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Topic: refrigerator woes (Read 6434 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #40 –
After a few email exchanges with Dometic, they have decided to help. They say I can have it repaired, or replaced with as current model that won't fit, or take some undetermined small cash payment to use towards a residential unit. When Temecula Valley RV has the coach for my slide repair starting Monday, tvrv and Dometic will work this out. I could still go with insurance for a marine unit.

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #41 –
tom
I went through several thousand dollars of fridge woes. my solution a few years ago
was a Samsung residential. lots of people on this site have done the same thing. I
don't think you will find anyone who is sorry that they went this route. mine runs
fine on a modified sine wave inverter, uses very little power, and dw is happy.
not a cheap mod, but it works.

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #42 –
I will need to come to a decision next week.

As much was I am attracted to a large residential unit, my DW likes the wood panel look we have now, we would lose the pullout drawers below, being only 38' in length we don't have that pantry on the side, and being a U295, going all electric and replacing the propane tank with a fourth 8D battery is not practical. And any residential conversion would call for cabinet work done locally.

I am also attracted to a marine unit. The one Don is using has the wool panel look we like, but again calls for new cabinetry both below and to the side. And the capacity is quite a bit smaller, which may or may not matter.

Another option is a custom marine unit. Advantages are wood panels, probably more capacity than the Domestic, can be made as an exact fit so no cabinetry is needed, and can be made with 4" of insulation instead of 3" for higher efficiency. Disadvantage is $3500 cost, but offset by no cabinetry costs other than wood panel inserts.

But at the moment I an leaning in the direction of letting Domestic rebuild what I have now, and adding a fire prevention device and a fire suppression device. Just leaning.

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #43 –
You do have the option of a counter depth residential unit that uses wood panels instead of stainless steel or colored.
I don't think you HAVE to install a additional battery, its probably nice but NOT necessary.
I put in a refrigerator on/off switch so I can turn off the refrigerator easily. If I think I will have battery problems I can turn off the refrigerator and run it sparingly(or on the generator). The refrigerator when loaded does not run that often, and turning it off for a few hours will still keep everything inside good and cold. When I turn it back on it comes back down to temp. fast. The freezer allows me to set temp. down to about -10 and I keep the refrigerator side set to 36 degrees.
 Takes a long time for temps to elevate to a dangerous temp. for food preservation.

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #44 –
For $699 this outfit will custom design and build wood panel overlays for your refrigerator (of, presumably, any make) to match.

I found this with one search for "refrigerator wood panel overlay". Probably should have made it "refrigerator door". Google is your friend. :D

Craig

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #45 –
 It astounds me personally that people cannot live with the space in a 10cft fridge. How much food do we need to keep frozen/cold even if you are a fulltimer. We had the double door Dometic but find the Whirlpool plenty good enough for our 3-4 month road journey's, and we most probably are much further from stores a lot of the time that many of you fulltimers.
I challenge evryone to go thru' your fridge and document what REALLY has to be kept in the fridge (or what you can REALLY do without) and then see how big a unit you need!
If it is just that you WANT it then so be it, but most comments seem to be that they NEED the space??
I also think the money charged for fairly simple cabinet modifications to be atrocious.( Don's changes are NOT the norm, even in a Prevost coach cost).
I am glad I do not have to pay for such work.
JohnH

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #46 –
I am with you John.  We paid my local guy $659 parts and labor to slide out the fire hazard Dometic and slide in a 10 cu ft residential.

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #47 –
Quote from: John Haygarth –
It astounds me personally that people cannot live with the space in a 10cft fridge. How much food do we need to keep frozen/cold even if you are a fulltimer. We had the double door Dometic but find the Whirlpool plenty good enough for our 3-4 month road journey's, and we most probably are much further from stores a lot of the time that many of you fulltimers.
I challenge evryone to go thru' your fridge and document what REALLY has to be kept in the fridge (or what you can REALLY do without) and then see how big a unit you need!
If it is just that you WANT it then so be it, but most comments seem to be that they NEED the space??
I also think the money charged for fairly simple cabinet modifications to be atrocious.( Don's changes are NOT the norm, even in a Prevost coach cost).
I am glad I do not have to pay for such work.
JohnH


It's not that we need a large refrigerator.  Our two previous motorhomes had 8 cu-ft or so refrigerators, and we did just fine.  But one trip to Costco will fill even the largest residential unit.  What we don't wish to lose is storage space, as in the two cabinets below the current refrigerator with pull out shelves.  A large residential unit would take these away, but a small 8-12 cu-ft unit would allow us to keep these plus add a side pantry (at more expense).

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #48 –
Exactly what I did with the space left over- put in a slide out pantry. I know , I did it myself and some of you cannot. My total for complete reno of fridge area was under $400 matl included, so if you add some $500 for labour then now you are up to $1k plus the fridge of $350 or? We still have the lower cabinets plus now that pantry.
JohnH

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #49 –
Due to the installation Michelle had, I am considering returning to have mine reinstalled lower so the refrig door misses the door track.
Yes I lost the cabinet area below the new refrig, but it was unusable for me & the lost area was made up with the extra space in the refrig. Stowing dry goods that are now reachable, so I now have more usable storage.
I sure do enjoy the space. But equally the ability to control temps on both sides.  Easy keeping fresh produce a lot longer than the original box, freezer below zero, things stay wonderful.
I'm happy so who cares ?

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #50 –
I have looked and looked and thought and thought.  I have come to the decision that I will be very happy with a smaller residential electric fridge rather than a full sized one.  We will be in the coach for months at a time, but I tend to buy too much and then allow stuff to spoil when I have the room to store it.  I would rather have another pull out pantry or a broom closet or whatever, and not lose the storage underneath the present fridge.  From what I have seen of the actual smaller fridges (Dave Katsuki & Nancy Elkins, for example) they provide plenty of refrigerated space and a good sized freezer.  FWIW.

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #51 –
We learned early in our cruising sailboat years to make do without refrigeration since we had nothing but an ice box until we bought two solar panels and an Adler Barbour 12vdc system. Even then it overwhelmed our little 33-watt panels until I built a wind generator to augment the panels. It produced enough ice for each of us to have one "sundowner" every evening.

The bonus for us in changing to a residential refrigerator (now that we have the panels on and working) is an actual increase in cooling space. Just like on the boat.*

Ain't technology great. And we won't have to abandon the RV if the solar panels break! :D

Craig

* This is assuming that the fridge that will fit into our space manages to get delivered properly and works... there are some issues with the Avanti model we need according to Propman who has not managed to get the right one - or a working one - yet.

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #52 –
Craig, the whirlpool one (Heir ??sp) will go in your 225 as it is the same size as the 240 I had.(which I took out and installed correctly)
JohnH

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #53 –
Quote from: John Haygarth –
Craig, the whirlpool one (Heir ??sp) will go in your 225 as it is the same size as the 240 I had.(which I took out and installed correctly)

I would MUCH rather have the Whirlpool. Propman is having a real problem getting an Avanti installed. Can you tell me which model you have?

Craig

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #54 –
I will go check it and let you know. Why not bring your coach up here and we can do it together, then I can give you a special rate of ONLY $1500 labour--he he
JohnH

whirlpool ET0MSRXTB02

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #55 –
Quote from: John Haygarth –
I will go check it and let you know. Why not bring your coach up here and we can do it together, then I can give you a special rate of ONLY $1500 labour--he he
JohnH

whirlpool ET0MSRXTB02

I can't find that model number. Wonder if it's Canadian. Your labour rate sounds terrific... I have a special checking account just for those sorts of deals. :P

Craig

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #56 –
Quote

whirlpool ET0MSRXTB02

The above is the fridge we purchased 2 years ago from Lowes for about $350 and installed it ourselves

Lowes no longer has this model, but has an almost identical Haier brand, that several Forum members have also installed.

24" x 58"

Don't need a professional to install.

Replacing an Absorbsion Refrigerator with a Residential unit in a 1997 U270

Shop Whirlpool 9.6 cu ft Top-Freezer Refrigerator (White) at Lowes.com

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #57 –
That model is no longer available at Lowes >:(

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #58 –
Sadly this Haier refrigerator is showing discontinued at Lowes and AJ Madison - also not available at Amazon.com

Re: refrigerator woes

Reply #59 –
Quote from: wa_desert_rat –
I can't find that model number. Wonder if it's Canadian. Your labour rate sounds terrific... I have a special checking account just for those sorts of deals. :P

Craig
This website indicates its been replaced by a newer model: Whirlpool ET0MSRXTB 24" Freestanding Refrigerators Black
new model: Whirlpool WRT111SFAB 24" Freestanding Refrigerators Black
Good Luck, Dave A