NorCold Fridge - How Sensitive to Being Unlevel?

[3TV]

I've got a 2019 Wolf Creek 840. How level does the fridge have to be to work optimally? I have heard you can damage the fridge if it is operated on unlevel ground. How unlevel before it causes a problem?

Thanks.

[otrfun]

We burned up a fridge at an off-level campsite a few years ago. Said to heck with eating up precious vacation time calculating degrees off-level at every rest stop and campsite. We bit the bullet and installed an ARP unit (aka Fridge Defender at arprv.com). Just install a temperature sensor on the flue and wire the ARP unit between the 12v power source and the fridge and you're done. If the temps get too high the ARP simply shuts off DC power to the fridge.

The ARP also displays flue temps. In very little time you'll get a very good idea just how off level you can get before the flue temps start increasing above 375 F. (190 C)---standard operating temp for our fridge. After using the ARP on 3 different fridges, we've discovered not all fridges are created equal. With our 2nd fridge, simply pulling off the side of the road (with a slight lean to the right) would set our flue temps soaring. With our current fridge, we can go insanely off-level before temps start to climb.

Nowadays we go anywhere we want and never give our fridge a 2nd thought.

[MORSNOW]

Freep wrote:
The best way I have found to stay level is to park level.

I use a leveling app on my phone and set it on the console in the truck. Works like a champ.

Exactly what I do, then it's much easier to fine tune with leveling blocks if needed.

[Freep]

The best way I have found to stay level is to park level.

To do this: Start off by getting perfectly level without levelers and with the TC still on the truck, like in a parking lot. Check for level in the TC using a small level(I like the idea of making sure the stove is level) which you will use in the cab. Then find a place in the cab that gives you the same reading you got in the TC.

Now every time you park, put your little level in the spot you found(or made) in the cab. This way when you're parking you can reference the level in real time and you're doing most of the leveling work before you're even parked.

I use a leveling app on my phone and set it on the console in the truck. Works like a champ.


OR! you can go super complicated and put a level on the stove and then put a camera on the level and a monitor in the cab. 😉

[ajriding]

The second reason a fridge will fail is if it develops a leak. When stuff leaks out it will look like yellowish powder, though you probably will never see it.

3 front to back, 6 side to side> Thats the trailer, not the fridge. Most fridges are mounted on the side wall, so be sure you know which 3 or 6 you have to think about. I always thought in terms of the camper...

[Joe417]

It must have bounced.....

[Joe417]

I try to find as level a spot as possible but haven't worried about perfectly level, within reason. I try to get the head of the bed on the high end. Harbor Freight sells a cheap inclinometer that is a quick check on the counter and fits in the kitchen drawer.

We have one fridge that is 15 years old and one that is 19 years old and the only problems we have had was once when a controller board went out and once when the vent fan died(it's mounted in the slide).

With our TC and vehicle, fridge is mounted on a side wall, I calculated, we could be up to 10 inches side to side and 13 inches front to rear. That's using the Mfgr. specs.

I don't think we've ever been out of level more than half that for an overnight.

[naturist]

3TV wrote:
Yes, 3 degrees is a 6% slope. The road in front of my house where we parked the Forest River motorhome was not a 6% slope, (more likely a 3% slope) so maybe an unlevel fridge did not contribute to that fridge failing. I still plan to have my truck/camper as level as possible.

Maybe not. Still, it's not like pulling teeth to get level, and as you already know, replacing a failed fridge (even if you don't have to remove a window) is expensive. Might as well do it and be sure.

[jaycocreek]

From Truck Camper Adventure..

Today, Norcold recommends that their refrigerators operate within 3 degrees off level side-to-side and 6 degrees off level front-to-back. What does this mean for you when leveling your rig? Half a bubble on your RV level should be good enough for an overnight stay, but if I’m going to be boondocked for several days or a week at the same location then I like to get my rig as level as possible. Taking a few extra moments to properly level your rig will enable your refrigerator to cool better and last longer by preventing ammonia crystals from forming.

Take the time and level it right,you won't be sorry...

I level the refer perfect then I go outside and set my leveler bubbles to be perfectly level according to the already level refrigerator...This makes it quick and easy to be level without having to go inside,then I double check the level..

Once you have had to replace a RV fridge cooling unit,you will take the extra steps to be sure it functions properly..

[3TV]

Yes, 3 degrees is a 6% slope. The road in front of my house where we parked the Forest River motorhome was not a 6% slope, (more likely a 3% slope) so maybe an unlevel fridge did not contribute to that fridge failing. I still plan to have my truck/camper as level as possible.

[Ed_Gee]

Interestingly, Using Trigonometry's Tangent function I calculated the front to back height difference that would meet the 3 degree refrigerator side to side maximum tilt off level for my 24' motorhome and it resulted that one end can be 15" higher than the other end and still allow refrigerator safe operation.

[Ed_Gee]

Taken directly from a Norcold manual: " The refrigerator is made to operate within 3° off level side-to-side and 6° off level front-to-back (as looking at the front of the refrigerator). Operating it at more than these limits can cause damage to the cooling system and create a risk of personal injury or property damage. Make sure the vehicle is level before you operate the refrigerator. "

NOTE: That specification is degrees, Not inches.

[3TV]

Thanks for the great replies. We had a Dometic fridge fail on a large Forrest River Class C we owned. It was covered under the extended warranty, no questions asked, but would have cost $4000 otherwise. Apparently installation was quite involved with that motorhome, and required removal of the large rear window, so the fridge could be exchanged through the window. It didn't fit through the door. The street in front of our house had a slight slope to it (guessing about ~3 degrees), and I wondered if using the fridge while the motorhome was parked in front of our house contributed to the fridge failing after 3 years of use.

Anyway, we now have the Wolf Creek 840. It is brand new, and has never had the fridge used. Last night I spent some extra time with leveling blocks placed under the tires, and used a level to make sure my truck/camper were level before starting the fridge. It looks like I will need to buy the stick on level gauges to put on the camper, and continue to do that.

Thanks again.

[jaycocreek]

I found my last cooling unit for less than $500 and had to install it which was a real pain compared to other RV repairs..Keep your RV fridge level and never worry,it's that simple..

While the Danfross is a good compressor,I think the Engel version is much better and wish they made RV refer units..I have an Engel fridge/freezer and it is so good on power it is almost unbelievable for it's lack of battery drain..

Engel Compressor
One of the keys to the success of Engel portable fridges is their exceptional compressor, which guarantees excellent performance and great durability. The swing arm fridge compressor is unique in its category and is considered to be the most reliable in the world.

The internationally patented swing compressor was developed more than 55 years ago and its secret lies partly in its simplicity. The Sawafuji Swing motor is a reciprocating compressor which has only one moving part that self-lubricates, so no maintenance is needed and the risk of failure is minimal.

Additionally, these fridge compressors do not need much energy to work, since the piston moves slowly at first and then it increases the distance it moves until it reaches a full stroke. These portable fridge freezers work even at 60 degrees angles and on bumpy roads without losing efficiency, so they are ideal for any outdoor activities.

Thanks to the swing arm compressor and to the continued efforts to improve and innovate, Engel currently offers a wide range of portable fridges that stand out for their lightness, their efficiency and their low energy consumption. In combination with the excellent insulation and the hermetic closing, these portable freezers and fridges guarantee an optimal performance. You will be able to take them anywhere knowing that your portable fridge and freezer is heavy duty and absolutely reliable.

[mr_andyj]

most all cooling units are built the same.

3 degrees front to back
6 degrees side to side is a number I have heard, though 6 sounds way to far off level for me. I keep it under 3.

Look at the "coil" pipes on the back of the fridge. This is where the issue lies.

There are chemicals that need to circulate through the pipes. When you drive the chemicals get sloshed around so no worry, but parked another matter.

The liquid needs to be able to flow back down this slightly sloped coil without getting stuck. if you parked on a slope and the coil now slopes up in one direction then it cannot flow. When the liquid gets stuck in the coils then the other chemical will burn or harden in the big chamber (where the flame is) and turn to a concrete-like substance. It does this slowly, Many fridges probably have some "coking" already in the chamber. Get enough and it will not cool anymore.

New cooling units are at least $600 and you still have to install.

For some model fridges there are electric conversions. Before you roll eyes, this is not like the cheap dorm style fridges you see on a used camper someone is trying to sell quick. These use a Danfoss compressor that runs off DC power (or AC) and only sip electricity. They can run off you car battery all day and still leave enough power to crank the motor. These compressors can run at 30 degrees off level. Combine with solar and a couple of batteries and you never have to refuel propane.