Community Forums

Cheeseman1 · 04-14-2025, 05:50 PM

Looking for advice / options. It appears our residential refrigerator/freezer has given up the ghost. Camping World is saying that the old refrigerator and the new refrigerator will have to go out through the windshield or big wall slide. Glass companies are saying that a perfectly good windshield will likely break if the windshield is taken out and a replacement windshield could be $4000. Add to that the ridiculous $2900 that camping world wants for a refrigerator (I believe I can get the same refrigerator for about $1300 direct from Whirlpool.
I was also told by a nationwide class A glass replacement co. that I should tell camping world to pull out the bedroom swintek for access. That supposedly the refrigerators would fit in that way and through the bedroom doorway. Does anyone have first hand experience, especially if you have the same Motorhome as I do. Thank you!

**Lt Dan** · 04-14-2025, 06:47 PM

On some coaches the fridge can be taken out and a new one installed through the driver's window. The frame and all have to be removed but a friend of ours just had it done. You can measure the window to see if it's possible on your coach. If I were you I wouldn't mess with Camping World but would make an appointment with one of the outside vendors in Red Bay and take it there. Labor costs are lower and you are dealing with people that know Tiffin motorhomes. And yes, unless they have the proper equipment to remove a windshield it's a crapshoot for it to not get broken.

txcpl · 04-15-2025, 04:55 AM

In your post, you say that the refrigerator "appears" to be dead. Our 2014 fridge is a Whirlpool and it wouldn't surprise me if yours was one also. If you are handy, google whirlpool fridge and watch the videos on symptoms/repairs for your model. If not, contact repair shops to see if they will take a look at it. An independent may be your best bet here.
Just an idea for you as the cost to remove/replace these fridges is so expensive.

oldenavy · 04-15-2025, 05:33 AM

Agree with LT Dan. Don’t mess with Camping World. They will only screw things up. Are you sure it won’t go through the coach door with the fridge doors removed? The driver window is a much better idea than the windshield, if it will fit.

garykk · 04-15-2025, 06:20 AM

Stay away from Camping World.

Shawn Cole · 04-15-2025, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheeseman1

Looking for advice / options. It appears our residential refrigerator/freezer has given up the ghost. Camping World is saying that the old refrigerator and the new refrigerator will have to go out through the windshield or big wall slide. Glass companies are saying that a perfectly good windshield will likely break if the windshield is taken out and a replacement windshield could be $4000. Add to that the ridiculous $2900 that camping world wants for a refrigerator (I believe I can get the same refrigerator for about $1300 direct from Whirlpool.
I was also told by a nationwide class A glass replacement co. that I should tell camping world to pull out the bedroom swintek for access. That supposedly the refrigerators would fit in that way and through the bedroom doorway. Does anyone have first hand experience, especially if you have the same Motorhome as I do. Thank you!

At our service facility in Red Bay when a refer needs to be replaced it will go through the driver side toll window, we would not recommend going through the windshield. The service provider can call us if they have any questions.

Cheeseman1 · 04-15-2025, 11:40 AM

Hi Shawn,

Can you advise what a Toll window is? Is that just the window by the drivers seat or perhaps the emergency window by the sofa?

Our20th · 04-15-2025, 03:10 PM

I have had the unfortunate pleasure of replacing a fridge on 2 different motor homes and a windshield.
I agree with avoiding Camping World.
I am a Florida resident so my windshield was free, but it cost Nationwide $9600. Yikes!!!!

The fridge replacement in both cases was able to be installed through drivers side window. It does involve stripping the fridge to a skeleton then reinstalling all parts once inside the coach.

Definitely recommend going to experienced shop!!!!

**Lt Dan** · 04-15-2025, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheeseman1

Hi Shawn,
Can you advise what a Toll window is? Is that just the window by the drivers seat or perhaps the emergency window by the sofa?

Not Shawn, but the toll window is the driver's window next to the cockpit. Some people refer to it as a toll window because that's what you open to pay tolls.

Cheeseman1 · 04-15-2025, 06:41 PM

Thank you for the explanation!

KLhall · 04-16-2025, 10:05 PM

The Whirlpool units in our Tiffins are very easy to work on. The control board is available on Amazon for less than $30 and can be replaced through the front door. There is a fan in the freezer that moves cold air up to the frig section. If your compressor is good the fix will be straight forward. Pretty low tech stuff that any refrigerator repair tech can easily handle.

Cheeseman1 · 04-18-2025, 06:20 AM

Thank you all for your reply’s. I’ve elected to have the refrigerator replaced by camping world. They will be removing the driver’s side window to gain access. This will be an expensive change , but in the end I will have an installed brand new refrigerator. Sadly camping world will have to use several techs to load the refrigerators in and out, and that will dramatically increase the labor costs (up to $1900). This does shift the installation responsibilities to camping world vs. me figuring how to engineer a solution and incur unexpected downstream issues, I.e. breaking the drivers side window. Camping world did permit me to buy and ship to them, direct from Whirlpool, a refrigerator that costs $1270 vs their quoted $2900 for the same refrigerator. I started to go down the potential repair route but decided against chasing that very far and decided use those dollars to invest in getting a new refrigerator vs band aiding an 11 year old refrigerator. Situation sucks, but life goes on.

cobia6620 · 04-18-2025, 08:01 AM

We also have a 2014 36LA and 2 years ago residential fridge stopped working
We contacted Whirlpool and they gave us model number of a fridge that exactly matched dimensions of the older model
Ordered online and had shipped to closest Tiffin dealer
They installed thru our drivers side door but unfortunately tore drivers seat in the process
They did pay for recovering the seat
If you don’t have a drivers side door a window must be used
Good luck not much fun

L-M-L · 04-18-2025, 01:11 PM

Do you have a fire escape window that you can open up. On our 5th wheel I got the Norcold removed out the door by removing the fridge doors. The residential fridge I replaced it with would not fit through the door. Opened up the fire escape window and propped it open, then had some friends help lift the fridge through the fire escape window.