Norcold

toneumanns · 08-26-2011, 09:02 PM

I have a new RV with a Norcold 1210 refrig. I have read so many negative comments about their products but I would like to hear from any of you that have positive comments. There are so many negative comments making me think that filling the freezer will only result in spoiled food. Comments please!

SargeW · 08-26-2011, 09:06 PM

Well often the only folks that post are having problems. You don't hear from the thousands that go through life without an issue, like me. I have had Norcold 2 door and now a 4 door model and it works flawlessly. We did have the recall performed a while back, no issues before or after the recall. Observe the common sense rules when using the refer and you won't have any issues either.

akadeadeye · 08-26-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toneumanns

I have a new RV with a Norcold 1210 refrig. I have read so many negative comments about their products but I would like to hear from any of you that have positive comments. There are so many negative comments making me think that filling the freezer will only result in spoiled food. Comments please!

We had the recall done in November, 2010. No problems since then. I am going to have some extra exterior fans installed to help with the temperature here in Texas, and the interior fans from the ebay site. But, these are extraordinary to the recall.

If anything went wrong after this we would install an Amish Cooling Unit, but there is no need for us to do so so long as this cooling unit is doing its thing.

Don

"007" · 08-26-2011, 10:05 PM

Welcome to the forum tuneumanns.
I have never had problems with my 1200 eight year old fridge its Norcold that has the problem and has passed on their problem to RVers to decide what they should do.
You should not have a problem for a while if you maintain it every season and make sure the cooling fans are always working during hot days, they will cycle on and off, unless it really hot.
There are many threads in RV Systems & Appliances forum that will give you info on how to correct if you have a problem.
Your New fridge should have the latest recall already which ever one that maybe.

HeapBigEngin · 08-26-2011, 10:26 PM

We have a 4-door Norcold in our 2003 FWood Revolution DP. Have had both recalls done within the last year or so. The thing worked great before the recalls were done...and has worked great afterwards. As said in a previous post, most satisfied folks don't have anything really to complain about....so they don't. I keep the exterior cooling unit and related items clean and well-ventilated....seems to help. We don't, however, usually find ourselves in extremely high temperature/high humidity areas like Texas or Mississippi, for example.

I'm sure you already know this, but not all do. It is really important to understand the operating requirements and characteristics of an RV refer to ensure that it performs as designed. Fill it with warm or room temperature items.... and expect it to take many, many hours to cool down. Same thing if the doors are kept open for extended periods while filling it. Fill it with cool and/or frozen items....and expect it to cool much, much faster. Once our freezer is at final operating temperature, it will take a cooled item and freeze it into concrete in just a couple three hours. Pre-frozen items will stay that way in our freezer for the duration. If yours doesn't do that, then perhaps there is a problem. As you know, proper leveling is very important for RV refer operation....just the nature of the beast.

LVJ58 · 08-26-2011, 10:32 PM

I'm OK with our 11 year old Norcold 1200 LRIM only issue was replacing external cooling fans due to normal wear and thermistor attached to internal fins. Still working just fine...

Arch Hoagland · 08-26-2011, 11:10 PM

We've had ours since 2004 and it's worked great for 60,000 miles of travel and going on 7 years.
No issues what so ever.

Dr4Film · 08-27-2011, 06:24 AM

Ours is over 10 years old now, but it has not been trouble free and without difficulties.

Presently the freezer is at 0F and the frig is at 27F. That can change when the thing arbitrarily goes into its deicing cycle. The freezer can go to 20F and the frig generally ends up around 40F. I don't like the freezer going that high but it's out of my control.

If you spend some time reading all of the lengthy threads regarding Norcold 4 door refrigerators, you will get a good idea of what people have had to deal with. It's not a pretty picture.

After a year or so once you have had some experience with the Norcold in your coach, come back and give us your opinion of the $4000 refrigerator built by Norcold.

Dr4Film ----- Richard.

dirko · 08-27-2011, 07:01 PM

Hi Ho: Just curious with the fridge at 27 degrees how you avoid freezing everything. Most set the fridge at about 37 degrees. By the way, absorption RV refrigerators don't do well above about 105 degrees F. They just can't maintain the required temperature differential. A simple test for the freezer is to check the ice cream. It should be solid.

Dirk

Dr4Film · 08-28-2011, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirko

Hi Ho: Just curious with the fridge at 27 degrees how you avoid freezing everything. Most set the fridge at about 37 degrees. By the way, absorption RV refrigerators don't do well above about 105 degrees F. They just can't maintain the required temperature differential. A simple test for the freezer is to check the ice cream. It should be solid.

Dirk

As you already know, Norcold's only have one temperature control. I like to have my freezer around 0F or below, therefore the frig ends up wherever it is based on the freezer. I only store bottles and can goods on the very top frig shelf where things can get rather frosty up there. If I were to control the Norcold to the frig temp, the freezer would be too warm for me.

The temp sensors I am using are most likely not recording true temperature's, only air temps. There are specific methods normally used to read accurate temps for both the freezer and the frig, but I am only looking for something close.

Dr4Film ----- Richard.

RCtime · 08-28-2011, 08:20 AM

My 2002, 1200 lrim work just fine. I had the recalls done.
In the last 4 year I had to clean the burner tube once from some debri impairing the flame and thats it.

Duner · 08-30-2011, 09:27 PM

My 1200 4-door has cooled perfectly for 7.5 yrs now and that's with 3.5 yrs of fulltiming. I've been in 115 deg temps for days and haven't lost any food. Ya, the ice cream will get too soft at those hi temps so when we go to the desert we just don't take ice cream. But it keeps the meat safely frozen.

I did have the bottom left door hinge break last year. But with the great instruction from this forum, I repaired it with a metal brace and it's stronger than stock. Just don't let the door swing out hyper extended ... that's how mine broke. We the coach is at a bad slant and you go in for a quick snack or drink, that's when it can slam open if you let go.

I'd buy one again in a minute.

Bill