Pains in the Norcold

[BohseM]

Hi..newbie on board. I was feeling like we had the worst luck when it come to RV refers...but after being on here I see we are not alone. Have had our first "new-to-us" camper for just over a year. Soon discoverd the fridge in the unit was shot..it made very loud noises and when flipped you could actually hear liquid moving around. For the summer last year we filled the hole with a small bar fridge and could only run on electric. Then a deal come up to buy a used refer. Norcold 462. I saw this unit before purchase (out of the camper) and it was cold.(temps were dead on) Worked awesome..so I bought it. We had to modify our hole but we got it to fit in our camper. Turned it on electric and next morning freezer was -20C (excellent temp for freezing ice cream and fridge was about +4C which is the in the right area for keeping food safe. Left the fridge on and checked later in the day..freezer still colder fridge warming up.... did some investigating and tried to move the thermistor (could have made it worse now that I read more info or rather opinions in some cases). I have turned off and retried it and it gets cold in freezer but not in fridge.. its like it thinks its cold enough or something. I think I may have made matters worse with moving thermistor.. moved it to the tenth fin from right about 1 1/2" from top of fin. I am so sad over this and have spent all day trying to diagnose what it could be. Want to make pulling the fridge out to "burp" last resort.. its heavy and awkward. Next step will be to bypass the thermastat and run it but just wondering if I screwed that thermistor up???
For the cooling unit end I really don't think its failing.. NO noise, NO smell, NO yellowing.Fridge is level, leveling through freezer. Absorber coils are about same temp as the vessel and pipe.. they do get less hot as they go up but no where near cold or even cool.. comfortable I'd say. The vents are all clear and I am certain the standard for space around the unit is within the specs. Am I missing anything?
So much info to take in and just don't know what to believe when you read so much contradicting information on the net. There is a lot of info that is pretty straight forward and alike but boy its a lot of info.
ANYONE? please help? All I want to do is go away with my family to a "non electric tucked away spot" (without having to use coolers packed with ice) and enjoy each other and wilderness. Campgrounds are so congested now its like camping in town limits almost.
Thanks to all who reply or even just read!

PS Have not tried unit on gas as I found this unit is on recall for a gas valve replacement and it was never changed... I am not about ready to risk my family to try it out.Waiting on part.. and crossing fingers fridge do what it is suppose to.. otherwise part is pointless.

Update:
Well just went out to check refer. Freezer was VERY cold (below -20C) and fridge also very cold. Had thermometer in a cup of water and it was right around freezing. Second thermometer on bottom shelf above crisper drawers said it was within the right temperature. (When I started fridge this last time I set the thermostat at the coldest setting..I think out of pure frustration). So I filled the fridge with coolish (not warm) pop to see what happens. Obviously this fridge gets cold.. I have a strong feeling it is something electronical...this I can live with .

[BohseM]

Hi..newbie on board. I was feeling like we had the worst luck when it come to RV refers...but after being on here I see we are not alone. Have had our first "new-to-us" camper for just over a year. Soon discoverd the fridge in the unit was shot..it made very loud noises and when flipped you could actually hear liquid moving around. For the summer last year we filled the hole with a small bar fridge and could only run on electric. Then a deal come up to buy a used refer. Norcold 462. I saw this unit before purchase (out of the camper) and it was cold.(temps were dead on) Worked awesome..so I bought it. We had to modify our hole but we got it to fit in our camper. Turned it on electric and next morning freezer was -20C (excellent temp for freezing ice cream and fridge was about +4C which is the in the right area for keeping food safe. Left the fridge on and checked later in the day..freezer still colder fridge warming up.... did some investigating and tried to move the thermistor (could have made it worse now that I read more info or rather opinions in some cases). I have turned off and retried it and it gets cold in freezer but not in fridge.. its like it thinks its cold enough or something. I think I may have made matters worse with moving thermistor.. moved it to the tenth fin from right about 1 1/2" from top of fin. I am so sad over this and have spent all day trying to diagnose what it could be. Want to make pulling the fridge out to "burp" last resort.. its heavy and awkward. Next step will be to bypass the thermastat and run it but just wondering if I screwed that thermistor up???
For the cooling unit end I really don't think its failing.. NO noise, NO smell, NO yellowing.Fridge is level, leveling through freezer. Absorber coils are about same temp as the vessel and pipe.. they do get less hot as they go up but no where near cold or even cool.. comfortable I'd say. The vents are all clear and I am certain the standard for space around the unit is within the specs. Am I missing anything?
So much info to take in and just don't know what to believe when you read so much contradicting information on the net. There is a lot of info that is pretty straight forward and alike but boy its a lot of info.
ANYONE? please help? All I want to do is go away with my family to a "non electric tucked away spot" (without having to use coolers packed with ice) and enjoy each other and wilderness. Campgrounds are so congested now its like camping in town limits almost.
Thanks to all who reply or even just read!

PS Have not tried unit on gas as I found this unit is on recall for a gas valve replacement and it was never changed... I am not about ready to risk my family to try it out.Waiting on part.. and crossing fingers fridge do what it is suppose to.. otherwise part is pointless.

Update:
Well just went out to check refer. Freezer was VERY cold (below -20C) and fridge also very cold. Had thermometer in a cup of water and it was right around freezing. Second thermometer on bottom shelf above crisper drawers said it was within the right temperature. (When I started fridge this last time I set the thermostat at the coldest setting..I think out of pure frustration). So I filled the fridge with coolish (not warm) pop to see what happens. Obviously this fridge gets cold.. I have a strong feeling it is something electronical...this I can live with .

[Gary RVRoamer]

When you installed it, did you pay close attention to the specs for cleanaces around the fridge, especially the MAximums as well as the Minimums? Most Norcold models have a maximum clearance spec and don't work well if they are exceeded - hot air off the cooling units collects around the fridge casing and warms it up. Re-read the installation manual (you do have one, right?) to be sure you met all the specs.

There is nothing wrong with the cooling unit if it is achieving those temps - that is one cold machine!

[Hitchhiker]

Welcome to iRV2.

If you don't have the installation manuals you can download one from this Norcold website.

[BohseM]

Hi thanks for your info.. the fridge is installed as per specs of installation. It is pretty snug in there on sides, top, and back. I would say there is about an inch from coils to back wall. It seems that during the day the fridge warms up to about +10C(thermomter in cup of water)much warmer with other thermomter on shelf. The freezer stays about -12C. When it cools down outside these temps go down to 0C (in cup), +4C on shelf, (below)-20C in freezer. (the freezer has maintained below zero temp as I have an ice cube in a cup to see if it changes form.)
The past couple of days have been pretty warm here, (well by our standards) being about +28-30C. Today is an overcast and cooler day. I am wondering if the outside weather is affecting these temps.
I felt the back of the unit and the absorber tank is a little warmer then the pipe and coils. The coils are close to cool as I move my hand up.
The fridge is set at 4 (5 being the coldest number).
This all was checked before 9a.m. .
How would a person check the thermostat and thermistor? If hooked up to an OhM meter is there a certain number that it should read? I know about direct wiring the unit so that you bypass the thermostat, but would this serve much purpose as we know that it can obviously get to below zero temps?
Is the thermistor the culprit somehow in this obvious conspiracy to drive me crazy?

All help is appreciated greatly.
Thanks RV Roamer and Hitchhiker for your input!!