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Old 07-21-2023, 08:51 AM   #21
rames14
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We have now had a Norcold 2118 in our last two rigs dating back to 2015. The first issue with every 2118 that I have seen is the center flapper hits on the bottom and stays open. A 5/16” washer on the pin under the left hand door makes a huge difference. Second, ARP fridge defender makes an inexpensive (compared to a new fridge) system that both protects and improves the performance of the Norcold. And third, JC Refrigeration makes a replacement cooling system for those who boondock and don’t want the power consumption of a residential fridge. It is a 12v compressor system. Should our Norcold die, that is what I would install because we boondock a lot. We are currently in Alaska and haven’t had shore power since early June.
 
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Old 07-21-2023, 09:55 AM   #22
Foldbak
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheriepeterson@yahoo.com View Post
We have a 3120rl with the norco 2118. We are getting a residential ge/haired frig. With an inverter to be installed. Does anyone know if there is a class action suit against norco and keystone for installing a $6000. Frig that doesn't keep food cold? What can we do to make them cover our costs for such a faulty unit?
First off all welcome to the MOC. Secondly I'm not aware of any suits. I have to assume it worked as designed when new. (not great on hot days) If it's never worked then the warranty should have been utilized. You won't get anything from the manufacture four years later. The fact is that this is a very common problem with the older units. Many complain that the freezer won't keep ice cream frozen. There are some fan add on solutions that you can find on youtube. My 2022 16 cf Dometic Absorption does a great job. No complaints.

As far as converting to a residential fridge, this isn't a good idea for boondocking. It's great for full hookup. The inverter will only provide power for as long as your batteries can hold up. Even with lithium the operation time is limited. It's good while you're traveling. To go res and boondock you'd need 1200 watts of solar and 600 AH lithium with lots of sun.
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Old 07-21-2023, 11:04 AM   #23
AZ Traveler
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Our 2118 reefer continues to do a good job. We did install the ARP device which adds a few fans to improve cooling.
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Old 07-26-2023, 10:27 AM   #24
tjblocker
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12 volt cooling unit

Last year I purchased a 2022 3231CK with a Norcold 2118. It worked very poorly. While in Quartzsite in 100 degree weather the freezer would be 20 degrees and the fridge near 50. Ice cream was out of the question. I found lots of complaints about this model not cooling so I upgraded to the JC Refrigeration 12 volt cooling unit. Comes with two 12 volt compressors. Today my freezer is never above 0 and the fridge is rarely above 35. I have 1kw solar on roof and solar powers my fridge 12 year round. Live full time and most of the year we are off grid.

I highly recommend JC Refrigeration (an Amish company)
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Old 07-26-2023, 02:34 PM   #25
AZMont
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I live in the Phoenix metro area and had numerous issues with my RV dual mode refrigerator. I did the following to correct the cooling issues: 1.) insulated the part of the slide that contains the refrigerator. 2.) installed 2 additional factory fans in the compartment behind the refrigerator, 3,) installed an internal 12v recirculating fan inside the refrigerator compartment. With these 3 changes, I can now hit 38 degrees in the refrigerator in Phoenix summer time in my RV's covered storage facility. I boondock, so making the dual mode refrigerator more efficient was a better option than a residential refrigerator.
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Old 07-27-2023, 10:19 AM   #26
jetskier
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I've had nothing but problems with the 2118 since I bought the trailer in 2018. I finally upgraded to the 12V JC cooling unit in June. I have 600Ah Li batteries/1200W solar. It's been in the high 90s the past week with a couple 100° days. The gas absorption/elec cooling unit could never keep the unit cool on hotter days. The 12V unit doesn't have a problem at all staying within 3° of the set temp (unit cycles). I have it set to 34° in the refer and 0° in the freezer.

Here's a DC power profile in the trailer for the past 24hours. My 3000W inverter is powered up and the typical 12V drain circuits totally about 30-50W if the fridge is off. The left end of the graph is 8am yesterday morning (24hr profile shown). The spikes in the sawtooth during the day is the 254W. If you remove the 50W of other DC power, the refer with both fridge use about 200W with both compressors running. The 129W showing now is with one compressor off. The four dips in the graph are when the overnight temps drop and the compressors are off for a little. The overnight lows have been in the high 40's/low 50s. When the daytime temps are moderate, the dips/cycles happen throughout the entire day.


If you get one and boon dock, make sure you have at least 200-300Ah of batteries and enough solar or a generator to recharge if you are in a shady area. With the profile below, the battery bank bottomed out at 75% before the solar started charging this morning.
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Old 07-28-2023, 06:17 PM   #27
AZMont
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Yes, have heard much about the 12v fridges. If I had to replace my dual mode, that would be my first choice. I have also gone the LiFePo battery option and feel it would be a good complement to a 12v fridge.
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Old 07-29-2023, 10:51 AM   #28
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Just ordered the 12V dual compressor kit; will install myself.
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