Just did this myself about a month ago. That is, removing the original rv fridge and replacing it with a Samsung RF18. We - my wife and I - were able to do it ourselves by removing the window over the dinette. Much easier than removing the windshield. What made it possible for a 61 year old and his 57 year old wife to do this alone? We rented a Material Lift from Home Depot for about 4 hours. Cost was about $50. Just an FYI in case you find yourself without any helpers to conscript!😜
Just a plug for Tough Top Awnings. Because of your channel, I replaced two sun rotted slide toppers and used Tough Top Awnings. Tyler was awesome! He did what he said he was going to do, when he said he would do it. The price was fair, the product quality high and he even took a tech support call because made a small boo boo and let my spring unwind. Rated: 10 out of 10 I would use him again in a heart beat. Not too surprised to see him helping you out.
Hi Bob! I realize that my earlier answer didn’t make clear our thinking on this one. Since we weren’t 100% sure that the new refrigerator would fit through the door, there was still the possibility that the windshield would have to be removed to bring it in. If that turned out to be the case, we wouldn’t have had to cut the old refrigerator and half to get it out. So the big test was bringing the new one in first, before we determine how the old one would come out.
I’m in the middle of replacing my RV fridge and kinda wish I’d taken the old one out first. I don’t have slides, so it’s a bit more challenging to move fridges past each other. I’m going to have to lift the fridge over the dinette because it’s just a bit too wide to fit. Still, *much* easier than your replacement.
Thanks for this video. Before I watched it, and after intense fridge dismantling and prying and poking and grinding, I was thinking " surely I don't have to cut my fridge in half to remove it from my RV...." Think again. I will indeed take my reciprocating saw and follow your example. I now have the example and the moral support I need to butcher my old fridge and get the thing out of my RV. Thanks.
Great video! But, I am surprised you went with another Samsung! They have a terrible reputation amongst the RV community where they are fitted as standard residential options in high volume brands like Montana. FWIW, Whirlpool and GE seem to have much better RV reputations. We have had issues with the large Samsung in one of our 5th wheels. Never had issues with the old Whirlpool residential in our diesel pusher, which seems to tie in with the feedback from the RV communities. Anyway, good job guys!
Thanks, Barry! For us it came down to size and availability. We might have considered switching brands if we could have found a unit that would fit... that we could get in time for the project. Etc.
Refrigerators are nightmare in a sticks and bricks 🧱 home. We bought a Whirlpool almost identical to the one you have. Two years in our beach house and the “stainless steel” door is rusting. It makes me crazy. Pride in manufacturing is just not there. I love Tom Morton. He is all things electrical. Amazing video. I love your wheelie platform. Tyler with a reciprocating saw - love it! You all should send this video to Ryobi.
A customer of mine had a dead fridge in his Tiffian and I/we took out the old one thru the drivers window. 1st, had to remove driver's seat and the window completely. Then,using the cardboard packing to protect the window opening, we slide it out the window and reversed the process with the new one. Naturally, doors and all other loose components were remove 1st. Worked out quite well as all it was were screws and new window sealant. BTW this was the Norcold 2012 out and the newer 2018 in. Side note. Wooden door panels are no longer available as the company that made them for Norcold closed for good. However the old panels do fit the new Norcold doors, much to the relief of the Owners wife.
This brings us a good point about modern day residential refrigerators.....they don't make them like they use to. My dad owned a refrigeration company back in the day. We still use our Gibson refrigerator that he gave us as a wedding present back in 1985! Today's refrigerators last about 7 years. Too bad about putting them in RVs!
@@RVgeeks The market is flooded with Samsung refrigerators. They should stick to televisions! I was totally shocked you had to go with them again. It boggles my mind why they could not fix a control issue with the old one! Good luck this time!
It seems appliances just aren't made to last like older ones. Thank you video for showing there is more then one way to deal with a situation. Blessings to you/.
It was soooo gratifying at the end! But so very sorry you had to deal with this issue for so many years! Hope your new fridge has been behaving and happily a part of the family now.
This was literally the coolest video I've seen in a long while. Thank goodness you won't have to worry about power issues anymore. So grab a beer and chill out!
Over the years I have had 4 rvs and have always thought that it was crazy that decent sized doors are not insisted on by consumers. When loading my toyhauler, I am always knocking my knuckles etc. At least on my unit, it would not be difficult to have a wider door.
Another great video. Thanks for contributing to improving my RV ignorance. We just removed our RF18 Samsung house fridge out the front door. We did the circuit boards and before spending more good money, and after reading all the Samsung problems, we elected replacement. It was a challenge to remove the Fridge for my daughter and I. We removed the Fridge doors, of course, and we removed the screen door on the coach. It would've been a lot easier and provided more room had we removed the main door; however, that looked like a can of worms. Also, we took out the front passenger seat to give a little more maneuvering room (not sure that helped, but it was thought that it would). With the old one out, though, we're looking to replace it with something, perhaps smaller, that can fit through the main door opening (without removing the door). Question is, how to remove the front door if we need a few more inches? I could not find a DYI on how to do that. Thanks again, guys!
Thanks for sharing your experience!. We’re pretty sure that most refrigerators can have their doors removed fairly easily, since it’s a safety issue when they’re discarded to make sure that kids can’t get trapped inside. Check the owners manuals for models you’re considering, which are usually available online, and they should have fairly straightforward instructions on how to remove the door. One other reason they’re usually fairly easy to remove on single-door models is the ability to swap the door to the opposite side.
I had a similar fridge... I was able to get the freezer working properly through replacement of the circuit board. Since this didn't work for you, I believe the replacement you got was faulty. That happens in these components far more often than you might imagine.
You guys rock!!!! I've been watching your videos for years and you've been the main inspiration for me buying my bounder and wanting to start full timing. I'll be hitting the road right after I graduate college next may. Rock on guys!!
Thanks so much, Benjamin! It’s always nice to hear we’ve been helpful. Thanks for taking the time to let us know. Wishing you an awesome start to your adventure.
We have similar Rv's, I opted to rebuild my existing Norcold with the 12v compressor driven guts from JC Refrigeration. It's been 3 years now and other than some wiring issues (needed to run 8ga wire from fuse to compressor to handle initial compressor draw) all has been wonderful.
Thanks for making this! I have to replace a refrigerator in my basement that no longer fits out of my new sliding glass door opening. Lost an inch with the new one. I feel more comfortable using the sawzall to cut off a few inches to get it out.
We were so desperate to not send our own refrigerator replacement back and forth through the window, we ordered a new fan, circuit board, and temperature sensor and pulled that giant fridge out. Found burned circuit board relay. Replaced the other parts while at it. Did the trick. 12 years old and still going strong. Fingers crossed.
We just went through a cooling issue with our RV Fridge and bought a DC power condenser unit and changed the back out. It wasn't hard, ran about $1000. and we did it ourselves. It's never ran so cold before!
Great video! But I think it is sad how almost everything produced today is total junk. I remember my parents refrigerator lasting 15-20 years. Good thing you keep your rig in top shape, it is twice the build quality of anything shiny and new.
You guys are amazing! We all need a friends like Tom Morton and Tyler as well! Great job piecing this whole saga together. Must have been fun lugging around the wood dolly thing for 6 months.
For those with failed absorption refrigerators there is an alternative to installing a residential unit along with the cabinet rework. JC Refrigeration in Indiana is now making replacment cooling units that use a either a 12 volt DC or 120 volt AC marine compressor. Your choice. Of course it requires replacing the old cooling unit with the new one in the original refrigerator box. From reviews I have seen it appears to work as good as a residential fridge but without of the hassle of taking doors or windows off the RV and doing a bunch of cabinet work. And the cost of the compressor powered cooling unit is quite reasonable. Just an alternative that might work for some. JC Refrigeration will install it at their facitlity or a fairly handy DIYer can do the job. Two years ago we replaced the cooling unit on our ten year old four door Norcold with a replacement absorption cooling unit from JC. Had the compressor unit been available at the time we would have gone that route with a 12 volt unit. However the replacment absorption unit we installed is working great and has a six year warrantee.
Hi Casey... thanks for sharing that! We are, indeed, familiar with the JC Refrigerator retrofit. It wasn't available as an option for us back when our RV fridge failed. But Tom & Cait Morton did that to their refrigerator about a year ago ( ua-cam.com/video/Yte1V3CkDrw/v-deo.html ) and have been running their fridge off 12V since (their 6-month update is here: ua-cam.com/video/FeKtqqleMdM/v-deo.html ). 12V compressor fridges are now also available from places like Dometic & Furrion, so it's clearly something to be on the lookout for.
My 18 year old Norcold failed and I was going to saw it in half too as dealer wanted 3500 to replace it through the window. What a bunch of crap. After I removed the door assembly I had 27 inches and the 4 door unit slid right out. I decided to install a 14 cu ft electric as motor home days are about over. There is a company in Indiana the manufactures new cooling units in both gas/electric or 12 dc compressor. A 1 day job to re[place unit.
Hi guys-that bracket, is it a custom job or is that a Samsung part? Also, what’s your Amp hour (or watt hour, your pick!) consumption on this new unit? Loved the video!
Thanks Dave! Great question, which we’d never thought of before. Because we had the work done at a high-end custom shop, Oregon Motorcoach in Eugene (our original RV fridge died on our way north out of California on I five, so we lucked out on that one), we always assumed that they fabricated the bracket. We still think that’s the case, but we’re not 100% certain. Your timing and asking about the power consumption on the new fridge is ideal, as just this past week plugged it into our Kill-a-Watt for 4 days. It used exactly 6.51 kilowatt hours in exactly 95 hours, 50 minutes, so you should be able to calculate it from there. We haven’t actually done the calculations ourselves yet! LOL
Hard to believe that the fridge service techs could not solve the problem. My Norcold fridge in my 2003 5th wheel is still working well after replacing the main control board in 2018. I did two modifications to make it cool more efficiently: installed a pair of small computer fans to circulate the air inside the main compartment, plus another larger fan to push warm air up the exhaust. Freezer stays at zero even on 95 F degree days in the summer.
Wow, sad it could not be fixed properly!. I have the same one. Luckily my Bounder (gas) has a large enough door to replace it. Mine was replaced under warranty in the first year because of defective materials on the interior.
Sorry you had so much trouble with that fridge, I know that's a popular brand RVers are going with. I am surprised that you went back with it again though. I too replaced the original fridge a few years ago when mine died, went with a GE model after some research and size restrictions. They pulled the window over the dinette table and stuck it in through that. I am not happy with the way mine is attached at the floor seems very inadequate, Is yours attached at the top at all? What did you do for the doors to prevent them from coming open? Love the Channel. Keep them coming and stay safe out there.
Hi Eric! We went with another Samsung because we needed one in a hurry, and it's all that was available. Nothing holds the fridge at the top, but the bottom is VERY securely anchored at both the front and rear. No problems with movement. We use a velcro strap between the door handles to keep the fridge closed, and a flat nylon strap across the front of the freezer, which we clip to two little eyelets we installed in the surrounding cabinet on both sides. Safe travels, Eric!
I rv fridge that I took out of my rv, I found that by removing everything at the back of the unit and the doors as well, it went out the door with a 1/4 inch to spare.
Was that Sammy running on pure or modified sine most of its life? I personally installed that same unit in my '04 Country Coach. Rumor has it they don't like modified. I know that you guys upgraded your inverter some time ago though correct? Funny, I made the same floor shelf to sit it on as who ever did yours years ago. The CC door is square and wide, so it mine fit pretty easy without the doors on the fridge. Residential fridges are designed to remain static, makes you wonder if road life is tougher on them.
Hi Don! We've been pure sine since day one, as yes indeed they don't like modified so much. And bouncing down the road surely doesn't help. Being locked up (probably too tightly) in a sealed compartment isn't likely too good either.
@@RVgeeks And sadly, these days 8 years is more than what is expected out of an appliance. None of them are made to last like they used to back in the day. The claim by the manufacturers are they improve efficiency so much in the time it takes to fail that you're better off turning it into landfill and spending another 3K on a new one. It's insanity!! And as you found out, it's next to impossible to fix them, so you end up having to pitch them and buying a new one. It seems to be the appliance game now.
@@2AZSUN I cannot see how all this so-called "efficiency" conserves any resources or reduces pollution. Consider the amount of resources and energy used, and pollution created by the manufacture of replacements as well as the disposal of unserviceable units, on a frequent basis compared to a generation or two ago. It just doesn't make any sense, except for the appliance manufacturers to sell more units. It's bad for the consumer because while appliances are cheaply built, they are not cheap to buy! They are also overly complicated, making them costly, difficult and even impossible to repair. There was nothing wrong with analog or mechanical controls. They did the job plus they were easy and cheap to fix. Nowadays, its all about the money and to hell with the consumer!
maverickdallas100 exactly!! It’s all one big pile, but it works great for the manufacture to keep making junk that has be replaced every 6-8 yrs. And yes, def made very cheap, but not at all cheap to purchase. Which is the most annoying part of it all. If it was cheap at every level, ok. Still sucks, but if I’m not paying a small fortune for junk, it’s less annoying and you get what you pay for.
@@2AZSUN I have in recent years, found it more practical to go with a basic model and get what I paid for. I have often bought fancier, name-brand products only to end up sorely disappointed, and not getting what I paid for! Just "fluff", NOT substance!!!
I want to cut the crappy original truck camper refrigerator in half and get rid of it and just put a 12v compressor portable refrigerator in its spot...
Great job!! How’s the new refrigerator?? I know someday we will have to do the same thing, but hopefully not for a few years. Thanks for sharing!! Safe travels 😊💞🇺🇸
Last thought on my mind - cut refrigerator in half. With all the little specks flying around while cutting, a face mask would be helpful? Interesting the concept of the unit is "dead." Did the technicians diagnose the problem? If so, was it too expensive to repair? There's the old chestnut of replacing a house refrigerator from the 70's - nothing wrong with it but the owner wants "new" so it is moved to the basement as a spare . . . where it continues to run effortlessly while the new unit has problems. 😎
A big headache but you guys made it fun after all. Question: If you were to change rigs would you go with another class A or change to something else? Thanks..JC
Hey guys. It's crazy how you have to remove the windscreen in order to remove the old refrigerator and install the new refrigerator. I hope this new fridge is better than the old ones.
wow, i'am impress ! Since Samsung them self were not able to fix what they've created... what made you go with the same brand , again ? Thanks for the video !
I have the same refrigerator that you removed was there any kind of outside drain I seem to be having some kind of leak that ends up on my concrete floor on the right side of my steps I turned off the power to the refrigerator today is it possible that it needs a rest it seems to have some ice forming in the bottom of the refrigerator in the back ty in advance 😀 I really enjoy your videos very fun and helpful
Hi Timothy. No... there's not an outside drain on it, but it does collect condensate from the defrost cycle in a bin built into the refrigerator... which, if you were very off level, could allow the water to overflow. We have heard of an issue (and have had it with both Samsung fridges we've had) where the condensate drain in the back of the refrigerator compartment freezes and won't drain, allowing water to overflow out into the space below the drawers at the bottom. We found that out once when we came off the jacks on a pretty off-level site... and water came pouring out of the lower right corner of the fridge and out onto the kitchen floor! So maybe THAT'S the source (though it would have to be a lot of water to end up leaking onto the concrete floor OUTSIDE the RV. If you see water outside the RV again, check underneath the drawers in your Samsung fridge and see if there's water pooled up there. If so, you likely have the same issue we've had. Simple fix... you have to remove the cover from the back of the inside of the fridge compartment and attach a piece of copper wire (we used the ground wire from a section of Romex we had lying around) to the defrost coil... and insert the copper wire down through the drain hole. When the defrost happens, the copper conducts the heat further down the drain, keeping it from freezing. Here's an article talking about how to fix it: www.davesrepair.com/DIYhelp/DIYrefrigdrainfix.htm Samsung even has a part to repair it: amzn.to/3nDGyvl Hope this helps!
As ours was a residential fridge, not an RV fridge, it didn’t contain ammonia, but rather refrigerant. Because it’s an environmental hazard, we had the system purged by a professional prior to cutting it in half. If you have an RV fridge with ammonia in it, we would be extremely careful, as that is flammable.
Do you think there's a way to maybe cut a line and have it pour out into a pan or something and then dispose of it?? I'm not really in a position to try to hire a professional
Interesting story from a couple...but why in the world were you not busily removing the TV above the door and the co-pilot's chair, before wondering if it would fit at about 7:00??
gcflower99 We had enough confidence that we could avoid removing the TV to give it a go, and if it did turn out to be in the way, it would be easy enough to back the fridge out, remove the TV, and try again. Worked out great!
You can still purchase them within the 39 days of purchase, you should . ESP Best Buy contract , the have a lemon plan that will give you full credit back for not being able to repair it , towards a replacement of your choice
@@RVgeeks I checked, if you call Samsung and inquire about extended plans, they will sell you a service contract . Hope that helps so you don't have to do a 4th replacement
BIG mistake going with another Samsung RF18! You guys are about 9 mo behind me. I had massive defrost problems with my Sammy over 5 yrs of use. Late last year replaced it with a GE GWE19JSLSS 18.6 Cu Ft countertop depth model. It was $500 more on sale but worth every penny! Not only is it far more energy efficient but the massive milk jug sized door bins are fantastic. Find my full writeup here: www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35424. Sorry, you need to be a member to see this post, but it’s worth getting a username/PW from the moderator to do so. I too used my Sawzall to remove the old Samsung & that gave me great pleasure slicing it up! 😄
Can't believe, after all that grief, that you replaced it with another Samsung! Although they do look great and have some nice bells and whistles, they are getting a bad reputation for expensive and sometimes catastrophic failures. Nevertheless, I have been measuring and contemplating how to replace the 35 year-old absorption unit in my classic Hawkins. Windshields cost about $1500 per side, and it would cost me @ $300 to have a pro come and do the r&r. And, that's with NO guarantee that the windshield could be removed without damaging it. In addition, they would insist that I replace the rubber windshield gasket, if they are to guarantee no leaks. That is also a spendy item. While it appears to be really gratifying to sawzall enough off the existing unit to get it out, there appears to be sufficient room to get the old unit out the side door. If not, there is a large co-pilot's window up front that will do. Failing that, it's very comforting to know that your Sawzall technique is a viable alternative. Thanks for a helpful and fun video!
It almost seems like RV manufacturers start with the appliances and build the RV around them! They must think those appliances are going to last the life of the RV!
We are looking into replacing our RV fridge in our 07 Kountry Star. The Samsung RF18 seems to be the best fit to replace the stock Norcold RV fridge but have you experienced any of the drain freezing issues that are common with Samsung refrigerators on the old fridge or the new one?
They’ve been coming on strong with a lot of new products, so while we don’t know much about them, we’d suggest that they are worthy of research prior to making any decision. But you may also want to consider Dometic... they just released a new model fridge, also a 12V compressor unit, that’s 10 cu ft. We’re hoping they keep coming out with bigger models, so we could eventually replace our 120V fridge with one! 😉
For what its worth the Winnebago view switched to a compressor fridge about a year ago and it is a norcold from what I have gathered from Lichtsinn.com a Winnebago dealer. They are the biggest dealer for Winnebago as they are only one mile from the Winnebago factory. I guess if you wanted to take a shot in the dark you could phone them and ask if they have had any problems with them. If there was anyone in the know about this product, it would be them just from the sheer volume they sell. They come across as very approachable on their videos. That is the only way I know about them. 12v compressor fridges are sold at places they sell marine products as they are found on sailboats etc. When I researched them about a year ago I remember they are not any cheaper, don't defrost (similar to an rv fridge) and there was a manufacturer in Canada close to me, Novacool. I have no idea whether any of these are good or bad products. I Have no association with any of these companies or products.
I want to change out our absorption fridge to a residential one. What model did you get to go through the door. How did you take the door off. What size bit did you use on the door hinges
Hi Michael! It's a Samsung model RF18HFENBSR. It's virtually identical to the one we removed, except not as deep. We had to remove the door to both the fridge and the RV. The fridge door is easy to take off by removing the bolts that come into the top hinge from above. The RV door required removing a LOT of screws! Sorry we're unable to see the bolts on top of the fridge now that it's installed, but we're sure the owner's manual that comes with the fridge includes the simple instructions for that. It's pretty easy.
Great thanks for the help info. What size bit did you use on the RV front door. I have most of the torx bits but non seem to fit just right. Thanks again for the response.
@@michaelhartford9546 The font door hinges on our Mountain Aire are actually Robertson (the square ones) and there are tons of them. So we used our cordless drill to speed up the job.
SUSPICION is that (similar to the LP/ RV Refrig) what you MISSED on the old refrig was a bad CIRCUIT BOARD in the EYEBROW UP TOP, (where the temperature was displayed?) I DID NOT SEE THAT you replaced that one? MY Guess is that when there are ONLY 3-items in a control/ function, and you replace two and it did not fix it, the PROBLEM was in the 3rd. (Don't ask me how I know) :-) :-( I have similar issues w/ my current SBS Refrig, but wife tells me NOT to fix it, so... but I have NO eyebrow. When it quit w/ icing the first time, found there were SIX circuit board REVISIONS between my old and the replacement... maybe more by now?
Just did this myself about a month ago. That is, removing the original rv fridge and replacing it with a Samsung RF18.
We - my wife and I - were able to do it ourselves by removing the window over the dinette. Much easier than removing the windshield.
What made it possible for a 61 year old and his 57 year old wife to do this alone? We rented a Material Lift from Home Depot for about 4 hours. Cost was about $50.
Just an FYI in case you find yourself without any helpers to conscript!😜
Great tip!
Nice! Wish ours had been able to fit out our window, too!
Just a plug for Tough Top Awnings. Because of your channel, I replaced two sun rotted slide toppers and used Tough Top Awnings. Tyler was awesome! He did what he said he was going to do, when he said he would do it. The price was fair, the product quality high and he even took a tech support call because made a small boo boo and let my spring unwind. Rated: 10 out of 10 I would use him again in a heart beat. Not too surprised to see him helping you out.
Great to hear! Thanks for letting us know. Tyler is the best!
Surprised you didn’t take the old fridge outside before bringing new one in, but it worked out well. Thanks for sharing. Travel,safe.
Hi Bob! I realize that my earlier answer didn’t make clear our thinking on this one. Since we weren’t 100% sure that the new refrigerator would fit through the door, there was still the possibility that the windshield would have to be removed to bring it in. If that turned out to be the case, we wouldn’t have had to cut the old refrigerator and half to get it out. So the big test was bringing the new one in first, before we determine how the old one would come out.
@@RVgeeks I figured you just wanted to feel "fancy" with two full sized fridges for a bit. LOL
😂
I’m in the middle of replacing my RV fridge and kinda wish I’d taken the old one out first. I don’t have slides, so it’s a bit more challenging to move fridges past each other. I’m going to have to lift the fridge over the dinette because it’s just a bit too wide to fit.
Still, *much* easier than your replacement.
Thanks for this video. Before I watched it, and after intense fridge dismantling and prying and poking and grinding, I was thinking " surely I don't have to cut my fridge in half to remove it from my RV...."
Think again.
I will indeed take my reciprocating saw and follow your example. I now have the example and the moral support I need to butcher my old fridge and get the thing out of my RV. Thanks.
Have fun! Just be sure to protect everything the way we did with a tarp. Having the refrigerant drained first is important too.
God Bless the creator of the reciprocating saw!
Ain't that the truth!
Great video! But, I am surprised you went with another Samsung! They have a terrible reputation amongst the RV community where they are fitted as standard residential options in high volume brands like Montana. FWIW, Whirlpool and GE seem to have much better RV reputations. We have had issues with the large Samsung in one of our 5th wheels. Never had issues with the old Whirlpool residential in our diesel pusher, which seems to tie in with the feedback from the RV communities. Anyway, good job guys!
Thanks, Barry! For us it came down to size and availability. We might have considered switching brands if we could have found a unit that would fit... that we could get in time for the project. Etc.
totally freaking awesome video!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Cody!
Refrigerators are nightmare in a sticks and bricks 🧱 home. We bought a Whirlpool almost identical to the one you have. Two years in our beach house and the “stainless steel” door is rusting. It makes me crazy. Pride in manufacturing is just not there.
I love Tom Morton. He is all things electrical.
Amazing video. I love your wheelie platform.
Tyler with a reciprocating saw - love it! You all should send this video to Ryobi.
Thanks Catherine! Tyler is the greatest!
A customer of mine had a dead fridge in his Tiffian and I/we took out the old one thru the drivers window. 1st, had to remove driver's seat and the window completely. Then,using the cardboard packing to protect the window opening, we slide it out the window and reversed the process with the new one. Naturally, doors and all other loose components were remove 1st. Worked out quite well as all it was were screws and new window sealant. BTW this was the Norcold 2012 out and the newer 2018 in. Side note. Wooden door panels are no longer available as the company that made them for Norcold closed for good. However the old panels do fit the new Norcold doors, much to the relief of the Owners wife.
That's how it's done in the factory
This brings us a good point about modern day residential refrigerators.....they don't make them like they use to. My dad owned a refrigeration company back in the day. We still use our Gibson refrigerator that he gave us as a wedding present back in 1985! Today's refrigerators last about 7 years. Too bad about putting them in RVs!
They sure don't make things like they used to!
@Hello Jay how are you doing?
@@lydiaanderson582 who are you?
we just diy installed a 22cf “counter depth” residential fridge through our driver side window. What an adventure!
Thanks for the huge laugh I got and showing how to think out of (saw in half) the box!
Oh man, I hope the fridge in our RV never fails! But if it does...we now have some options to try! Thanks for the entertaining and informative video.
I'm surprised that you bought another Samsung given the old one died with no explanation.
Another great and informative video! Thanks!
Thanks Trevor! It was the only thing that was available on short notice that would fit, so we figured we’d give them a second chance!
@@RVgeeks The market is flooded with Samsung refrigerators. They should stick to televisions! I was totally shocked you had to go with them again. It boggles my mind why they could not fix a control issue with the old one! Good luck this time!
That was great. Man, that would be totally satisfying cutting that puppy up! Thanks for the time and energy put into making this happen.
Thanks Jim! It was fun for sure! 😄
It seems appliances just aren't made to last like older ones. Thank you video for showing there is more then one way to deal with a situation. Blessings to you/.
Another great video. Keep it up you guys! I always love your DIY get it done attitude. Using your DIY skills before having to call in the pro’s
It was soooo gratifying at the end! But so very sorry you had to deal with this issue for so many years! Hope your new fridge has been behaving and happily a part of the family now.
Wow... I'm truly impressed. What ingenuity you guys have. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much 😀
This was literally the coolest video I've seen in a long while. Thank goodness you won't have to worry about power issues anymore. So grab a beer and chill out!
Glad you liked it, Jim!
Pun intended?
Over the years I have had 4 rvs and have always thought that it was crazy that decent sized doors are not insisted on by consumers. When loading my toyhauler, I am always knocking my knuckles etc. At least on my unit, it would not be difficult to have a wider door.
Michael Caine in 'The Italian Job'
"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" !!!!
We went right for it, didn't we, Dan?! LOL
Nice job guys ! They say what ever it takes to get the job done.
You did it. 👍 enjoy the new frig.
I loved the vlog style diy video. Great work!
Yay! Thank you!
Another great video. Thanks for contributing to improving my RV ignorance. We just removed our RF18 Samsung house fridge out the front door. We did the circuit boards and before spending more good money, and after reading all the Samsung problems, we elected replacement. It was a challenge to remove the Fridge for my daughter and I. We removed the Fridge doors, of course, and we removed the screen door on the coach. It would've been a lot easier and provided more room had we removed the main door; however, that looked like a can of worms. Also, we took out the front passenger seat to give a little more maneuvering room (not sure that helped, but it was thought that it would). With the old one out, though, we're looking to replace it with something, perhaps smaller, that can fit through the main door opening (without removing the door). Question is, how to remove the front door if we need a few more inches? I could not find a DYI on how to do that. Thanks again, guys!
Thanks for sharing your experience!. We’re pretty sure that most refrigerators can have their doors removed fairly easily, since it’s a safety issue when they’re discarded to make sure that kids can’t get trapped inside. Check the owners manuals for models you’re considering, which are usually available online, and they should have fairly straightforward instructions on how to remove the door. One other reason they’re usually fairly easy to remove on single-door models is the ability to swap the door to the opposite side.
I had a similar fridge... I was able to get the freezer working properly through replacement of the circuit board. Since this didn't work for you, I believe the replacement you got was faulty. That happens in these components far more often than you might imagine.
You guys rock!!!! I've been watching your videos for years and you've been the main inspiration for me buying my bounder and wanting to start full timing. I'll be hitting the road right after I graduate college next may. Rock on guys!!
Thanks so much, Benjamin! It’s always nice to hear we’ve been helpful. Thanks for taking the time to let us know. Wishing you an awesome start to your adventure.
Love you guys. You're my kind of people. Have fun.
Thanks Janis! Right back atcha!
We have similar Rv's, I opted to rebuild my existing Norcold with the 12v compressor driven guts from JC Refrigeration. It's been 3 years now and other than some wiring issues (needed to run 8ga wire from fuse to compressor to handle initial compressor draw) all has been wonderful.
That's fantastic!
Thanks for making this! I have to replace a refrigerator in my basement that no longer fits out of my new sliding glass door opening. Lost an inch with the new one. I feel more comfortable using the sawzall to cut off a few inches to get it out.
We were so desperate to not send our own refrigerator replacement back and forth through the window, we ordered a new fan, circuit board, and temperature sensor and pulled that giant fridge out. Found burned circuit board relay. Replaced the other parts while at it. Did the trick. 12 years old and still going strong. Fingers crossed.
We just went through a cooling issue with our RV Fridge and bought a DC power condenser unit and changed the back out. It wasn't hard, ran about $1000. and we did it ourselves. It's never ran so cold before!
Great! That's an awesome option... sounds similar to what Mortons on the Move did with theirs: ua-cam.com/video/FeKtqqleMdM/v-deo.html
Lol. Love the vid. And love the comment we play trained professionals. I am stealing that one.
Oh Great!! Another item added to my bucket list....
Thanks for the Video. I will be starting this process soon.
LOVE THE PLATFORM YOU MADE.. you guys are amazing
❤️
Good job guys
Great video! But I think it is sad how almost everything produced today is total junk. I remember my parents refrigerator lasting 15-20 years. Good thing you keep your rig in top shape, it is twice the build quality of anything shiny and new.
Wow!!!! What a project.
You guys are amazing! We all need a friends like Tom Morton and Tyler as well! Great job piecing this whole saga together. Must have been fun lugging around the wood dolly thing for 6 months.
So glad to be rid of that thing! 😂
For those with failed absorption refrigerators there is an alternative to installing a residential unit along with the cabinet rework. JC Refrigeration in Indiana is now making replacment cooling units that use a either a 12 volt DC or 120 volt AC marine compressor. Your choice. Of course it requires replacing the old cooling unit with the new one in the original refrigerator box. From reviews I have seen it appears to work as good as a residential fridge but without of the hassle of taking doors or windows off the RV and doing a bunch of cabinet work. And the cost of the compressor powered cooling unit is quite reasonable. Just an alternative that might work for some. JC Refrigeration will install it at their facitlity or a fairly handy DIYer can do the job. Two years ago we replaced the cooling unit on our ten year old four door Norcold with a replacement absorption cooling unit from JC. Had the compressor unit been available at the time we would have gone that route with a 12 volt unit. However the replacment absorption unit we installed is working great and has a six year warrantee.
Hi Casey... thanks for sharing that! We are, indeed, familiar with the JC Refrigerator retrofit. It wasn't available as an option for us back when our RV fridge failed. But Tom & Cait Morton did that to their refrigerator about a year ago ( ua-cam.com/video/Yte1V3CkDrw/v-deo.html ) and have been running their fridge off 12V since (their 6-month update is here: ua-cam.com/video/FeKtqqleMdM/v-deo.html ). 12V compressor fridges are now also available from places like Dometic & Furrion, so it's clearly something to be on the lookout for.
I was literally wondering how they got big appliances into RVs the other day.
awesome video great ideas 🇨🇦🛠️🇨🇦🛠️
My 18 year old Norcold failed and I was going to saw it in half too as dealer wanted 3500 to replace it through the window. What a bunch of crap. After I removed the door assembly I had 27 inches and the 4 door unit slid right out. I decided to install a 14 cu ft electric as motor home days are about over. There is a company in Indiana the manufactures new cooling units in both gas/electric or 12 dc compressor. A 1 day job to re[place unit.
You guys are amazing and a great team!!! Hope to meet you on the road some day!
Thanks so much, Marsha!
Hi guys-that bracket, is it a custom job or is that a Samsung part? Also, what’s your Amp hour (or watt hour, your pick!) consumption on this new unit? Loved the video!
Thanks Dave! Great question, which we’d never thought of before. Because we had the work done at a high-end custom shop, Oregon Motorcoach in Eugene (our original RV fridge died on our way north out of California on I five, so we lucked out on that one), we always assumed that they fabricated the bracket. We still think that’s the case, but we’re not 100% certain. Your timing and asking about the power consumption on the new fridge is ideal, as just this past week plugged it into our Kill-a-Watt for 4 days. It used exactly 6.51 kilowatt hours in exactly 95 hours, 50 minutes, so you should be able to calculate it from there. We haven’t actually done the calculations ourselves yet! LOL
Great video, I love your philosophy. We are downsizing right now and my RV channel is growing also
I love your videos. Wow what a huge job. Good luck with the new fridge
Thanks Jay!
Hard to believe that the fridge service techs could not solve the problem. My Norcold fridge in my 2003 5th wheel is still working well after replacing the main control board in 2018. I did two modifications to make it cool more efficiently: installed a pair of small computer fans to circulate the air inside the main compartment, plus another larger fan to push warm air up the exhaust. Freezer stays at zero even on 95 F degree days in the summer.
We were surprised, too. 😕
Wow, sad it could not be fixed properly!. I have the same one. Luckily my Bounder (gas) has a large enough door to replace it. Mine was replaced under warranty in the first year because of defective materials on the interior.
We have a Samsung in our Wanderlodge. Came with it. Now I’m thinking how it went it and how it will come out. Ruler time. Good job.
Thank You... always wondered what if and how to...Thanks
I've been there. The door frames usually aren't big enough. Its neccessary
Sorry you had so much trouble with that fridge, I know that's a popular brand RVers are going with. I am surprised that you went back with it again though. I too replaced the original fridge a few years ago when mine died, went with a GE model after some research and size restrictions. They pulled the window over the dinette table and stuck it in through that. I am not happy with the way mine is attached at the floor seems very inadequate, Is yours attached at the top at all? What did you do for the doors to prevent them from coming open? Love the Channel. Keep them coming and stay safe out there.
Hi Eric! We went with another Samsung because we needed one in a hurry, and it's all that was available. Nothing holds the fridge at the top, but the bottom is VERY securely anchored at both the front and rear. No problems with movement. We use a velcro strap between the door handles to keep the fridge closed, and a flat nylon strap across the front of the freezer, which we clip to two little eyelets we installed in the surrounding cabinet on both sides. Safe travels, Eric!
@Hello Eric how are you doing?
Since nobody referenced the moving episode of "Friends" in the video when the new fridge was going through the door -- "Pivot! Pi-vaht!! PI-VAHT!!!"
Love it!
You guys are amazing. Thanks so much for your informative videos.
Thanks Paul! Glad you like them. 😊
I rv fridge that I took out of my rv, I found that by removing everything at the back of the unit and the doors as well, it went out the door with a 1/4 inch to spare.
Was that Sammy running on pure or modified sine most of its life? I personally installed that same unit in my '04 Country Coach. Rumor has it they don't like modified. I know that you guys upgraded your inverter some time ago though correct? Funny, I made the same floor shelf to sit it on as who ever did yours years ago. The CC door is square and wide, so it mine fit pretty easy without the doors on the fridge. Residential fridges are designed to remain static, makes you wonder if road life is tougher on them.
Hi Don! We've been pure sine since day one, as yes indeed they don't like modified so much. And bouncing down the road surely doesn't help. Being locked up (probably too tightly) in a sealed compartment isn't likely too good either.
@@RVgeeks And sadly, these days 8 years is more than what is expected out of an appliance. None of them are made to last like they used to back in the day. The claim by the manufacturers are they improve efficiency so much in the time it takes to fail that you're better off turning it into landfill and spending another 3K on a new one. It's insanity!! And as you found out, it's next to impossible to fix them, so you end up having to pitch them and buying a new one. It seems to be the appliance game now.
@@2AZSUN I cannot see how all this so-called "efficiency" conserves any resources or reduces pollution. Consider the amount of resources and energy used, and pollution created by the manufacture of replacements as well as the disposal of unserviceable units, on a frequent basis compared to a generation or two ago. It just doesn't make any sense, except for the appliance manufacturers to sell more units. It's bad for the consumer because while appliances are cheaply built, they are not cheap to buy! They are also overly complicated, making them costly, difficult and even impossible to repair. There was nothing wrong with analog or mechanical controls. They did the job plus they were easy and cheap to fix. Nowadays, its all about the money and to hell with the consumer!
maverickdallas100 exactly!! It’s all one big pile, but it works great for the manufacture to keep making junk that has be replaced every 6-8 yrs. And yes, def made very cheap, but not at all cheap to purchase. Which is the most annoying part of it all. If it was cheap at every level, ok. Still sucks, but if I’m not paying a small fortune for junk, it’s less annoying and you get what you pay for.
@@2AZSUN I have in recent years, found it more practical to go with a basic model and get what I paid for. I have often bought fancier, name-brand products only to end up sorely disappointed, and not getting what I paid for! Just "fluff", NOT substance!!!
You guys are awesome !
Thanks so much Barbie! ☺️
How do you get behind the new fridge in that tiny space to secure the bracket to the floor?
It's narrow, but a mechanic's mirror allowed us to see down there!
@@RVgeeks ignore my comment, I missed this question. Still, I would have liked to watch you all tackle this for us newbies.
@@Grandsport12 No worries Poppa!
Residential refrigerators are not the same as "marine refrigerator".....you still need to keep it fairly level.
We found refrigerators that are packed inside a complete hole where it can't get air, it will burn up.
I want to cut the crappy original truck camper refrigerator in half and get rid of it and just put a 12v compressor portable refrigerator in its spot...
@Hello Zigg how are you doing?
Great job!! How’s the new refrigerator?? I know someday we will have to do the same thing, but hopefully not for a few years. Thanks for sharing!! Safe travels 😊💞🇺🇸
Thanks Janice! So far so good. 👍
I had a good laugh 😂
Yes but I have one with no front windows you tow it sliding panel can’t get old fridge out
I wish you the best of luck 😳Samsung hasn't for some reason been able to make a quality refrigerator 😔
Thanks so much. We hope this new one lasts! 🤞
🤞😁
Last thought on my mind - cut refrigerator in half. With all the little specks flying around while cutting, a face mask would be helpful? Interesting the concept of the unit is "dead." Did the technicians diagnose the problem? If so, was it too expensive to repair? There's the old chestnut of replacing a house refrigerator from the 70's - nothing wrong with it but the owner wants "new" so it is moved to the basement as a spare . . . where it continues to run effortlessly while the new unit has problems. 😎
Hi Scott! The techs had no idea what to do. No diagnosis, other than they couldn’t make it work.
I enjoyed this Sooo Soo much
Awesome!
Ouch! This has to be seen to believe
Believe it, Mom!! 888
well who would have that this video would have given me something new to put on list of things to try in life ;-)
A big headache but you guys made it fun after all. Question: If you were to change rigs would you go with another class A or change to something else? Thanks..JC
We love our Class A Diesel Pusher! Not interested in anything else for full-timing. That said, lots of people full-time in all sorts of rigs!
I have a fifth wheel and have been looking at switching to a class A - Thank you for the response.
Hey guys. It's crazy how you have to remove the windscreen in order to remove the old refrigerator and install the new refrigerator. I hope this new fridge is better than the old ones.
So far so good, Jason!
wow, i'am impress ! Since Samsung them self were not able to fix what they've created... what made you go with the same brand , again ? Thanks for the video !
Valid question. It's one of the few that fit perfectly, and the local Best Buy had them in stock!
tough top awnings are great
I have the same refrigerator that you removed was there any kind of outside drain I seem to be having some kind of leak that ends up on my concrete floor on the right side of my steps I turned off the power to the refrigerator today is it possible that it needs a rest it seems to have some ice forming in the bottom of the refrigerator in the back ty in advance 😀 I really enjoy your videos very fun and helpful
Hi Timothy. No... there's not an outside drain on it, but it does collect condensate from the defrost cycle in a bin built into the refrigerator... which, if you were very off level, could allow the water to overflow.
We have heard of an issue (and have had it with both Samsung fridges we've had) where the condensate drain in the back of the refrigerator compartment freezes and won't drain, allowing water to overflow out into the space below the drawers at the bottom. We found that out once when we came off the jacks on a pretty off-level site... and water came pouring out of the lower right corner of the fridge and out onto the kitchen floor! So maybe THAT'S the source (though it would have to be a lot of water to end up leaking onto the concrete floor OUTSIDE the RV.
If you see water outside the RV again, check underneath the drawers in your Samsung fridge and see if there's water pooled up there. If so, you likely have the same issue we've had. Simple fix... you have to remove the cover from the back of the inside of the fridge compartment and attach a piece of copper wire (we used the ground wire from a section of Romex we had lying around) to the defrost coil... and insert the copper wire down through the drain hole. When the defrost happens, the copper conducts the heat further down the drain, keeping it from freezing.
Here's an article talking about how to fix it: www.davesrepair.com/DIYhelp/DIYrefrigdrainfix.htm
Samsung even has a part to repair it: amzn.to/3nDGyvl
Hope this helps!
Fridges are always a PITA to get through doors, no matter if it's an RV or a house.
How do you empty the ammonia from the fridge so it can be cut the opposite way that you had cut yours?
As ours was a residential fridge, not an RV fridge, it didn’t contain ammonia, but rather refrigerant. Because it’s an environmental hazard, we had the system purged by a professional prior to cutting it in half. If you have an RV fridge with ammonia in it, we would be extremely careful, as that is flammable.
Do you think there's a way to maybe cut a line and have it pour out into a pan or something and then dispose of it?? I'm not really in a position to try to hire a professional
@@edward2209 Sorry we’re not sure, Edward. RV refrigerators are fairly complex beats, and were not trained or qualified to say.
Are yes love my Sawzall😁
I have a sliding panel and can’t get old fridge out
I would have wents oops how did that rock jump off the road and hit my windshield. LOL, then out comes the windshield again.
We like your thinking, Todd! 😉
Interesting story from a couple...but why in the world were you not busily removing the TV above the door and the co-pilot's chair, before wondering if it would fit at about 7:00??
gcflower99 We had enough confidence that we could avoid removing the TV to give it a go, and if it did turn out to be in the way, it would be easy enough to back the fridge out, remove the TV, and try again. Worked out great!
You can still purchase them within the 39 days of purchase, you should . ESP Best Buy contract , the have a lemon plan that will give you full credit back for not being able to repair it , towards a replacement of your choice
Thanks Ryan! We probably should have, but we’ve had the new one a lot longer than that already.
@@RVgeeks I checked, if you call Samsung and inquire about extended plans, they will sell you a service contract . Hope that helps so you don't have to do a 4th replacement
Thanks so much for the update, Ryan! We appreciate your looking out for us. 😊
Very cool. How’s the new fridge working out? Better than stacking half dozen ice chest in the RV.
Perfect so far!
BIG mistake going with another Samsung RF18! You guys are about 9 mo behind me. I had massive defrost problems with my Sammy over 5 yrs of use. Late last year replaced it with a GE GWE19JSLSS 18.6 Cu Ft countertop depth model. It was $500 more on sale but worth every penny! Not only is it far more energy efficient but the massive milk jug sized door bins are fantastic. Find my full writeup here: www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35424. Sorry, you need to be a member to see this post, but it’s worth getting a username/PW from the moderator to do so. I too used my Sawzall to remove the old Samsung & that gave me great pleasure slicing it up! 😄
Can't believe, after all that grief, that you replaced it with another Samsung! Although they do look great and have some nice bells and whistles, they are getting a bad reputation for expensive and sometimes catastrophic failures.
Nevertheless, I have been measuring and contemplating how to replace the 35 year-old absorption unit in my classic Hawkins. Windshields cost about $1500 per side, and it would cost me @ $300 to have a pro come and do the r&r. And, that's with NO guarantee that the windshield could be removed without damaging it. In addition, they would insist that I replace the rubber windshield gasket, if they are to guarantee no leaks. That is also a spendy item.
While it appears to be really gratifying to sawzall enough off the existing unit to get it out, there appears to be sufficient room to get the old unit out the side door. If not, there is a large co-pilot's window up front that will do. Failing that, it's very comforting to know that your Sawzall technique is a viable alternative.
Thanks for a helpful and fun video!
I'm sure the vibration while driving is not something Samsung anticipated when building the fridge
Surely not! And we take that into consideration by not judging the problems we experienced too harshly!
That's one way to get a frig out of an RV!
Great video guys! How much power does this fridge use Ah when bookdocking on battery?
Thanks Maarten! We ran a Kill-a-Watt on it, and it used 118 Ah in 24 hours with the ice maker off.
It almost seems like RV manufacturers start with the appliances and build the RV around them! They must think those appliances are going to last the life of the RV!
We are looking into replacing our RV fridge in our 07 Kountry Star. The Samsung RF18 seems to be the best fit to replace the stock Norcold RV fridge but have you experienced any of the drain freezing issues that are common with Samsung refrigerators on the old fridge or the new one?
We had a minor issue with that on our old one, but the newer ones hopefully addressed it. Almost a year in, so far so good!
The quality of appliances theses days is awful. I have a 1930’s servel gas refrigerator still running strong
This has me looking to replace my fridge. I was looking a furrion 12 volt compressor 10 cubic fridge, do you have any comment on this company
They’ve been coming on strong with a lot of new products, so while we don’t know much about them, we’d suggest that they are worthy of research prior to making any decision. But you may also want to consider Dometic... they just released a new model fridge, also a 12V compressor unit, that’s 10 cu ft. We’re hoping they keep coming out with bigger models, so we could eventually replace our 120V fridge with one! 😉
For what its worth the Winnebago view switched to a compressor fridge about a year ago and it is a norcold from what I have gathered from Lichtsinn.com a Winnebago dealer. They are the biggest dealer for Winnebago as they are only one mile from the Winnebago factory. I guess if you wanted to take a shot in the dark you could phone them and ask if they have had any problems with them. If there was anyone in the know about this product, it would be them just from the sheer volume they sell. They come across as very approachable on their videos. That is the only way I know about them.
12v compressor fridges are sold at places they sell marine products as they are found on sailboats etc. When I researched them about a year ago I remember they are not any cheaper, don't defrost (similar to an rv fridge) and there was a manufacturer in Canada close to me, Novacool.
I have no idea whether any of these are good or bad products. I Have no association with any of these companies or products.
WOW Guys, better you than me. :-)))) :-))))
😂
Have you seen the engine removal process yet? Not at all fun.
I want to change out our absorption fridge to a residential one. What model did you get to go through the door. How did you take the door off. What size bit did you use on the door hinges
Hi Michael! It's a Samsung model RF18HFENBSR. It's virtually identical to the one we removed, except not as deep. We had to remove the door to both the fridge and the RV. The fridge door is easy to take off by removing the bolts that come into the top hinge from above. The RV door required removing a LOT of screws! Sorry we're unable to see the bolts on top of the fridge now that it's installed, but we're sure the owner's manual that comes with the fridge includes the simple instructions for that. It's pretty easy.
Great thanks for the help info. What size bit did you use on the RV front door. I have most of the torx bits but non seem to fit just right. Thanks again for the response.
@@michaelhartford9546 The font door hinges on our Mountain Aire are actually Robertson (the square ones) and there are tons of them. So we used our cordless drill to speed up the job.
I don’t have a front window it’s not a driveable rv it’s towed
SUSPICION is that (similar to the LP/ RV Refrig) what you MISSED on the old refrig was a bad CIRCUIT BOARD in the EYEBROW UP TOP, (where the temperature was displayed?) I DID NOT SEE THAT you replaced that one? MY Guess is that when there are ONLY 3-items in a control/ function, and you replace two and it did not fix it, the PROBLEM was in the 3rd. (Don't ask me how I know) :-) :-( I have similar issues w/ my current SBS Refrig, but wife tells me NOT to fix it, so... but I have NO eyebrow. When it quit w/ icing the first time, found there were SIX circuit board REVISIONS between my old and the replacement... maybe more by now?
We think you’re probably right, but at this point we don’t want to know! 😂
@@RVgeeks :-)
How difficult was it to get that Newmar door off?
It was easy… using a cordless drill. LOTS of screws!
What was the make and model of the refrigerator that fit through the door?
That was a Samsung RF18HFENBSR
@@RVgeeks Awesome, Thanks!
Where did you get the bracket to hold it in?
It was fabricated for us by an RV custom shop in Oregon. Really just a heavy steel L-bracket cut to the width of the fridge.