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Household refrigerator

Our 97 u270 has a Frigidaire refrigerator. I think it is a 10 cubic foot. It doesn't cool very well. Never gets below 40 degrees in the refrigerator section. It fits in the space where the rv refrigerator had been. There is no air space on the sides. When it gets hotter during the afternoon, the temperature gets around 50. Has anyone else had a problem like this? My wife wants me to replace it with a rv refrigerator. So far I haven't done that.
previous 1984 35 ft ORED 250 HP 3208 Cat       
previous 1998 40 ft U295 CAI 325 hp Cummins
previous 2003 40 Ft u320 build #6140 450 Cummins M11.                                                         
1999 Mazda Miata
Ron, Nancy, Tipper the cat, Max The dog
1997 U 270 36 ft build number 5174 8.3 Cummins

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #1 –
Are the coils on the back or underneath? My opinion is the refrigerator has a problem not the installation.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #2 –
I replaced the original Norcold with the Haier 10.1 residential in Jor's old rig. Just got back from Kentucky where it was around 100 several days. It worked great, kept my beer very cold and the ice cream very frozen. I just left the top,
outside access open. I made the fridge fit with about 1/2 inch air gap along sides.

Kim McCoy
1997 270 34'

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #3 –
I have a13 cubit foot residential Frigidaire and it's coils are in the sides and when I installed it
it was tight on one side but worked perfectly and then from somebodies post I realized that it
was too tight so pulled the fridge out far enough to pull out all the Styrofoam and cut a vent at
the top so the air could vent out. The vents for the old fridge are completely sealed and
insulated. 
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #4 –
Best Buy has the Insignia brand at about 10CF.  Mine is 5- 6 yrs old. had to build a base to raise it up about 10 in. .  Look for "Dorm fridge."  This one is bottom freezer . which works great for us .  look for " which fridge fits through the 24 in door? . 
 Mine is 23.77 in wide and fit by removing the inside hand rail . 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-11-5-cu-ft-bottom-mount-refrigerator-stainless-steel/6461499.p?skuId=6461499&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxuCnBhDLARIsAB-cq1q3G3E9pn1-BL358ncmlzpUX-b6B6_Zf8WdY8T1bijhBe3RBEDrTvIaAloDEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #5 –
We've got a 23 cuft Frigidaire from 2018 in our FT320. We've never had issues with it staying cool, nor do I ever hear the compressor kick on. Ice cream is rock-hard and food stays cold.

I imagine there is an issue with your fridge like craneman said. I have at most an inch of space on the sides. I can feel heat coming through the bottom of it while the compressor is working and there seems to be plenty of air space behind the unit.

An RV fridge will struggle on hot days moreso than a rezzy fridge will. We just went through a week of 100+ days with 120+ heat index and there was no change in the fridge temps. In our last RV, the propane fridge struggled with direct sun above 85F.
1999 U320 WTFE #5586
2014 Subaru Forester 6sp
4000 watts of solar
650 aH @ 24v

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #6 –
Zach
I would love to see pics of the 23 cu ft fridge install. I had thought the 17.5 Samsung and similar were the only ones that fit without getting rid of the the 3 side pantry side storage areas
Peter    Alberta Canada
'98 U320 40'  Build 5359 M11 450 HP, Aqua hot, Blu Ox

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #7 –
Not Zach but this is my 22 cu. ft. with the side drawers still intact.

Samsung residential refrigerator 21.8 instead of 17.5
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Peter –
Zach
I would love to see pics of the 23 cu ft fridge install. I had thought the 17.5 Samsung and similar were the only ones that fit without getting rid of the the 3 side pantry side storage areas

It may depend on the floor plan if it would fit. Not sure if they make a comparable model these days.
1999 U320 WTFE #5586
2014 Subaru Forester 6sp
4000 watts of solar
650 aH @ 24v

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #9 –
Here is a link to my installation. I have a 98 36' U270.

Magic Chef 10.1 Residential Fridge Install

Not everyone, including professionals, study the manuals closely and if it fits they install with little thought of cooling. If you pull it try running it in the floor of the coach, put your hand on the sides and feel for the heat from the coils which tend to be in one side wall or another. If it cools properly then there is probably a double layer of rigid foam insulation in the original fridge cavity. Remove a layer from each side and then make sure it has some airflow at top and bottom of the fridge when re-installed. There is a fair amount of space in the fridge cavity side to side that Foretravel filled with foam. I also installed a computer muffin fan on the floor of the fridge area to help pull air from underneath to top of fridge. My original vents are blocked off because the installation manual did not recommend use in unconditioned space.
1998 36 foot U270 Build No. 5328 WTFE, 900 watts solar, Victron controller, B2B, bat monitor, 600 AMPH lithium with 2018 Chevy Colorado toad, SKP #110239, Motorcade #17781, 2021 Escape 17B for when Coach is broken down and campsites are too small, retired and full-timer since Dec. 2020. Part of RV family since 1963.

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #10 –
Thanks to all the suggestions. I will give it a shot. I figured maybe the coil was in a side because I didn't see any underneath.
previous 1984 35 ft ORED 250 HP 3208 Cat       
previous 1998 40 ft U295 CAI 325 hp Cummins
previous 2003 40 Ft u320 build #6140 450 Cummins M11.                                                         
1999 Mazda Miata
Ron, Nancy, Tipper the cat, Max The dog
1997 U 270 36 ft build number 5174 8.3 Cummins

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #11 –
Hi Zach
My floor plan is exactly the same. I am going to look it up and check to see what an install would intail
Peter    Alberta Canada
'98 U320 40'  Build 5359 M11 450 HP, Aqua hot, Blu Ox

Re: Household refrigerator

Reply #12 –
I just installed a Haier 15cuft bottom freezer unit...so far so good.
Hans & Marjet
1995 U300 "Ben" (#4719)
3176B Cat,4060HD,Jake
SKP#139131
Motorcade#17579
2006 Honda Element (towed)