Do-it-Yourself Residential Refrigerator

[MikeandClaudia]

[SIZE="4"]Well, My dometic unit has finally given up the ghost.

After only 16 years, I guess it was finally time. I checked around and all of the RV Techs are only 3 months behind. So I hve decided to act as my own "General Contractor.

I have a guy that has a lot of carpentry/finish carpentry experience. He is a friend of my son, who says he is very compentent.

I am currently living in an RV Park and have four beefy guys that can help with the heavy lifting.

I have done a LOT of the maintenance on my motorhome the past years.
And, I worked in the maintenance/construction business.

What could go wrong.

But I need some help from some of my fellow RVers that have had Residentials put in.

#1. Question: How much room did the installers of your Residential Refrigerator leave around the edges of your unit?

#2. Question: What did they do about the outside "door" of the "old" unit on the outside of your rig. Did they close it off, leave it in, using it in to get "Air" to the back of the R.R. or what?

#3. Question: How did they go about fastening the R.R. down to keep it from moving?

#4. Question: Did they just "plug" the gas line, or did the crimp and solder it?


OK You are sitting there, thinking, "Yeah, but what about --- WHAT?

Your thought, Questions and Prayers are desired.

THANKS![SIZE]

[2 Stroker]

Well it would be great to know what coach you have because some have larger front doors to go through, just remove the passenger seat.
Gas line is just plugged off with a cap and there is small brackets in the back to hold the frig in place. Looks like a 1/4" on both sides and the bottom is open. Roof is plugged off and so is the back door to the frig. Some go through a side window if needed.
2 stroker

[awol50]

RV entry doors are pretty narrow. Most go in thru a window opening. Once you remove the window pretty easy with a forklift to slide it right in.

[MikeandClaudia]

OOPS!

Yes. It will have to go in through the Passenger side front windshield. I have a Glass Man lined up to take the glass out and to reinstall it.

Yes I know. That is probably going to COST $$$ but not as much as a new RV Refer!

[jenandjon]

I closed up the vents in the wall and the celing. I did have to put in a vent to the in the wall to the inside of the camper.

[Sweetbriar]

Driveway DIY last summer.

1. How much room did the installers of your Residential Refrigerator leave around the edges of your unit? Left about 1" top and bottom and about 1/2 inch side to side. To one side of the fridge is a clothes closet so I added a few 1" round vent holes in the back for some air flow between the two. Below is the furnace so I added a few holes in the back also for air movement.

2. What did they do about the outside "door" of the "old" unit on the outside of your rig. Did they close it off, leave it in, using it in to get "Air" to the back of the R.R. or what? I lined the top and back side with reflective insulation more or less closing off the roof vent and sidewall vent. Did have to cut open the sidewall vent to get to the hold down hardware. Easy to seal and reopen in the future if needed.

3. How did they go about fastening the R.R. down to keep it from moving? Two 5/8" bolts thru the rear base and the plywood flooring of the mounting platform. Used fender washers to help spread the pressure out.

4. Did they just "plug" the gas line, or did the crimp and solder it? Found a acorn cap at the local Ace Hardware. Cap is below the floor at the tee where one line is for the furnace and the other the old fridge.

To hold the doors close I made my own bungee cords that go across each door. Already had the power inverter but needed to add a transfer switch to the fridge circuit. Old fridge went out thru the coach door with the doors and cooling unit removed. New came in thru the coach door with the doors removed.

Some pics of the effort - https://photos.app.goo.gl/F3ufggxMylKnFJt03

[bruce91]

This guy made a 3 part youtube video on his residaenal refigerator install. Very imformative.

part 1,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hqr7twqw-Q

part 2,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&v=0Vhw6Yd4mJM

part 3,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G67qov1g-YQ

follow up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EOo_8PYYi0

[barmcd]

Here's my thread about replacing my Norcold.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/remo...-a-376668.html

I closed both the roof and outside vent.

I made sure I left the space required by by the refrigerator manual on the sides, back and top. I think it was 1" on the sides, 2" in back and 6" on top.

I removed the gas line back to where it plugged into the main line and put a cap on the fitting. It was next to the furnace.

I fabricated four brackets and used existing screws to fasten the fridge to the cabinet.

I also capped the water line since I didn't hook up the ice maker and the drain line that the Norcold had connected.

[MikeandClaudia]

WOW!

You guys are GREAT!

Thanks for the help. Keep um comming. Maybe we can figure out how to help do this by remote control! I greatly appreciate it!

M & C

[veraken]

Before answering your questions, need to know what size/model fridge you
are taking out and what size/model are you replacing it with. The reason I ask is some require different provisions for air circulation and mounting.

[Waiter21]

I'm in the process of replacing mine now.

#1 - My new frig needs at least 1 inch clearance on the side. It doesn't have a condenser coil instead, it uses the side wall of the frig as the condenser, so it needs air flow on the sides.

#2 - I'm not completely blocking it off. I'm going to block about 2/3 of the openings on the side cover and also the roof. I still want some air flow to the compartment.

NOTE - If I decide to block this off, I'll need to open up some ventilation to the inside of the coach to allow the compartment to breath.

#3 - I'm running two bolts through the bottom at the rear. I also made an angle bracket that will go along the front top. It will screw into the top front of the frig and then screw into the frig compartment frame at the top.

I bought some foam that goes around the front to seal the opening, and then 1/2/ inch vinyl trim to cover the openings nicely.


#4 - I installed a 3/8 inch plug into the propane line, then checked it for leaks.

I'm currently wiring the inverter to supply power to the frig and other circuits when not on shore power.

I have a lot more detail on my web site.

Residential Frig Replacement – 1999 Southwind 35S

..

[FatChance]

I went with a Haier 15cf replacement for the Norcold 1200LR. It is a little smaller than the ubiquitous Samsung. I did not use the Samsung because it's vertical height did not leave enough clearance for my satisfaction above the furnace under the refrigerator.

I took off the doors and shelves in the Norcold as well as the cooling unit off the back. Then, after removing the front passenger seat I was able to slide the Norcold out the front door by myself.

The guys from Home Depot who delivered the replacement refrigerator removed the doors and squeezed the new unit into the coach through the front door, but it was a tight fit. After reinstalling the doors, they lifted it into the space where the old one went.

I closed off the roof vent with two thicknesses of 2" Styrofoam, caulked in, and screwed on a plywood cover to completely seal the opening. The vent cover is still installed on the roof. I put more Styrofoam in the side vent, caulked in, and closed off the inside of the outside door with Eternabond and caulking so the coach looks exactly the same from the outside and any vent work is reversible.

Since the new refrigerator is narrower than the old unit, I had about 4" clearance on the sides and back of the enclosure, 2-3" in the back, the face frame leaves about an inch clearance on the sides and top.

I got some heavy 3" x 3" angle iron and cut two 5" pieces. I cut a 3/8" x 1 1/2" slot on each piece. I slide each bracket so the slot captured each front leveler so the refrigerator cannot slide forward, back or to the side. The brackets are through-bolted through the hardwood face frame. There is not enough top clearance for the refrigerator to tip forward so it cannot come out. I also have two 1" nylon straps that can be put across the front (using coachman loops) that hold the doors closed during travel and provides more tip/slide security.

In the back of the refrigerator enclosure our coach there is one 120v outlet with inverter power available and the other 120v outlet does not have inverter power. Since I haven't been able to learn how the new refrigerator will work with our MSW inverter, I have it plugged into the non-inverted outlet.

As others have stated, this is the best upgrade we have done to our coach.

[MikeandClaudia]

Existing Refrigerator:
Dometic, Model RM-3862, Prod. 92114360-08, S/N – 10403298

Proposed Refrigerator
Sears 60309


I am still looking but the Sears will fit. I'm just seeing if there is a BETER fit.


Thank you everyone for your responses, assistance and the pictures and Pictures and YouTubes. They are ALL appreciated.

[kustom]

lots of good info thanks