Community Forums

Robin_M · 10-09-2016, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Servmack

This frig doesn't work on propane though, does it?

Residential refrigerators work on 120v only. But most models discussed in this thread are extremely power efficient and have no problem working your inverter (powered from house batteries). I have no problem dry camping with my Samsung RF197.

Dr4Film · 10-09-2016, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Servmack

This frig doesn't work on propane though, does it?

It doesn't need to. The fridges installed in the Prevost's, Marathon's and Newell's years ago didn't need to run on LPG either. People forget that most of the older expensive custom motorcoaches that were built many years ago had residential fridges in them.

Do you really think that they would mess around with a dinky absorption fridge that barely worked?

If they worked back then they can certainly work now.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

Robin_M · 10-09-2016, 02:21 PM

That's true of course, but back then you didn't often see those high-end coaches doing much dry camping. Today, residential refrigerators are being routinely installed in fifth wheels and travel trailers. Residential refrigerators have become so efficient in recent years, that dry camping with them is generally not a problem - if you have at least four 6v batteries and an on-board generator that can charge them once or twice a day.

RV-Writer · 11-12-2016, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin_M

That's true of course, but back then you didn't often see those high-end coaches doing much dry camping. Today, residential refrigerators are being routinely installed in fifth wheels and travel trailers. Residential refrigerators have become so efficient in recent years, that dry camping with them is generally not a problem - if you have at least four 6v batteries and an on-board generator that can charge them once or twice a day.

Unfortunately my rig doesn't have an inverter so add that to the cost of installing a nice residential unit. May have to do it, but I am not sure what model of dometic fridge I have right now.

Do the residential models rely as heavily on levelness as the absorption models?

Ernie Ekberg · 11-12-2016, 02:11 PM

I have installed a few residential refers. Having the coach out of level is no issue. My prior coaches had no inverter and refer did just fine. I ran the genny an hour in am and then an hour in pm-

RV-Writer · 11-12-2016, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie Ekberg

I have installed a few residential refers. Having the coach out of level is no issue. My prior coaches had no inverter and refer did just fine. I ran the genny an hour in am and then an hour in pm-

Cool. We plan to do a fair bit of boondocking. Not sure how I feel having the reefer off between gen run's in am and pm. But I am thinking I need new batteries and go to 6 from 4, plus an inverter and the Samsung fridge.

I am having a hard time getting the wife to understand that just because it has run for 18 years without apparent problems doesn't mean it is not a fire risk "because it is 18 years old!"

Anyone have a link to the Samsung units being installed and or a place that installs them?

I have a 4 door dometic unit now (top doors are freezer)
Jim

Robin_M · 11-12-2016, 05:48 PM

Jim,

We had the Samsung RF197 18 cu ft refrigerator in our 2007 Diplomat. It fit exactly into the same space as the Norcold 1200 series 4-door unit we had. See here for more details. The RF197 has since been replaced by the RF18 Samsung series - same dimensions. HERE is a web page for that refer. All the dimensions are on that site. If your Norcold is smaller than their 1200 series, there are smaller residential units - you will just have to do some searching.

Ours ran fine with 4 house batteries and our Magnum 2000 watt modified sine wave inverter. If you do a fair amount of dry camping, 6 house batteries are always a plus, but 4 will do the job.

We got ours installed at Alliance Coach - the old Monaco Repair Facility in Wildwood, FL. But there are several large RV shops that will do it - if not in Colorado, I'm sure you could find one closer than Florida. (MSH in Texas?)

RV-Writer · 12-01-2016, 01:03 AM

Thanks Rob - Great info!
Jim

LeeB · 01-18-2017, 02:54 PM

Welp here we are with a NOcold Fridge that does not work... The recall box has a steady red light on and it will not reset using the Magnet trick plus it does NOT have a red wire going to it (so I can't reset it or bypass it) I called NOcold and they said to get a service person out to replace it (if it is faulty).. There is NO Ammonia or anything....

Here is what I do see as far as wires one blue disconnected and green wire going to ground and a plug that has a small red wire and yellow wire that goes over to the stack above the burner.....

We are 300 miles from home heading to Quartzite... We are boondocking on the Rincon Parkway in Ventura.. I just started the generator in hopes that the NoCold will at least work on AC....

First off thanks Dr4Film......

Upon further review I discovered when comparing my dreaded NoCold recall with a friends that is exactly the same as mine, hiw is wired different and ALL his wires are hooked up. I have a feeling that someone somewhere did some re-wiring on mine. (I will have it checked when we get home)

It turns out that my NoCold works on AC and not on LP, why I have no idea and I will have to make a post on that when we get home and I am not using my "Hot Spot"

Thanks LeeB

Dr4Film · 01-18-2017, 03:16 PM

The infamous Black Box is blocking any 12 VDC getting to the control board.

You have to bypass around the POC Black Box in order to get your fridge to run.

Once you do that though it is YOUR responsibility to monitor the operation of the fridge so that it doesn't overheat.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

drdarrin · 01-18-2017, 03:45 PM

Looks like this?

You need a jumper like this

To connect the red and blue wires together until you can get it serviced, replaced, or replaced with this

Good luck.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

APhotoWizard · 02-09-2017, 04:33 PM

Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! I will be looking for danes-on-tour to buy him his double adult beverage.

My red light came on when I accidentally let the batteries get too low. My wife just purchased some high power refrigerator magnets to hold a calendar on our home refrigerator so I held one on the right corner of the box. It took about 10 seconds before I heard the click. Refrigerator is back in operation and the magnet is stick to the back side of the refrigerator if it ever happens again.

Many thanks for the tip.

danes-on-tour · 02-10-2017, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by APhotoWizard

Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! I will be looking for danes-on-tour to buy him his double adult beverage.

Many thanks for the tip.

Your are more than welcome - glad to have been able to help.

I now live in Denmark and Spain, so I am afraid that the offer of a beverage will have to be postponed

APhotoWizard · 02-11-2017, 11:00 AM

Don't be so sure we won't meet. My wife continues to work on me to add pontoons to the rig or perhaps just rent a berth on a cruise ship so we may be closer than you think since both Denmark and Spain are on our bucket list.

Anyway many thanks until you are better paid!