Ever convert a reefer to an ice box ...

[terryjones1]

First , let me say , I was STUPID enough to buy a commercial TT ... and it has a Norcold reefer in it ... which is Heavy , unreliable , not any good in Hot weather (like we have here) , subject to many recalls , and a total pain to deal with , save the worries of a Fire ..
I cannot even consider selling it to anyone else ( I do have a conscience) , and imagine if I remove it , it will sit around my garage as just another piece of expensive useless junk... so I guess the alternative would be to convert it to an ice box .... It is a box with a door and shelves... Maybe just an ice tray and a drain tube... I could even insulate the enclosure better ...
Or should I just toss the whole thing out , get an Igloo and not have any worries at all ?

Is this just a Fool's errand ??? Now I have come to Trust and depend on the learned opinions of the many Teardroppers here... mainly because the interest is in making a Quality (and safe) camping trailer, that we don't have to repair every 20 minutes ... It would appear the RV industry is only interested in making money , for themselves and their dealers ... I'm Done with them !!!!

GPW I have had three of the RV type fridges and you are right they don't work as well as one with a compressor.

We camped in St Bernard parish SP one very hot I mean very hot time I had installed a muffin fan in the outside rear of the fridge blowing up to help remove the heat from the stack.

with then fam on it lowered the inside temp of the fridge 10 to 15 degrees which is all it took. later I installed another fan this one was 12 volts so I could if needed run it on the battery.

you could give it a try before getting rid of it, remember ICE melts fast in NOLA.

I also have a small college fridge it works very well but is only 120 volts.

pete

Sorry to hear about bad experiences with Norcold refrigerator.

I have had 3 van RV conversions in the last 8 years.
I had installed Norcold DC0051 12 DCV refrigerators in all.
My experience with this refrigerator is very posative.
I had no problems with controlling tempature, or problems with maintenance.

I am now building a TTT.
I have ordered and received a new Norcold DC0051.
I highly recommend this refrigerator.

Don't be too hasty in dismissing refrigerators. The refrigerator that "GPW" had was probably a gas absorbtion type of refrigerator. They have had some problems. The Norcold DC0051 is a compressor type refrigerator. It runs on 12 DCV only, and it draws approximately 2.5 amps while it is running. (It does not run all of the time). The duty factor or run time percentage will depend on inside RV tempature. DE0051 is a 110 ACV/12 DCV model. It draws a little more current in the DC mode (which is why I selecter the DC only model). I, of course, use a larger battery and a converter/charger to charge the battery & run the 12 DCV accessories while plugged in. I much prefer a refrigerator to an ice box.

[GPW]

TJ, we do have a reliable, if inexpensive , dorm fridge we can stab in there , just didn't want the gas unit to go to waste ... Too old and "thrifty" to be throwing stuff away , so a conversion was the simplest idea ... well so far anyway ... I really couldn't sell it to anybody and have a good conscience... given the Norcold recall history and the many reefer fires documented ...

For our particular/ peculiar "style" of camping , we always have electricity , or move on and find a place that does ...

Best of all my Norcold has yet to be used ... Just sitting out for 5 years now in the TT, it has managed to corrode in our excess Humidity ... Guts probably worthless now , but the box is like New ... Gotta' be useful for something eh ... ???