I remember the late 80’s when TV reporters filmed people in Poland waiting in line for hours to buy an exorbitantly priced loaf of bread. We all said this would never happen here at home. Hooey! While not as bad as Poland, the disruption in our supply chain, fuel prices and transportation logistics makes finding a new appliance or its replacement parts(s) exceedingly difficult.
When the cooling unit in our four-door Norcold propane/electric refrigerator failed, that begrudging conversation ensued. Time to either fix or replace. My spouse began preliminary research first on replacing this propane/electric fridge with a residential model, thinking it would be easier. Initially, we decided that a residential would meet our needs today as we boondock less, a metric based on the fact that as we get older, we enjoy more comfort. That was problem one.
Prices and delivery times are way up
Problem two was that we traveled every couple of weeks, so repair and replacement timing along with logistics were an added problem. So, to attack problem one, we went to “Woe is Me” Lowes and Homeless Depot. Our coach required a counter depth refrigerator which was built-in above a large fuse panel. The last time we were at Nathan’s RV shop, residential replacements cost $1700 for stainless-steel. Not seeing a floor model, we asked an associate. They quickly informed us they did not have this model and one would be available in about 4 – 6 months. Not surprising, the price had jumped to $1995. After checking online, delivery options were similar.
More useless exploring for a fridge
So, off we go to Too Many Campers World and Glamping Outdoors to find out our refrigerator replacement was between $4500 and $6500 plus installation. Yikes… that’s a lot of greenbacks! Not pacified with our initial findings, we needed an alternative. Our small in-bay fridge is strictly for beverages and condiments when enjoying the outdoors, but we could squeeze eggs and milk in it for the time being. It couldn’t manage the daily needs of our big fridge. So, off we go to the local Wally World in Spearfish, SD to check out small refrigerators which we could squeeze into a spot in the galley…. (hmmm where hubby’s dining chair sits).
A temporary alternative for a fridge
We located a 4.3 cubic foot unit which barely fit in the space. Since it was at ground level, the old body has to deep bend to find that cooking necessity. I called it fridge Yoga and we lived like this for the summer months until we arrived back from Sonora, Mexico to Apache Junction, AZ where we would be for an extended period. My hubby had been in contact with Nathan Davidson of Davidson RV who recommended we consider replacing the original ammonia cooking/cooling unit with a new compressor unit that was more efficient and manufactured by JC Refrigeration in Shipshewana, Indiana. And it comes with a three-year warranty! Impressive!
Besides that, another common-sense reason to repair versus replace was that cabinetry woodwork would be required before changing out to a residential fridge. Not cool. And, Nathan advised a residential might require changing out our inverter. Also, not cool!
Installing the new compressor unit was easy
After viewing their website and installation videos, hubby called and discussed our problem directly with the manufacturer – JC Refrigeration. Satisfied this would fix our dead fridge, we ordered the new unit. This unit replaces the old unit perfectly and uses either a 12v compressor or 120v compressor unit. It’s your choice. They also have a direct replacement for the original ammonia unit, but we chose to go without the ammonia cooking feature. The cost of our replacement unit was $950 plus freight. Hubby ordered the compressor on a Monday and the company shipped it the next day. We received the unit via truck the following Monday. Excellent turnaround time. It arrived completely assembled, sans wiring and minimal affixing to the back of the fridge. All components needed were included.
While the assembly and wiring took less than six hours as the unit was laid flat on the floor for ease of wiring, we had to stand the fridge upright and let it sit upright overnight to allow the oil to separate from the freon and flow safely back into the compressor to mitigate any potential damage if we started the fridge without allowing the oil and freon to separate. The instructions which came with the unit were excellent and detailed. Hubby had a question which he texted to the owner and was met with a reply in minutes. Try that with any big box store or stuff made overseas! Their YouTube videos were explicit and detailed. The younger crowd would say Easy Peasy! Would we recommend JC Refrigeration? Absolutely! The refrigerator works better than new. Cools in half the time. Quiet as ever. Cold enough for our favorite ice cream! And, if you feel it necessary, you can buy an additional three-year warranty, totaling six years for $125. Even neighboring RVers couldn’t believe how simple this project was!
Read the edited article published November 5, 2021 here: We fixed our dead Norcold fridge’s cooling unit, but it was a lot of work! – RV Travel
Kate Doherty has been writing for more than 30 years in technical and general media. In her previous business, she and her spouse dealt with special projects within the military/government sector. Recently she published “Masquerade: A Logan Scott Novel” under the pen name Bryan Alexander, a thriller now available in eBook and paperback on Amazon. It’s a page-turner!