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Old 11-14-2013, 09:57 AM   #1
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...And yet another Norcold 1200...

So here I am being held hostage by Lazy Days Tucson, now in their fourth week of troubleshooting/repairing my 1200LRIM (and a few other items). I bought this coach from LD last year, so this is warranty work.

Repair actions to date are: They played with the upper baffling and replaced the vent cap, cleaned and adjusted the burner, replaced the (broken) small 'T' flap between the lower doors.

1200 operation after LD repaired it.

Fridge will get no colder than 37-38 (set on 9) sitting still, AC or LP. Test drive last weekend from Tucson to Sierra Vista, mid 80's outside, temp rose from 38 to 45 in 1hr 45, then continued to climb to 48, and did not get down below 40 for 8+ hours. Drive last May (100+`) caused temp to hit 65, again with a SLOW recovery.

While driving, DW can feel air exiting the fridge between the doors, within 4" of the top. Top inside corners of both door seals are deformed and torn. Left fridge door handle latches, but not tight (latch wiggles). Sometimes, left latch will unlatch when the right door is closed. Left lower door rests about 3/8" lower than the right one.

At this point, technician is stumped; each 'next' action consists of a call to Norcold, wait a few days, and receive a fax with advice. I tried to contact Norcold tech support, they will not talk to me, that service is just for 'service professionals'.

In the troubleshooting section of the Norcold service manual, there is a phrase they use...'Refer does not cool efficiently on LP'...What is their definition of 'cool efficiently'?

Having read post after post across the forums about hot Norcolds, I really want to know if this problem is repairable. I purchased a coach with a frig to keep my food at least safe (40 or below). If the frig can not do that, it is no longer a frig... It is a box in which my food will spoil.

Help...Don't want to spend Christmas in Tucson...
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Old 11-14-2013, 10:01 AM   #2
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Which motorhome is it? 2002 or the 2003?
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Old 11-14-2013, 10:08 AM   #3
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I don't have a 1200, but our two door Norcold had a problem cooling also. I added a couple of nylon washers to the door hinge pins, which basically raised the doors up a bit and it made a big difference in how well the gaskets sealed.
If your gaskets are torn and deformed, I will replace those first.
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Old 11-14-2013, 10:36 AM   #4
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It's the 2003 Sig. Prior research indicates that door gaskets are not available...you have to but the NHA (next higher assembly)...that would be the doors...

I'll check out shimming the door up.

dc
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Old 11-14-2013, 02:36 PM   #5
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The door gaskets MUST seal or the frige won't cool and the gaskets are not available except in new doors. It also could be the cooling unit needs replaced. I installed a Amish cooling unit (pines RV) in our coach a couple of years ago and it went out a few months ago. Out came the 1200 and in went a Samsung RF197 residential frige. Wife LOVES the new frige and it keeps everything COLD! No more Norcolds for me.
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Old 11-14-2013, 02:50 PM   #6
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Ur notcold

Been there done it and if you want to be happy from now on (The day you install a residential refrig) take that POS out and throw it in the trash. Then you want have to worry about your food going bad the ice cream melting or the beer getting hot. That goes for the amish system also. So if you want to have a refrig get a refrig. You wouldn't put up with a norcold in your house would you so why keep trying to get this old dog to hunt! My .02 cents and have a Samsun 197 and never been happier.
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Old 11-14-2013, 04:03 PM   #7
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LD obviously will not install a residential under warranty but I would insist on a new fridge or all new parts including the doors and a cooling unit. Don't let them push you around. Go to the top. You should not have to wait while they fool around. There are specific tests they can perform to determine if the cooling unit is shot.
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Old 11-14-2013, 06:11 PM   #8
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I recently bought a 2004 coach with the Norcold 1200Lrim from lazy days. Worked like crap (and they supposedly went over the whole coach). Same problem, would not cool adequately, got warmer when driving. It took me a lot of research and diagnosing, but I fixed it. When Lazy days did the recall on the fridge they hooked up the wires backwards for the fans that pull air up through the chimney. I swapped the wires so they were correct (fans began to work), I put a new snap disk with a slightly lower "on" temp for the fans up under the roof vent. I also put an after market vent cover that is supposed to pull more air through when you are driving. It seemed to work. I now have the fridge set on 4 and it stays around 33-34* in fridge, about 6-8* in freezer.
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Old 11-14-2013, 06:42 PM   #9
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I have a 2000 with a norcold. Amish unit was installed before I bought it. I cools to at least 32 in the fridge, and ice cream stays hard in freezer. My point is, they can work well. Don't let them tell you that they don't cool well, make them fix it.
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Old 11-14-2013, 06:46 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moisheh View Post
LD obviously will not install a residential under warranty but I would insist on a new fridge or all new parts including the doors and a cooling unit. Don't let them push you around. Go to the top. You should not have to wait while they fool around. There are specific tests they can perform to determine if the cooling unit is shot.
When LD finally gets around to realizing that there is a problem, and fail at fixing it a few more times, there may be an opening to negotiate replacement with a residential. I would guess a Sam 197 would cost less than a cooling unit and doors. Do you know any more about cooling unit testing?
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Old 11-14-2013, 08:25 PM   #11
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You said it was a 2003 and you bought it last year, obviously used....I'm curious what kind of warranty came with it?

Certainly the Norcold warranty is long gone.
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Old 11-14-2013, 09:02 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland View Post
You said it was a 2003 and you bought it last year, obviously used....I'm curious what kind of warranty came with it?

Certainly the Norcold warranty is long gone.
Lazy Days gave me a 30 day bumper to bumper... If I found defects, they promised to fix them. Because of delivery delays, that stretched out to 60 days. We had commitments that required us to winter and spring in the Denver area. So we emailed our service rep with our 30 day list at the end of the 60 day period. Returned to Tucson in mid May in hope of getting our list taken care of. They ordered a new T flap (top inside where the doors come together). Loitered 10 days while they worked it, and then returned to Anchorage for the Summer. Arrived LD Tucson 10/23 and not done yet.

Got to say they are trying to keep their promise.
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Old 11-14-2013, 09:09 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmull View Post
I recently bought a 2004 coach with the Norcold 1200Lrim from lazy days. Worked like crap (and they supposedly went over the whole coach). Same problem, would not cool adequately, got warmer when driving. It took me a lot of research and diagnosing, but I fixed it. When Lazy days did the recall on the fridge they hooked up the wires backwards for the fans that pull air up through the chimney. I swapped the wires so they were correct (fans began to work), I put a new snap disk with a slightly lower "on" temp for the fans up under the roof vent. I also put an after market vent cover that is supposed to pull more air through when you are driving. It seemed to work. I now have the fridge set on 4 and it stays around 33-34* in fridge, about 6-8* in freezer.
Same as you, but still have the gets hotter the longer I drive too. Cools fine until I drive. Yes yes the foam. I even put gaffer's tape over seam. New propane regulator. dinosaur board, Amish, new burner. Nothing left its all new. I even fabbed one of those Venturi sucker things on the roof cover to extract even faster.
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Old 11-14-2013, 11:30 PM   #14
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Dogcliff....wow that's a pretty good warranty. I've never bought a used anything that had bumper to bumper.

I have a friend who just bought a new Born Free class C there a couple months ago and she is pleased with the whole place.
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