drove it home. I received a call from Newmar on the day of the sale stating that they were shipping a brand new fridge to the Newmar dealer closest to me (90 miles away). I have an appointment for the swap, which they will do while I wait, next week. Questions: I have done a bit of research and see that often the fridge is removed through the window on the driver's side slide. Pop window, swap fridge, replace window. (and hopefully leak test). Salesman that sold me the coach says the fridge can be swapped through the front door after removing the passenger seat. (my door measures 28 inches at its widest. Fridge depth is 24 inches so this is plausible. Both of these options are fraught with the possibility that damage will be done to (my new!) coach during R&R. Which option would you request (window or door) if it were your coach? Shouldn't it be possible to just request that fridge be fixed in-place by installing a new recall-fix black box? The selling dealer did give me 100 gal diesel for my troubles. P.S. The coach is otherwise fantastic and performed flawlessly during the 1500 mi shakedown cruise home. Only other problem was a loose passenger side mirror that was easily fixed with the allen wrench included with the Ramco mirror documentation.

Hawgguy, Here's an option you might consider. I just replaced the Norcold cooling unit on my Norcold 1201 with an Amish Built Cooling Unit available from RV Cooling Unit Warehouse If you can get your dealer to do this instead of taking the whole fridge out, you will end up with a much better refrigerator that doesn't require any recall box. Just a thought but in the end it would be a cheaper way to go for the dealer and you would end up with a better fridge.

Here's a video of what is involved in the job. I did it myself and I'm sure your dealer knows all about this too.

YouTube - ‪Norcold 1200 to Amish Cooling Unit Conversion.mpg‬‏

Good Luck
Sammie

["007"]

I would tell them to install a Amish cooling unit, they may not want to but thats the only unit thats going to work.
Norcold has been kicking this can around and they still have not come up with a non failing fix for there faulty cooling units.
A new fridge with their fix can run into same problem as the one you have now.
We have been chasing their problems for the last three years and they still have not got it right.
In RV Systems there has been many threads written about their problem and most members have been changing out to Amish unit with very good results.

[Mr_D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perry White It'll go over the seat. Did you know you can take the two concrete weights out of the Splendide. Not heavy after that. Two bolts hold them on. I got a set sitting in the basement.

I hope you put them back in, they're there for a reason!

[Mr_D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 007";901094]I would tell them to install a Amish cooling unit, they may not want to but thats the only unit thats going to work. Norcold has been kicking this can around and they still have not come up with a non failing fix for there faulty cooling units. A new fridge with their fix can run into same problem as the one you have now. We have been chasing their problems for the last three years and they still have not got it right. [B][URL="http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/ In RV Systems[/URL][/B] there has been many threads written about their problem and most members have been changing out to Amish unit with very good results.

They won't do that, it's not a part that is approved by Norcold nor Newmar. It might be a better part but you'll end up paying for it yourself if you insist.
I used the Amish unit on ours, it does work better and was fairly easy to install, BUT it uses the same control module as the original. If that's bad replacing the cooling unit won't help at all.

[Wayne M]

Hawgguy,
I had the re-call done some months ago. There are a lot of discussions on it. Following the dealer retrofit, and before I left the parking lot, I turned it on, and sure enough it had the Li oP condition. I went back inside and informed the dealer that they had hooked up the wires incorrectly. The technician looked confused, but said that it was an easy fix. I let him go out, open the outside compartment and switch the two wires on the black box. Every thing worked and is still working over a year later. Just something to consider before you go through all the aggravation of changing out the whole refrigerator.

Happy trails.

["007"]

The control units are not the problem if it were parts they could be replaced.
Its their cooling unit which is a piece of crap.
Wouldn't even take one of their replacements.
When they called me about recalls thats what I also told them.

[hawgguy]

But wait - there's more....

Followup.

Thank you all for your suggestions. Reading Waynes' message about the wiring of the recall/box being wrong and following 007's links led me to the wiring diagram. The wiring is correct on mine. But looking at the diagram it was easy to see how to temporarily bypass the box with a jumper wire.

Bingo! - fridge works great. Makes me wonder why the techs at the dealership didn't do this and just get a new control box.

As noted in my first message in this thread, Newmar has already shipped a new fridge to a dealer 90 miles away, and I am scheduled for a fridge swap next week. Should I call the dealer or Newmar to see if they can just swap out the control box instead of the whole fridge? I noticed my control box is revision D. I seem to recall seeing a message from someone referring to a revision E box.

I'd really rather not have them tear out the fridge just for a dinky, easily swapped control box.