Community Forums

Wbago97 · 03-12-2021, 05:03 PM

I got rid of the Norcold in my 1997 Winnebago Adventurer for the following reasons:

-Too cold or too warm (specifically for beer)
-It could've been repaired or modified, but at what cost? Probably more than really worth it vs. alternatives.
-I have 1000AH reserve AGM battery bank in addition to the original chassis and house configuration along with a 5000W pure sine wave inverter.
-The Magic Chef fit almost perfectly in there in there with some minor structural reinforcements for the additional weight and was only about $400, and more space without all the plumbing.
-It will use a lot less electricity. The Norcold propane mode did work well enough over the last few years I've had this motorhome.

Just posting this for the record in case it helps anyone else

Skip426 · 03-12-2021, 07:12 PM

Question .
Is this fridge model approved for " alcove " installation , or did you leave the RV fridge vent open for cooling the new unit. ?

Could you post the Magic Chef model number .

Thewellz · 03-12-2021, 07:17 PM

Looks great...I have the same plan when our Dometic packs it in.

Wbago97 · 03-12-2021, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip426

Question .
Is this fridge model approved for " alcove " installation , or did you leave the RV fridge vent open for cooling the new unit. ?

Could you post the Magic Chef model number .

HMDR1000BE is the part number.

No, it's not approved for anything for RVs as far as I know. I am taking my own risk there. Yes, I am venting the compressor heat outside as the original unit did.

Ray,IN · 03-12-2021, 09:16 PM

For us the negative is no ice maker shown in the pictures.

Ohiomike · 03-12-2021, 09:19 PM

How did you secure it in the cabinet?

Arch Hoagland · 03-12-2021, 10:33 PM

It might be interesting to turn it on and let it run while not connected to shore power and see how long the batteries last.

**CountryFit** · 03-12-2021, 11:30 PM

What 5000w PSW inverter do you have? Sounds perfect!

.

We are usng a Magic Chef love it.

Sweetbriar · 03-13-2021, 05:57 AM

Did the same a few years back and the Magic Chef is still going strong. I does have a healthy start surge but when operating the power demand is just under 1 amp @ 120VAC as measured by a Kill A Watt.

Bolted down thru the compressor framing to the shelf it's sitting on. I also made a frame around the top sides and back to limit movement. If necessary I can have it out and a new one installed in about 30 minutes.

I did seal up the exterior vents but added openings to the cloths closest to the right of the fridge to compressor cooling.

Wbago97 · 03-13-2021, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

For us the negative is no ice maker shown in the pictures.

I never used the icemaker, so I'm good with the extra space.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohiomike

How did you secure it in the cabinet?

Still working on that. I will probably do something similar to the other post here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryFit

What 5000w PSW inverter do you have? Sounds perfect!

.

We are usng a Magic Chef love it.

I couldn't find my exact model but I have the 12v version of this. It can run the air conditioner.

Wbago97 · 03-13-2021, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetbriar

Did the same a few years back and the Magic Chef is still going strong. I does have a healthy start surge but when operating the power demand is just under 1 amp @ 120VAC as measured by a Kill A Watt.

Bolted down thru the compressor framing to the shelf it's sitting on. I also made a frame around the top sides and back to limit movement. If necessary I can have it out and a new one installed in about 30 minutes.

I did seal up the exterior vents but added openings to the cloths closest to the right of the fridge to compressor cooling.

Thanks for the tips. Any reason you chose to seal the old vent? Weather or bugs? I'll probably put a screen to keep out bugs. I guess I could still seal it fully if I need to. I'll also seal the roof vent.