Installing fridge motorhome

Turn off the propane at the tank and disconnect the propane connection. Plug this line at the refrigerator end or at the source connection, but be sure to soap-test the plug when you turn the propane back on. Disconnect, tape, and tie the volt-DC wires. To cut the power to the wiring, remove the fuse on that line. Install a blown fuse in that slot or leave it empty and label it to indicate that the fuse should not be replaced. Unplug the volt-AC cord.

If the volt receptacle will interfere with the space needed for the new refrigerator, it can be relocated. If you have an ice maker, turn off the water or close the valve and disconnect the line.

The old refrigerator is now ready to remove. A smaller refrigerator can be moved by a couple of people, as the weight will be to pounds. The larger, wider ones, often weighing more than pounds, will need some additional support. Several online RV forums have articles that detail such installations, and one such article relates to building a dolly of the appropriate height so the refrigerator can be slid onto the dolly for removal and the new one placed on the dolly to install in the cabinet.

A universal furniture dolly could be modified in height for the occasion, or a motorcycle jack also might work. When setting up your apparatus, be sure to protect the flooring. It is very easy to crack a tile or mark carpet with a dolly or other supporting device. If you decide to remove the old refrigerator and bring in the new one through a window, keep in mind that RV windows often are held in place by a clamp ring on the interior. Remove the screws and gently push the window from the inside while your assistant secures it from the outside.

The sealant around the window may make this difficult, but gently prying in several places should do the trick. Treat the window with respect, as twisting the frame could break the window or damage its air seal.

Place a piece of carpet or packing blanket over the opening to reduce friction and to protect the frame from being damaged or the new refrigerator from being scratched. Removing the doors is a good idea from a safety standpoint and may even be required legally before disposing of it. With support in front of the refrigerator — one person pulling from the front and one pushing from the back — carefully slide the box onto the dolly and maneuver it toward the selected exit.

Now you can modify the cabinet as necessary and remove any baffling and insulation in preparation for the new refrigerator. If you discover that the cabinet floor has been weakened, it must be repaired before the new refrigerator is installed.

This is the most convenient time to make such repairs. Schedule the new refrigerator delivery and enlist the help of the delivery people to remove the old refrigerator and to insert the new one through the opening.

A generous tip usually is in order for such assistance. Find out whether your refrigerator will function on pure electric sine waves or modified sine waves MSW. Keep in mind that some refrigerator components have a tendency to get damaged or disrupted when it is fed MSW power. Always check the refrigerator specifications and ask the salesperson or even the manufacturer if you can so that you will know whether the unit will face any such problem later on.

One of the advantages of all-electric refrigerators is not having to worry about propane leaks and the RV catching on fire. You have to remove an old fridge to provide enough room to install your residential refrigerator in the RV.

You will notice that the RV door is wide such that a small RV fridge can pass quickly. To avoid problems, measure the height and width of the old fridge against the door of your RV. The manual has installation instructions of your old unit to guide you in finding the screws of your RV fridge. There are some screws on top of the fridge while others are concealed behind the trim piece.

Do not miss out on the screws found at the bottom of the fridge. Disconnect the propane link and tie the DC wires together. Get rid of the fuse so that you can switch off power from the wiring. You can now get some assistance from a few people to move the RV fridge. If it is a small size, it probably weighs about pounds while a large fridge can be above pounds. A dolly can come in handy since it allows you to slide your fridge easily as you place the new one for installation. As you set up your residential refrigerator, be careful to avoid cracking the flooring of your RV.

The weight should be balanced on each side so that it does not destroy a tile on the floor. If the RV door is too small, you can remove the RV refrigerator through the window. You can remove the window quickly and later reinstall it. In case the windshield is the only way out, get a technician to help you remove it and fix it back once the old fridge is out of the way. A clamp ring holds your window in position. Get rid of the screws on your window and push it as you direct it inside of your RV.

Be careful while handling the window as you avoid twisting its frame since it is fragile. Place a carpet or a heavy blanket on the edge of the window. This prevents any friction between the two surfaces so that you do not damage the frame or scratch your residential refrigerator. You can now get rid of doors, shelves, and hinges of your old fridge that it is light enough to lift and pass from the height of your window.

Get support from others such that one person pulls the front part while you hold the back. It is time to modify your cabinet space as you prepare for the residential refrigerator. Make vital repairs such as strengthening the floor of the cabinet before securing the new cooler.

For easy placement through the window, you can pack your RV in a strategic position such that the delivery truck can access your window well to reduce vertical lifting.

Do not forget to remove parts such as the doors and interior parts of your residential refrigerator so that you can lighten the load. This also ensures that moving parts such as the doors do not get damaged in the process. You can also secure the window using a strap so that it does not swing as you pass the new fridge through the window.

If we plan on doing any modifications to the panels depends heavily on specific desires and ideas , we should do them first. That allows the water to flow out of the vehicle. A clamp ring holds your window in position.

Get rid of the screws on your window and push it as you direct it inside of your RV. Be careful while handling the window as you avoid twisting its frame since it is fragile. Place a carpet or a heavy blanket on the edge of the window. This prevents any friction between the two surfaces so that you do not damage the frame or scratch your residential refrigerator.

You can now get rid of doors, shelves, and hinges of your old fridge that it is light enough to lift and pass from the height of your window. Get support from others such that one person pulls the front part while you hold the back. It is time to modify your cabinet space as you prepare for the residential refrigerator.

Make vital repairs such as strengthening the floor of the cabinet before securing the new cooler. For easy placement through the window, you can pack your RV in a strategic position such that the delivery truck can access your window well to reduce vertical lifting.

Do not forget to remove parts such as the doors and interior parts of your residential refrigerator so that you can lighten the load. This also ensures that moving parts such as the doors do not get damaged in the process. You can also secure the window using a strap so that it does not swing as you pass the new fridge through the window. If we plan on doing any modifications to the panels depends heavily on specific desires and ideas , we should do them first. That allows the water to flow out of the vehicle.

Afterward, we just have to make sure we seal the contraption properly to prevent any damage. We have to pay attention not to obstruct any vents. Any insulation is better than none, so the thickness of the Styrofoam depends on the space we have available. Styrofoam can be easily glued to the panels using construction adhesive. Anchoring your residential refrigerator during the set-up is also important.

Make sure you are close to a suitable electrical outlet that you can use to plug your new fridge as you test its functionality.

The door and shelves should go into the fridge after you have already set it up into your cabinet space. Usually, there are some metal parts at the bottom that can be drilled through. We can then fasten the unit in place using appropriate bolts.

To further prevent the refrigerator from rocking when the RV is in motion, we can fill any voids to the side of it with excess Styrofoam. We can get a better result using a couple of L brackets and more bolts. We also want to prevent shelves from rattling while driving. Applying thin rubber strips on the grooves where the shelves slide in is a simple and effective way to mute the noise.

To stop the doors from opening while in motion, we can use Velcro or fridge door locks. There are locks designed specifically for refrigerators in motorhomes. The final phase is our chance to get creative. Figuring out a new look for the fridge to make it blend in with our home on wheels is important. We want it to look as nice as it is functional. Also, vinyl wrap is a good method of aesthetically tying in the refrigerator with the interior.

As you suggest, we bought a residential 45L fridge for our campervan. I think I take a another full rigid and will add this also to the doors. Since we are on the go every second or third day my ideal solution would be reduce our energy usage down to which my alternator can charge in hours drive.

I'm assuming that my amp alternator is not charging more then A an hour or even less. So I did run the fridge with the Insulation in the bay didn't put the insulation at the doors yet The results are over 50 hour to consume one kwh of batteries.

This is very good - especially the fridge is rated with 1kwh per day - on the data sheet. I've got some moisture buildup in the fridge, so I'm guessing the door seal is not very good anymore. Probably have to replace the door gasket at some point. My 3 day goal is in reach. The inverter does just fine in the battery bay, it's not bad to produce some heat down there do warm up the batteries. Question, What are you doing as far as ventilation for the cooling fins of the fridge?

It is a compressor type fridge if I am reading this correctly so the condenser fins will need decent airflow over them to make the fridge work efficiently. The water vaper could be a clooged or blocked drain, most high effeciency fridges have a small fan to circulate the air inside and this is what evens out the cooling inside and also eliminates the moisture.

The moisture will go to a tray around the compressor and be evaporated by the compressor heat. I am not real familiar with the one you have though so I may not be correct on all counts here. Hey thanks for questions, I try to upload pics, but the album tool is always crashing in my browser The cooling fins are in the same position like the normal cooling fans of the old fridge had been, on the outside wall of the RV right in front of the ventilation opening and over the fins is the roof vent.

So probably better ventilation then at home where the fridge has only a inch at the top to the cabinet. I didn't put any insulation around the compressor housing. I don't cover electronics The fridge is standing upright and the drip water is been collected in a drain pan which is mounted on the compressor for evaporation. This fridge doesn't have a fan in the inside, it has grills instead of glass plates.

This makes passives cooling and air rotation possible. They don't make them anymore because people like glass plates. I was under the impression that this was a new fridge and not an older one.

That explains a lot, the newer "energy saving" fridges have more crap running on them than any of the old ones. This is going to test how OLD some of you are.