Community Forums

lekhuset · 09-26-2011, 01:59 PM

Our Norcold 1200 developed the well-known cooling unit leak. We just ordered our Samsung 197. We will have the Norcold fixed in the hopes of selling it. It looks as though we will have to remove our furnace in order to get the Samsung in as we don't have enough height in our 04 Camelot. It is the furnace that heats the back so guess we will get along with an electric heater for the back. Has anyone on this forum removed their furnace for this reason?

DtBt · 09-26-2011, 02:31 PM

If the top of you furnace is at least 70.5" from ceiling you probably can lower the shelf and keep the furnace. I can't believe my Windsor ceiling is taller than your Camelot and I was able to keep the furnace. In my case it is the only furnace. I believe other folks that installed the Samsung RF197 removed the furnace but as I remember it was an 04 Endeavor but he might have opted to remove it to get frig on the floor for easier access to the top shelve. You won't be sorry you converted. There are a ton of good info and ideas in the two RF197 installation threads.

lekhuset · 09-26-2011, 02:47 PM

We have 68 inches from top of furnace to the ceiling. The furnace is 9 inches from the floor to the top of the furnace. Total height from ceiling to floor is 77-3/4. We have measured and re-measured. I guess it depends on how much additional room you get if you take the legs off the fridge but Lowe's states the fridge is 69.75 inches tall according to Samsung specs. We have printed out the VERY helpful posts from those who have installed the residential fridge. This is such a great site!

nodine · 09-26-2011, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lekhuset

Our Norcold 1200 developed the well-known cooling unit leak. We just ordered our Samsung 197. We will have the Norcold fixed in the hopes of selling it. It looks as though we will have to remove our furnace in order to get the Samsung in as we don't have enough height in our 04 Camelot. It is the furnace that heats the back so guess we will get along with an electric heater for the back. Has anyone on this forum removed their furnace for this reason?

I would be surprised if you can recover the repair cost by selling the Norcold. The cooling unit alone cost $1000.

Bob

zman62 · 09-26-2011, 06:44 PM

Can you drop your shelve down closer to the furnace?

HD4Mark · 09-26-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nodine

I would be surprised if you can recover the repair cost by selling the Norcold. The cooling unit alone cost $1000.

Bob

I agree with Bob. Our cooling unit is only one year old, replaced courtesy of Good Sam ESP as was the circuit board. I have advertised it here and Craigslist for $500. A couple of bites but no sale. I believe one problem is finding a buyer close enough to consider it. Shipping would negate any savings due to the weight.

If the cooling unit is shot and you are buying a residential fridge to replace it, kick the Norcold to the curb and forget it.

lekhuset · 09-26-2011, 09:06 PM

We will have the Norcold repaired covered under our extended warranty. Our decision to do this took place before ordering the Samsung, however, the Samsung delivery is 42 days out from Lowe's. The repair for the Norcold is 10 days out but we will need to use the Norcold. Our little fridge from Costco is getting us through for now.
Even dropping the shelf down to the furnace does not give us enough room. We only have 68 inches from the top of the furnace to the ceiling. We do wonder if there is a low profile heater out there that might give us more room but this will make it a costlier job. We are wondering if the rollers and feet take up enough room to make up the height we need if we removed them?

__________
Swede & Joan
2004 Monaco Camelot
2004 Saturn Vue

docj · 09-26-2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lekhuset

the Samsung delivery is 42 days out from Lowe's.

This Samsung fridge is in very short supply at the moment. Lowe's delivered a damaged one to our installer in Spokane WA and he had to get a replacement shipped in from AJ Madison in New Jersey! No one on the entire west coast had one available for immediate delivery.

JDT · 09-26-2011, 09:20 PM

I helped my friend install a Samsung RF197 in his 04 Endeavor 40PDQ. The Norcold 1200 was above his furnace also. His ceiling height is exactly the same as yours. There was no way we were going to fit that fridge in that spot without removing the furnace. In my opinion you might as well get started pulling the furnace. Removing the wheels will not gain you much at all and will make it harder to remove if needed down the road.

He had to fabricate some metal brackets to remount the outside cover plate as it screws to the furnace. We did not do it with his but I would suggest building a platform high enough off the floor to allow room for your electrical outlets under it. If you mount them close to the front you could plug and unplug it easier. You could cover the opening with a board matching your woodwork with hinges on the bottom and a latch on top to help keep it closed.

HD4Mark · 09-27-2011, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lekhuset

We are wondering if the rollers and feet take up enough room to make up the height we need if we removed them?
_
Swede & Joan
2004 Monaco Camelot
2004 Saturn Vue

The bottom of the Samsung is not completely flat so I believe you will need to leave the rollers on. It also has venting in the bottom. I used the "L" brackets for the leveling feet, mounted backwards to bolt the fridge to my new floor. FYI the bolts on them are metric. I think someone else here remove the rollers and replaced them with skids.

Madrona · 09-27-2011, 11:56 AM

Just curious, I don't have the 1200 and don't plan any replacements. If the Norcold is such a problem, and it appears it is, why is everyone going with a residential instead of changing brands to Dometic or something else? It just seems it would be good to keep the propane ability available if possible. I know, with the kind of "camping" we do, I would not buy a coach that couldn't run the refer on propane. But, we almost never have hookups and I need to use the inverter for other purposes. Just wonderin'...

HD4Mark · 09-27-2011, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madrona

Just curious, I don't have the 1200 and don't plan any replacements. If the Norcold is such a problem, and it appears it is, why is everyone going with a residential instead of changing brands to Dometic or something else? It just seems it would be good to keep the propane ability available if possible. I know, with the kind of "camping" we do, I would not buy a coach that couldn't run the refer on propane. But, we almost never have hookups and I need to use the inverter for other purposes. Just wonderin'...

In our case we rarely boondock so the propane option is not a necessity. I also have read problems with Dometic but bottom line is the residential fridge we now have gets much colder and is almost twice as big. I can run it on the inverter the few times we are without power and on the generator when needed. We spend about half the year in our MH so having a house type fridge for the first time should be great.

Oh, one more thought. An RV type fridge such as the Norcold 1200 new runs almost $4,000, the Samsung was closer to $1,000.

lekhuset · 09-27-2011, 05:08 PM

Thanks to all of you for the information and suggestions. JDT, I am glad to know we are not the only ones with not enough height for the Samsung. I kept measuring and re-measuring trying to squeeze out more inches but no luck. I wonder if your friends miss the back furnace at all??
Madrona, the cost factor was a major decision maker for us. We had no prior problems with our 1200 until the cooling unit leak. However, we had already installed a fire extinguisher from Mac the Fire Guy after seeing a motor home fire caused by the refrigerator. We full-time and a refrigerator repairment told us that the absorption units were not made for longterm use and generally last about 6 years. We do dry camp some but have a 2000 watt invertor and 4 solar panels. We don't expect problems with the Samsung but if it happens, we will get an additional invertor and more batteries. It really does not use much electrical power. We really look forward to fresh vegetables, crisp lettuce and hard ice cream plus the additional space. We will keep watching for your great suggestions and post as we get further along here. Thanks again.
____________
Swede & Joan
2004 Camelot
2004 Saturn Vue

JDT · 09-27-2011, 08:10 PM

Swede, my friend and I just did the change out in our coaches. I got to keep my furnace as the 05's have 3" higher ceiling height. We have not had any cold weather yet so I know he hasn't tried heating without the furnace yet. Plus, we are not really cold weather campers anyway. We both have/had 2 heat pumps in our a/c's and 2 furnaces. I'm not sure he will miss the one furnace.

In the limited cold/cool weather camping we have done (usually Branson in mid-November) I have never run more than one furnace at a time and usually not the one under the fridge.

It's been a month ago now but it took 2 1/2 weeks for me to get my Samsung from Lowe's. My friend ordered his from a locally owned appliance store and got it in 4 days.