Residential Fridge

[Dick Simonis]

I'm considering having my Dometic replaced with a residential fridge and wonder if anyone has done this in an SMC era Marquis.  My current installation has the fridge sitting above three drawers and the Aqua Hot air handler and know that I will lose at least the top two drawers but are there any other issues that may be encountered.

I have had an email conversation with Fred Brooks and he recommended the 20 cu ft Samsung and that looks like a good choice.

Thanks for any input.

Dick

[JimNCheryl Domenoe]

We just replaced ours with a Samsung RF18, 18cf refrigerator. We just had the work done by Jim Sizemore at RV Outfitters in Bend, Oregon.  It required the removal of all three drawers under the fridge and the lowering of the heat exchanger. So far, it has been the single best modification to date. 

Jim recommended this size and we did not discuss the 20cf option. I am not certain what the dimensional difference is between the two.  I can tell you the storage space is significantly more than the Domestic it replaced.

[Doug Allman]

Dick, I just spent a while giving you what we did in replacing ours but a warning came up when i hit post and I do not know where the info went.

[Doug Allman]

Dick, are you going to do your own replacement or have a shop do it? My info I lost somewhere in this forum was on how I completed the replacement.

[Dick Simonis]

Doug, no way am I going to do the replacement.  Too much woodwork involved.  More than likely I'll have Fred Brooks do this project...if I go ahead.  Ran into a small(??) problem in that Pat is adamant she does not want to loose the bottom drawers.  Don't know about you guys but, while I can overrule her wishes, I do so at great peril.

I'm now looking at much smaller units that may fit without loosing all three drawers but would leave a gap on the side....perhaps Fred could build a narrow but tall vertical cabinet.  These are about 15 cu. ft., top freezer, and no ice maker. which is still larger than the Dometic and Pat insists we have plenty of room.  Since we have a standalone ice maker this may not be a bad option.

[Doug Allman]

Get Pat to talk to some gals that said the same thing and now see what their attitude is. They all would still like the drawers but I do not know one who would give up her Samsung for the drawers.

[Dick Simonis]

My thought exactly.  Hopefully I'll run across someone either at BCS  later this month or elsewhere on the road this summer.

[Fred Brooks]

   Hi Dick, Doug is right and I have yet to hear of any regrets after the sacrifice of the drawers. If Pat wants some phone numbers of happy ladies, please have her call me. Thanks, Fred

[Gerald Farris]

Dick,
You could have Fred add a narrow open pantry along the wall behind the table for can goods that would make up for loosing a couple of drawers, but I can not imagine a residential conversion without using two door Samsung. It is a superior refrigerator.

Gerald

[Mike Groves]

I think my wife, Margaret, would echo Gerald's opinion.  She had RV Outfitters replace our wooden table with its knee knocking pedestal with a credenza and pull out (suspended no legs) corian table.

See http://coach.quickreckoning.com/Remodel_2016.htm

Mike

[Doug Allman]

My wife Elaine would do same as she is very pleased with the Samsung.

As with every trip we make oaths to take less and we are finally getting to that realization that we are not a moving van. If we wore all the clothes we take we would not have to wash for at least a month.

I know we like to be prepared but there has to be some wisdom used in a 275 sq,. ft. unit. We are getting older and hopefully wiser. At least 2/3'rds of what we have in the Coach we take out after every trip. I am once again realigning the storage bays and there will be MUCH LESS carried when we next leave. Doing the same in the drawers and closet inside.

The 130 lb steel tool box is being replaced with a 3/4 size tool box that weighs 40 lbs. Simple hand tools only because I find that if you are doing anything other than simple on these units you need more sophisticated tools than you can or would ever carry.

[Joel Ashley]

Now you're getting the hang of it, Doug.  Part of the reason we don't use the coach more is getting up the wherewithal to load up... too much of a project, and it doesn't have to be.

If only I could convince the wife!

Joel

[Dick Simonis]

I think Pat is starting to come around.  When we left Wednesday it was pushing 100 and over the first couple of days and the fridge temp was running 55 to 60 with the freezer barely below freezing.  The foodstuff seemed to have survived OK but not having cold milk and beer was unpleasant.  Now that we're in Idaho Falls all is OK again so at least we should be OK for the rest of the trip and I don't have to be concerned about doing an "emergency" upgrade and should be able to wait until we get home in Oct.  I suspect most anyone can do the upgrade but I'm concerned that not everyone can replicate the Marquis finish on the cabinet work.

Questions for those of you that have done the upgrade:

Do you use the fridge ice maker, the U-Line, or both??
It appears the new fridge extends from the cabinet quite a bit further with the handles and all.  Has that been an issue?  Especially with the slide in??
What are the options for locking the doors?
If anyone has some pics they can share it would be appreciated.  Fred sent a couple but they weren't real clear.

Thanks

Dick

[Marty and Suzie Schenck]

Here is a picture of ours that I installed in our 02 Thunder. It does stick out a little so when the slide is in you need to be aware of the handles so you don't bump into them. We use a Velcro strap to tie the handles together for travel and just put a dinning chair in front of the freezer when we travel. Works out nice. The best upgrade that we have done to the coach. Marty