Replacing our RV Fridge – Part 5: We’re Done!


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Eventually, all good things that make your knuckles bleed must come to an end, and so it has with our refrigerator replacement project.  The Nova Kool RFU 7300 is in, the dual compressors are running, we’re camping, the beverages are cold, and the salads are no longer frozen.  Life is good.  I walk you through the finished product in this video:

 

Beyond the video, and the fact that we do not miss our absorption refrigerator one bit, there’s not much more to say.  There was a flurry of not-very-interesting-activity-to-video towards the end.  Lots of cutting, trimming to fit, moving things in and hooking things up. There was a bit of excitement when I had to drill some holes into our microwave that Stef didn’t know about…

I’ve also continued the carbon-fiber-door theme from my last cabinet rebuild.  Stef is after me now to do something to the lone woodgrain wall in between the two sets of laminate cabinets.  That means it will probably happen.

Beyond that, the project is what it is.  I’ll be doing a post at some point in the future where I figure out the electrical load of the refrigerator, how long it takes to cool, how long I can run it off of batteries, etc.  But those will have to wait, because like I said… we’re camping now!

Cheers!

Oh.  Also.

FOR SALE:  One RV absorption fridge.  Slightly used.  Excellent lettuce freezer.



James is a former rocket scientist, a USA Cycling coach, and lifelong fitness buff. When he's not driving the RV, or modifying the RV (or - that one time - doing both at once), you can find him racing bicycles, or building furniture, or making music. In his spare time, he works for a large IT company.


    52 thoughts on “Replacing our RV Fridge – Part 5: We’re Done!

    1. Danielle Little

      James,
      Currently doing research to switch our refrigerator to a 12 volt. Have it narrowed down to the nova kool rfu9000 or vitrifrigo dp2600. Both are ac/dc single compressor. Nova kool has freeze on the bottom and is 9.1 cubic foot while the vitrifrigo has freezer on top and is 8.1 cubic feet. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Solar system and battery bank was completed last fall.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Without knowing anything about these two models other than what you’ve said here – bottom freezer and extra capacity would make it NovaKool for the win.

        In the years we had our NovaKool, we never had any trouble with it whatsoever. I have no direct experience with Vitrifrigo, but that doesn’t mean they’re not just as good.

        Reply
    2. John Royer

      James, curious about the venting. Is there just room around the unit (like my one at home)? No need for an air source? Thanks!!

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        This unit vents out the bottom – back to front.
        I judged there was enough airspace around the back of the unit for the makeup air, so we just made sure to keep the bottom clear.

        Reply
    3. Phil Stover

      James – informational for you; not likely something for posting:

      I’m wondering if you’ve ever noticed a buzzing sound coming from the compressor area of your Nova Kool fridge in Lance? For our similar Nova Kool dual compressor fridge it was noticeable from day one in our first garage testing on a furniture dolly. I just assumed it was something unique to the little DC compressors that caused the buzzing sound in addition to the more typical humming sound I’m used to from compressor fridges.

      Recently I had the lower grille off of our Nova Kool, both compressors running, and my head close to them – and noticed the buzzing again. I thought to press lightly with one finger on the center of the front-facing plastic DC control module case for the freezer. Immediately the buzzing stopped, and then resumed when I removed the pressure! I think the thin plastic front panel of the DC module was vibrating against something inside the module and/or acting like a loudspeaker cone (when the compressor was running).

      If you find the same for your Nova Kool, I can let you know the easy way I was able to completely eliminate the buzzing.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Interesting!
        (I posted it in case anyone else hits the same problem.)
        I haven’t had this problem, but now I know who to call if I do. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Phil Stover

      Getting close to making a decision on a similar sized Nova Kool replacement for the 3-way on our 2017 Pleasure-Way Sprinter cut-away chassis motorhome (200AH lithium plus 190W solar). In preparation, have installed a Victron battery monitor to see how much “excess” (i.e. non-generator) capacity we have to spare for the refrigerator overnight.

      It would be helpful (apology if you’ve published this already) to see any data you have on Nova Kool amp-hours or watt-hours consumed during your overnight or 24 hour dry camping periods.

      Thanks!!

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        That data was something I always meant to do, but never did.
        As an anecdote, our refrigerator uses up less than 10% of our 7000 watt=hour battery overnight during the summer. So less than 700 watt hours in about 9 hours.
        But remember, our fridge has two compressors, so if you get a model with only one compressor, it will be less.

        Reply
        1. Phil Stover

          Many thanks for this video, giving me the courage to replace our 3-way Dometic RML8555 that was performing poorly above 90 degrees ambient with a very nice Nova Kool RFU6406D dual-compressor DC-only 6.8 cu. ft. refrigerator! It’s bottom freezer drawer configuration is great and the fridge shelves are more usable too. In a simulated overnight test with fridge doors closed and pre-cooled to 36 degrees fridge/11 degrees freezer, ambient range 70 – 80 degrees, the power consumption averaged 24 watts.

          Noval Kool was very helpful with my questions and interested in my project. You can see what it looks like installed on this Nova Kool website page (light oak cabinets, black fridge doors): https://www.novakool.com/about

        2. James - Post author

          So cool that this has inspired you to tackle this one! Congratulations – the install looks fantastic!

    5. Peter Benedict

      Thinking about ordering a Nova Kool. Now that you have a couple years with it I am wondering if you still like it.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Absolutely we do! I would recommend them.
        We do like having the separate compressor for the freezer. There have been a few times we haven’t run the freezer, and it’s nice to save the energy.

        Reply
    6. Larry

      James,

      Did you know the Nova Kool RFU 7300 is available with a drawer freezer? Same location!

      What battery system are you currently using?

      I’ll be starting a 2019 Sprinter build in the spring and haven’t sorted everything out yet. Seems to be a full time job for the last couple of weeks!

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        The NovaKool with a drawer freezer? Cool! (Pun Intended.)
        We are currently using the Lithionics battery system. Have been for several years now without issue.

        Reply
    7. Charles Hasman

      Seriously considering ordering an RFU7300 for my Coach House B+ RV that is on order. Would love to see your promised follow up reporting on the Nova Kool RFU7300 performance. My biggest concern is how noisy the refrigerator and compressor cooling fans are and how often they run.

      Thanks!

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Oh wow. I never did that, did I?
        Well, to answer your questions, the fans aren’t very noisy at all. Yes, you can hear them, but they’re not objectionable (and I find people talking in the next RV objectionable).
        Their run time is highly variable. If it’s cool out, they don’t run so much at all. But if it’s 110 out, then they run pretty frequently.
        Personally, I wouldn’t worry about them. You’ll never hear them over your air conditioner!

        Reply
    8. Rudy

      Question: How do you regulate the temp in the freezer? Is there a separate dial? Could you run the freezer as a fridge?
      That info seems to be missing from the NovaKool website….or it is hidden very well..
      and one more: Are the doors reversible?
      Keep up the good work…

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Yes, there is a separate dial. I don’t know if we could run the freezer as a second refrigerator – we’ve never tried. (Stef likes ice.)
        If I had to guess, I would think that even on the lowest setting, the freezer would still be too cold for a fridge. There’s a lot more coolant coil area per unit volume in the freezer.
        And yes, the doors are reversible, though we ordered ours swinging the way we wanted from the get-go.

        Reply
    9. Tim Lundell

      James, didn’t know if you are aware that the Nova Kool RFU7300 is now standard equipment in the 2018 Airstream Interstate Grand Tour. We are considering replacing the separate R and F units in our 2015 model (the refer has failed and will probably have to be replaced, so we are going to upgrade).

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Cool! An Airstream is where I first saw the RFU7300. It was a special edition or something at a show once.
        Glad that they’ve gone further ahead and adopted it as standard. We’ll kill off absorption refrigerators yet!

        Reply
    10. Phil Bailey

      And I’ve also have 2 Grape Solar panels to supplement 360w solar power for my electronic’s source.

      Reply
    11. Phil Bailey

      Dear James,

      Due to a predominant Healthy Choice frozen diet, to reduce dietitian and preparation time required, would you know of a quality 12v refrigerator/freezer with inverse proportions (Freezer>Refrigerator size)?

      I am trying to use your dual alternator/(600ah)li-ion methodology with no lead-acid batteries OR no lp gas as well. With my front pickup truck hood on Nissan NV 3500, you have approximately 4 more linear feet storage than I on your model. And since I’m also packing a 650cc motorcycle too, it’s greedy heuristics all the way for room and space: I don’t have room for lp gas containers!

      It will be hard enough installing an interior 30 gal fresh water AL tank!?!?

      Any expert guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thank You for helping the RV community survive.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        I’m not really aware of any combo units that have a bigger freezer than refrigerator.
        BUT – I believe if you look at Vitrifrigo, you can get some freezer only units and refrigerator only units. You could just mix and match to get the sizes you wanted?

        Reply
    12. Dan

      Thanks for all that you contribute to RVing. You are nearing a one year anniversary for this refrigerator. How about a “trip report” of sorts! How has it performed, held up and energy usage are of interest to me. Thanks.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        It’s on my list.
        Unfortunately, it’s not as exciting as some of the other projects I come up with, so it keeps getting pushed back down the list.
        I will say that – as much of a pain in the rear as this was to do… I would definitely do it again. This fridge is superior in every way to what we had before.

        Reply
    13. Serhiy Levkov

      James,

      Where did you get this RFU 7300? I like it and would like to put it also but cannot find it on Nova Kool site or anywhere online.

      Thanks

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        I got it directly from Nova Kool. They did tell me they weren’t ready to offer it to the general public yet.
        It seems they’re still not quite ready.

        Reply
    14. AL

      Enjoy watching all your videos for this mod. I noticed you only went with the 12v version. Is that the default choice or would you have preferred the 12v/120v as in the K. Any advantage of one over the other, since when plugged in, you are charging the batteries anyway.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        In my mind, there’s really no difference. 12v off a charger, or 120v from shore power/inverter. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
        12v did mean that there was one fewer set of connections that I had to hook up. So there’s that I guess…

        Reply
    15. Clay and Cait

      Hi James and Stefany,

      Wondering if you have any long term thoughts on your Nova Kool fridge replacement? We have had quite enough of our 3 way hunk of junk, I am ready to rip it out of the wall. Cait directed me to your videos, and I couldn’t agree more with the frustration surrounding the dinosaur.

      Planning to replace ours with 1 of 2 smaller model (RF 3800 or RF 4500) because it is be an easy replacement in the cabinet opening. The 3800 draws 2.2 amps, the 4500 4.4 (I am presuming 1 versus 2 compressors). If you have any thoughts there, all ears to your suggestions if that would make a big difference in performance. The lower power draw on the slightly smaller unit is attractive.

      How is the nova kool performing in the summer heat? Any decrease in performance at higher temps? How does the temperature control setting work? We are ready for a fridge that works.

      Thank you for your time,

      Clay and Cait (TwoPlusLu)

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        I do owe a post with a “trip report” of sorts for our refrigerator, don’t I?
        Not to spill the beans, but the refrigerator has performed exactly as expected. In hot and humid temperatures, the compressors do run more, but they have never frozen our lettuce or spoiled our milk. The temperature control is a simple dial affair with settings from 0-7. In the summer, we’re keeping it at around “6”. We’re particularly impressed with the freezer section, which has been keeping ice, frozen yogurt, whatever – solidly frozen.
        I will admit a lower amp draw from a single compressor unit would be nice, but I think it all evens out in the end. Each compressor only runs as often as it needs to. And if we ever didn’t have anything in the freezer, we’d save a little battery power. Since I only have one rig and one refrigerator, it’s kind of difficult for me to do a true side-by-side test.
        In short, I think you’ll be happy with the Nova Kool. You will certainly eliminate the propane fridge issues at the very least!

        Reply
    16. Paul V

      Great work. Recently started binge watching your videos as Travato research. I agree that the refrigerator would have to go for me to live with an otherwise appealing 59G. But after watching your videos on this mod, I had simpler idea.

      Would it be feasible to take the Nova Kool fridge from the 59K, rip out the cabinets below the propane burners and mount it there? And then rip out the existing fridge and put storage in its place. I don’t need a ton of capacity and the smaller fridge might be more battery-friendly with stock batteries.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Well, with enough time and money, everything’s possible… but.
        There are two pumps, a bunch of water lines, a propane line, and a bunch of wiring inside that cabinet. All of that would have to be relocated. Also, I don’t know if that cabinet has the depth necessary to house the refrigerator from the K. It’s something I’ve never looked at.

        Reply
    17. Interstate Blog

      I’m looking forward to seeing your energy numbers on the new fridge. My husband and I just got done with our retrofit yesterday – we chose a Vitrifrigo marine model, to replace our Dometic 3-way which wasn’t working well despite being less than 2 years old. We had to do some cabinet surgery to make it fit, but thankfully did not need to move major pieces of infrastructure, just work around them in reframing the space. Now the real question can be answered: How much better will this investment function as compared to the old 3-way, especially in our brutal climate? That’s TBD.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        To my way of thinking… it would be difficult for a compressor fridge to perform *worse* than a 3-way!

        Reply
    18. John L

      Always enjoy your projects! I agree that the manufacturers should take note of your upgrades. The evolving decor inside Lance is one of them! I was inside an old Winnebago Rialta and it’s lack of woodgrain made it seem fresh and modern, despite it’s age!

      Reply
    19. Velda

      I’m Considering eventually replacing fridge in my LT Sprinter. When you have time what are rough dimensions of the new fridge. Thinking could get rid of cabinet over micro and move micro up. Add another solar panel to the 180 we have. Already have two AGM house batteries.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        No problem. The cool thing (is that a pun? or should I have said Kool thing?) about this fridge is how narrow it is.
        Internal volume
        Refrigerator 5.1 cu.ft.
        Freezer 1.7cu.ft.
        Cut out Dimensions
        58 H x 16 3/4W x 18.75D
        Frame dimensions
        58.5H x 17 3/4W

        Reply
    20. Jared Quandt

      I have a question of the heat that is put off by the compressors. Have you thought of venting that heat outside in the hot months and leaving venting inside when you need heat? It seems that would take some of the load off of your RV ac unit.

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        The heat put off by the compressor fridge is so minimal, there’s not a lot of benefit to be had by either venting it or trying to recover it. I’m not looking into either.

        Reply
      1. James - Post author

        Sure. I got them from the local distribution center of Wurth Louis in West Jordan, UT.
        They have locations all over the west though. You can see if there is one near you here: https://www.wurthlac.com/storefront/static-pages.ep?page=2
        And just to be clear – it was just ready made drawer *sides*. You’ll still have to nail/staple/dado/rabbet/dovetail your drawers together in whatever size you want.
        If there’s no Wurth Louis near you, any lumber yard, or heck, even Amazon (http://amzn.to/2oxRB8g) should have the stuff available.

        Reply
    21. Joel

      Hi James, I just left the sea otter classic and I looked at the winnebagos but did not see your rv there, where did you park? I like your videos, especially the composting toilet, so keep up the great work! I will be hitting the road soon in an older Winnebago im currently rennovating and was hoping to exchange some ideas with you but maybe il see you on the road sometime. I’ll let you know when my Youtube channel is up! good luck if you are racing!
      Best regards,
      Joel

      Reply
      1. James - Post author

        We’re not in the display, there are a group of us camping in one of the campgrounds.
        We’ll be spending plenty of time at the Winnebago booth though. If you get there and we’re not there, have Russ or Chad or Zack give us a call and we’ll swing by.
        I spent a good bit of time today out riding.

        Reply
    22. Eric Wilhelm

      You do excellent work. I hope industry people are taking note of the things you are doing and maybe we will see such improvements work their way into future production. Enjoy your ride and be sure to save something for the Laureles Grade, it can be brutal if hot. Not to mention the entry into Laguna Seca itself.

      Reply

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