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

After 3 years of full time RV living, our Norcold 2119 gas absorption fridge stopped cooling. We decided to swap it out for a brand new residential one. In this video I share the exact steps we took to remove our old fridge, prep the RV for the new one and then install it.

🟠 EXACT SAMSUNG FRIDGE MODEL WE PURCHASED
RF18A5101SR - https://rebrand.ly/0gpdwty

🟡 INSTALLATION MATERIALS
Propane Cap (3/8-in Threaded Brass Flare Fitting) - https://rebrand.ly/nrru0i2
Foam Insulation Board (1/2-in x 4-ft x 8-ft) - https://rebrand.ly/bsj2emy
Shims (12-pack) - https://rebrand.ly/2b52tt7
Garage Door Weather Strips (9-ft x 2-in Brown) - https://rebrand.ly/xwdg66l
Velcro Command Strips (eventually switched from white to black which blends in better) - https://rebrand.ly/bs8r9zm
Smart Outlet (for automatically resetting power every other day) - https://rebrand.ly/ylswvbk

🟠 JC REFRIGERATION COOLING UNITS
Norcold Gas/Electric Replacement - https://rebrand.ly/u5dpavr
Norcold 12V DC Conversion - https://rebrand.ly/8z4o5j4
Norcold 120V AC Conversion - https://rebrand.ly/apf47ka

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Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
0:15 - RV Fridge Problems
0:45 - Troubleshooting Steps
01:28 - Repair/Upgrade Options
02:19 - Our Residential Fridge Model
02:33 - Removing Old Fridge
05:12 - Selling Old Parts
05:23 - Prepping RV For New Fridge
06:25 - Installing The New Fridge
07:25 - Required Modifications
08:14 - Testing The Fridge
08:23 - Permanently Securing Fridge
09:03 - Testing Fit With Slide-Out Closed
09:49 - Finishing Touches
10:21 - Important Bonus Tip

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✅ Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://rebrand.ly/55lrba4
✅ Visit my website - https://rebrand.ly/p14vg49
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🟠 VIDEOS PLAYLIST - BUILDING OUR FULL TIME RV SETUP
   • Building Our Full Time RV Setup  

🟡 ALL THE STUFF WE USE WHILE LIVING AND WORKING ON THE ROAD
https://www.atswg.com/shop/

🟠 HOW TO WORK REMOTELY FROM ANYWHERE
https://www.atswg.com/the-six-figure-...

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Camera Gear Used In This Video

Panasonic GH4 Camera Body - https://rebrand.ly/alhkrti
7.5mm Lens - https://rebrand.ly/vhtm769
Tripod - https://rebrand.ly/8pwpcxj
Tripod Head - https://rebrand.ly/1fq74b0
Wireless Mic System - https://rebrand.ly/4i0e01g
4.5mm Mic Clip - https://rebrand.ly/v9vs09p
GoPro Black - https://rebrand.ly/pq9u9b8
Smartphone Gimbal Stabilizer - https://rebrand.ly/iww5usw

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If your RV absorption fridge hasn’t been cooling as well lately, you may be interested in swapping it out for a residential refrigerator.

Our rig came stock with a Norcold 2118 Polarmax, which is an awesome 18 cubic foot gas absorption RV fridge, which means it has the ability to run on either electric or propane.

But after about 3 years, we noticed that milk was starting to spoil sooner than the expiration date. I began to monitor the temps and noticed they were a getting a bit too high during the hottest hours of the day.

I started with the standard troubleshooting steps.

I checked the seals around the door to make sure there were no air leaks, and all was good there. I also checked the interior fan and it was blowing as it should.

The exterior fans also seemed to also be working as they should, sucking air in at the bottom vent and blowing it up past the fins and out through the top vent. But just in case the fans were running slower than they used to, I tried boosting the airflow with a powerful desk fan, but that made no difference either.

It’d also been a while since I’d defrosted the freezer, so I tried that, but still no improvement.

I tried running on electric only. I tried running on propane only. No difference.

Turns out our cooling unit had sprung an ammonia leak, which meant it was completely toast and unable to be repaired.

So, we only had a few options.

A new absorption fridge for over $5000, a new cooling unit from JC Refrigeration for $1900, a conversion to 12V DC power for $1700, a conversion to 120V AC power for $1600 or a brand-new Samsung residential fridge for $1500, which is what Grand Design is putting in all of their new RVs these days anyway.

We decided to upgrade to a brand-new Samsung unit.

In the video I show all the steps we took to make this swap work.

Are you considering a fridge swap? If so, why? Are you having problems with your RV fridge or do you simply miss the performance and efficiency of a residential one? And would you go with the Samsung RF18 model or choose something different?

Also, feel free to drop any questions you might have in the comments as well and I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.

#rvrefrigerator #rvupgrades #rvfridge