Microwave replacement options

[SFVdave]

My Furrion FMSN09-BL needs to be replaced. Has anyone used a different brand? Sources are limited to a few vendors and the shipping time doesn’t work for us. Guess we can rough it without. Spoiled!

[doxiemom11]

Microwave/Convection model is what I have. If you purchase one, make sure it vents out the front and also that is is shimmed out far enough from the rear, that the very hot air does not exhaust directly on cabinet handle above. I know someone who didn't and those handles above cannot be touched. The wood of the cabinets is also drying out from being exposed to that extreme hot air all the time. A well known rv repair facility was responsible for improperly installing this.

[SFVdave]

rhagfo wrote:

SFVdave wrote:
My Furrion FMSN09-BL needs to be replaced. Has anyone used a different brand? Sources are limited to a few vendors and the shipping time doesn’t work for us. Guess we can rough it without. Spoiled!

Have you thought of replacing with a microwave/convection combo?
We replaced out working microwave with a combo unit and DW is very happy.

Yes, I did check out the Walmart Glanaz microwave air fryer. Cost was only $109 and it would fit the opening. But the ventilation I beleive would be an issue. Using the old cover with the designed venting seemed like the better option. We are at the stage of our camping that we mostly defrost prepared meals rather than do any real cooking. Would like one for the house for sure.
Interesting that the Furrion and RV microwaves with trim pieces got for $200, 3 xtimes what it should cost. Saw replacement dish and ring for the microwaves going for $50. That's crazy!!! I don't know how Walmart can make but a few dollars selling them so cheap and include next day shipping too!

[rhagfo]

SFVdave wrote:
My Furrion FMSN09-BL needs to be replaced. Has anyone used a different brand? Sources are limited to a few vendors and the shipping time doesn’t work for us. Guess we can rough it without. Spoiled!

Have you thought of replacing with a microwave/convection combo?
We replaced out working microwave with a combo unit and DW is very happy.

[GDS-3950BH]

SFVdave wrote:
My Furrion FMSN09-BL needs to be replaced. Has anyone used a different brand? Sources are limited to a few vendors and the shipping time doesn’t work for us. Guess we can rough it without. Spoiled!

All you had to say was Furrion, our last Grand Design was full of it. All of it was cheap junk from the radio to the TVs to the microwave. One TV failed, the microwave failed, the radio had an issue that came and went, and all during the first season of use. The entire RV industry is a ripoff. They spend more time looking for cheap components and bling to pack in rigs than spent on anything remotely having to do with QA or QC, and charge you top dollar for the privilege of being taken.

[SFVdave]

New microwave from Walmart was almost identical and I swapped covers so it vents on top and is directed out top trim. Great deal for $71 and the magnetron from Amazon would cost $50. Same one that's in the new one.

[Rick_Jay]

Gdetrailer,

I agree with what you're saying about fuses, and that's definitely true with appliances and equipment in normal use. I have to take Gjac's post as sincere and believe he did solve the problem by replacing the fuse, and I'm not sold that his experience was just "luck".

What I'm thinking is that a microwave oven in an RV, which puts a pretty heavy draw on the electrical system, often gets started and run while the A/C is cranking to keep the inside comfortable, or maybe space heaters. With BOTH the A/C and Microwave pulling the juice, the voltage at the microwave might be dropping WAY below what would normally be considered "low voltage" in a sticks & bricks house. With motors (and perhaps the klystron and amplifier in the microwave?) they tend to draw MORE current at lower voltages, so perhaps this is what will trigger the fuse to blow in an RV microwave application, but not in a normal installation in a home. That is, the extra current draw due to the lower than normal start-up voltage pops fuse. I can also see where this might be more likely to be a problem on a 30A rig than a 50A connection.

Just thinking out loud, but that could be a contributing factor. I whole-heartedly agree that fuses don't usually blow for "no reason", but perhaps the RV application presents a "reason" not normally seen with regular installations.

For what it's worth, on our 50A rig, I haven't had a problem with the Microwave/Convection Oven fuse in 17 years of ownership. But I'm always monitoring voltages when we make a hookup and 99% of the time we're on a decent 50A connection. Working off of 30A is "roughing it" for us! LOL

~Rick

[StirCrazy]

mine just had a problem took it in to a repair shop and was 100 bucks to have it fixed. new rv one is 450.00 a generic one if I can find the right size comes to about 200.00 but I wasnt able to find one the right size for the shroud.

Steve

[JimBollman]

Have not had to replace ours yet but plan on downsizing to one of the lower power dorm size. We seldom use it for anything but heating up coffee, leftovers and small meals. Figured it would be less load on the generator and I may be able to squeeze a little extra storage around it. From those concerned with heat and vents a smaller unit would give space for rerouting things and air circulating.

[Alan_Hepburn]

mr_andyj wrote:
no such thing as an RV microwave. All are household ones that RV maker made some brackets to match and mount in the opening. Find one that fits in the hole.

In most cases you'll be looking for an "over the counter" microwave, and they are generally 30" wide, although you might find one or two with other sizes. Then you'll have the choice of rear, side, or front venting - many can be changed by simply adjusting a vent baffle. Mounting is similar on pretty much all units: a bracket on the rear of the microwave will mate up with a corresponding bracket on the wall at the installation location, and usually 2 bolts, accessible in the cabinet above the location. May times those bolts will be concealed under whatever shelf lining material that is used to make things look nice in the cabinet.

Removing the microwave is straightforward: unplug it from power and remove the 2 bolts from above, then tilt the top of the microwave toward you and lift the whole thing off the rear bracket. Installing is the opposite: lift it up to engage the rear bracket, then rotate the top up into position and replace the 2 bolts. Plug it in and it should work!

[Gdetrailer]

Gjac wrote:
I replaced mine 10 years ago for less than $5.00 and it still works fine. Replaced another for another person and I known it lasted at least 5 years he moved after that so it may still be working.

Consider yourself (and the "other person") lucky that it worked, fuses of any "type" do not just randomly blow for no reason at all. Generally there is something else wrong with any item that blows fuses. Fuses are there to prevent catastrophic damage to you and your home, not to protect the equipment the fuse is in.

Additionally, there are considerably high voltages floating around in that microwave cabinet and one also needs to be keenly aware that operating such device with any or all covers in place can lead to unintentional exposure to high power microwaves and high voltages.

This really is not a place for the "amateur repairman" to be playing around in.

Even myself, I cannot be bothered with cracking open a microwave oven just to see if a fuse burned out, they are just way to inexpensive now days to justify the time and cost of a fuse..

$5 for the fuse and my time is worth $50 per hr so even if it only took 30 minutes to remove case, replace fuse and put case back on I have $30 worth of parts and my labor for a microwave that can be replaced for $50..

Not to mention, older microwaves are less efficient, less powerful then the newer units. As the magnetron ages, it's output drops, after all it is a tube, it is not solid state so a 10 or even 3 yr old microwave oven will not be as fast as a brand new unit..

I actually have a 30 yr old Kenmore microwave in my TT, it started life in our home, but as time went on it took longer and longer time to heat things.. Replaced it with a newer much faster one in the home and the old one since it still worked somewhat got installed in our camper.. Yeah, it takes 5 minutes to heat a cup of water to boiling and the one in the house takes a minute and ten seconds..

Would I repair ether one if they break?

Nope.

The old one cost $300 30 yrs ago and the newer one cost $90 10 yrs ago..

[Gjac]

Gdetrailer wrote:

SFVdave wrote:

Gjac wrote:
Before you go through the trouble of retrofitting a new microwave check the thermal fuse inside. It is a couple of dollars and will save you the cost of a new one.

I took the back off and looked for any burnt wire and found none. Put back on and put a pyrex cup with wter in it and turned it on for a minute. Immediately got buzzing noise and burning smell. Shut it off and wnet online with symptoms. It's ythe magnetron failing. I disconnected the cord and cut it. It's going to the local recycling center tomorrow. New cheap Walmart microwave is coming today. Will see what modifications I will need to make if any. It should get me thru my camping trip to the sierra's next week. Then I have a month to decide what to do.
Thanks!

If dimensions are a bit smaller than the original trim you are golden, just fit microwave into the opening.

If dimensions are the same or a bit larger than the original trim, you will need to remove trim. In this case you will need to modify the trim to make for a larger opening.

Both cases, you will need to allow some air space around the microwave for ventilation.

As far as repairing a microwave, for some reason folks are under the impression that they can be fixed by replacing a "thermal fuse", it typically is never that easy.

Many yrs ago when microwaves cost $500-$1000 it was worth attempting to fix, now days microwaves can be easily had for $50-$100, they are not worth spending the time to remove the cover even if it was a "thermal fuse".

There usually is a reason any fuse blows, they just don't go bad for no reason and replacing a fuse is typically a short lived fix.

I used to service consumer electronic equipment like TVs, VCRs, Sat equipment, stereos and yes, microwaves back in the 1990s-2000..

I replaced mine 10 years ago for less than $5.00 and it still works fine. Replaced another for another person and I known it lasted at least 5 years he moved after that so it may still be working.

[Gdetrailer]

SFVdave wrote:

Gjac wrote:
Before you go through the trouble of retrofitting a new microwave check the thermal fuse inside. It is a couple of dollars and will save you the cost of a new one.

I took the back off and looked for any burnt wire and found none. Put back on and put a pyrex cup with wter in it and turned it on for a minute. Immediately got buzzing noise and burning smell. Shut it off and wnet online with symptoms. It's ythe magnetron failing. I disconnected the cord and cut it. It's going to the local recycling center tomorrow. New cheap Walmart microwave is coming today. Will see what modifications I will need to make if any. It should get me thru my camping trip to the sierra's next week. Then I have a month to decide what to do.
Thanks!

If dimensions are a bit smaller than the original trim you are golden, just fit microwave into the opening.

If dimensions are the same or a bit larger than the original trim, you will need to remove trim. In this case you will need to modify the trim to make for a larger opening.

Both cases, you will need to allow some air space around the microwave for ventilation.

As far as repairing a microwave, for some reason folks are under the impression that they can be fixed by replacing a "thermal fuse", it typically is never that easy.

Many yrs ago when microwaves cost $500-$1000 it was worth attempting to fix, now days microwaves can be easily had for $50-$100, they are not worth spending the time to remove the cover even if it was a "thermal fuse".

There usually is a reason any fuse blows, they just don't go bad for no reason and replacing a fuse is typically a short lived fix.

I used to service consumer electronic equipment like TVs, VCRs, Sat equipment, stereos and yes, microwaves back in the 1990s-2000..

[SFVdave]

Gjac wrote:
Before you go through the trouble of retrofitting a new microwave check the thermal fuse inside. It is a couple of dollars and will save you the cost of a new one.

I took the back off and looked for any burnt wire and found none. Put back on and put a pyrex cup with wter in it and turned it on for a minute. Immediately got buzzing noise and burning smell. Shut it off and wnet online with symptoms. It's ythe magnetron failing. I disconnected the cord and cut it. It's going to the local recycling center tomorrow. New cheap Walmart microwave is coming today. Will see what modifications I will need to make if any. It should get me thru my camping trip to the sierra's next week. Then I have a month to decide what to do.
Thanks!

[mr_andyj]

no such thing as an RV microwave. All are household ones that RV maker made some brackets to match and mount in the opening. Find one that fits in the hole.