Replacing dead refrigerator with a residential

[rmw1990]

Hi folks! I've been off here for a long time and now have a question, I know y'all can answer. My 10 y/o Norcold bit the dust and I am replacing it with a residential unit. We only camp with power available. The space is 23.5"W X 53.5"H with an additional 8" available for height adjustment. What recommendations do all of you have?

[larry_cad]

Speaking of propane frig being an energy hog, I wonder how much energy was used by this propane frig??

[Gdetrailer]

westend wrote:

Gde wrote:
Jeeze you propane burning fridge huggers NEED to get a life.

Now, now, we're all in the USA and the great thing is that anyone can pick his own food-cooling solution.

I agree with your assessments, compressor fridges are easier to operate at constant temps and those temps are more inline with what we want out of a cold-box. The only advantage of a typical absorption fridge is that it can be run on propane when electricity isn't available. Battery upgrades and solar charging can make that distinction moot.

FWIW, I am continuing my RV mods with the installation of a small freezer. I recently saw an owner that had modified an old, small chest freezer to operate as a freezer and partly, a fridge. The dual use was accomplished by using a barrier between lower freezer section and top-most fridge section. I'll be looking at the drawbacks of using one the same or modifying for my specific use. Ideally, I'd like an easily accessible freezer section and a separate fridge in a drawer. They do make the latter but I'm not Jeff Bezos. :B

The bolded text needs to be qualified.

The majority of RV absorption fridges actually REQUIRE "electricity" in order to operate, which makes that statement a lie. Only the very small RV fridges typically do not (1.0-2.0 cu ft). RV fridges larger than 2 cu ft typically use a ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOARD WHICH REQUIRES 12V TO FUNCTION. RV fridges with the electronic control boards also use the 12V to operate the gas control valve so when the burner is on the fridge uses even more ELECTRICITY.

Granted the control baord and valve will use less wattage than a compressor fridge, it is not all that big of a difference between the two.

In a nutshell you might be able to operate a RV absorption fridge for say a couple days longer vs 12hrs with a home fridge between charging but in reality unless you are camping like the "Amish" live (Coleman gas lamps, candles, oil lamps and ZERO phones, tablets, PCs or any other electronic device) you WILL be bringing a generator and or solar to recharge your battery.

So I really don't understand why folks seem to wish to make life so darn difficult by buying a big monster hardsided RV, then try to skimp like a cheap miser on modern electrical conveniences choosing instead to operate a RV fridge via propane with an energy efficiency of 30% or less when compared to a compressor fridge..

You may as well buy a $30 tent instead of spending $30K+ then never use 99% of the RVs capabilities.

Absorption fridges ARE "energy hogs", they ARE extremely inefficient in the conversion process. Think about it a moment, you MUST add 325W worth of heat in propane PLUS the electricity for the control board. A home fridge does the exact same work with only 90W-100W worth of electricity and it does it much faster, has faster recovery times too boot..

Propane IS expensive, no matter how you cut it.

Propane is a direct result FROM OIL AND NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY and is one of the by products of cracking the source material into other building blocks.. In theory it can "burn clean" but in practice, it does not and a lot of dirty energy went into the making of it, storing it, distributing it.

All for the "man card" of roughing it in a hardsided luxury RV without using electricity.. A pretty sad state of affairs.

My point is IF you are going to point out the "MINUSES" of 120V compressor fridges you should also point out the "MINUSES" of absorption fridges equally instead of leaving out that little tiny fact that modern RV fridges REQUIRE electricity to operate also. This fact closes the power gap between the two and levels the playing field, making that argument almost a moot point.

One can simply add 200W of solar panels and easily make up any extra energy used by a home fridge and 200W of solar now days is a mere $200.

[westend]

Gde wrote:
Jeeze you propane burning fridge huggers NEED to get a life.

Now, now, we're all in the USA and the great thing is that anyone can pick his own food-cooling solution.

I agree with your assessments, compressor fridges are easier to operate at constant temps and those temps are more inline with what we want out of a cold-box. The only advantage of a typical absorption fridge is that it can be run on propane when electricity isn't available. Battery upgrades and solar charging can make that distinction moot.

FWIW, I am continuing my RV mods with the installation of a small freezer. I recently saw an owner that had modified an old, small chest freezer to operate as a freezer and partly, a fridge. The dual use was accomplished by using a barrier between lower freezer section and top-most fridge section. I'll be looking at the drawbacks of using one the same or modifying for my specific use. Ideally, I'd like an easily accessible freezer section and a separate fridge in a drawer. They do make the latter but I'm not Jeff Bezos. :B

[Ron3rd]

rmw1990 wrote:
My DH installed the new refrigerator and it looks great. He was able to match the trim and built a shelf above.

Good job! Please let us know how it works out and how you like your new refrigerator.

[rmw1990]

My DH installed the new refrigerator and it looks great. He was able to match the trim and built a shelf above.

[Gdetrailer]

Jetstreamer wrote:


I see a few notes in the owner’s manual for that magic chef fridge that seems to deter from using it in an rv...

:R

It SAYS OR OTHER OUTSIDE INSTALLATION..

They are assuming just like you are that the fridge installation is simply tucked into the old RV fridge space WITH THE REAR AND TOP VENTS OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE. Therefore it IS exposed to OUTSIDE AIR TEMPS AND OUTSIDE MOISTURE.

I CLOSED OFF THE REAR AND TOP VENTS FOR THIS VERY REASON.

The reason that the manufacturer put that wording is because the COLD WEATHER PERFORMANCE of this fridge may BE AFFECTED by FREEZING WEATHER.

By the way, RV fridges ARE affected the very same way so you are not exempt from this issue, so cold weather campers resort to placing incadescent bulbs around the rear of their RV fridges to help cold weather performance.

That is due to the T stat located in the fridge section can get TOO COLD in cold weather and not run the compressor enough or at all to keep the FREEZER at acceptable temps (ZERO DEGREES F or lower).

Has nothing to do with how long the fridge lives but about acceptable PERFORMANCE in which someone may attempt to claim a unwarranted warranty repair.

Jeeze you propane burning fridge huggers NEED to get a life.

So far, my home fridge conversion has been in my TT for 10 yrs now and works great, cost me $300 instead of $1800.

Keeps the fridge temps from 34F - 36F and the freezer always at sub zero temps (ROCK HARD ICE CREAM!!! :B )..

Never could get the old propane fridge to perform this good, in fact, I don't miss the +50F fridge temps on 95 F days and when the outside temps got down to a comfortable 80 F I would end up with totally frozen solid milk and sodas.. Produce (lettuce, tomatoes and such) would freeze and have to throw out.

[jyrostng]

My rv was a 89 Southwind at the time I used that Avanti, it's coils were in the sides, not exposed. It was use by us over 2 years and 20,000 miles in a P30 chassis. it was smaller than the gas rv fridge by about 3" at the top and a inch on each side. There was no place to bolt it down on it's base so I used a can of foam, some on the base and a few spots on the sides. If I were doing it again, I would put temporary board strips on the sides to limit how far the foam could expand to. Instructions be damed, mine worked fine in the Texas heat, even at Big Bend. I bought oak strips and stained them to match the RV to fill in the sides inside.
We bought several sets of the Camco rods to hold everything in place inside and used rubber tips on the ends of the rods from the hardware store, the plastic rod ends against the refrigerators plastic sides didn't hold well over rough roads. We used heavy duty wide velcro with adhesive back to keep the doors closed.
We also used a auto switchover inverter with a charging ckt built in and battery power on the road. Made ice, kept the food cold. It's a modified sine wave inverter too. I included a picture of the same inverter now in in my 2000 rv. https://imgur.com/a/ImXKBub

[Jetstreamer]

I see a few notes in the owner’s manual for that magic chef fridge that seems to deter from using it in an rv...

[larry_cad]

rmw1990 wrote:

larry cad wrote:
I put one of these in couple of years ago to replace a Norcold 1200LRIM. Works fine on inverter or 120v. Pulls about 6 amps.

Magic Chef at Home Depot

Sells for $298 but frequently on sale. 23.6 W X 59.4 H X 26 Deep

How much space did you leave on the sides? I was looking at this same one yesterday in HD.

Since the MC is significantly narrower than the Norcold, I built a slide out pantry next to it. We use it for storing cans and other misc. It slides out into the aisle and then back in and locks in place. My new frig is up against the side walls but vents out the back where the NC vented. Easy access for plugging it into the existing plug. I also added a top plate to account for the height difference.

[westend]

rmw1990 wrote:

larry cad wrote:
I put one of these in couple of years ago to replace a Norcold 1200LRIM. Works fine on inverter or 120v. Pulls about 6 amps.
Magic Chef at Home Depot

Sells for $298 but frequently on sale. 23.6 W X 59.4 H X 26 Deep

How much space did you leave on the sides? I was looking at this same one yesterday in HD.

Magic Chef suggest 5" clearance all around: owner's manual

If a user actively vented the recess area, I'd bet you could shave a little clearance off the Mfg's suggested.

[rmw1990]

larry cad wrote:
I put one of these in couple of years ago to replace a Norcold 1200LRIM. Works fine on inverter or 120v. Pulls about 6 amps.

Magic Chef at Home Depot

Sells for $298 but frequently on sale. 23.6 W X 59.4 H X 26 Deep

How much space did you leave on the sides? I was looking at this same one yesterday in HD.

[larry_cad]

I put one of these in couple of years ago to replace a Norcold 1200LRIM. Works fine on inverter or 120v. Pulls about 6 amps.

Magic Chef at Home Depot

Sells for $298 but frequently on sale. 23.6 W X 59.4 H X 26 Deep

[rmw1990]

Thanks everybody!

[azrving]

Look closely at owners manual and installation info for all models.
One line from the installation instructions for Avanti.

" Allow 5 inches of space between the back and sides of the appliance, which allows the proper
air circulation to cool the compressor".