Dang the RV Fridge Died - Part 3 of 3

Next up was to replace the old floor under the Norcold since it was warped after all the years that the Norcold sat upon it. Some 3/4” plywood would do the trick. I bought an 4x8 sheet of 3/4” plywood and had them cut it to my needed dimensions at Lowes. They will do this for free so make sure to measure accurately. Once back at the RV I installed the new flooring board and fastened it to the side rails so now we had a new floor for the new fridge to sit upon.

I also wanted to close off the outside vents to the old fridge. The new residential fridge produced heat from the sides not the back so there is no need for outside ventilation. Also residential fridges won’t work in extreme high or low temperatures so closing it off to the outside was a must. I chose using foam board insulation and simply cut it to the appropriate sizes and used dots of liquid nails to secure it in place. I left the bottom piece un glued so I could get it out and access the rear of the fridge if needed.

Once insulated I built a narrow cabinet next to the new fridge since it was narrower that the old Norcold. We will use this area to store mops, brooms etc. and maybe add a small shelf to store a few other items. I will have a door fabricated for it later.

With all this done the new fridge I bought from the Whirlpool site was on sale at $539.00 plus tax. Shipping was free and we could get it in a week. Once it arrived the fellows from J B Hunt brought the new fridge in through the front door (it barely fit) and placed it on its new floor.

I plugged it in and all seemed to work well so I commenced to securing it to the floor. One thing I did was cut another piece of the 3/4” plywood so that it would fit under the front legs (one leg extended just passed the new floor) and extend out about 3 inches. I cut it also the perf3ect length so that it would but up against the rollers in the back of the new fridge acting as a wheel lock so the new fridge couldn’t roll forward.

This construction resulted in the fridge being slightly tilted backward but I like this since the doors of the fridge easily shut due to gravity. Also new fridges don’t have to be level to work normally as did older ones. Next I added wood strips to each side of the new fridge so that it could not slide left or right . Finally I anchored the back of the fridge to the floor with two screws I drilled in through the base frame and one lag bold which I put into an existing hole in the frame and secured it to the floor.

I used a 2x4 laying flat across the top of the fridge and screwed into the side walls to secure the top so there is no way for it to tilt over. Lastly I bought some baby proof cabinet latches that will keep the doors closed while traveling. So the cost so far for the new fridge and construction needed to get it in place is $700. I figure a new door and the remaining work needed will be an additional $100 but that means we are all set up for less than $800 for our new fridge that, by the way, freezes ice cream perfectly!

NOTE:  We are currently in Mesa, Arizona until November 1st…

Dang the RV Fridge Died - Part 2 of 3

We started researching what fridge was available after we took careful measurements of the space the old Norcold was in. Then it happened! Our old Norcold died leaving us little choice but to buy something immediately available so we purchased a small 9.6 cu ft. fridge as a stop gap while continuing our search for a better replacement.

Now with all of the supply line disruptions finding a refrigerator was challenging unless we were willing to wait until late December of January 2023 for a new one. Available supplies of fridges were very limited. A week or so passed before we found a better alternative, a Whirlpool WRT112CZJ.

We chose this one (even though it was about the same size as our old Norcold) because it would not only fit in the existing space easily it would also fit (just barely) through our front door of the RV so we wouldn’t have to remove a window and hire some people to get it inside our RV. In fact the movers Whirlpool hired (J B Hunt) delivered the RV, brought it inside and placed in in its rightful spot.

So let’s back up a bit and I will describe what needed to be done before buying a new fridge. First I had to disconnect the water from the ice maker, the gas line from the fridge (turn off your propane first) and pull the electrical plug. Next I removed the front trim from around the Norcold (several screws had to be taken out for removal).

With the trim off I next located the screws that were fastened to the back of the Norcold holding it down to the floor. Once all of this was done I was able to shimmy the Norcold out of its spot. Next in order to be able to get it out the front door I had to remove the four doors from the Norcold.

With the doors off I was able to get it out the door. We then went to Lowes and bought the 9.6 cu ft. Haier fridge and plugged it in so we could use it for the time being (cost was $369.00). That gave me access to area where the old Norcold sat so I could modify the area for the new fridge.

What I did was first to buy a plug for the faired end of the old propane line so I could plug it up. I used a soapy water solution after turning the propane back on to ensure there were no leaks around the plug I installed.

NOTE:  We are currently in Mesa, Arizona until November 1st…