Future Res fridge install ??

[432bartman]

Originally Posted by beeje

Most would not agree the Google says the ideal temperature for beer is 44 degrees

I would disagree with Google..........warm beer is horrible. My kegerator is set at 37. Nothing worse than going to a restaurant and the beer isn't ice cold.

[beeje]

I agree it is best coming out of a half water half ice cooler

[jcurtis934]

Vacationer, Residential fridges have been used for many many years in motorhomes and proved reliable. Of course, they have way better suspensions than trailers unless you have the morryde IS like many of us installed. I installed my residential fridge after my rv fridge developed a leak and caught fire. I can pull my fridge out of its enclosure without a lot of problems and it can be moved out the door of the montana, if i remove the fridge and freezer doors first. So i have no issue if i ever need service on it. Of course since it was only 25% of the cost of a 12 cuft rv fridge, i can just recycle it if it goes bad and still be ahead of the cost curve. I did have it move my fridge enclosure 6 inches rearward to clear the island when the slide is closed, but that just meant space for cookie sheets, etc on shelves beside the stove and oven.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by vacationer

Some places have stopped installing res fridge in to trailers. I read its to hard to work on you need to remove the whole slide.

I saw a video from Haylett RV that said the same thing. I don't know why they had to do that or what kind of dimensions are on everything but I measured, and was assured, that my res fridge would come out the door with the doors off the fridge.

[beeje]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I saw a video from Haylett RV that said the same thing. I don't know why they had to do that or what kind of dimensions are on everything but I measured, and was assured, that my res fridge would come out the door with the doors off the fridge.

There's another whole thread with that dealers name in the title

[Mikelff]

Originally Posted by beeje

I watched the JC install video. It states to only stand up the unit a certain way. Tell me how it can be delivered and not handled in a way it would be damaged ? The delivery guys could care less about your package.

Beeje,
They pack that unit well. Lots of bubble wrap. The reason they say to only tip it one way is to keep the refrigerant and oil in the compressor or lines. These are very well built. The only thing you might have to do is let it stand vertical for 8 hour or so before you turn it on. The shipping company would really have to abuse the unit to do serious damage. If you had that all you need to do is call JC and tell them what happened. They will send you another unit and they will file the claim with their shipper. These are good questions and I would email any questions them to JC. Trust me, they want to hear from you. They will not leave you hanging! Their reputation is very important to them. Really good Amish folks. They will help you through the entire install process. Jeremy is the son and is a great guy with a good sense of humor. You will enjoy working with him. He does all the installs and runs production in the shop. Go for it!

[Mikelff]

Originally Posted by beeje

I agree it is best coming out of a half water half ice cooler

DITTO!

[Mikelff]

Originally Posted by beeje

There's another whole thread with that dealers name in the title

I know some folks with residential fridge have no issues, but it seems more and more folks are and as far as service for them, you are on your own. The reason I went the route just changing the cooling unit out is that I didn’t have to make any mods to the cabinet, the fridge box is plenty big, the 3 year warranty, the reputation of the company, runs on 12V with a very low power draw, lower than a residential fridge, didn’t need an inverter, run it down the road and didn’t have to have concerns about running with the propane on. Construction is very rugged and built to last, longer than a typical residential fridge. For those of us with absorption refrigerators looking for a better solution, obviously, I’m convinced this is the way to go, as long as you are ok with the box you have. For people that already have residential fridge, I hope they last forever for you. Nuf said.

[Mikelff]

Cranked up the fridge in the AM to let it cool to temp. At 101 degrees outside temp (about 4PM) the freezer held -7, the fridge was 36-37. Depending on how many times you open the door and how long you hold it open it went to 40. Within 30 min was back to 38 and falling. Exactly what I was hoping for. Just an FYI for anyone thinking about going this route.

[masterdrago]

The biggest issue with servicing the residential reefer is getting access to the rear of the unit. Where the control board (PCB), inverter and compressor/condenser fan are. I know. Just did it to replace the inverter ($125). A long piece of black trim under and in front of the frig has to be removed since it acts to stop the frig from rolling out. I replaced it using flathead screws. I built a two piece platform that sits on the floor in front of the reefer/kitchen slide out. Unbolt the unit from the heavy metal bracket and it rolls right out onto the platform. YMMV since it has to angle out of the way of the island a bit. Once you build the platform, it's a piece of cake.



And there are service companies that will service them. One is A&E. They are nationwide. https://www.aefactoryservice.com/

[masterdrago]

Originally Posted by beeje

I watched the JC install video. It states to only stand up the unit a certain way. Tell me how it can be delivered and not handled in a way it would be damaged ? The delivery guys could care less about your package.

It matters not how it is shipped as long, and this is really important, you let it sit for 24-48 hours after doing the install b4 running the unit in the upright position.



I have one interesting question. And I do know that these units he is making and selling at JC-refrigeration.com are simple to repair. Who will they send out to do any repairs on the sealed system as it does require a rather schooled skill set?

[masterdrago]

I just realized after watching the video that both the freezer and the refrigerator of the new unit is a manual defrost type. That's unfortunate.

[Teri M]

This is NOT a MONTANA! I repeat: Not a Montana!! However, this is what my friend went thru this summer with her new (used) camper on her way home. Apparently the refrigerator was not installed correctly (glued or hooked on the back) from the factory. It's something everyone should check so this doesn't happen to you too!

[Oldharley]

i did a swap from a dometic 4 door to residential. it wasn't in a Montana but i would do it again. the key is the vertical height. measure your width and i think you can find several residential fridges but they were all taller than the dometic. i had a drawer under mine that i was able to remove and the residential refrigerator fit with 5 " above the fridge that i need to clean up. install an inverter with pass through 120v and auto transfer and as soon as i unplug the rv the fridge runs on battery. so much more space in the residential fridge.

[masterdrago]

I don't even see what was holding that unit in. On mine, there is a large heavy piece of iron running along the hinge space between the ref & frz doors. It's bolted to heavy iron pieces that are attached to the back wall. I've heard of some having the screws come out of the back wall. I checked mine when I had the unit out and they seem very secure. Very unfortunate event. There is a chance that the doors of the unit are damaged and need replaced. When I worked in the industry few years back, sometimes LG and Samsung doors are no longer available.

[Mikelff]

Originally Posted by masterdrago

I just realized after watching the video that both the freezer and the refrigerator of the new unit is a manual defrost type. That's unfortunate.

I haven’t had any big problems with frost or ice. The fans they install in the fridge keep my fins frost free. Freezer gets a little frost but has never been an issue. It still operates off the original control board which has an automatic defrost cycle. I think the Norcold has the same thing.

[hitdrd]

until today when u mentioned it🤣

[jeririgged223]

Originally Posted by beeje

Has anyone out there with a 2010-2012 3455sa or 3665re or similar unit, replaced there 4 door norcold fridge with a residential one.

Just wondering about the depth since its only a few inches away from the counter with the slide in.

I just read an article where many of the RV dealers will no longer be ordering RV's with residential fridges. They claim they cause too many problems and their service technicians are spending too much time trying to troubleshoot and repair the problems.