Camper refrigerator upgrade. How to replace camper refrigerator with a home model. Lots of details.
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2024
- In this video, I talk about our power supply issues and the fix I found. I also go over the real steps involved with replacing a rv or camper refrigerator with a residential model.
How to Install an RV refrigerator and replace it with a residential fridge. DIY RV fridge replacement. How to replace RV refrigerator with a residential fridge. DIY RV refrigerator installation. This video will show you how easy/hard it is to remove a Dometic camper refrigerator and replace it with a residential fridge. Real information.
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Male gas line fitting: amzn.to/3e9IBT1
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Refrigerator: amzn.to/3K1m4Hw
Without without his video I probably could not have done it by myself he made it so easy I would recommend watching this video again to anybody that needs to remove their dumb attic refrigerator freezer from a 2002/5 wheel
My fridge is out and this video shows basic idea for removal and what to possibly expect. Thanks
Very informative! I live off grid and did take off my old fridge and installed a new one just running full in solar, not bills after paying the supplies that were needed. sheers
Sir…U R AMAZING…Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge… your video has shaved me thousands. Don’t even know you… love you mucho! My husband loves you more… I do all the RV maintenance…. Yeah a!..
Far better than the fridge that was in there. I have never had any luck with the propane part working right. Also those other two wires are a 12volt supply as the fridge will also run on 12v.
FYI: These refrigerators are 2-way. Propane or 110 volt. The 12 volt supply wires are for running the control board and interior light only. Hope this helps.
Well I went ahead and made the leap it was not fun taking the old one out and putting the new one in took my wife and I all day but it was well worth the effort as long as it gets me to the winter times I'm set and it is absolutely 10 times better than the refrigerator that we had before
I am doing this upgrade when my fridge is delivered this weekend. I watched many of these install videos and only a couple explained fridge placement area prep fully. The fridge cools off through it's sides not the back like older and full size with coils in the rear.
You need to remove all the side insulation to give at least 1" of cooling area on both sides of the fridge. The more air flow you allow around and then away from the sides, the better the temps will regulate.
I travel with my 5th wheel so I have installed to my batteries a 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter. So it will be on while traveling.
We like the pacific coastline for our mostly summer vacation time. So it is cooler and the fridge should be good in the mild temps. But travel to the coast we see temps at times over 100f. So the sides of the fridge must be cleared and air flow around it as open as possible.
I will not be sealing the access outer doors. Just putting screen over all the slots for pest control. Nor will I seal any of the side and top areas of the Fridge. The air as we travel should push and or pull air over and around the whole fridge for cooling. If we do need it on in cold temps, I would cover the outer doors mostly.
This will keep the temps much more steady. People have complained at it's inefficiency when they seal it up and keep the wall side insulation.
Thank you, very informative. Will be doing most of the work on my own and feel way more confident after watching.
Thanks for the video . Very helpful on the project I’ve got going right now.
I also did this upgrade. I'm full-time in a 2014 Keystone Sprinter Wide Body 299RET parked in a senior trailer park. I got the Hiaer 9.8 cu.ft. frost free fridge from Lowes. I ganined a ton of food storage space. I am saving $35 a month on electricity (I was not comfortable "burning" propane to cool the Dometic fridge, so I ran it on A/C). The Dometic was an energy hog. 400 watts continuous. All of that said, my biggest concern with the Dometic, was "FIRE".
I would've done a few things differently, but most of the info was good to have. I have the same rv fridge and to replace it with a rv fridge, the cost was over 5000.00 just to buy the unit.
Thanks for the video and the link to the propane line cap. Very helpful on the project I’ve got going right now.
Nice to be able to just back out onto your porch. We'll be doing the 'down-the-stairs' thing.
I was all set to make the trip to Indiana to JC Refrigeration to get my existing RV fridge converted to a 12 volt compressor type fridge. We do a LOT of boondocking and are all "solared out" with Lithium-Ion batteries and a 2000 watt inverter. Now that I've seen your video I've decided to ditch the Indiana trip and instead, drive four miles to my Local Home Depot and get one of these Magic Chef fridges. I have to order it, of course, but this makes total sense. My local mobile RV guy says he's done six of these swap-outs and everyone LOVES their new fridges. Thanks for making this video. it really DOES look fairly easy. I watch a detailed video of someone else doing the JC installation and it looked way more involved. I'm not interested in "Involved". I'm interested in cold beer with little involvement. :)
It wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected. Just remember to add some anchor brackets for traveling.
@@jodaddysworkshop786 After talking to an RV guy at a place that was working on our trailer for an unrelated issue, I decided to forget about the new compressor fridge idea. I'm sticking with our original fridge, and using it on 120v when traveling down the road in hot weather. So far, that has been working out fine.
Great job! Don't tuck insulation in those openings. That refrigerator needs ventilation on the sides. Just install some screen inside the original vent to the outside to keep out bugs. We did that years ago and never got critters inside
Hey I wanted to say thank you I have the same darn refrigerator and it will not keep cold because I live in Arizona it was $118° the other day hot and I want to replace it with a regular refrigerator and I found your video to be very helpful thank you so much for posting this video.
I have some water damage to repair on my interior ceiling panels, including the ceiling panel that runs over the top of the fridge!! I’m trying to figure out how to navigate that before I start dismantling anything! Thanks for the informative video!
One more comment, in case it's not clear. The 45-amp adapter doesn't mean you're getting 5 less amps than the 50-amp connection. Something that many people don't understand is that, while the TT30 connector is indeed 30 amps, the RV50 connector is capable of supplying 100 amps of total current. The reason the RV50 has four pins is that your getting TWO 50A legs, or a total of 100 Amps into your trailer. This is why you see three AC units on some of these RVs. That connector can supply up to 12,000 watts of power to your rig.
Many "professional" electricians get it wrong, and try to wire up both lines of the outlet to the same Line. That's why it is always good to have one of those surge-protector with the circuit analyzer. It will tell you if it has one leg or two.
That adapter dog-bone is typically getting 30 amps from the same leg as the 15/20 amp outlet. But, it's better than having to rely on just the 30 amp alone.
Campgrounds use GFCI on that 15a plug. The adapter will trip the GFCI.
Another enjoyable video looks like a fun place for a weekend getaway
Very helpful video. Thank you for doing it.
Wish I had that bottom door and shelves!
What a coincidence I'm doing the exact same thing now
Jo can you please show some pictures of the trim work and how you did the final locking it down via screws in the back and did you install a upper bracket. I installed mine but need to finish trim looking for information.
I didn’t get that far. We had some other things take our time and I haven’t been able to get back to it.
The 2 wires you took loose on the back look like your 12 volt for your propane ignition .
JoDaddy, how has the Magic Chef fridge worked out for you in the RV? I am in a 5th wheel in a permanent location too and will need a new fridge soon. I'd love to install a residential fridge like you did and wanted to get your 2-year report. Thank you for the great video!
It’s working great! No issues.
Cool!
What were the measurements for the new refrigerator height width and depth on the package of the refrigerator?
Great video. how did you get it out of the door. Mine wont fit out the 22" door.
Our door was wide enough. Barely. Did you try pulling the doors off of the fridge? Or opening them and sliding it out with the doors aimed out through the camper door?
@@jodaddysworkshop786 Yeah, doors off does not make the fridge narrow enough. Had to remove the cooling unit.
hi barry looking good
Jo Daddy! You need to update your Amazon link to the refrigerator. As of July 2023, it doesn't appear to be stocked by Amazon any longer.
Great video, sir! We did the same swap about 2019. Our old 8 cu ft Dometic Gas/Electric was not keeping up, and was terribly small. The gain in going from 8 cu ft to the Magic Chef's 10 cu ft is huge, in RV terms. Plus it cools so much better.
Something to keep in mind. Differences between the operation environment of the two fridges. The RV fridge inside/outside separation is at the front outside edge. The back, sides, and top and bottom are "open" to the outside vents, hence the insulation on those surfaces of your trailer walls.
A residential fridge is meant to be INDOORS, not outdoors, which is what you're doing when you leave those vents open. The top, back, and sides should be open to the INTERIOR of the trailer. Ours has enough gap at the front bottom edge, and at the top to allow air to circulate from the room, and the exterior vents have been blocked off with foam insulation board, making the fridge space part of the living area of the RV.
It's been working great for 4 years, now. Ice trays freeze in about 2 hours, instead of, well, we don't know, because we never could get full size ice trays into our old freezer!
What was the exact size of the new Majic Chef frig you installed? I can't find it. Thankyou for doing this video it is a HUGE help.
I had a link in the description: amzn.to/3JMs7y7
Those wires are for the 12 volt part of the refrigerator
So how is the refrigerator holding up? I just installed one in my camper also. Had to do a lot more remodeling though had to enlarge the opening for the Height
It's been great. No issues.
Gotta have chilled wobbly pops.
When you were plugging the new refrigerator in I noticed the compressor on the new refrigerator was exposed did you take a cover off or did it come that way?
That's how it came.
I'm thinking about the same thing. We had some chicken in the freezer to spoil for almost 2 weeks
After $200.00 cleaning supplies and disinfectant, the stench was still unliveable. We have removed the RV 12 volt refrigerator and don't know what to do.
We love our new fridge
I had someone pull the power cord in the RV park (to access a storage spot behind me) while i was away and they didn't reconnect it. Lost all the contents. I did successfully get rid of the smell with an ozone generator. But i did convert to a Frigidaire 24" apartment size like this, and i was very pleased with it. Yes it is a bit inconvenient to travel with it, but if you keep it closed it doesn't lose much cold in a day trip. Otherwise you can use the onboard gen, or even a small portable gen is all they need to operate. About 125watts, and that's only when they run.
I'm presently converting my travel trailer which is in a park, to this same M.C. model. The extra space and reliability is a great upgrade. I was going to buy a new one at H.D., but happened to find a guy on C.List or offerup that sells apartment takeouts. I got one like new, maybe a year or two old, for $150. Just do it, you'll be really glad you did.
Go to home depot they have the refrigerator in 3 colors .blk white and stainless steel.
I've seen most of the time turning the lp fridge upside down for a day or two will cause them to work again
No time for that.
Would you theoretically be able to cut out those cabinets under the fridge and place a taller fridge in the fifth wheel?
I believe you could. Not sure if they make a taller version of this fridge.
Check first. My heater blower motor sits under that shelf
I’m just wondering if you have had any issues with the refrigerator cooling in your RV? I’m needing to do this to my RV I’m concerned about it getting enough airflow. Sometimes we leave our RV for weeks at a time without any AC on.
So far we haven't had any issues.
Looks more like what happens when you try to draw more power than a cable is designed for. Also, you are absolutely NOT supposed to run the gas when on the road. That is completely false and highly discouraged.
I was wondering how that would work in the winter Don't residential refrigerators have to be at a certain temperature in order to work how do you avoid problems in the winter
I can't say for sure, but I know many people who have a refrigerator on their back deck ot porch. outside all year long. No known issues.
Thanks for making the video
@@jodaddysworkshop786 Yeah, I too have seen 'outside' reefers on back porches where it snows and blows and they seem to work just fine.
You are correct! you have to purchase the right refrigerator that is meant to operate in freezing temperatures. otherwise the freezer will not work properly.
Isn’t this a 120V fridge on a 12V plug-in? Curious cause I need to do the same conversion in my Travel Trailer.
No. This is a 120 volt plug. We do not tow this camper.
How did you secure the fridge so it doesn't fall out? It would be frightening if that flipped forward.
Just add some angle brackets at the top and bottom. Our camper is at a permanent site, so it won’t be moved anytime soon.
Thank you. My son is currently living in a permanent spot as well and I was considering switching out the fridge as well. I just wasn't sure about how to secure it.
Oh heck replace the camper. 🤪
How did you get rid of the old refrigerator?
Local scrap yard.
After you took out the original fridge with the frame around it did it give you more room for a bigger option? We’re looking for a replacement fridge but can’t find one with the same specifications as the original
There wasn't any "extra" room. This fridge fit almost perfectly though. Good luck finding a replacement.
How big is that fridge thanks
I'm not sure. I posted links in the description.
What size is the male cap
Where did you buy your refrigerator ?
I bought mine from Home Depot. They are available on Amazon. Link in description.
Folks dont understand the reason most rvs have absorbtion fridges,the 2 r not close ,1 has a cooling unit,the other absorbs heat and cools itself...a residential fridge can not withstang travelling on the road...the absorbption fridge is 5 x the times the price fir a reason...u will never have a fridge in the boonies unless u have solar and a generator
This camper will not be moved unless it falls apart. So this fridge works fine.
Hey there! I’m looking to do this with my 50amp rig as well. Have you had any issues shorting? I was told I’d need an inverter or something, but I’m not sure why.
I'm no electrician but that dongle makes me skeptical
Everything is working great.
To be cooling while you are mobile.
That mug was heavy !
The only problem is that the frig you installed rejects heat from the sides (NOT the back), and you installed it in a tight enclosure that does not allow air flow to convent the heat away. I also notice you left the insulation on the inside of the enclosure, which makes the ref work even harder to remove the heat. Installed this way, the ref does not cool evenly and uses much more power than necessary.
The main question you have to ask yourself when you install a refrigerator like this is - "Where does the heat go?"
It will get air flow from the outside through the upper and lower vents.
No,,, it vents from where the compressor is the bottom in the back... I have the same set up in mine... Might want to put a small fan on the vent cover... It's what I did to help in summer temperatures
Please help with the following very frustrating issue: The cheap stupid decision the RV manufacturers are NOW doing which is eliminating the propane gas/electric Frigs and putting ONLY 12v Frigs in most RVs and practically destroying the boondocking ability if one does not have a ton of batteries and a ton of solar panels. I have a new motorhome and will sell my brand new 10 cubic ft 12v Frig in order to replace it with the old dependable gas/elec Frig. Help with that conversion !?!?!
Sorry. No help on that one. I understand your frustration.
what size cap was that for the LP line?
I saw another video, 3/8
There's no 220 volt in campers
NEVER plug a 50 amp trailer to a 30 amp supply. That's just dumb.
Really? Why is that? It's even covered in the manual. Just an't run all the appliances at the same time.
@@jodaddysworkshop786 Especially that 2nd operation you had set up where one of the legs you are tying to your main supply line is coming from the 15 amp socket, you the 50 30 and 15 circuits are all basically coming from the exact same terminal on the breaker panel, the difference is and the reason there are smaller breakers is the wire size, now you are supplying your trailer with an unknown amperage, each of the charged lines coming in to the trailer are then split up at the internal breaker box, you have no idea which charged leg of supply is going to which appliance, so now you have a good 30 amp supply going to your ceiling fan and 15 to your microwave or Air Conditioner. Wire size is crucial to be able to supply the appliances properly. You run to little supply and you'll fry that AC
Probably saved your life doing this these absorption refrigerators are a extreme fire hazard and they should be illegal
We've had these absorption fridges for over 25 years and two trailers and never had any issues.
It's not a guarantee but why take the risk? Not only does it pose a great fire risk but the ammonia itself is toxic. and the refrigerator itself never stays cold enough. It's too small inside
@@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 🤪All that aside, I'm going to make this swap. It makes total sense. This will save propane (we boondock a LOT), not to mention then having a much more efficient fridge.
@@MrTommy001 I'm not understanding do you like the absorption refrigerator better or the compressor driven refrigerator?
@@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 No, I'm saying this swap out for the Magic Chef makes all the sense in the world to me. It shows that it draws 15 amps, which comes out to 1800 watts (which seems a bit much). My. Inverter is 2000 watts, so it should be fine. The fridge wouldn't be drawing that much all the time so I don't foresee any issues.
So, in a direct answer to your question, no, I don't think I prefer the absorption fridge to the compressor model. Getting the MC installed will be the final answer. I'll try to report back. Wifey says " Hell, WE can do that,". So, I guess we will . . . Ha.
How is your 30 amp 220 volts?😂
Chugging along. We added a small nuclear generator. We have plenty of power, and the neighbors like the glow.