RV Refrigerators

In the realm of RV refrigerators Dometic and Norcold are the leaders. I have worked on both and really like most features of both designs. We'll begin with the Dometic units- As you know you have many choices in the realm of RV food storage. Two way (LP Gas and AC) Three way (12v DC, LP Gas, and AC) single door no freezer, single door with small freezer, double door freezer on top, side by side, side by side with ice maker and so on. I like the aesthetics of the Dometic models better than Norcold, however I like and believe the Norcold is a better refrigerator due to there ease of use and "repairability". The Norcold seems to cool better than the Dometic here in Eastern North Carolina's humid climate. One to stay away from is the Dometic reefers with the automatic temp control. Don't think this will be one less thing you have to deal with because it will be one more thing you will have to deal with. Now there are ways to adjust the temp on these models- but it isn't fun. If you have the choice: stay away. There are many things you can do or have done to help prolong the life and function of your fridge regardless of brand. For example, you can keep the doors open if the unit is not on and cooling. Keep your door seals clean and wash often with bleach water. On the outside of the RV (where your dreaded reefer access door is) remove the door outside, you can use a coin or a screw driver to turn the tabs in the locks 1/4 turn to remove the cover. Now inspect the black coil of pipe in this compartment (this is called the cooling unit on every RV style reefer), if you see rust clean with a wire brush and spray with paint (MAKE SURE YOU TURN OFF THE UNIT AND THE LP GAS BEFORE SERVICING ANYTHING IN THIS COMPARTMENT) no open flames when spraying paint. Then look at any wiring and look for corrosion, if you find any you will need to clean or have an RV repair person come and clean it for you. Now look at the wood structure of the reefer cabinet- do you see any wood rot or water damage? If yes then that will need to be repaired asap you can do this yourself or get an RV repair person to do this for you. If you look to the right you will see the metal burner cover it should be snapped in or held in by a Philips screw driver, remove the cover and inspect this burner. Again make sure the unit is off and the LP Gas is turned off at the tank(s). If you see rust you may need to remove the burner and clean it out, when the rust falls it can fall into the burner and clog it up. These are just a few small things you can do yourself to help keep your RV reefer on track. If you have questions about this or any other RV item please feel free to email me at rvrepair101@doneritemfg.com