Have a Dometic reefer with fried cooling unit....dealer says $1050 + labor for cooling unit OR $1440 + labor for NEW reefer (same model)...have found cooling units for @$500 and NEW reefer (same model, Camping World) for @$1000 + shipping....which of these would the DIYer here on this forum feel is most doable?? I am mechanically inclined but have never done this type RV work. Your advice based on personal experience would be appreciated...thanx
OOPS! forgot to mention in original post that CW will install for $197.....my bad
* This post was
edited 04/26/08 12:26pm by dadd45 *
DadD45
2004 Cross Country Coachmen
2001 Wrangler behind
JUST HAVIN' FUN!!!
My dad at 65 years young at the time replace the fridge in his motor home 3 years ago. He said it was quit easy the hard part was lifting it into the cabinet.
I have replaced two, never just the cooling units. I would imagine they are a little tough to do without proper stuff but I am not sure.
Make sure they fit the same space or be prepared to do some cabinet work.
It's really pretty easy to do with like the one poster said getting in into place. I might note that in both cases I also changed brands from Norcold to Dometic with no problems encountered that a less than average handiman could not handle.
12v wiring and plugs into the AC is all. You many have to move the gas line a little depending on the location of the heater unit.
PS, I found an outfit years ago that sold freight damaged Dometic and they were dented where you could not see it but they had full warranty. At the time I got the unit for like 2/3 of the best sale price shipped.
I do not know if that outfit is still in business or have any paperwork on who they were though.
Replacing the refrigerator is quite easy.
1. Unscrew mounting screws from compartment floor (inside the access door outside) and trim surround (inside the RV)
2. Unplug Refrigerator and 12 volt wiring (inside the access door) and unscrew flare nut for the gas line AFTER TURNING OFF THE GAS (inside access door)
3. Slide old refrigerator out of cabinet (inside the RV)
4. Remove old refrigerator from RV and put new one in RV
5. Follow steps above to reinstall.
The hardest part is lifting the units in and out of the RV. One complication you may face is if the RV door is narrower than the refrigerator. Measure first.
My FIL replaced the cooling unit with a rebuilt one. It consisted of removing the fridge, taking it out (I think it could have been worked on in the RV), and fitting the new unit in. The first unit didn't fit but the rebuilder paid for returning it and shipped the second "free".
It worked fine. If it were up to me, I would consider if I was planning to keep the RV for awhile, is the $500 difference worth the risk and hassle PLUS you do get to look at a brand new fridge with a full warranty for your money. If I was going to sell it, I might be tempted to go the rebuilt cooler route.
In my opinion, always replace, new unit, new warranty. I have done a fridge replacement in my camper, so, assuming things are relatively the same, and you are putting in the same size/model fridge,here is the basic process.
1. TURN OFF GAS!!!!!!
2. At the rear of the old fridge, disconnect and label all gas, and electrical lines. Also, if there are any rear hold down screws, remove them at this point.
3. From inside the camper, find, and remove all hold down screws. There were 4 on mine, 2 upper ones, and 2 lower ones. They may be hidden behind trim work.
4. GENTLY slide out the old fridge.
Now here is where things get interesting. In my camper I had to completely remove the entrance door and frame from the camper. This is done to achieve the extra clearance needed to both take out the old fridge, and put in the new fridge. Most camper doors, do not have the clearance needed in the door itself, but, the frame cutout is enough, if you get tight, a small amount of wiggling will get it into the unit. Once you re-install the door, make sure to put in new butyl tape, and insure it is well sealed.
5. Installation of the new unit is generally the opposite of the above steps. Some things to watch is the gas line location, and the wiring.
I know this may sound pretty complicated, and difficult, but, I have done it and it only took about 4-5 hours, start to finish. I am reasonably mechanically inclined, and this is one of the easiest projects to do.
If you want you can just replace the cooling unit, however, you still need to remove the fridge in most cases to gain access, and the cooling unit warranty only covers the cooling unit, not the rest of the fridge.
If you need more info, send me a pm, and I will help as much as I can. But, seriously, a fridge swap out, is a pretty basic and easy thing to do, just go slow, and pay attention to wiring, gas lines etc., and it should not gve you to much problem.
Just make sure you check things out completely. I saw a dealer in Tucson replacing one and they had to take out 2 side windows and use a forklift to get it in and out. Doable, but not something I'd like to tackle in THAT instance. Yours might be easier.
John
2008 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40' QSP
2006 Chevrolet Colorado Toad
BlueOx Aventa LX Tow Bar
SMI Air Force One toad brake
Copilot Live Laptop 10 GPS
My Dometic stopped working. Took it out, with help from my sons, turned it upside down and shoot it,(worked very little for a very short time). It was not leaking, neither gas nor electric would get it cool, though both systems seemed to work. Considered changing-out the cooling unit, but for the $500.00 difference there was little to decide. Bought a brand new one with warranty. Had no guaranty that my changing the cooling unit would be the correct fix. If it did, I would still have 12-year old controls, seals, etc. Good Luck to you !
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