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Old 03-10-2023, 04:19 PM   #1
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Norcold exchange

Our 5 yr old N8XRT 2-way fridge cooling unit died. Was working fine then woke up one morning and it wasn't.
No errors, no red lights, propane burner lights and burns, elec. element gets hot, thermister works as it should.
The final test was to unplug the elec. element from the control board and plug it directly into a 120v extension cord. No controls, just straight power. The burner/boiler stack gets hot but after 4 hrs. no cooling at all not even a little bit.

Hmmm... what to do.
  1. Install new cooling unit... $800+ if I do it myself. Not exactly a trivial task and the chances of it being damaged in shipment or me damaging it are about 50/50. Still have 5 yr old controls.
  2. Install new fridge of same type... $1800-2000 DIY. Still maybe 40/60 chance of damage in shipment or me.
  3. Replace with residential type... $400 DIY. Local pickup and maybe 10% chance I would mess it up.
Took option #3. Watched lots of YouTube University how-to's and took the plunge. We don't boondock and I think if we cool it down before hand ( it gets cold FAST) load it with cold stuff it should stay reasonably cold 4-5 hrs, as long as I want to drive anyway.

Bought a Haire 9.8 cf from Lowes that is a perfect size replacement. I could have also used the 10.0 cf Magic Chef from Home Depot.

We shall see. I have a plan to add an inverter and ATS if I feel we need it.

Week long trip coming up so I'll post back how it went.
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Old 03-10-2023, 07:51 PM   #2
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Looks good. However, I am not sure I would trust the food to stay cold long enough all of the time when traveling, especially in the summer time. I would suggest purchasing an inverter large enough to power the fridge while you are traveling. ~CA
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Old 03-10-2023, 08:14 PM   #3
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I agree. No way idea expect it to keep food cold for 4-5 hours in a warm trailer traveling. I don’t even wait that long to flip on the home generator when we loose power to keep our home fridge cool…
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Old 03-11-2023, 06:50 AM   #4
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Your plan is also my plan B. Make sure you get something to keep it closed while traveling. I have a link to a easily installed keeper if you have not addressed that.

Here is the link:https://www.recpro.com/rv-refrigerator-door-latch/

From this thread: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...-rv-89951.html
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Old 03-11-2023, 07:30 AM   #5
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Great choice on your plans. I replaced a cooling unit on a previous camper. It was labor intensive to say the least! For anyone thinking about doing one there is an Amish company - JC Refrigeration that I bought the unit from and they were outstanding. Unit was well packed and their support was great.

If I had to do it again, I would follow your choice here and get an inverter as Craig said...
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Old 03-11-2023, 07:32 AM   #6
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Be careful screwing in the latch. I saw a video by AZExpert on YouTube where he did a similar 2-way to residential replacement and it turns out that some of them run a hot compressed gas line across the bottom edge of the freezer to keep condensation at bay. You can probably guess what happened in his video.
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Old 03-12-2023, 11:34 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by norty1 View Post
Your plan is also my plan B.
Same here!
I appreciate the posting.
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Old 03-23-2023, 08:41 AM   #8
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Now the update.

Yes Dusty, I saw that video of AZExpert and his mistake. It was with this same fridge.
I installed this latch before we left. It was a perfect fit in the holes for the reverse side door hinge and looks and functions like it came from the factory. This is actually for the GE 12v fridge.
https://thervpartshouse.com/products...cf9fe6a9&_ss=r

A seven day trip, first time with the new fridge.

Usual MO is to start the fridge on gas the evening before and let it be cooling down. That option is gone so I tried a different cool down process. We have a couple of these packs we use for tailgate coolers. They are durable and stay frozen a long time, so the evening before takeoff I put one in the freezer and one in the fridge area. There is no power available so the fridge is off.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Tra...ntent=In-store

9am next morning it is 62 degrees outside and cloudy. Fridge is cool to the touch inside. Started the rig, started the generator, loaded the fridge, turned it on and pulled out.

A couple of hours later we stopped for a bathroom break and lunch. the temp in the freezer was 8 degrees and the fridge was 34 degrees. Total break/lunch time was 40 minutes, then I shut down the fridge and the generator and pulled out.

Two hours later, second stop at a Harvest Host winery for a recon visit. Resisted the thought to open the fridge just to check and continued with the visit. The rig sat for about 1.5 hrs in cloudy 60 degree weather with no power.

After the visit we continued on to our first campground stop, another couple hours. Check the fridge temp is 39 degrees and the freezer is 20. Still cloudy and now in the upper fifties.

The next day was a 5 hour trip to the destination with only a bathroom/lunch stop. I did not run the genny because fridge was already cold, but we did run it at lunch as the wife wanted to use the microwave. Lots of open and close of fridge but it was running as we took a break. The return trip was much the same, using the genny only at lunch stops in rest areas.

The fridge was without power the longest time for about 5.5 hours and did pretty well I think on this trip. Warmer weather will change that scenario probably.

The thing I think about the most is when we go to sell this rig. What would I think as a buyer. This is probably the biggest motivator for the inverter and transfer switch install as it might make a potential buyer more comfortable.

Bottom line is it functioned very well I think. There is a ton more room inside and the temperature is consistently better. The beer is colder and the wife is very happy with the function and looks, which was the whole goal anyway right?

Another note. One of the nights saw the temps drop into the middle 20s. I never worried for a second how the fridge might handle this like I did with the 2-way one.

Time will tell how well it performs going forward. Lots of trips planned for camping, baseball, and football.
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Old 03-23-2023, 06:05 PM   #9
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I did use the same refer in my 2018 Greyhawk,Fantastic refer never been Happier. When traveling we run the Generator that is what it is for..Only thing Bad about this refer and the other brands available in this size if you read the owners book it says Do Not use an Invertor to power this refer. Invertor generator is ok . We allways just run our Motorhome generator because when we travel we allways run the front roof A/C unit I do not like to be hot when driving and these dash A/C units are not really adequate in the Florida high temps we have. This is my #3 Motorhome and everyone of them started out with a Sorry Norcold refer and when they failed I swapped out to a Residential…..
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Old 03-23-2023, 06:26 PM   #10
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That might be a problem. I will check with some of my buddies who have fifth wheels and this fridge?
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Old 03-23-2023, 07:57 PM   #11
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Ranger,
This owners guide does not mention not using an inverter or generator.
Just specifies 115v AC 60hz 15 or 20 amp fused grounded supply.

Maybe the documentation has been updated.
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Old 03-24-2023, 09:19 AM   #12
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I checked mine and it is a Magic Chef brand, not brand he has my mistake…
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Old 03-24-2023, 11:35 AM   #13
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Game back on!
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Old 03-25-2023, 04:26 PM   #14
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I bought one that looks just like yours but is a 12v compressor model. The wiring for the old fridge worked great as is. It cools great and is actually more cu.ft. When I need to travel I just hook the trailer up to the truck and go as far as I need to go. It stays cold all the way.
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Old 03-25-2023, 04:33 PM   #15
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I did a (off brand @ Home Dept) 10cf fridge swap into my 1994 Eagle 305RK a few years ago. The 8cf Norcold never failed... until I left it parked near the beach. Absorber tank rusted out and instant leak.

Anyhow.
My lesson was to not use a fridge that depends on space along sides in a cabinet install setting. The condenser coils are just under the skin on the sides, where air doesn't circulate that well. Went through 2 fridges that died of compressor failure, refrigerant pressures just stayed too high.

What I did find was an apartment sized 12cf made by Frigidaire that IS designed to do so, and was counter deep. Found it at a used appliance store.

Easiest way to check, other than description, fridges designed to be built in have a vent on bottom, and a condenser / fan assembly on the back.

There are compressor cooling units, 12vdc or 120vac, offered by JCRefrigeration now. If I had to do it again, I would do the 12v route. 120vac is nice, but 12vdc skips the inverter. CU ties into factory controls too. Same clean look, still isolated from outside, still have same problems with not enough space.
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Old 03-27-2023, 02:49 PM   #16
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I replaced my cooling unit a few years ago. The folks at rv cooling warehouse were great. Not a big job. There's a good utube video to walk you thru the process. Fridge works great on AC or Lpg.
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