Foretravel Owners' Forum

A number of months ago I posted about our residential refrigerator not cooling Original Forum Post (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=37610.msg362264#msg362264)

The appliance tech recommended replacement as the time to locate and fix the coolant leak would be prohibitively expensive.

My question for the forum is what experience do y'all have with Foretravel or MOT replacing the residential refrigerator?  Quality of work, cost etc.

I am focusing on a slightly smaller Samsung (RF18HFENBSR) vs. the existing 22 cu. ft.  I believe that the new unit can go in through the door on its side, with the passenger seat removed.

I do not have the shop space to accomplish this on my own.  I also have a few other items that I would like Foretravel or MOT to work on, so a trip from Colorado to Texas is not out of the question.

We had FOT remove the old Fridge and install our Residential unit. FOT recommended a Samsung, but we found it had less than steller reviews. I located a GE fridge and Matching Microwave that fit the counter depth dimensions we needed. Sent the installation sheets over to them, they said No Problem, and I ordered the set from Home Depot, and drop-shipped to NAC. We were also looking for a fingerprint-free finish which the GE model had. Note: GE does not actually make the fridge, but it's a higher-end model with great reviews. See attached pic, it's available in 4 finishes. Slate/Stainless/Black/Bronze

Update: the other feature of the GE is it has a through door icemaker and water dispenser. I stand corrected GE DOES make this refrigerator, they were purchased 2 years ago by Haier, and have revamped everything to do with GE Appliances. Having spent my career working for 3 companies that operated like GE, I can understand being Six Sigma'd to death. I hear this company is quite different now...time will tell.

MOT did my Samsung fridge install in Nov....same fridge you're looking at.  I timed the upgrade to coincide with my slide seal replacement, since my slide had to be removed to r/r the seal, the fridge swap went through the open side....normally a side window or windshield gets removed.  2.5 coach bucks for the install plus what I paid for the fridge.  The end result is magnificent and looks factory.

If you're a boondocking full-timer, you might want to add a second inverter per writeup here:
Additional Inverter (http://www.beamalarm.com/Documents/additional_inverter.html)
I added the second inverter after a few months and it cut my daily battery consumption in HALF!

Woody.

FOT did our fridge install (plus some other stuff) 6 years ago.  We were totally satisfied and pleased with the work done by the remodel shop crew.  Our Samsung has been running continuously since that time - we never turn it off.  Still working perfectly.

The installation at FOT will cost whatever they are charging for shop time X number of hours required for the job.  I don't know if they still give the 10% Motorcade Club discount on that kind of work.  It saved us a bundle when we were there!

Our Days Spent in Remodel Shop (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=22542.msg172507#msg172507)

MOT did ours, through the dining room window. The installation trim made it look like an OEM museum piece!
 
Trent

A second inverter (as noted above)  is a great option for those who still have the old Prosine, it is a standby hog. We did a similar thing to our Landmark 5th Wheel. 1000 Magnum Inverter for the Fridge only and a 2800 Magnum for the rest.

Currently on our coach we're using a Victron 3000 which draws very little and our new fridge though double the price of a Samsung is pretty darn efficient. We can boondock with computers and electronics all day and just use our 200W ground mount solar, and turn the genny on for an hour...and we're on 8 year old gel cells. once we go lithium it will get even better

Dave & LJ's in Woodland, WA did our in 2013. Samsung side by side. They took the Dometic out and the Samsung in through to door.
Happy with fridge, did have to have ice maker replaced a couple years ago.
Dick

As I understand the operation of a Samsung refer of which I have a 3 zone new one in our home the refers compressor no longer goes on and off.  Always variable speed.  No off. 

Separate compressors in all three zones.  All three variable speed.  Samsung has made 200 million of them and sells them to other refer makers I read

We had FOT install a Samsung 24 cf fridge in 2013. Worked great until middle of December last year. Compressor died, shorted 30 ohms to ground. I built a platform in the coach and moved the fridge out of the box. I was able to get behind it to change the compressor and dryer. Tight space, not really a diy job but can be done if one is thin, can braze and knows a bit about refrigeration systems. Cut the old compressor open and found no obvious damage but one winding was internally partially grounded. Residential refrigerators were not intended to be bounced around but no idea what caused the winding failure, hope to get another 5+ years service. 

Our Samsung RF18 compressor does not run continuously. Sometimes it runs at a lower speed and sometimes at higher speeds and sometimes it's off. I believe it has one compressor and two evaporators--one for the refrigerator & one for the freezer.

This is our Samsung RF20.  I am not sure if the compressor runs all the time or not.  What I am sure of is how much power it uses and that it is variable as seen in attached screen print of usage three months ago, over a couple days in Sept.  Each graph is 24 hour period from midnight to midnight.

By monitoring the usage, changes from 1.1 to to 1.8 kwh each day normally, depending on temp inside rv, number of times door is reopened, etc. I can tell when something is wrong, such as iceing up of interior air circulation fans, daily kwh goes over 2.  This has only happened once, but usage shot up to 2.5 kwh and air was blocked off to freezer causing temp to go up.

and what I use to monitor easily, daily, with android iPhone app, a bluetooth or wi fi device, has worked best on wi-fi....I verified accuracy with P3.
Smart Plug WiFi Outlet with Energy Monitoring by Currant - Compatible with Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings Smart Plug WiFi Outlet with Energy Monitoring by Currant - Compatible with... (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HKVRGNN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ek0hEbZVMNFTZ)

Great info Jack.  My thought was the the newer Samsung refers seem, per your chart, never to have the inverter idling.

The use of a separate inverter for the older refers that truly go "off" may have an overall reduction in power usage from the lower idling power consumption.

If the refer never goes "off" but always keeps the inverter "on" then that particular potential advantage may not be occurring was my thought.

Twestrup, The only time I've had issues with cooling, I had a iced up circulation fan.  If you do go the replacement route, check out the RF20 we have.  I could not fit the 22 thru my window, the RF20 fit fine.  Before replacing I would shut off for 24 hours, checking for melted ice, leave doors open. Check condensation pan underneath, accessed easily from behind.

Bob. Just might be true. Refrigerator is definitely always drawing some power.  I bought a separate one also, have not installed, even ran unneeded outlet for hookup to side of refrigerator compartment. 

Many on web are showing good results with putting freezer packs in freezer during the day and move to refrig at night to reduce power consumption, when door is not opened and closed.  My thought is little in life is free, freezing the packs is not free, leaving both compartments open twice a day is not free.  Another thought was to turn off refrigerator at night to save. My take is, little is free.  More energy may be used to cool off again.  And many use a combination of these two.  My first night turning off for six hours was not satisfactory, even used ice packs.  Again little is free.

I know many on this forum use a seperate inverter and are pleased.  I believe it is good to look at specifications for idle draw and efficiency when replacement inverter/charger units are purchased.  My plan is to not spend more dollars until I see a need, and have amperage measurements to back it up.

That being said, my curiosity now wanders to lifepo4 cells, dc to dc chargers, Victron products to handle, other lifepo4 install reviews, Roger and others experience on this forum, ec.

Seems right on target, our GE is about 1.6, the new fridges are so much better!  I really like the device you used, ordering one today!

Jack good info again.

Your reference to efficiency is something I have tried to chase down with limited results



J