Converting our RV Fridge to a High Efficiency DC Compressor- 8x More Efficient! and Better Cooling!

Hello all thanks for joining us. In this video we will be showing you how we removed the propane absorption cooling unit from our Dometic RV fridge and replaced it with a High efficiency DC compressor unit. This has made our fridge around 7 - 8x more efficient when running on electric and it can easily run on our Solar system all the time.
JC Refrigeration makes these units, check them out here - jc-refrigeration.com/
We soldered our propane line shut but did not show it because JC refrigeration now offers a plug in the kit which is a much better way to go. They also offer a fan to keep your fins defrosted which we will be installing soon.
A few things you may need to do this project.
The drill I use - amzn.to/2RoAfci
Gloves! I love these ones - amzn.to/2P4Bbk5
Caulk Gun - amzn.to/2SjDKk2
Prybar or the Cats Claw Tool I used - amzn.to/2RpINPW
Electrical spade connectors - amzn.to/2TXgABN
How Does an RV Refrigerator Work? It’s Pretty Cool! www.mortonsonthemove.com/how-...
Thank you for watching our videos!
We are the Mortons On The Move and we live full-time in our fifth-wheel RV and travel the country. We blog, vlog, and share our journey on social media. We'd love for you to join us!
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[@MortonsontheMove]

At that time of this video the costs for the unit for a fridge like ours was$ 595.00 for AC and $800.00 for the DC unit. The larger units probably are a bit more expensive but I am not sure. They can install it for $150 or ship them to you. Their upgraded absorption unit was $650.

[@bruceh3786]

Based on some posts in an RV Forum, the install labor may be $300 for a side by side (4 door) unit like the Norcold 1200. They also offer a helium option for the gas absorption units but it does add to the price. Helium is not flammable like hydrogen. They state the helium model has the same cooling capacity. Excellent video, thanks.

[@georgefenrich4119]

SO you said you got the DC model? @ $800? do they not make new fridges like this ?

[@sailingsolar]

I removed my comment do to being either irrelevant or out right wrong which I became aware of after posting. My apologies.

[@georgefenrich4119]

@@sailingsolar Yeah, when I saw the prices I said, There have to be newer fridges out there... :o)

[@georgefenrich4119]

@@sailingsolar I had to do the same thing on Bob Wells channel. He was telling everyone that solar and an AGM battery is the way to go over a portable power pack. l had to say I disagree to some point. BOTH will have to be charged with Solar but the Portable power pack can be charged by 120 and or car alternator, and yet the power pack is PORTABLE and can be used at the park at the campfire and moved to anywhere you need it. I just hope people would look into more than one KZbinr channel before that do something like this ... SAD TIMES

[@ricksflicks-]

I don't plan on doing a fridge conversion and stumbled upon this while looking for other fridge info but just wanted to say that I appreciate the in-depth nature of this video, the good editing, and the follow up segment at the end. Really great content guys! Will check out your other stuff.

[@santahawes8389]

Tom, THANK YOU for this video!!! Our fridge in the RV was becoming less reliable, and when I started looking for replacements today, I find your video. You are truly a Renaissance Man! We are doing the funds reallocation to place the order next month! I figure we will save that much in just the ice we have been buying! Again, thank you!

[@TwT101]

This is great work guys. I can't believe you did all this and shot the video while doing this. This is what makes KZbin great. Don't have words to thank you for your hard work. Keep up the good work.

[@johnhirsekorn2810]

Tremendous guys! Really informative and takes away the apprehension of doing this project on our own should we ever bulk up our electrical storage. Appreciate all the "engineer's" attention to detail along the way!

[@DailyWalk365]

You guys did an excellent job on this video. One of the most complete and thorough how to / reviews of any product I've ever watched. And I've watched a lot of them.

[@brentjohnson6654]

Another great video. I like how you explain what you are thinking. Congrats on a successful install.

[@Michael-el8xl]

You will find you will love a small impact driver so much better for the type of work you are doing...its a tool improvement that I was really glad to discover.Especially for self tapping screws...more power more control

[@OneTrueCat]

I had that same thought. It hurt my heart to watch that!

[@user-id9ou2np8g]

I hardly use my impact unless I am driving large fasteners like lag bolts because its too easy to strip. My favorite driver is actually a 12v Bosch screwdriver. It has plenty of torque for regular screws, smaller and lighter than a full-size drill or impact. The main difference is that drills have continuous torque, which is why they have a clutch, and the impact (as the name implies) has an anvil that hits the drivetrain to amplify torque. An impact is comparable to a hammer on a nail. It has a ton of force on the swing, but its difficult to control the exact amount of force.

[@dangerdavefreestyle]

perhaps drive a self tapper with a regular drill and when it gets near the end, stop, and snug it by hand with a socket wrench! torque is everything. just rite.

[@willyhoogs]

Wow. This is really great. As a refrigeration mechanic I'm impressed and was not aware they made these. The cost is honestly very good and the dc unit was definitely the way to go.

[@piratetv1]

I couldn't believe the whole sealed system was outside the cabinet, so different from consumer residential units

[@billyroeseler9547]

Can you help me in Wa or Ca?

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Hello again, Tom! This video was so incredible that I just had to watch it again! What a big all day project that you and your wife took on. I'm very impressed with everything that you do on your channel and with everything in your lives.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

I’m of course loving your Morton’s go North videos as much as you’re enjoying making them.

[@centralcoastcamper9631]

Nice to know there are conversion kits like this out there. I would have thought they would be cheaper to buy than a new absorption kit. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@OneTrueCat]

Unfortunately, it's kind of a niche thing, so they've got the novelty factor going for them.

[@CosmicSeeker69]

but then they wouldn't have saved the ENORMOUS amounts of Kwh that they did!

[@fernandouellette4240]

Small custom manufacturer vs mass produced by larger manufacturer.

[@davidahn4644]

Thanks, this was a great find! I was kinda shocked at how much propane our fridge uses! We're upgrading our solar from 100W to 1400W, so a DC fridge is a no brainer (works better AND uses less power). We're also waiting for a 24VDC mini-split air conditioner due out later this year from Hotspot Energy. Solar boondocking will be SO much easier with air conditioning that uses 200-500W instead of 900-1200W of power plus inverter losses.

[@wethepeoplebandstl9388]

VERY well done video, and loads of good info as well! I was unaware of this options existence. Thanks for the education. As a Broadcast Engineer myself, I do appreciate your attention to detail. I have had (what I believe is) the exact same Dometic fridge in my 2007 Heartland BigHorn 5th wheel. After being unimpressed with its cooling, I added two 6 inch computer fans to the top outside vent, blowing out...basically sucking the warm air out from the upper rear fins. Then I added a small DC fan inside of the unit, blowing on the fridge fins. The end result of this was a fridge that stayed about 33-36 deg, and a freezer that stayed between zero and +8 all last summer. Oh, and I should mention that I cleaned the burner, and flue too. Very important! Something must have really been wrong with yours to cool so poorly. Although I haven't had to use it personally, the upside-down trick does work too. Absorption fridges don't have to cool poorly, but many of them do when they aren't working well. They also don't use very much propane when they are working well...Nothing like the furnace or water heater. Just a tiny little flame. They do take a while to get going however, and that is a more significant draw-back. I don't mind getting a 30# tank re-filled once or twice a season. If we were full-timing like you, I might feel differently. Propane is basically a waste-gas anyway...A by-product of the refining process. They used to just burn it off until they realized people would buy it. As a side-note, my parents used to have a gas home fridge, and installed a new Arkla-Servel gas air conditioner in their home in 1968. It was an overly complex PITA, and it sprung an unfixable leak after about 12 years. So I've had both good and bad experience with absorption cooling. I fully understand why you folks went this route, but it's probably not a path I'd take. At least not till I have tons of solar on the roof, and a Tesla battery. :-)

[@bradfordramsden1669]

Well done guys. You gave an outstanding liniar explaination with no fluff or redundency. Your explaination gave this diy'er the kick in my confidence to stop procrastinating and get on with it.

[@markoliver474]

Wow! Good on ya. Watching you guys over the last year or so, you’ve come a long way. Cool... Thanks for doing and sharing these things...

[@timaz1066]

I have the JC 120 V unit and love the way it performs in my 1200 series Norcold

[@JeremyPrattigmp2u]

The control box on the side of the compressor is a timer which protects the compressor from short cycles and monitors the pressure on the input and output of the compressor. All compressors have a 5 minute minimum stand down which starts either when power is first applied or when the compressor cycles off. The cycling that you saw on first start would be the refrigerant moving around the lines which causes random pressure swings and the controller will shutdown the compressor to protect it. Once things equalize and the 5 minute timer expires then the compressor can start again. Your Air Conditioner has one of these circuits as well.

[@cedricerleward]

Good info

[@JohnnyC10071959]

I am never going to do anything like this but I love watching this guy do it

[@thomasblankenship1646]

West RV repair in Livingston TX installed the AC compressor AC unit from JR REfrigeration. Our unit work wonderfully. Freezer reaches 18 degrees and the fridge is easily maintained at 38 even in the hot weather of Texas. Best mod I've done on my rig.

[@MortonsontheMove]

Awesome to hear!

[@captainvideojw]

Hi Thomas. Looking for someone to do a conversion of my Norcold. How is your unit performing? Any freezing of the refrigerator fins? Thanks!

[@pamatthew99]

A few builders of trailers are now getting rid of the absorption fire starters in favor of new 12V 3Amp larger fridges and freezers. With a solar panel and better batteries you will never have a problem running it 24/7. You no longer need to go regular residential which draws to much power.

[@takayama1638]

Well Tom, as usual, great work. I will check in to this kind of fridge change.

[@renaulttraficconversion]

Well done. Thanks for the video. Nice to have a strong woman to help you. I like the look of that fridge/freezer with the nice wooden door panels.

[@StressLessCamping]

Just worked on a project with Furrion on their 12vdc refrigerator and they're really incredible. Now I"m looking for some dumb excuse to replace our refrigerator (our RV refrigerator is still working great, even on really hot days). This is a great option too - another terrific video!

[@cpfpv6410]

What an awesome idea. The propane electric fridges are super expensive to replace. Converting it to 12v makes so much more sense.

[@vigneshwaranms]

I am not gonna use this anytime soon. But the last words looked too honest. Thumbs up for the genuine review 👏🏽🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@JMMGarza]

Wow! I didn't know you can convert a fridge like that. Amazing!

[@JMMGarza]

After scrolling down the page, I found prices. Thanks!

[@jlucasound]

Great Job! Thanks for sharing. Happy Trails!!

[@commercialinterruption3708]

One of the best RV retrofitting videos I’ve ever watched. Bravo.

[@danbronars8586]

Keep up the good work. Safe travels and God bless you. RV lifestyle is awesome !

[@Renew_You]

Thank you, very nice production, I enjoyed watching the retrofit.

[@edmor1086]

Great video. I will be driving out to their factory this summer and have them install the 12v unit on my Dometic RM2652. They estimated about $800.

[@dwightmorrisva]

Excellent how to video! Thank you.

[@davidallred4611]

We have a Norcold fridge and the DC compressor will vastly improve its operation. Thanks again!

[@TheBroilerman]

Thanks for the video. Very informative. I'll keep this in mind until my RV is a little older it's brand new.

[@alanhester9984]

Great video. Our Norcold fridge like your is 15 years old and luckily is still working like new.

[@beyondall1925]

@alan hester Ours is 17 years old and still works fine, makes me think they built things better the further back you go.

[@ToIsleOfView]

Dude! You are a pro. I hope the manufacturer pays you for this monster install. I prefer an un-vented residential 115V frig and use my inverter when on battery. If my battery gets low, fire up the gas generator and power everything including the battery charger to get back on battery power. No special wiring, and no issues in freezing weather.

[@seeqr9]

Gas,LP..? How many gallons to get back to full charge?

[@curtegerer7151]

That's an interesting new option. We had JC Refrigeration install their so-called 'Amish Cooling Unit' in our Norcold 1200 last year. Very impressed with the unit and the factory install. And it works great!

[@robertjackson4121]

So do they have factory trained tech people by state? What other diagnostics should be used to test and retro fit a unit. What is warranty? You can buy a car certified used car and major repair warranty. They used to have dynamo tested vehicles . seems money pit RV dealers... On a 70% depreciated motor home with 15 year financing and seven year depreciation

[@JR36802]

Yeah man I’m glad I found your video because if I start having problems with mine that’s exactly what I’m doin but I think mine is ok for now it actually freezes stuff a little in the refrigerator

[@toobsterdude]

Thank you for your informative and helpful videos!

[@nellyfarnsworth7381]

Thank you so much, for making this video.

[@MrTimHuggins]

Awsome video once again guys! Way to Gitter Done. You really make it look easy!!

[@SkypowerwithKarl]

I had a full size residential refrigerator in my boat and mostly running on inverter for two or three days. If you do this there are two things that you must keep in mind. The current draw was not bad when the compressor ran but the big surprise was the defrost cycle. The defrost could pull enough power the cause the inverter fan to run. To save power and keep things quiet I installed a switch to disable the defrost when it was on inverter power. The ice buildup minimal for a few days and went away by next weekend when on shore power. Just remember to turn it back on. You also want to install a delay on timer so that if there’s a momentary power interruption that the refrigerator compressor has time to reduce starting pressure. If there’s too much pressure in the system and it hasn’t equalized it can stall the compressor and it trips a safety but that safety will only do that a limited number of times before the compressor or safety device fail.

[@cedricerleward]

Good to know

[@paullundell8009]

This is fabulous. If mine was not residential I'd do this as soon as I could.

[@garybaris139]

What a great step by step instruction video.

[@edwardschabow9252]

great job Tom

[@mlaub66]

GREAT job on this video!

[@johnkoury1116]

Incredible video!! Well thought out and presented. Thank you.

[@andrewlenhill]

So cool thankyou I'm in this boat as we speak

[@chipchebuhar6486]

Great video - thanks for sharing!

[@stuartcairnie9985]

Thank you for this video, very informative.

[@charlieclingan9273]

Awesome video with great details

[@chrisbeaubouef671]

This is a great product and even better video! Great job. We chose to replace our not old with a frost free fridge. And added a drawer cooler and mini dishwasher. In the same space. It was still $400 less than this conversion. This is an amazing kit if you’re not skilled enough to close off this old space for a interior vented/cooled fridge. Thanks for the video!!

[@MortonsontheMove]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pilotrobroy]

Like your follow up section and the info about low battery cut out.

[@paulcowan9427]

Super Video u 2! I know it seems silly to point out but you do a great job of talking clearly and pronouncing words correctly. Easy for us “older DYIers” to n

[@digger105337]

The ability to speak well is becoming a lost art, folks make up words that don't exist or mispronounce existing words . In the future I can see a day that slang, acronyms and emojis 🤪 will be standard. You are correct that they both speak well. Their former English teachers would be proud! 🤓

[@perezm714]

Nice work, you two are a great team!

[@lloydmorrison5979]

Outstanding video! With all the problems with the propane refrigerators, we just installed 1 KW solar power and 2 120 amp Lithium batteries and a 6 kw inverter to power our 120 volt ultra high energy efficient refrig-freezer and have been very happy.

[@cedricerleward]

What kind, and size, of solar panels can generate 1kw? How many panels of what size do you have?

[@markdoyle8713]

Well done.

[@normangebhardt2092]

Tuned in for the last minuet of the program. Looked interesting. Will watch it later if thats an option on your sight.

[@ronwasser4852]

great update !

[@PMUP2016]

Fantastic post!

[@davidduvall6447]

Great informational video. We will be full time in 2 months and this is going to be one of the first things we do. Nice to see young smart peeps teaching some old peeps some good info. I am subscribing to your channel because of this video.

[@DrPoopee79]

Awesome video...thank you

[@practicalman45]

Very well presented video. Bravo!

[@johndolezal310]

New to your channel. I'm 64 and don't know half of what you know electrically. We hope become full timers in two years. Jobs and family are putting us off a while. We'll continue watching your journey, take care and be safe.

[@edmor1086]

Drove out from California to Indiana to have JC refrigeration do the conversion to 12 V About 5 weeks ago. It is a game changer. I can now boondock and have the electric refrigeration. At around 75ﾟ F my old unit when on electric would burn about 20 amps per hour. With the new unit it's a tad above 4 amps per hour. That's 480 amp hours per day down to 100 amp hours per day. One 150 watt panel would probly keep up with it. I have got 950 watts So even on cloudy days I'm putting out enough. The people at JC refrigeration couldn't be nicer. They will let you park in their parking lot the night before your appointment. Thank you so much for doing this video. It has been a huge plus for me. Cost around a $1000 for my Dometic 2652. One note: There is a low level sound and some vibration. Not a bother to me at all but everybody's different

[@davidroberts7490]

Great video. Very well explained !👍😊

[@TheHonestFoodTeller]

I usually watch such videos at 2x. It's bloody impossible with you, man! And congrats on such a great job!

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thanks!

[@timothyhays1817]

Good ad. Thanks for the information.

[@rosetta6285]

Wow. That was my kind of high quality nerd troubleshooting 🤓

[@00708046]

You really put a lot of effort into this. From my perspective I don't think many people would be as successful as you .

[@chrisw1462]

hah! Most people these days wouldn't even attempt it. They'd let a dealer or technician talk them into whatever gives the best profit, and be stuck with whatever they got.

[@michaelprue9024]

Thanks for this video content. It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. You guys did an awesome job converting you’re fridge over to a compressor style. Nice work 👍. I will definitely be getting in touch with JC refrigeration in regards to my own conversion.

[@lcdrjsmasterson]

Funny ... I just did the same conversion to our fridge - works great, doesn't it? We're full-time and my wife was hiking the Appalachian Trail when I got my unit, so I ended up doing the whole conversion (including removing and reinstalling the fridge) by myself after putting the kids to bed. It was a long night, but by 0600 my fridge was icy cold! So happy I did the conversion! Kudos to the folks at JC Refrigeration... One thing to note is that they only have compressor conversions for a couple of Norcold/Dometic models (mine is a Dometic 2652).

[@kylexj1]

any chance you could snap a picture of the nameplate info on the compressor?

[@gerardhaubert8210]

Very informative. Excellent presentation and content.

[@RVExodus]

Good job guys. I’ve got one of those lovely 4 door nevercolds. Simply put running it on solar is out of the question even with my 2300watt system. All said, I think I’ll go residential for three reasons: more finite control; over fridge, freezer temps, an ice maker and auto defrost :) Anyhow ... awesome conversion.

[@MortonsontheMove]

Isnt that crazy how inefficient those absorption units are on electric! Good concept for Gas but electric is just a waste.

[@Michael-el8xl]

Good job well done ...Thanks

[@mmckinley345]

Perfect for my off grid cabin

[@skipwhiley9860]

Do you feel like this will be efficient enough using 12v DC to run it?

[@vincetoscano7018]

Nice Job!!

[@jafinch78]

The AC/DC compressor systems are worth the investment from my experience. Even the cooler size systems like the Dometic CFX-40US Portable Electric Cooler Refrigerator/Freezer 1.4 cu. Ft. that I picked up with a Insulated Protective Cover for $563 total works great. I burnt out a thermoelectric system and decided I didn't want to spend the money for ice and limited capabilities on my next investment. Neat to see the larger DC system (which is easier to transform from AC to DC versus DC to AC) cost is reasonable compared. Thanks for detailing the conversion and system!

[@caseyl3631]

Great job, yall showed me just about everything i was wondering about im sold!~

[@hotrod1735]

Great video, you two did an amazing job with the installation and information all around great job I actually watched the whole thing no skips.👍🏽

[@dontask8979]

Well done!

[@denisfortier9716]

very informative video. Excellent work.

[@mrbottomfeeder]

You both are Awesome and so is this video. Happy Trails and stay safe.

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thanks!

[@rboydsmith1]

Impressive.

[@hankholz6023]

Excellent video!

[@FBPrepping]

Wow!...lots of tweaking you had to make there fellows. GREAT video. Thanks.

[@TomSpurlock]

You da man! That was one of the best instructional video I've seen. Great tip about JC Refrigeration, I never knew upgrade kits like this existed. You've got me thinking now. We've never liked our double door absorption unit, but that's all there was before. Now I have an option. Thanks for sharing your project.

[@MortonsontheMove]

You're welcome! Glad you found the video helpful!

[@TheGbab]

Super well done and interesting video. I'm learning that the gold standard of 12-24 volt DC fridges is a pricey one. No matter whether retrofit, or brand new it is expensive to have DC refrigeration. Buying a new DC fridge to install in your RV would have surely been much more money than the conversion though. I'm glad it all turned out well for you guys.

[@paulshannon4576]

Great information. Mine is not working all that great and they don’t like warm food, takes too long to cool down. This is a great way to convert it because it’s about half price of a new gas/electric unit or the same for a 12v replacement unit. The 12v unit does increase the storage from 8 cuft to 10 cuft. Might be worth the cost.

[@stevenorthrop3719]

Nicely done! Interesting that I am looking to do just the opposite - switch out a 12v compressor fridge for a dual propane/electric due to battery capacity and noise.

[@Amputeeimplant]

Nice job!

[@danieldunham9978]

You guys make a great team!

[@therealbigfoot3076]

This guy is a maga guy

[@ShepKuester]

My Norcold 2118 was sucking our batteries dry, using 11KW/day, or emptying a 30# propane bottle in 6 days. And temp control was the unsatisfactory. I was very frustrated! In March 2020 I installed the DC compressor unit. It only took about 2 hours, working slowly, and the instructions & photos were easy to follow. Customer service was great! It is now July. We love this conversion! It draws a small 1.25 KW/day, hardly even noticing the draw on our 600A system. I did have to run a 10ga wire from a 12V node to the fridge because the compressor start spike was too much for installed 12ga wire, but that was simple. I added a 15A fuse for safety. I also added an adjustable thermostat to replace the thermistor. Temps are now always in the right range. The fridge stays cold, and the freezer stays frozen, no matter if it’s below 50 (Montana) or over 100 (Las Vegas) outside.

[@Lex10999]

Another great video. Thanks for the info. :)

[@DOCKent-3339]

Very well done video!

[@MervinM123]

Great video, I've been looking to do something about my RV fridge since is also around the 50 degrees and 20 on the freezer, I also have enough solar power to run any model and your DC option seems nice, but for my case I think I prefer to buy a residential unit that has a big condenser on the back and it has the same outside dimension of the existing fridge, I saw one in home depot for just over 500 dollars, I only wish there was an option of having both compressor and evaporation style unit so if I have too many cloudy days I could still use the propane as backup, again great video

[@propellerhead2000]

This is the most cost effective option for most people that have enough space to install a residential unit. A 10cuft fridge will cost around $300-$400 and will only draw 0.75kwh/day.

[@dillonperson]

very cool upgrade! i wish i could have a propane/ DC compressor fridge, but i guess you can' have it all. i will definitely be looking into this upgrade once i upgrade my solar, and my absorption fridge starts loosing performance.

[@sporty196071]

Great job, good imfo

[@xplorearizona154]

Great video

[@RobertKohut]

Nice!! Great video.