Samsung rf 197 retrofit

["007"]

DAJO, if your talking about a 1200 take a look at page # 19 it will show the baffle that directs heat out your roof vent.
If your replacing the cooling unit with a Amish unit they have a baffle placed at the top of their cooling unit for better air flow for fans at top.

[mward1nc]

927palmetto;

I am going to be completing this same modification. Can you provide your insights to this project?
Did it fit through the front door?

[DGBPokes]

I recently installed the Samsung RF 197 in my '04 Kountry Star.and after three trips, maybe 12 nights we are very pleased. However, it was a much, much, bigger project than I had I visioned. It took a lot of shade tree engineering to get it in. My furnace is located beneath the refridge. I measured, measured, and remeasured, and we got it in. The clearance height was the problem. And I had concentrated on that issue, and had a lot of help from this forum. I missed the fact that my furnace was a NOT centered in the cavity under the fridge.
To get it in the door, I had to remove, everything on the Samsung, doors, brackets, feet,tubing for the ice maker. Had 1/4" on the sides. Even with that we got it lined up, and going in, but still ripped off a small plastic bracket which held in the lower grille. And I missed that the flourescent lights limit the doors open only 90 degrees. Working on that solution now.

But very, very happy with the Samsung vs. our Norcold ( and we had added the Amish cooling unit). It didn't work for us.

["007"]

Welcome to the forum and irv2.
Here is a thread on replacing a fridge that may help you.

[927palmetto]

I started this thread about 6 months ago after I had installed a Samsung rf197 in my 2005 MADP. I have been extremely pleased with its performance...no more Norcolds for me. I strongly recommend the conversion to a residential refrigerator.
The project also gave me confidence to do some other remodeling. I replaced the flat screen TV in the bedroom with a 32" Samsung on a wall mount. Looks awesome!

[CJGJR]

I just S--T canned my Norcold 1200 in my Essex and all I had to do is yank the Norcold out and unscrew the bottom trim piece in front because the Samsung is exactly 70" tall 6" taller than the Norcold. Build a shelf to set it on( it ended up 9-1/2" above the floor). You can't set it on the floor due to the sewer line from the sink that runs along the floor in the back. The depth is 24-1/4" deep I set it flush with the front and slid it in another 1/2" and then screwed 4 pieces of 1/2 x 1/2" aluminums angle about 4 " tall and screw it to four points in the front just outside of gasket sealing surface because you have about 5/16" opening on each side from the original opening. Works great and only draws 170 Watts at 118volts which ends up drawing 17 amps on the inverter. Set the freezer for -2 degrees and upper ref to 38 degrees. Down to temp in 1-1/2 hrs. Run a bungee from the back of the sink counter top around the freezer door and just use a pull strap to tie the ref dual doors. Only thing is crap falls off of shelfs while running down the highway. Thats another story. Another thing is. If you do the change out, install the shelfs after you slid it into the hole before you put the doors back on because the right door won't open all the way allowing the shelf to slide in, so you end up taking the doors back off. I got pretty good at that. Just had Ice cream and it is too hard to spoon. If you full time the 23 Cft Samsung is the same dimensions outside and top to bottom. They use a thinner wall.

I got mine from Terry's Appliance off of E-Bay in Collinsville Ill. I called him direct and he gave me a price of $1175(TOTAL NO TAX) out the door if I picked it up. picked it up at there warehouse in Earth City MO.

PS I did cut out the 3" burned piece of the ceiling from my properly running Norcold.My wife, which is my Progressive agent, said get it out because they are getting wise to all the fires. Said sometimes 2/day.


Also, all you have to do is remove the doors on the Norcold and it is 24-1/2 inches deep with the cooling coils on. The Samsung is 24-1/4 " deep with doors off. You have to remove the passenger seat. Look under the seat and you will see a big nut with a cotter pin thru it. Don't take the seat track apart. Just remove the cotter pin and the nut with a 3/4 wrench and lift it off the swivel. Takes 10 minutes. Unplug one cord. Just remove the screen door and the access handle and it takes two guys fifteen minutes to get it in and out. An Essex door opening is 26'" wide.

[mward1nc]

927palmetto;

Thank you for providing the insights you learned to me. I will be starting the project as soon as my new Samsung arrives. It would have taken me a while to locate the seperate breaker box for the inverter. I am going to see if i can add another breaker or perhaps a double breaker. I have an Auqa hot system and there is a heat exchanger under my fridge which is smaller then the gas furnace.

Overview of my plan
- Remove the passenger seat, door, latch and the crome railing.
- Remove the Norcold.
- Construct the new platform
- use a 3/16 roundover router bit to put an edge on the inside of the door frame to match the cabinetry finish inside my coach
- I am considering putting in a c-channel for the wheels of the fridge to sit inside of. Like a track. The thought is to put a bolt in front of the wheels to provide additional points of securing the fridge.
- Make a braket that will attach to the front brackets on the samsung.
- Use lag screws to mount in the rear.

We will not miss the Norcold.

[HD4Mark]

Originally Posted by mward1nc

- I am considering putting in a c-channel for the wheels of the fridge to sit inside of. Like a track. The thought is to put a bolt in front of the wheels to provide additional points of securing the fridge.
-

On ours I did not install the front wheels provided. Instead I bought bolts with the same thread (metric, sorry I do not have the size with me) and bolted through my new floor. For the rear I used some pipe strap and screwed it to the floor underneath and attached the other end to an existing bolt on the fridge. Just some ideas that might make it easier.

[mward1nc]

Thanks for the input. Would you have a picure of how you did that?

[HD4Mark]

Originally Posted by mward1nc

Thanks for the input. Would you have a picure of how you did that?

It is a little hard to see but this is the bolt on one side next to the small wheel installed at the factory to move it. The bolt goes up through the new floor and into the threads intended for the rollers provided with the fridge. I have to say it was kind of a challenge to line them up but well worth it since it can not move.

[927palmetto]

Originally Posted by HD4Mark

It is a little hard to see but this is the bolt on one side next to the small wheel installed at the factory to move it. The bolt goes up through the new floor and into the threads intended for the rollers provided with the fridge. I have to say it was kind of a challenge to line them up but well worth it since it can not move.

Mike, this is the method of anchoring that I was trying to explain. It looks like HD4Mark's fridge box is deeper than ours. You can accomplish the installation by constructing your deck so that it extends beyond the depth of the box. In my installation, the fridge is against the wall and extends beyond the depth of the box about 3". Thus, the bracket holes that he used to secure his fridge to the deck are hanging off the edge of the deck.
If you decide to forego building an extended deck, you can still anchor the fridge through the bottom via the outside access. If you go that way, contact me so I can save you a lot of time.

[mward1nc]

Thank you for the picture. I understand exactly how you did that and it will be very helpfull. My new Firdge arrives at the end of this month and it will post comments on the project.

[DGBPokes]

Originally Posted by 927palmetto

Mike, this is the method of anchoring that I was trying to explain. It looks like HD4Mark's fridge box is deeper than ours. You can accomplish the installation by constructing your deck so that it extends beyond the depth of the box. In my installation, the fridge is against the wall and extends beyond the depth of the box about 3". Thus, the bracket holes that he used to secure his fridge to the deck are hanging off the edge of the deck.
If you decide to forego building an extended deck, you can still anchor the fridge through the bottom via the outside access. If you go that way, contact me so I can save you a lot of time.

I made the sub floor about three times to get it like I wanted. Once I had the exact dimensions for three sides of the rig( back, left, and right side) I laid it in the floor of the garage. Next installed wheel chocks for the back fridge wheels. Then I literally placed the R197 on the plywood and positioned it exactly where I wanted it . Took a Sharpie and traced the outline of the R197 front with the feet covers on right to the plywood. Then jig saw the front with the curves. I then had material to drill a hole and use a long bolt and double nuts next to the fridge front wheels for wheel chalks in front.

[mward1nc]

The project has begun. The Norcold is out and the Samsung is sitting inside. I need to start the cabinet modifications. I am having a bracket made at the machine shop to do the mounting described above without the wood overhang. I will post a picture of the brackets once they are done.

Darn that thing was a tight fit. Got a few scratches on the metal door frame. Easily touched up, but a tight fit.