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Old 02-24-2020, 12:52 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by Mr_D View Post
Usually the door seals also need replacing. With mine the seals were no longer available except by ordering new doors for over $400.
Did mine the easy way, traded the 13 yr old rig on on one only 6 yrs old with Jenn Air refer.
After the cost of a “newer” coach and 2 engine rebuilds, I bet you wish that you’d popped for the door seals.
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Old 02-25-2020, 05:59 PM   #30
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What residential frig brand did you end up buying? Did it pop right in or did you have to revise the side trim and lower the compartment floor?
No, it did not "pop right in." The Picture in post #6 shows the original deck and furnace removed. I opted to replace the 20 year old furnace while I had easy access to it, then built a new lower deck for the frig. Took special care to ensure there was plenty of ventilation to the backside, top and right side of the frig. This was to allow ventilation for frig and return air for the furnace. For noise and aesthetics reasons, you will notice in the finished picture (link below), there is no return air grill below the frig. Since the new frig did not take up the entire width of the original opening, the space to the right is now a broom cubby and furnace air return.

The new residential frig is a Fisher Paykel - Freestanding French Door Refrigerator Freezer, 17 cu ft. The unit can be found here: https://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/

We measured everything! Discovered that we needed to pay close attention to the frig door swing - if the door could not swing wide enough, the interior drawers would not pull out. This install and upgrade took a lot of planning. We did not want to buy a new frig and then during the install discover clearance issues or something else. In the end, the planning and hard work paid off. The final install after the prep work, went very smooth. A huge relief to have this project done!

A few install pictures can be found here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArBcunudL8RpgotX...3hpvg?e=4Tkxmv
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Old 02-25-2020, 06:45 PM   #31
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Heres a post I did Sept 2019 after I finished installing the Samsung.

It has a detailed explanation and some pictures.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/sam...ne-461001.html
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Old 02-27-2020, 05:19 PM   #32
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You guys are the best! We got to talking fridge replacement this morning (since we are getting our windows defogged soon). However, from the pic above, it looks like the emergency window hinges open. Is that correct? I don’t need to remove the entire window? If so, you’ve just saved me some money and aggravation. I can wait til the current fridge dies AND the budget allows.
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It depends on the coach model and year. Our emergency exit windows are on the driver side behind the sofa and on the passenger side in the bedroom.
Irie has a 2005 40FDTS

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Originally Posted by paul65k View Post
Sorry those are 12V amps......120V would be 1/10th or .62 Amps

This does not include the Defrost cycle that seems to use about 15-20A (12V) for about 20 minutes 2X per day
I bet Paul can see each cycle in the Victron app
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Old 02-27-2020, 05:49 PM   #33
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I bet Paul can see each cycle in the Victron app
Hey, Hey , Hey.........I resemble that remark
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Old 02-27-2020, 08:31 PM   #34
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FWIW: There is a recent thread on the Entegra Forum discussing a number of failures of Samsung refrigerators that occurred within the first few years. Mostly 2016-17 coaches.

Another consideration with going residential is that all of the heat being removed from the inside of the refrigerator will now be pumped directly into the coach rather than being vented outside. Potential benefit in cold weather, potential negative in hot weather.
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Old 02-27-2020, 10:17 PM   #35
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Quote:
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FWIW: There is a recent thread on the Entegra Forum discussing a number of failures of Samsung refrigerators that occurred within the first few years. Mostly 2016-17 coaches.

Another consideration with going residential is that all of the heat being removed from the inside of the refrigerator will now be pumped directly into the coach rather than being vented outside. The potential benefit in cold weather, potential negative in hot weather.
Not to be argumentative but....if you add a vent fan to the channel of the roof vent and pull the air out (temp controlled) it will vent the air from under the fridge past the refrigerator and outside as there is no longer the floor between the bottom of the refrigerator and the heater vent faceplate.

This, of course, will require sealing off the removable vent panel on the side of the RV.

I haven't done this yet, but plan to monitor this summer and will institute based on the temps we see. In researching our GE unit it vents the heat through the sides as we have much more than the 1/2" they spec in their suggested clearances.......Stay tuned!

PS.....this is why I bought the 5 year extended warranty on the fridge when we bought it from Costco
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Old 02-29-2020, 07:56 AM   #36
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Good call on the warranty, paul65k.
Did you read the fine print, I hope they don't have some sneaky clause in there about motorhomes and boats.
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Old 02-29-2020, 10:03 AM   #37
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Good call on the warranty, paul65k.
Did you read the fine print, I hope they don't have some sneaky clause in there about motorhomes and boats.
Didn't say anything and I called to confirm before purchasing.

Based on my 35 years of membership experience I have confidence that Costco will stand behind this if it becomes an issue

I checked both GE and extended warranties and there was no mention of anything like that.
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Old 03-01-2020, 06:07 PM   #38
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Another consideration with going residential is that all of the heat being removed from the inside of the refrigerator will now be pumped directly into the coach rather than being vented outside. Potential benefit in cold weather, potential negative in hot weather.
Like many projects, there is a compromise. Heat ventilated from the frig will end up inside the coach. It seems the benefits outweighed the compromise … not having to defrost for one
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Old 03-01-2020, 06:28 PM   #39
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Brianna, if you are thinking about a residential frig, be sure to take into consideration ventilation. In other words, the frig must be able to vent heat. Each manufacture's cut/spec sheet provides the minimum installation clearances. When you install a frig in an enclosed space, there has to be sufficient air movement around the frig for it to function properly. I would suspect efficiency would take a hit when a frig cannot properly dissipate heat. Something to think about.
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Old 03-02-2020, 05:47 AM   #40
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Like many projects, there is a compromise. Heat ventilated from the frig will end up inside the coach. It seems the benefits outweighed the compromise … not having to defrost for one
Yes, there are always compromises. Brianna originally asked about the power consumption difference between a 12V and 120V system. The OEM refrigerator was also referred to as “groovy” so perhaps retaining that look is an important factor in the decision making process.

We all use our coaches differently. For the past 3 years we’ve spent anywhere from a few days to a month in the coach. I’ve never had to defrost the freezer. For a full-timer, removing a perfectly functioning refrigerator, modifying cabinets and adding fans may provide benefits that outweigh the compromises. For the rest of us, it may be time and money better used elsewhere.

One additional consideration for a residential unit is that the doors are not designed to lock when closed as is the case with an RV refrigerator.
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Old 03-02-2020, 05:27 PM   #41
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One additional consideration for a residential unit is that the doors are not designed to lock when closed as is the case with an RV refrigerator.
This product is AWESOME. Works very well and they have many different designs for many different manufacturers. Installation requires no drilling and is about a 5-minute process

https://www.recubed.solutions/copy-of-pvs21ksebfss
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Old 03-04-2020, 06:00 PM   #42
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We all use our coaches differently.
Certainly agree. It does come down to each owner's preferences and priorities.
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