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Norcold Fridge Performance
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waynethayer
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Joined: June 30, 2017
Posts: 3
Location: Washington
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:37 am    Post subject: Norcold Fridge Performance Reply with quote

Last month, the fridge froze my eggs.

That was the last straw. First, I added a thermocouple which I tucked in one of the unused shelf slots on the bottom right of the fridge, so it takes up zero room. The reader was $10 on Amazon, and I hooked it up to the "levels" panel power and installed it in the same strip.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IGUGO1E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought a 30 gauge set of thermocouples (K type) from Omega, and drilled a 3/32" hole in the top of the fridge. Sealed the hole with caulk and used aluminum tape to stick the wires to the back wall of the fridge.

Immediately, it became obvious that the Norcold thermostat was dead. About $100 and a few hours got that going. Then we went for an overnight trip to where the temperature dipped to about 38F. Just before I turned in, I checked the temperature and it was headed for frozen egg territory, so I turned off the fridge and let it coast through the night. The thermostat was working, but in propane mode the fridge keeps a pilot lit, and that is enough to freeze the eggs if the cabin temperature is cool enough. Lesson learned: use the temperature gauge to learn where things are heading!

A few trips later we attended 4 Peaks music festival in Bend, OR. It was moderately warm, maybe up to 85 during the day, and going into the 40's at night. The camper van parking wasn't perfectly flat, and we ended up down on the port side at a slight angle (approximately 2 degrees), even after shimming up the port side with available rocks and applying the jack. The fridge was barely preventing spoiling. At night it was OK, but during the day it would get above 55F.

Being an engineer, I had to figure this one out. So all last week I ran the fridge at a range of different roll angles. I discovered that the 120V performs a little better than the propane (and no pilot light, so no chance of frozen eggs if the thermostat works!), and that my particular installation performs well from 1.5 degree port down through 3 degrees starboard down. (Good thing clinometer apps are available for iPhones!). Outside that range, the performance drops off rapidly, and, as Norcold's manual notes, it may be damaging to the cooling media.

When the fridge is performing correctly, it is capable of driving the temperature 50-55F below the cabin temperature (measured at the cabin heater thermostat--that died last year, so we substituted a battery powered digital one).

So if you want to use the Norcold, watch the roll angle, and install some kind of temperature reader.
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whizzif
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Joined: August 09, 2006
Posts: 27
Location: Ogden, Utah
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Norcold Fridge Performance Reply with quote

I just bought a TruckFridge TF 65. Just installed it. Hoping it works better. I think it handles inclines better. Also no fussy lighting. I’ve owned a few EvCs and not one fridge operated on LP.

Hope you get it sorted. I highly recommend WestyVentures. Karl was immensely helpful if you decide to swap.
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