Norcold RV refrigerator problems and solutions / What your dealer doesn't tell you
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- This video will give you facts about your RV refrigerator that your dealer didn't tell you about. We discuss operation cost, failures and solutions and show you what your options are to improve your RV refrigerator's performance and reliability. We will take you a long with us to have a custom cooling unit installed in our Montana fifth wheel. This has been a much needed and valuable upgrade to our RV.
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To contact JC Refrigeration
Website: www.jc-refrigeration.com
Call: (260) 768-4067
JC Refrigeration have Dutch Aire upgrades for many of the Dometic and Norcold refrigerators that come installed in your RV Call them today to get a new reliable cooling unit installed or shipped to you. JC Refrigeration also installs solar panels, inverters and Powersync lithium batteries. All of the products and product information can be found on the JC Refrigeration website.
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The information contained in this video represent the views and opinions of the creator and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Keystone RV
The problems with these appliances aren't the manufacturers fault yet they still continue to put them in their rigs. These manufacturers need put pressure on the appliance companies to build a better product
Agreed that is why I decided to do the video. So the rv manufacturers know that rv owners are not happy with the products that are being installed. I think we will start to see a shift in the products like these in the future as more brands are coming into the market place. Maybe just maybe it will wake up companies like norcold and they will improve their products
Mimi
I appreciate your video man 😀
I am having no luck with Norcold!! Thankyou for sharing
You have to blame these manufactures. Manufacturers are aware of the problem with Norcold refrigerators but continue to install them in their RVs. We are having the same problem with our Norcold this might be the answer to the problem. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Greg thanks for watching. I have had several people leave the same comment as you. As Keystone ambassadors, we recently had a zoom meeting with a few of the folks at Keystone including the President himself. I actually brought this up in the meeting and asked how he would respond to such a comment and his answer was exactly as I thought. They only have a couple of options for theses size RV refrigerators, Norcold and Dometic ( Dometic have the same issues ). This is also one reason they offer residential refrigerators. He also stated that they are aware of the issue and continue to look for alternatives. Also that many customers have also said if they stopped offering the RV fridge that they would look to other brands. I completely agree that Norcold does not put out a quality product. This conversion has been absolutely hands down, the best thing we done. Example; our current temps with our fridge set on 3 are freezer -2 and fridge 34. Not to mention the amount of energy that this use to consume. We can leave the fridge run without being plugged into shore power and our 300w solar can keep up. It's great. Safe travels and thanks again for watching.
@@Jonesin2Go Thank you for responding. This does seem like a great solution to the problem. I don't have solar but I believe the 12 volts would be a great upgrade, allowing the refrigerator to run all the time. I also like the idea of having two compressors. Again, thank you.
We just returned from JC Refrigeration in Shipshewana, Indiana. Great guys and great service. We also had them install Solar with a 280AH Lithium battery and we never have to switch over the fridge to gas while on the road and we are able to keep things cold while boondooking as long as we have sun. This has relieved so much stress while camping/traveling. Thanks for your video! A side note, Shipshewana is Amish/Mennonite country and we spent a few days enough img the area. Definitely hit the flea market and experience some of the food!
You changed my life today! Our movable seal (the vertical one on the left door that separates the two doors) rubbed on the bottom of the fridge since the day we brought it home. It meant we always had to open the right door so we could manually move the seal into place. I went looking for a solution and found your video. I said to my husband I need your help. We’re going to fix the fridge. And he was super worried. He said let’s wait and do it on the our last getaway day, so in case something goes wrong. Well that didn’t happen. I removed the three bolts just like you said, I had him help me lift the door off the pin, I added a 1/8 inch spacer that looks like a washer, something I already had on hand. We lifted the door back onto the pin. Reinstalled the 3 bolts and tada!! Works like a champ! So great to be able to open the left door by itself if I want and have the seal work automatically like it’s supposed to. Thank you thank you!
Glad you found it helpful.
I have a keystone, Montana, as well with the exact same fridge. And yes, I'm having the same issues. I changed out the lower fan because I noticed it wasn't working. I am still having the same issue above 40 to 50 in the fridge. Now I've noticed the larger fans aren't working at the top of the fridge in the back. May need to have a conversion with someone close to me here in south Florida. Thank you for the video. Very informative.
@dalegreen486 you can order and they will ship you the kit. Best thing we ever did to that RV. We got a new Montana last October. Just replaced the 12v Fridge that came in it with Dutch aire from JC they seem to be the best in the RV Fridge business
Great job😊
Great video. Our Dometic unit has never worked well and I've thought about changing out to a straight 12V unit. I would have been really nervous to have a couple of high school kids working on my unit, but after watching how they did their work, there a lot of RV "technicians" out there who should take lessons from these two! Protecting the countertops and floors, being careful when removing and re-installing the unit, doing a great job of installing the new equipment and then cleaning up any mess left behind when they were done. Even cleaned out the inside of the unit! Best job I've ever seen.
They were very professional that is for sure. It is a family owned business so they pay attention to the details that's for sure. One of those young men also installed our solar and did just as great of a job. He is actually the owners son. I can tell you making the switch to the 12v system was well worth it. Work awesome even in the high heat days. If I were to buy a new rig tomorrow the first thing I would do is take it to them and have it coverted.
@@Jonesin2Go Good to hear your conversion worked out. Nice RV and nice frig!
Wow just got our 2018 solitude had exact same issue never thought of this door was dragging on bottom nit letting flap seal You saved us thanks so much
Thanks for watching and especially taking time to leave a comment. This is why I do the videos. We talk to many other rv owners as we travel and it still amazes me how many people have the same issues, And don't know about the fixes. Thanks again for watching and safe travels
I thought I wanted an RV fridge when we first started looking. Had 20 years of trouble free service from a smaller unit in a living quarters horse trailer. After watching several videos like this I quickly changed my mind. I wish norcold would catch up with 12 volt compressor units in the 18 cu. ft. models. JC refrigeration has figured it out.
I agree Van. With all of the new technologies that the RV industry has now, you would think that a company like Norcold would be doing a better job. After dealing with Norcold, they give me the impression they just dont care. It is our hope that videos like this will grab the attention of the RV industry and they will start to make improvements in this area. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment.
@@Jonesin2Go looking at the 10 cubic foot dc norcold what you think of it or heard reviews ar not great but i think some are not using big enough wire from bank on the change over from the gas
I haven't heard much about that model myself. I can say that we have a 10g wire from the batteries. Seems to be working fine. There are alot of new 12v refrigerators hitting the market.
Thank you so much for this video, I just ordered our cooling unit from JC Refrigeration, finally have this problem taken care of.
Are you installing it yourself or going in to have it installed? You will have to let us know how it goes. I'm sure you will be happy you did it.
Great job on how well the conversion worked for you..
We had the same problem with our Norcold. Propane or AC, it still struggled. If we turned it off, took everything out of it, let it warm up 8 hours with the doors open, then restarted it, it was super cold. Slowly over a month and a half or two months, it would warm back up. In looking at the backside, we noticed water streaks on the back behind the coils. Come to find out, the cheap duct tape used to seal the back edges had peeled off, and was hanging loose. An ice dam was building up under the panels and slowly blocking the cooling. Pulled the refrigerator, foamed the gaps, and resealed it with metal AC duct tape. Runs 35 degrees, and 4 in the freezer. Before you do anything, take a flashlight and look up the backside of the box while defrosting, and look for water seeping out under the cheap Norcold duct tape.
I live in Indiana & was just up that way, having my Truma hot water tank replaced. Wish I had this information, I could have addressed the issues with my inconsistent Norcold not staying cold or frozen in my Winnebago Navion, Class C. I just left a message with JC Refrigerator. They are about 160 miles from me. I hope they can help me. They have excellent reviews. Impressive !! TY, for this video.
They do an awsome job.
@@Jonesin2Go As a Solo, Single Woman, I need an honest break !! Hoping to spend my first Winter in Florida or anywhere warmer than here !!
We have this same fridge. We added two fans at the top opening. No problems at all in 2+ years. We can usually set ours at 4 or 5. 🤞
Aloha and mahalo (thankyou) for the info. We have been fighting the same fridge and today we adjusted the doors up and our flap is flapping correctly and the door seal seems much better. One note I heard you say 1 was coldest, the book says 9 is coldest. Thx again.
I put a jc 12v compressor unit in my norcold 1210 2 years ago and they are awesome 👌
No more problems consistent Temps in all weather .
And most importantly my rig his not going to burn down because of an ammonia leek .
We love ours. There are people traveling miles to get this done after seeing this video. Just shows how many people had the same problems. Good news is, these are no longer being manufactured so should start seeing 12v units coming in new RVs soon
We just installed a Norcold refrigerator in our off-grid cabin. We hooked it up and it ran all night. At 6:30 in the morning I checked our solar % and it was down to 49% (just drained it). We had never had it under 65%. That was at it set at the warmest. It solidly froze the ice in the freezer. And the refrigerator was too cold. We are going to bring thermostats to check the cold this next trip. We will be starting it again this next weekend and will update. It would only turn off for a few minutes and start back up again. Definitely could not use this in an off-grid situation. Thanks for the video. It has given us something to work with.
My pleasure. Do you have the 2118? If so it is for sure an energy hog. I am reviewing lithium batteries right now and doing videos on the results. I am running just my fridge and using those numbers. So you may find those helpful. I am testing a new brand of 100ah lithium battery now.
I was looking at putting a new cooling unit from the Amish refrigeration manufacturing. Supposed to work so much better than factory norcold. And I get to keep the propane option.
Great video. My husband and I watched it last night. We have tried everything else to get our Dometic Fridge to work properly. Our fifth wheel was purchased new in November 2020. From trip one, our refrigerator wouldn't cool. We thought it was the door hinge/latch issue and corrected that. We have tried all "UA-cam" fixes and unfortunately, it still does not cool well. We are reading the same temps as you were, in our fridge. Looks like our next stop is Shipshewana. Thanks for putting this out there.
So it sounds like the Dometic brand is having the same struggles as the Norcold. I have to say having ours converted to the 12v compressor was the best thing we have done. We actually find ourselves turning it down because it gets too cold. On hot days we set it on 3 and it stays around 34 to 35 in the fridge and we pretty much stay at 0 in the freezer sometimes we see -1to -2
We just bought a grand design reflection and we have the same type of refrigerator. So I guess when we start camping a little bit more I’ll have to watch the refrigerator close and keep in mind what you have said. Thank you for all the information.
Your welcome. Most people dont realize how much energy that the large rv refrigerators use until they camp somewhere that you have to pay for the electricity.
I live full since buying my toy hauler Cherokee Wolf Pack 315P, it came with an Evercool 12 volt refrigerator which TOTALLY runs off my batteries and 100watt solar system! The only thing I had was upper hing didn't have correct screws in it causing freezer door not to seal properly! Lived in AZ Jan thru Oct before moving south to Texas! Love my solar refrigerator once I figured hing was causing the issues in AZ! Now refrigerator operates very efficient and I can freeze ice cream! Yes mine is only a 2 door, 1 freezer door and 1 refrigerator door! My 100 watt solar panel constantly keeps my battery at 13.5-14.0 volts! I has had a normal camper trailer refrigerator unit before and will never go back to one
Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment. We are also very happy with our fridge now that we have converted it to 12v. We have a 300w solar panel and have yet to see the controller ask for more than 100w while the fridge is running. It was certainly a wise choice to change to 12v
Was your solar panel already installed on your RV? If so how did you learn to use it ? Thanks from a newbie. I don’t know how my solar panel works on my rv
Great video, but I disagree that the RV manufacturers have no responsibility in this issue. If they are providing a product (RV) with a sub-par refrigerator, then they should take actions to fix this problem, at least going forward by NO LONGER OFFERING MODELS WITH THIS UNDERPERFORMING refrigerators. If they continue to sell RVs with refrigerators (and freezers) that don't do the job adequately, then, I do blame the RV manufacturer. It's not like we have the option to get one w/o a refrigerator (and a credit) so we can apply the $1,200 towards something else. In some cases, there are residential options, but in other models, there are not other options.
I do believe this is why you have the option to go with a residential refrigerator. Because that has been the only alternative untill recently. Keep your eyes on the market I believe you will start to see more and more 12v refrigerators showing up in new units. And the manufacturers will move in that direction as they see the interest from consumers increasing. There was more than one reason I did this video. The manufacturers monitor social media and the comments.
I agree with Scott. Manufacturers are slik. They think consumers are dumb. Until some like you makes a video to point out what thousands of people are already experiencing. Manufacturers going the residential route to me is a cop out just to push more rv sales. Not really caring about the actual effeciency and the draw of a residential. I totally blame the manufacturers for passing down the cost of subpar appliances and the like. I could just imagine what else is subpar and garbage in the entire build of the rig. The bolts, the nuts, etc... ???!!! Workmanship and accountability are a real thing. Our Norcold 1200 woke us up beeping today. We're at the campground. Showing no co... We have a 2004 Fleetwood Bounder 35r. Well cared for. We are second owners. This is how I found your video. Sucks lemons to me that a manufacturer does this to consumers. Thank you for your time. This was very helpful! Wishing everyone HAPPY TRAILS❣️🎼
Compressor Refrigeration is the way to go for sure… have been used on boats for years. Very efficient. A few points however… I have yet to see a NORCOLD fridge installed per their installation document. Missing and misplaced baffles cause huge problems with efficient airflow at the rear of the units. Second, the units are power hungry. On electricity they burn 600 Watts, and until I fixed the baffles on my unit, the fridge would not shut off. This means 14.5 KWh per day which works out to about $1.50 per day in power. Over 30 days… $45.00. Running on propane… A 30 pound propane tank contains about 650,000 BTU of energy. The burner in the 2118 fridge is 3000 BTU per hour, giving a run time of about 9 days. Still pretty expensive. Third. An absorption refrigerator will never run down to 0 degrees in the freezer, you will not get hard ice cream… everything else will be frozen, but not sugary/creamy products (they are an antifreeze). If and when our unit fails, I will definitely change over to a compressor unit. Wish NORCOLD and DOMETIC would just manufacture a model with the compressor units. Our compressor fridge on our boat runs on 270 Watts of solar and 200 amp hours of battery capacity. Can’t go more than a day without sun, but during boating season, sun is not an issue.
you know what would be a good idea, norcold should hook up with jc refrigeration with a licencing deal and promote a quality product
That would be a great idea
I had this same problem in my 2118 it turned out that they forgot to install the exhaust baffle in the flue. I went to a RV junk yard and got one out of an old frig. problem solved. The frig works great very efficient now.
Hello, can you tell me what an exhaust baffle would look like so I can check on mine. I have the same issue with my Norcold 2118. It maintains temp but it never stops running. Its costing me a fortune.
the exhaust tube is about a inch in diameter and goes out the top of the frig vent. If you go to the top (outlet for the exhaust) their should be a thin wire clipped to the top of the exhaust pull it out and their should be about a three inch twisted metal ribbon on the end that controls the heat going up the flu. the wire is about two to three feet long. Mine was missing the wire and baffle
@@briancullimore825 if your frig is in a slide like ours is, you don't have an exhaust baffle coming out the roof but there should be something that blocks the airflow to ensure it goes thru the fins at the top on the back of the frig before it can escape thru the upper vent in the side of the slide.
The beauty of DC electric motors is they use an internal magnet. The power needed for electric motors to rotate is from creating electro magnets. This means a DC motor will need lower wattage to create adequate power to run the compressors.
Great video, we are having the exact same problems with our Norcold. We have a 2017 Alpine that is very similar to your Montana. Thanks!
Awesome video on this unit. Our 2020 Norcold fridge is have trouble getting under 40° in 90° temps out west. I’ll add JC to my stop next year when we are back in Elkhart.
You won't be sorry Larry that's for sure. They will also ship you the unit if you feel that is a job your comfortable with. For us it just made sense to have them do the install as we are only less than 2 hours from them. We are so glad we did this.
@@Jonesin2Go watching them lay the fridge over made my mind up. I rather pay to have it done. Is there two separate temperature controls now for the fridge and freezer?
Yes there are. The controls you have on the refrigerator now will continue to control your refrigerator and there is a separate controller mounted on the back of the fridge for the freezer. Accessible from the outside. You just set it and pretty much leave it. Ours is set at zero.
@@Jonesin2Go that’s the wAy to go! Keep us updated.
Thanks. It would be worth it. Was fine the first few years but now it’s a real pain here in Florida
I wonder why Norcold doesn’t address this situation in their refrigerators… my husband and I just purchased a used Norcold 7 cubic ft DE-0061 for our Van build… it’s a 12 Volt DC… we didn’t want a dual fridge… The fridge is like new. It was only used 1 season by the original owner… once the weather gets warmer we will be plugging it in and leaving it on to monitor it… If we have issues with consistency I will definitely consider getting a dual compressor put in… we live in Michigan so it wouldn’t be that far of a drive to visit JC Refrigeration and I saved your video for future reference regarding this issue… thank you so much for making it. My husband wired our whole van conversion with 10 gauge wire… thank goodness 😅
I know you did this a while ago, but it's relevant to me today. I noticed that JC Refrigeration now includes a new universal controller that eliminates using any of the old Norcold electronics. I'm guessing that's better overall?? I plan on taking my Montana to them this fall for the same conversion.
Thanks for the video, bro.
Great fix! Good for you!
I like the sound of the conversion I got the same exact refrigerator I have not plug the camper in yet it’s new to me it’s a 2019 however if I could be so forward and ask how much it cost to have that conversion done I would really appreciate that.
We listed the web site in the description. They have all of the pricing and information for each option listed there.
Excellent information. Thanks.
Thanks for the information and insight!
Glad it was helpful!
Marvelous presentation. We have the same refrig. It always needs help. ZAnd we know about JC refrig. Looking in that direction oursekves. Thanks
Thanks for the comment. We are very happy with our fridge now. And seeing an average of 80% in energy reduction. Also our 300w solar keeps up with it (on sunny days of course)
Yeah we’re having problems with this fridge couple of times it stop working and thru a code . Couple hrs later it would fire up and run with no problem. Ok the only thing you didn’t mention was the price of the conversion I Iike the duel compressor. We in NH 603 who would I call to do this s anyway great video.Thanks Mike Bishop
I have a link to their website in the description. They have all of the pricing and options available there. Our total cost was $1964.00 including install. They ship the units also with instructions.
Very informative video!
Thanks for the video. Like you mentioned, a little long, but good information. We also have a Norcold 2118 in our 2019 Solitude. We are full timer's. We have had some of the issues you identified. We run ours on Electric when we can and Gas when off grid. Currently, on a setting of 4, it maintains the freezer at 2 degrees and the frig at 36 degrees. During the hotter months we have to step it up to 5. We had a couple of temp issue during the frist year but they were addressed under warranty. Our main issue with temp seems to be due to hot air getting trapped in the cavity behind the refirgerator. I added an exhaust fan on the upper vent to help move the hot air out. This seemed to help more than anything else. I do have questions about your upgrade. I didn't hear what it cost to upgrade your unit, maybe I missed it. I'd also like to know how it does off grid - how is battery consumption? How many batteries and what type are you carrying? How many days will it run on just battery power - no solar?
Hi thanks for watching.. jc has current pricing on their web site I believe we were at around $1800. It does well off grid I am currently running with 2 100ah lithium batteries and can run 2 days without solar. I do have 600w of solar and on a good day can run all day and it keeps the batteries at 100% by morning the batteries are anywhere between 50 to 70% depending on outside Temps and how often it is opened of course. FYI as of this past October the norcold gas/electric fridges have been discontinued. They have gone to 12v fridges for RVs
I watch your vid on norcold site on the jc refrigerator, so I found you on UA-cam so I could ask ? And low and behold you just bought the same fifth wheel we live in 3901rk ours is a 23. So how did you like the 12 volt fridge in the long run and your new one is a house fridge. Also we stayed in n Tampa this last winter thanks matt
So the norcold that JC Refrigeration converted in our last Montana was a great decision. It worked great,in fact the new owners of that rig love it. It is doing great almost 3 years and still going strong.
We ordered our new 3901RK with the 12v option for the refrigerator instead of the residential. It is a furrion brand. Unfortunately it does not perform as well as the JC Refrigeration conversation that we had done. Looks like we will be replacing it with something else soon, what has yet to be determined.
Brand new 2021 cameo 5th wheel. We’ve got the same fridge… so far about 300$ in trashed warm food now. I’m hoping our warranty would cover converting to the 12v system.
Our extended warranty covered ours. Norcold was terrible to work with
I just watched your video and you provided excellent information. I have a 2020 Grand Design with the Norcold 2118. My problem started with the center flap dragging at the bottom of the fridge. The dealer fixed that and now it drags at the top. Another issue I have is condensation. I have to keep a towel at the bottom of the fridge to catch the water. And with that the refrigerator runs constantly. The Freezer with freeze food but not ice cream.
Did you have problems with condensation? In my opinion, I don’t believe the magnets in the seal are strong enough! Please advise if you had moisture issues?
Thank you in advance
We did have moisture problems before I fixed the left door with the washer. Sounds like your dealer may have put to thick of a washer in making the flap stick at the top. This could be causing the poor seal of the door which would be causing the condensation problem. There are 2 reasons for condensation. A bad seal or a bad thermistor.
Thanks for the information...
You are welcome. We felt it was information worth passing on.
@@Jonesin2Go we are going to be purchasing a Montana similar to the one you have...we may make sure it's got the dual compressor right away since we will be full-time for 6 months at a time..
Watching this video bc I just got handed an electric bill from the rv park totaling $600 for one month. It’s a Bighorn 3270rs (2016). Exact same fridge as in the video. Bought an in line meter with Bluetooth, the fridge itself is drawing 9 amps/1200 watts.
FYI, the later models offered a residential fridge either by GE or Fridgidaire. Both with ice makers, costs around $1000, not $2500. Best to just get one of those instead. Just make sure they’re counter depth.
Another thing that will use a ton of electric is the converter charging the batteries. If you have solar you could use that during the daytime to keep your batteries up. We have 600w of solar and while in florida we turn our converter off duri g tbe day. This reduced our electric bill by 50%
@@Jonesin2Go How do you turn your converter off? I have solar on top of the rig. Idk what the wattage is
@@bobstark4201 just turn off the breaker in your breaker box. It should be market on the door.
Excellent video!
Two question though,,,,,,,
- You mentioned that you now can control the fridge and freezer separately. My fridge currently only has the same 1 - 9 setting that you have.
Did they install a dual control?
- You mentioned that it was drawing about 7 amps. Was this consistent over a longer period of time, say a day or a week? The reason I ask is that we dry camp quite often with a AGM battery bank capacity of 434 amps, or 217 usable amp hours. At 7 amps/hour that works out to about 168 amps per day.
I will probably go this route as it drives me crazy that I can't have my frozen product actually frozen now!
Thanks again. Can't wait to really dig deeper into your channel!
Yes there is a separate controller for the freezer as it has its own compressor. That controller is mounted on the back of the fridge by the compressor. We set ours at 0 and then the regular 1-9 settings control the fridge. Our Amp draw is pretty consistent. I can tell you we stay below zero in the freezer. Ice cream is now hard. We keep the fridge set on 2 or 3 and maintain 32 -34. Before I installed a 300w solar panel, we could run the fridge for 30 hrs and still read 11.22v. We run 2 group 29 wet cell as of now. On a sunny day, we can run the fridge with no v drop at all. The 300w panel keeps up. Like I said, best thing we have done. I can't say enough about this system.
@@Jonesin2Go Thanks so much! I have already contacted JC-Refrigeration to see about this retrofit on our way South this winter from our Canadian home near Toronto.
Safe travels
Good video.
Great information. I definitely want to go this route. Not sure I missed what it ran to convert this.
This option was just over $1600. Installed. They have all pricing and options on their web site. I put the link in the description if you have an extended warranty they will work with you warranty company.
What does this say about the quality and customer service of Norcold?
I can say I'm not impressed with Norcold. But man what a Company Jc refrigeration is. Those folks know what good customers service is.
Wow, got the same rig and same issue with the refer. We’re in Montreal, can you tell me what is that cost for that mod, vwry good information and video, keep the good work.
I think we were around $1800 with this upgrade.
That's not true, it's illogical, the RV manufacturer does have something to do with those appliances. They are the ones that choose which appliance manufacturer to pick when they equip their RVs and if they go by Price instead of quality then it has everything to do with the RV manufacturer.
My point is the RV manufacturers do not build those appliances nor do they design them and the defects of those are the appliance manufacturer's defects. The RV industry has very limited choices for RV refrigerators as there really aren't many companies building them. I am sure if a better product comes to market the RV manufacturers will surely take notice and provide those. We are already starting to see 12v refrigerators being installed in some of the smaller units. So it's just a matter of time that we will see the same in the larger ones as well.
Have the Norcold 2118sst in our 2017 Alpine fifth wheel. Having some issues with left door flap sticking and thermister causing everything to freeze. Have new thermister arriving today that I'm hoping fixes frozen issue in fridge. Live in Northern Ohio and have fifth wheel stationary at campground in Andover. If JC was able to do the conversion on site we would be interested. I agree these Norcolds are not efficient by any means. Thanks for sharing...
They also ship the units if installing it yourself is something that you can do. It was the best thing we did for sure.
Our 2022 keystone cougar with the 12V compressor Norcold and 400i solar flex package cannot run the fridge at all. The fridge starts throwing an E3 error code which is low-voltage. And this is despite the dual 6v batteries being completely charged with my generator.
Thanks for the info. For those boon docking without solar how long do you have to run a generator to keep up with the battery drain overnight?
Before I had my solar installed I ran mine for about 30 hours and the batteries still read 11.22v. I currently have 2 group 29 interstate batteries. Now with a 300w solar panel it maintains 13v as long as the sun is out of course 😀
I had a 2019 Keystone Laredo 380MB and had similar issues, and it used a lot of propane. I now have a 2022 Momentum 395MS with what looks like the same fridge.
This new unit runs far colder - I have digital thermometers monitoring and it stays solid on what you set it. It also uses very little propane, which I noticed right away.
Makes me wonder if Norcold has updated this unit?
It certainly seems like a different fridge by all accounts of performance, although the model is the same.
Hi Brian thanks for watching, and taking the time to leave a comment. I hope that you continue to have better luck with this fridge. It was my hope that doing this video,would not only help others experiencing the same issues, but get norcolds attention. We will be seeing some big changes in the refrigerators installed in RVs going forward. I just learned yesterday that Norcold has decided to stop building absorption refrigerators as of October. So 12v and residential will likely be the 2 choices going forward in my opinion.
100% false that rv manufactures are not at fault at least some of the time. These items installed (slides,refer,stoves,furnaces etc..) have installation specs that manufacturers dont always follow which cause problems.. the Refer is biggest installed problem (absorbtion type,like you have) ventalation is extremely important and its the rv manufacturer that has to make the cabinet and proper ventalation . Which i have had to fix numerous times across all brands
The reality is that the manufactures can only choose to install what is available to purchase. As for this Norcold 2118. It is no longer being manufactured. This was the result of the RV manufacturers and customers complaints. Unfortunately it takes many complaints and time for change but it happened.
So, I just purchased a very clean seemingly.NorCold N20DCSS twelve volt refrigerator/freezer. It was a donation to a thrift store and I got it for a $125 on a 1/2 price sale that day.But see it retails for $5-6 thousand dollars new. I am assuming an RV buyer decided Swiftly.
To convert to a residential unit and then donated this one. I can run off an LED step down transformer to 12 V.Or off batteries , so I figured it was good either hurricane times. Or if I ever get around to making a homemade 5TH WHEEL OR gooseneck Rig trailer, I will use this one instead of the littler 2004 dometic RV fridge that I got in the old parts rv I bought Some years ago ...
or I could put both in and make the dometic one an outside kitchen unit.
With the NorCold, Should I expect any issues or should I cross my fingers and pray?
I haven't heard anything negative about the 12v units as of yet. It was mostly the gas/electric units that were the problem. So much so they no longer make them. It's all 12v now.
What are you using to monitor the temperatures? Thanks
Thanks for watching Allen. We use this thermometer from Amazon
www.amazon.com/dp/B07XD68GX6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_V271RM13F5FSD87JVNT4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It has EVERYTHING to do with the manufacturers. If they refused to install poorly designed/manufactured fridges it wouldn't take long before the fridges were upgraded.
Keep an eye on keystone changes are coming.
I have a 2022 3121rl and are planning the same conversion from JC. Can you tell me what wire routing was used in running thee 10 gauge wire from the front battery to the fridge.
Yes they actually ran it along the frame and into the coach at the slide in behind the fireplace. Then ran it along the back of the cabinets then in behind the fridge
Thank you for this video! We are snowbirds in Florida with a Norcold 1210 Electric/Propane refrigerator and we are experiencing the same thing you did. Our electricity bill is $115/Month (AT .16/kWH) and our Propane bill is $36/Month using electricity for the refrigerator. If we use Propane for the refrigerator, our electric bill decreases to $25/month but our Propane cost increases to $90/month so even though our cost is overall less using propane to run the refrigerator, we are still $115/month. I am very interested is having JR Refrigeration do the switch to 12V with the double compressor like you did but before I call them and make an appointment, can you tell me if everything is still working good after 2 years since you made this video and does ice cream freeze hard now or is it still soft like it is with an absorption refrigerator? Thank you!
Yes the fridge is still working great and the ice cream freezes very hard. We just sold that RV In October but the new owner loves it. It comes with a 3 year warranty that you can extend. I highly recommend this conversion
@@Jonesin2Go Thank you! What RV do you have now? I just found your channel today (I subscribed) but I haven't watched any of your other videos yet.
@robh063 we have a new Montana 3901rk. When we ordered this one we ordered it with a 12v fridge because we liked the last so much.
@@Jonesin2Go Nice rig! I hope it's not the Furrion 12V you have. I have a friend that had two quit within a couple months of each other in his new Solitude. Grand Design has agreed to send him another 12V fridge but a different brand. I'm not sure of what brand but hopefully it will work better. I've heard nothing good about the Furrion offering.
You stated that you can control each compressor individually. Are you using the original control panel on the door to do that, or are there separate controllers?
There are 2 controllers. The refrigerator still uses the controls on the door 1-9 and then you set the temp for the freezer on the controller that is located on the back of the fridge. So you acces it by removing the lower panel on the outside of the coach. Very simple. We set our freezer at zero and just leave it there.
@@Jonesin2Go sounds like a great setup.
awesome video, but my question is if your boon docking, we have 2 of the yellow top batteries which are awesome for boondocking, ( 2020 3120RL) which is mostly run on batteries, how long approx. will this fridge run on batteries before you run out of juice?
I'm not sure yet. I can tell you that so far I have left it unplugged for about 30 hrs when I put the meter on my batteries it still read 11.22v
I am actually having a 300w solar panel installed this week and they tell me that will keep up with it. We have 2 interstate group 29 batteries. I will be upgrading those to 2 100ah lithium batteries so that will extend the time also
@@Jonesin2Go yea i knew that was a hard question to answer. our last rig was a 331RL, it had the industrial fridge. when we boondocked, i had to run the generator atleast twice a day and the wife hated that, now with the 3120RL, its on gas shes loves it just hates its not cold enough? with the ice. (if you read we bought a portable ice maker that total awesome from Walmart for 99 bucks lol. she likes the setup but now shes worried this is running off the batteries even tho i got top of the line batteries. that we will have to run the gen. more often? you know cant make some wife's that worry to much happy.
Hi, I have made a appointment at JC refrigeration for next month. Your video explaining their process was great. I was just wondering if I should opt for the dual compressor or the single 12v I think I am scheduled for. I have a Grand Design 303 with a 12 cu ft dometic. What are your thoughts. Thanks.
Well we opted for the dual compressor so we could control them independently. JR recommends the dual if you are going to be in hotter temps like in the 100 degree range. We never know where we may end up so we just decided to go with the dual and be ready for anything. I am really happy with our decision. We actually find ourselves turning ours down alot now rather than up. You will be very happy with the upgrade and the guys there will treat you great. Tell them we said hello when your there.
@@Jonesin2Go was wondering how do you control them independently because our fridge just went out
@@rossschumacher9674 they actually install a separate controller on the back for the freezer. They will set it for you. After that you don't need to do anything with it unless you feel you need to adjust it. The refrigerator will still be controlled the same as before.
Thanks for the video, just had the 12v dual compressor unit installed in our 2118.
What is the hottest temps you've been in, and what kind of temps was the fridge and freezer compartments able to maintain?
So far the warmest days have been low 80s. The highest setting we have set ours on has been 3 and we stay around 34 in the fridge and between 0 and 2 in the freezer. Right now we have been in the 50s and 60s outside and we have had to turn it down to 1 and we are seeing 0 in freezer and 34 in fridge.
Would love an update on your modification! Still happy?
Yes very happy. We have seen an 80% reduction in energy cost. We set it on 3 and maintain a below zero temp in the freezer and around 34 in the fridge. This system also comes with a 3 year warranty and an extended warranty is available. We really like that it draws all of its energy directly from the batteries so there is no switching over while traveling. We would certainly do it again and highly recommend it. Thanks for the question. I think we will appreciate it even more when we are on the road more than we are now. Oh and our 300w solar can keep up with it. On sunny days of course
1. In the manual for my norcold 1210, it clearly states that the fridge won't work in temperatures below 32. Thats probably why people are having issues with them in the winter.
2. A brand new 12v fridge is less than what they charge to convert it. I would love to do this but I'm in Texas and it would cost way too much to drive it up there.
Not sure why Grand Design or Keystone would put a fridge in that they know won't operate in hot or cold weather.
It does fall on the manufacturer, that is the refrigerator tat that they choose to use. They should require Norcold to improve the quantity of the refrigerator or source out a better supplier.
I can't speak for other manufacturers, but Keystone has done just that. And they have put pressure on companies like Norcold. In fact, the gas/ electric refrigerator is no longer being manufactured for that reason.
Hi there, I've got my fifth wheel choices down to the Montana and the Jayco Northpoint. What I'm wondering is if you know anything about the 2 suspensions, Road Armor/Montana Vs the MorRyde on the Jayco, they look and seem identical just 2 different manufacturers. Have you ever looked into this? Any help would be appreciated. I don't see any you tube videos that cover the differences between the two suspensions. You seem like the type of person to have checked them out, or know the info on them? Thanks
The road armor has the absorption system on top and bottom also brass bushings with wet bolts. A little more robust and longer lasting imo
@@Jonesin2Go Thanks - yeah i got that impression too.
There’s always a secret reset button or that tiny glass fuse .
So really just a plug for JC refrigeration and not really anything to do with what a dealer "didn't tell you" it seems to me.....but thanks for posting your experience
Well actually, all of the problems we had are the things that the dealer won't tell you about. We have read countless reviews from others with the same problems. So, the video was intended to share with others, a great alternative to correcting the problems that the Norcold 2118 has. With the cooling unit that JC Refrigeration installed, we are using 80% less electricity and our freezer runs below zero. The fridge stays around 33 degrees when set on 3. So, I will give JC Refrigeration all the plugs they deserve because we now have a reliable refrigerator that will run very efficiently. Before the conversion it would cost us $100 a month in electric. That's something a dealer won't tell you about for certain.
Thanks for watching. Hope you found the information helpful.
Good info in the video. I have the same unit and have always complained about how often it cycles on. It runs at least 20 minutes every hour. My old dometic unit would cycle a few minute every couple hours if not being opened. Have you had to run it for extended periods on just battery? How long will it go before pulling the batteries down is my biggest question. We spend a lot of time off the grid. I have solar and a generator.
I have run it while unplugged from shore power for 24 hrs and it's been fine. Currently I have 2 group 29 lead acid batteries. I do have 300w of solar. As long as it's a sunny day it will run just fine a d the solar keeps the batteries at or over 12v. So in a perfect world where the sun shines every day. We could run it no stop.
@@Jonesin2Go that sounds good. I have 2100w of solar on the roof and 552 AH of Lithium batteries. During full sun its more than enough to run the Norcold, but on cloudy days it will suck the batteries down running 120v on inverter . it uses around 650 watts when its running and its often running.. I both Love and hate this 2118. The space is great, but its horribly inefficient. On propane it uses 1/2 gallon a day to stay cool. I may end up doing the dual 12v like you have. Thanks again for the info.
This was helpful information. I wonder who they would recommend here in Virginia
Do you mean to install it? You can have the cooling unit shipped and install it yourself. It comes with instructions. We have had some subscribers do that.
@@Jonesin2Go Oh wow. That’s awesome! I’m not mechanically inclined for that but sure those who have the knowledge to do it would be better. We just picked our 2022 Georgetown up, had it out and the ice cream we had was mush and the fridge was not as cool as it should have been on 9.
So does it still run off at 12 volt and Propane or does it run off of 12 volt and Electric
The option we chose is 12v only so it takes its power directly from the battery. No propane. So when you plug into shore power your converter will keep the batteries up. Very simple so when you are towing your tow vehicle will also keep your batteries topped off. Very nice system
Do they re-use your control board or install new?
Yes they do. Our fridge looks the same. They just use the "gas" setting. Other than that everything is the same.
If you don’t mind what was the cost?
For the option that we went with was a little over 1600 with labor. We put the link to their web site in the description. They have all of the options and cost there. They do a good job of spelling out all of the details. We are very happy with this decision and they were awesome to work with.
What was the approx cost of the install for the dual 12 volt compressor at JC refrig. Ours in still under warranty but this may fix our issue.
It was around 1800 including installation. Best thing we could have done. I just learned as of October of this year norcold will no longer be building absorption refrigerators. They are going to 12v compressors. So if yours isn't working having it converted may be the way to go. We love ours.
Maybe i missed how much it cost…but if i didn’t do you mind sharing how much it cost for the conversion?
Our was around 1800. They have corrente prices on their web site. The link is in the discription
@@Jonesin2Go Thank you.
I’ve watched this video a few times.. where you had a upgrade conversion cooling unit installed on your norcold.. I have a 1200lr and just today I noticed it’s leaking ammonia and the smell.. it’s gone.. question: do you like like the 12v cooling unit?
Don’t getting nosey , what was the cost for new system and install? If this is to personal I’ll understand. Just trying to take the road here.. thanks
Yes we really like the 12v unit. It cools great and is very efficient. If you go the jc refrigeration web site they have pricing for several different units. I believe yours is included. They do 12v. 110. And gas/electric. Well worth the up grade. We also have a 300w solar panel and it keeps up without any trouble (when sun is out of course) our upgrade was just under $2000 including installation. Again it was well worth it. Thanks for watching
Thanks .. I have plans to goto jc refrig. April.. have them to install the single compressor system.. thanks for your info.. you take care
What was the total cost for the upgrade for the dual compressor and did you get a warranty for the work that they did.
My total was around $1900. That included all labor and the extra wiring that's needed. It comes with a 3 year warranty and an additional 3 years can be purchased. All of the current prices are on their website. There is a link for that in the description.
OK so let’s get down to the nitty-gritty can you give me a ballpark figure what it cost you to have the double compressor put in I realize when you had this done and now I’m asking this question quite a bit later so I know it’s just going to be a ballpark figure Thank you.
At the time I had this done it was just over 1800.00 they do have current pricing on their web site. You should be able to find that in the description.
So did you purchase the Dual compressor or just the single and can you tell me a roughly how much it cost
I have the dual. They have current pricing on Their website. I believe with installation and everything I came in around 1800.00
So I will say mine uses some electricity. I am in FL no and have been since the end of June. I will be here thru the winter. I was in Southern UT and NV from March thru June. My Norcold has NEVER been above 5. I cant keep things from freeezing in the fridge. The difference between 3 and 5 is 1 degree. Right now it has been in the mid 90s my Norcold is set to3. It is 33 in the fridge. My freezer is ok. It fluctuates between 2 degrees and 4 degrees. I hate this appliance. My last 5er had a residential. I switched to rv fridge because I wanted the propane option. My issue is when you spend $100k on a 5th wheel you shouldnt have to spend another $2k to make an appliance better. These RV companies have enough clout to get the appliance companies to do better. They make these type of units for boats.
Sounds like you are having better luck with yours than we did. Just curious how much your electricity will cost you. We were paying about $80 per month when we were in Florida and that's without running the AC. I agree, you shouldn't have to spend money to fix an appliance. We are starting to see some manufacturers put 12 volt refrigerators in. Keystone is even installing solar as a standard on all of their units now. Perhaps we will see more 12 volt refrigerators as a standard in the near future.
so what was the cost of your conversion
The total was $1964.00 that included the extra $200 to run the 10 Guage wire that is needed. And installing it.. You can run the wire yourself if you want before And save a little. Also if you have an
extended warranty you may want to check with them. Ours covered all but our $100 deductible and the $200 to run the wire. So I only had to pay $300.
Hello I am curious how you control the freezer and fridge separate, does it use the original Norcold controls, I have a 1200LRIM and want to upgrade to the 12 volt
There is a separate controller for the freezer that they installed in the back of the fridge (accessible from the outside) they set that. And the fridge is controlled the same way as originally.
Nice video. It would be nice to know the cost of doing this. I also think its a shame a guy spends 80K plus on a new RV and gets an inferior product in it. This should be on NorCold. I have a 2021 Cedar Creek and mine works ok and keeps things cold on Setting number 4. Ive been in Texas on the gulf all winter. The ice cream however is a common complaint I here with these units.
They have pricing on their web site ( I left the link in The description.) They have several units for different brands and sizes. At the time of our install we were just under 2 thousand including installation.
@@Jonesin2Go I did go look at the website after making that comment. But I still think its just a shame one needs to spend that on a brand new fridge that should be built right to begin with.
@@BigAl52 I absolutely agree. Unfortunately there have been limited options for these size refrigerators in a gas electric option. I don't know much about other manufacturers but keep an eye on Keystone Brands. There are changes coming as new products are hitting the market.
What model is your refrigerator? Thank you.
We have the norcold 2118
We installed a JC Refrigeration cooling system in our Norcold 2118 and we can't get the temp below 37° and 5° in the freezer. When we open the doors it goes up to 41 then 42 and takes several hours to make it to 37 or 38°. We've been in contact with JC Refrigeration and it appears there's nothing more they can do for it. We went with the propane/electric cooling system.
Did you have them install it? Or did you install it? I am happy I went with the 12v dual compressor system we find we have to turn ours down a lot. Freezer usually is running below zero and we try to keep from going below 33.
Was your refrigerator still under warranty? We have 2021 Montana with Norcold with similar issues. Things freeze in refrigerator and though meat seems frozen ice cream is mush. We store medication and it is a concern if it would freeze. Is new cooling unit electric/gas now?
When we had it converted it was not under the original manufacturer warranty however we had purchased the extended warranty and that covered it. Minus the deductible and the cost of running the 10 gauge wire from the battery to the refrigerator. It cost us like $250ish out of pocket back then. Our refrigerator is now a 12 volt and takes its power directly from the batteries. JC Refrigeration has other options available as well. Their current prices are listed on their website which is included in the description of this video. Converting ours was the best decision we ever made. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel Corinne
We are having the save problems and live in Florida are you able to provide any suggestions for repair shop in Florida?
Unfortunately I am not personally aware of any in Florida. Are you thinking of doing this conversion?
@@Jonesin2Go sorry for the delay in responding, I would love to have the same done to our unit if the price is reasonable and of course I would need to find someone here close to me. Did you have any success going to Norcold? Thanks for the video
@@sifonter no norcold was not any help to us. That's why we went with this system. If you give JC refrigeration a call they could help you figure out how to get one of their units shipped to you and how to get it installed.
ok SO MUCH DID THIS NEW FRIDGE COST YOU LABOR & ALL??
Labor and everything included was around $1800
What was the regular cost to have this conversion done?
At the time of installation I believe it was somewhere between 1800 and 2000. Today's prices will probably ly be different. They usually have them listed on their
Web site.
Is the fan supposed to be on constantly???
It does run a lot but ours doesn't run constant
@@Jonesin2Go mine hasent stopped running for like 4 days
Is your conversion recent? Our was done I April. I have noticed that as time goes by our Temps have gotten better and it seems to run less. I also am wondering if your thermistor may be bad or placed wrong?
I can agree that the RV manufacturer does not make the fridge but the RV industry is their customer and with problem after problem talked about it seems that the RV manufacturers would demand action. But having said that, thank you for the info.
I can certainly agree with that. I do know that manufacturers have people that are monitoring social media and are reading the complaints. At least I know that to be true of Keystone. So it is my hope that they do just that. Demand better from the vendors they purchasing from.
How can you say problems have nothing to do with RV manufacturers… they have a choice as to which fridge, stove, microwave, a/c and heater that they put in there RV’s. If there are continued problems with any of them they should put appliances with less issues.
I say that because the RV manufacturers do not build the refrigerators. They put in what is available to them . I agree that they have a choice but those choices are limited to what is available. Now with that said videos like this and pressure from the manufacturers has made some impact in the products that will be available going forward. For example this norcold absorption refrigerator is no longer going to be produced as of this month. It is being replaced with a 12v compressor unit. So in the future we will start to see the RV refrigerator options 12v instead of the gas/electric. I am starting to see this change already with new Keystone products and will surely see it in other manufacturers as well.
I posted a comment thanking you for your great videos, and asked you a question on solar, but you haven't replied. Is there a way to email you questions? We have a 2021 Montana 3812MS(our first 5th wheel) after 15 years of diesel motorhomes.
Sure you can email at jonesin2go@gmail.com sorry I didn't see your comment. I will look for it. Was it on this video? Or the solar video?
HI,i have a 2021 sunset crossroads 28ft ,when I run my AC my fridge stops working ,Please help.
That has to be the one of the strangest things I have heard so far. What kind of refrigerator do you have?
How much did JC refrigeration charge for the actual install? Their web site has pricing for purchasing the kits, but I can't find how much they charge for the labor of installing. Thanks!
Here is a complete break down of our install.
Cooling unit. $1275.00
Labor. $400
Tax. $89.25
And we needed to run a heavier guage wire from the battery so that was an extra $200. So our total was. $1964.25 if you have an extended warranty on your RV it may pick up the cost
They work with extended warranties all the time. We were only in the bay for a little over 2 hrs. Even in 90 degree weather our freezer is staying at 0 degrees sometimes below zero. And our fridge is running between 32 and 34 set on 3
Needless to say we are impressed. Before our solar install we ran it on battery only for 30 hrs and our batteries were still at 11.3v I havent tested it unplugged with th he solar yet
There should be a class action lawsuit against Snorecold, these units are very expensive and absolute trash by design, everyone knows it and so legal action is needed.
I agree unfortunately that may not go far. Norcold has stopped manufacturing these type refrigerators as of this past October. They now are making 12v units. I have to believe this is why. But why they never made any attempt to improve the gas / electric units when they knew for so long how terrible they were.
How do you fix a NO AC code...
We actually keep it set on the gas setting. So far we haven't seen any codes pop up.
I'm sorry, are you asking about the AC code because you are getting one or because we don't have the AC option anymore?