RV FRIDGE SWAP - Norcold 2118 to Samsung RF18 - Absorption Refrigerator Died So We Went Residential

[@reinman2002]

Looking to swap my Norcold because it uses 650W constantly to cool. Residential fridges use around 120W. Tired of paying electricity for 3 AC units, when I only have two. Unplugging my RV fridge, and putting a residential one outside the RV (very inconvenient) saved almost $300 a month at the RV park electric prices. Your video has showed me exactly how to do it, what to look for and expect, when I rip this one out. Appreciate your thoroughness!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@reinman2002 That’s a big deal! Glad to hear the video was helpful :) Good luck with your swap!

[@atteburyadventures2195]

Wow, so detailed. Great job!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Thanks so much! Hope it was helpful :)

[@terrybryant]

Very nice video. Fortunately we are still using our domestic RV residential fridge from when we purchased our DRV in 2012. Even in the hot summer it does well as long as we don't overstock our fridge.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Glad to hear it! Ours worked great until it sprung the ammonia leak. And from my understanding this is a very premature failure. Maybe it was because we spent some extended time in extremely wet and salty air and because we boondocked on propane for a very long time.

[@terrybryant]

I have archived this video because our fridge is going on 11 years old and I imagine it is just a matter of time before we have to replace it. Once again thanks for the time and effort you put into this great video. @@AroundTheSunWeGo

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@terrybryant You’re very welcome!

[@robh063]

Thanks for the video! When our Norcold stops working, I plan on doing the same thing!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

You’re very welcome! Definitely feels like an upgrade :)

[@Tom-In-Ga]

The only thing I did differently when I replaced our RV fridge was to leave the upper vent open so heat from the fridge can escape to outside rather then inside. I know it's not an issue in cooler times but in the hot southeastern summer, additional heat can be a problem.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Definitely something to consider. My only concern about leaving a vent open would be the 24/7 exposure to humidity.

[@TreyCamp]

I'm about to do this same job, was wondering what I should do about the vents also. I feel like having at least one vent open is a good idea! why not both?

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

The residential fridges are designed to be operated inside. If the rear vents are left open, you’ll be sucking in humidity, dust, bugs, etc from outside. Not to mention any rainwater blown in during storms. You’ll also lose heat and cool air from your rig as well. The stock fridge has an airtight border/seal around the opening so this isn’t a problem. The residential fridge however has plenty of space and airflow all around it.

[@TreyCamp]

@@AroundTheSunWeGo smart. I'll probably do the same then. Depending on how airtight I seal the fridge to the interior of the cabinet. More than likely will insulate the rear as you've done to make it simple. Good work

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@TreyCamp I also made sure to leave space all around the fridge for airflow purposes, unlike the stock fridge. I believe the manual calls for at least an inch or two of clearance on all sides. Not sure how important that spacing is, but I didn’t want to take a chance, so there’s plenty of space all around our unit.

[@Haznavy]

We too have the Norcold 2118ST refer installed in our GDRV 378MBS; the fridge has been leaking since April and I can't find where the water is coming from. Seeing your video and, the issues with the cooling unit, leads me to believe that is the culprit. Great video that gives me the confidence to swap out ours if this is in fact the case. Thanks.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Sorry to hear your fridge isn’t working! But yes, definitely want to make sure it’s the cooling unit and not something else simple before you make the swap.

[@steves3688]

There is almost always a drain tube on the back of the fridge...it usually vents out the access door on exterior...if the tube cracks and it will or comes undone...it will leak the water back into the rv...that might be your issue...I have a dometic so unsure where the tube is on the norcold but review that and see it thats the issue....

[@Stiffy910]

I have a 2021 Norcold 1210 the freezer is more or less a cooler at this point. There is no change from LP or electric, no amonia leak. Everything ohms out correctly. No idea what is wrong, either I start spending 100's of dollars and replace boards and hope that works. Or just buy residential, since I work on the road and park for 12-18 months at a time. Great video and exactly what I needed to see for the removal. It is making my mind sit easier, if i choose to go residential.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Glad you found the video helpful! Only other thing I didn’t see you mention is airflow. Do you know if your setup is pulling in plenty of air at the bottom and forcing it up past the fins and out through the top?

[@Stiffy910]

@@AroundTheSunWeGo Yessir fans are flowing just fine. The freezer is around 45 degrees and the fridge is 68 degrees. Can't figure it out, but a 1l residential fridge, some foam board and gorilla tape is a great deal and easy to do .

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@Stiffy910 Roger that! Yeah, it might be something minor, but if you just can’t pin it down, the swap is easy enough. Good luck!

[@Stiffy910]

@@AroundTheSunWeGo Ya man im torn between swapping out all electrical components and a hope and a wish. Or just swopping residential and be care free with this foreign pain in the A$$ fridge. Thanks man

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

You got it!

[@01goldwinger]

Good video. Thanks for the idea of using the garage door trim. Another project.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Happy to help! Never know what ideas you’ll get from just browsing around a hardware store. Good luck with your install!

[@keevs5adventures]

Saw your share of this video on GDRV4Life. Thanks for sharing. This video is excellent!!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Thanks so much! Hope you found it helpful :)

[@edwardollila2330]

Great job on the install and wonderful instruction! Thanks and enjoy!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Glad you enjoyed it! Hope it was helpful :)

[@brbharrell]

Great job on the install and wonderful instruction

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Thank you! It turned out to be an easier job than we were expecting.

[@stevengoossen6019]

Such a helpful video, one to keep in the safe. Our absorption frig stopped working, well almost, going through AZ a couple of weeks ago when it was 116 degrees outside. Threw all the food away! Got back home unhooked, made sure the trailer was level, and it started working again. Why my high interest in your video, how you replaced it, and what frig you replaced it with. Liked your verbal descriptions as you went along then. To show on video was the best. Hope it's working out well for you.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Thank you Steven! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, the new fridge has been going strong for 15 months now and we’re super happy with the upgrade!

[@stevengoossen6019]

@@AroundTheSunWeGo another question. Will be putting this Samsung in our RV in the coming weeks. Where do you place the Smart Outlet (to automatically reset power every other day)? I want to get it and have the repair guy put it in when he puts in the frig. thanks

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@stevengoossen6019 there should be an outlet somewhere behind your current fridge if you have an absorption one like the Norcold 2118. That’s what powers the AC side. When you remove the old fridge, you’ll see it.

[@stevengoossen6019]

@@AroundTheSunWeGo I'll be buying my Samsung tomorrow. No time like the present. My RV is in the shop right now.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@stevengoossen6019 good luck!

[@432bartman]

Awesome video. Our Norcold 2118 is doing exactly what yours was doing (Not getting cold or frozen). Did you have to do anything special with the wiring, or was it that simple by just hooking up the factory 12V leads? No messing with invertors or converters or anything like that?

[@432bartman]

Do you run an inverter when on the road?

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@432bartman Just had to make sure the stock 12v passed through to the stove. The new fridge simply plugs into the existing 120v AC outlet. If you want to run the fridge, you must have power to the AC outlet. So if you don’t already have an inverter setup, you’ll need one to run this while traveling.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@432bartman We do. We have a Victron MultiPlus and 300ah of Battle Born batteries.

[@taaronpiper]

Really great video. We have a 2015 Montana 3720RL with the 2118 fridge nd also would like to replace it. The Samsung fridge has a 28" depth while the Norcold is 24" deep so I don't know if we will have a clearance issue when closing the slides, from our island. Unfortunately we are away for the summer so I have to wait until we are back home to measure. Meanwhile we are traveling in a Georgetown motorhome and a few months ago installed the RF18. Love it!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@taaronpiper Nice! Yes, definitely measure before making the purchase! That would be a headache to try returning lol

[@daverabin2669]

Great video gonna be coming in handy. Got to change ours out what was the thickness on the insulation board you used?

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Glad you enjoyed it! 1/2-in x 4-ft x 8-ft and there’s actually a link to it in the description below the video.

[@stevenscott4096]

This video is exactly what I was looking for. We have a 2021 GD 397th and want to install a residential fridge. You mentioned you sold some of the parts. Our fridge is still working, but the freezer doesn't really keep it cold enough for long term storage. Where did you sell the doors and parts? Getting something from the old fridge would be nice.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Glad you found the video helpful! I sold all of our parts on eBay.

[@daveaugustine6327]

I am planning a refrigerator swap and wonder if you have any problems keeping the doors closed during transit? Your swap looks great!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@daveaugustine6327 I’ve never noticed them opening but they are sort of “suctioned” closed like any other residential fridge. I do place a large gun magnet across the doors though just as an extra layer of support.

[@matsulli2086]

Enjoyed your video. Very helpful. I'm researching 12v or residential fridges. How do I handle traveling and maybe a quick pic overnight boondock with the residential fridge? I also have a Samsung at our house, which always needs a reset.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

We have an inverter along with a 300 amp hour lithium battery bank which powers the fridge any time we’re disconnected from power. I installed this system when we first purchased our RV so it was already in place when I made the fridge swap. If I didn’t already have an inverter and wasn’t interested in installing one, the 12v fridge would be an awesome alternative.

[@RonShantos]

How did you REVERSE the FRONT LEVELING FEET? Thanks Ron

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@RonShantos It’s been a while but I believe there was some sort of bolt that I had to loosen. You should be able to see it when looking at how the feet are attached.

[@breannaolssen5076]

Thank you I was about to buy a norcold or even furrion to replace / update the stock bs that came w my class a right. Not now might as well go residential and not have those problems like you said. I love the dc option but if it comes with headaches down the road I will pass and save a couple thousand. Thanks

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@breannaolssen5076 You’re very welcome! But just to be clear, our 2118 was an AC / Propane combination. I don’t have personal experience with a DC version.

[@breannaolssen5076]

@@AroundTheSunWeGo the one I was looking at is a 2118 which I think does all 3 but I would have only hooked up the dc

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

There could be a version of the 2118 I’m unaware of, but I believe the DC option also requires propane. So if it says the 12v/DC amp draw is 2.75, that’s how much power it uses while running on propane.

[@PunkinWebb-Arnett]

Great video. This is electric only, correct? How do you keep the refrigerator cold if you’re traveling or boondocking? I’ve been wanting to change ours, but I’m not sure how it works if not connected to electricity.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

We have an inverter set up with a 300 amp hour battery bank so our outlets are pretty much powered at all times. If you didn’t have an inverter you’d need to install one.

[@stevenscott4096]

You'd need an inverter or generator for boondocking, but you should get 8-12 hours with the fridge staying cold enough without power. Think power outages in sticks and bricks.

[@dianasmith6971]

The outdoor kitchen norcold refrigerator did not come with normal clamp that keeps door shut when moving . So we can not keep it to full when moving.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@dianasmith6971 This one shuts pretty securely but I would imagine a ton of weight stored in the doors could cause them to open. Our doors aren’t usually packed full of weight and we also use a strong gun magnet across the doors.

[@dianasmith6971]

What did you use to keep refrigerator doors shut during movement?

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@dianasmith6971 The doors hold shut pretty securely anyway, but I do place a strong gun magnet across the crack of the door for some additional peace of mind. Haven’t had them open yet!

[@mementomori2353]

Okay so where did you connect the two positive and negative wires that you cut from behind the fridge slide out…? I did the same and it keeps blowing the fridge fuse. I wasn’t sure where to reconnect them lol.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@mementomori2353 I connected them to one another. I connected the positive to the positive and the negative to the negative. One of the positive wires is coming from the battery and one is going to the stove. One of the negative wires is coming from the battery and one is going to the stove. So you’re simply splicing them together so the power can flow from the battery to the stove.

[@f150bft]

I've not heard anything but bad reviews on Samsung appliances and the same with LG. I would look at other brands myself. But then again I wouldn't do a residential fridge in my camper. I like the absorption set up and if I changed my mind, I would go 12v.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

I totally understand the concern with bad reviews. But I dug pretty deep and realized for every bad review, there were 99 good ones. And those who have a bad experience are usually the loudest. With that considered, a less than 1% chance of dissatisfaction sounded good enough to me. But after 2+ years and thousands of miles we’ve had no problems. Fingers crossed it stays that way!

[@f150bft]

@@AroundTheSunWeGo I have a Kenmore fridge I bought new in 1994. So far it's working flawlessly. Moved it from our kitchen to my garage. We put a Frigidaire in the kitchen and have had nothing but trouble out of the ice maker. Hope yours lasts a long time.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@f150bft sorry to hear that! And yes, me too!

[@joesnow93]

Another great video!!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Thanks bro! You know we like to keep it icy over this way 🥶

[@wcgoetz4]

where did you plug it in?

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

There is a regular AC outlet where the old fridge was plugged in. You can see it on the right side of the screen at 6:54

[@azrchrd]

Awesome video!!!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Thanks Richard! Hope it was helpful!

[@Eric721.]

I have this same fridge freezer is at 20 degree and fridge is at 60 degrees I live in desert so currently 109 outside. I see no yellow powder i replaced the thermistor and still nothing and the fans in back are working and I have the Titan fan as well.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Sorry to hear that! I’m definitely no expert, so I don’t have a ton of insight to give here. Did it ever work properly in 109 degree temps? If it did, at least you know something has changed and it may be fixable.

[@Eric721.]

​@@AroundTheSunWeGo Did to hook yo the ice maker or the water on this fridge? They are only $900 right now so I may jump on one.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

I did not but I know other people have run a line to the slide, so it’s definitely doable. I don’t trust the water at different parks enough to consume though lol

[@Lefpsyd]

3:18 do you know what size that cap is for the propane?

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@Lefpsyd 3/8-in Threaded Brass Flare Fitting - link is in the description.

[@Lefpsyd]

@ my apologies, thank you so much

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@Lefpsyd no worries! You’re very welcome!

[@Lefpsyd]

@ my dad and I plan to do this very project on Friday/Saturday this week 💪💪💪

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@ Awesome! Good luck!

[@darcyyoung9887]

Great video!!!!

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Appreciate that! Hope it was helpful!

[@patrickmelson4745]

Nice job. Those units are to be lower in the rear.

[@patrickmelson4745]

Keeps water from pooling inside the unit.

[@patrickmelson4745]

From Samsung: Samsung refrigerators are designed to lean back at a 4-degree angle. This slight backward tilt helps the doors shut easily, supports ice production, and prevents water from leaking into the fridge from the evaporator

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@patrickmelson4745 Interesting. That explains it. The tilt seemed a bit too exaggerated in my opinion. I think I’d still want to level it out even knowing this. All has been well so far. Hopefully it stays that way! Appreciate the insight!

[@patrickmelson4745]

Did you hook up water supply for the ice maker?

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

@@patrickmelson4745 I didn’t. We rarely use ice so didn’t make much sense to go through the trouble in our case.

[@zannaB60]

My RV fridge quit. I will be replacing it with a household model from Amazon.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Sorry to hear that! But good luck with the new install!

[@joycewilson8513]

Great video. I would purchase an LG refrigerator instead of Samsung.

[@AroundTheSunWeGo]

Thanks Joyce! Is there a particular reason you’d choose an LG?