Norcold Side by Side fridge loosing temperature

[rpaling]

Hi Folks, I have a 2017 Reflections 337RLS fifth wheel trailer and the refriderator suddenly wont stay cold. We've been living in it for the past two months in Arizona and its worked fine. Just recently we've noticed that its not keeping as cold as it should. I've switched it over from electric to propane and it hasn't made a difference. We havent loaded it up with new food so thats not the problem. Would appreciate and suggestions on what to check.
Thanks
Ralph

[ncitro]

I would start with the door seals. Close the door on a piece of paper or dollar bill, and you should not be able to remove it. If you can there is a seal issue or the door needs to be aligned.

For more info let us know which model refrigerator you have.

[rpaling]

Hi Neil. Thanks for the quick response. The model of the fridge is a 1210T. I've put thermometers in both the freezer and the refridgerator sections. The freezer is 34 degrees and the fridge is 52. I don't think its a seal problem because there are 4 doors but both tht two freezer sections and the fridge is warmer than they should be. Is there a way to reset the unit.

[rpaling]

Does anyone have link to the users manual for this fridge?

[Scott'n'Wendy]

Cooling fan in the back. Either the temp sensor failed or the fan. That's where I would start.
When I say temp sensor, I mean the one that controls the fan.

[TucsonJim]

Does anyone have link to the users manual for this fridge?

I was able to find this service manual with trouble-shooting info for the Norcold 1210
https://archive.org/details/manualzi...e/n17/mode/2up

[howson]

Hi Folks, I have a 2017 Reflections 337RLS fifth wheel trailer and the refriderator suddenly wont stay cold. We've been living in it for the past two months in Arizona and its worked fine. Just recently we've noticed that its not keeping as cold as it should. I've switched it over from electric to propane and it hasn't made a difference. We havent loaded it up with new food so thats not the problem. Would appreciate and suggestions on what to check.
Thanks
Ralph

An additional resource (same as Jim's link but a PDF version): https://rvrefrigeratorrepair.com/wp-...rvice-1210.pdf

An easy check is to remove the lower cover on the exterior of the camper and look for a yellow stain. If you see that evidence the cooling unit has failed. Only recourse is to replace the cooling unit (not a small job). There are multiple videos and websites with information on this topic as well as what to troubleshoot. Search for "Norcold 1210 cooling system failure" using your browser.

Please come back and document what resolves the issue.

[JBill9694]

Check the condensation trough on the back wall of the refrigerator. These things don't drain worth beans and seem to impact performance.

Agree with Neil, check the door seals, even if the problem seems to be in both the upper and lower compartments (no reason there can't be a seal problem with both compartments). Also, if there is a hinged baffle on the left-hand door of the refrigerator, make sure it is swinging all the way over when the door closes. The baffle getting hung up is a common problem.

Check the cooling fans, as suggested by Scott and Wendy. Not that there may be a damper or baffle blocking to upper vent opening. Someone decided at some point in time that it was better to recirculate the cooling air pulled in through the bottom vent than to exhaust it out the top vent. This might work in cold climates, but Arizona, especially Southern Arizona, is not cold climate. Try removing or lowering the damper/baffle so that air drawn in from the bottom vent can be exhausted out the top vent.

Yes, check for signs of loss of coolant.

If the back of the unit is facing south, find some way to shade it from the sun. I have seen some simple plywood frames that can be hung off of the slide's flange.

[rpaling]

Thanks to all of you who posted your suggestions. It was greatly appreciated. Here is what I did. I checked the breaker and fuses. Toggled breaker and removed fuse and reinstalled. I cycled power to the entire trailer and let it sit for five minutes. I cycled to lowest temperature and then highest temperature for five minutes. I switched between gas an electric letting sit for five minutes each. In the end I set the temperature to max and left it overnight making sure the doors were all well sealed. In the morning the fridge part was 39 degrees and the freezers were freezing. No problem since. I hope we make it through the next month till we can get hope and have it looked at. Thanks again everyone. I find this forum invaluable.
Cheers
Ralph

[TheNescios]

Came back to the RV late yesterday and found my Norcold 1210 is not keeping both sides of the freezer items frozen equally. Right side was thawed out, left side was frozen.
Fridge seems to be ok, but I moved everything I felt was ok to a full size fridge/freezer in my workshop.
Zero issues up till now other than needing to clean the tray drain as part of my maintenance and nothing is obviously wrong - no yellow in the lower door area.
Input welcomed!

Depending on what is wrong with the Norcold, may replace it with a residential style and input on this is also welcomed.
Chris

[howson]

Came back to the RV late yesterday and found my Norcold 1210 is not keeping both sides of the freezer items frozen equally. Right side was thawed out, left side was frozen.
Fridge seems to be ok, but I moved everything I felt was ok to a full size fridge/freezer in my workshop.
Zero issues up till now other than needing to clean the tray drain as part of my maintenance and nothing is obviously wrong - no yellow in the lower door area.
Input welcomed!

Depending on what is wrong with the Norcold, may replace it with a residential style and input on this is also welcomed.
Chris

There are some who boondock extensively and want a propane capable absorption-style (aka "RV frig") refrigerator. Since my boondocking is rare and I have a robust electrical system added to my 315RLTS, the residential I installed has been a great change. Unless I had a small Class B motorhome, I can't see ever going back to an absorption 'frig. My DW loves the residential refrigerator.

[Jimmer]

I have a Norcold 1210 which works reasonably well and has gotten quite a lot of use since I owned the camper. Right now, the right side freezer is 20.5 degrees, and the left side freezer is 10.3 degrees. Fridge is 34.9 degrees, running on electricity, the temperature setting of the fridge is at 3, and the outside temperature is 72.5. The fridge has been running 4 to 5 months a year since the camper was purchased in March of 2021.

I wonder why the left side of the freezer is colder than the right side of the freezer?

[TheNescios]

Let the fridge sit with a plastic water bottle on both sides of the freezer, one frozen, one slushy, and the fridge with a beer can which stayed cold to the touch while I thought about the issue.
Visiting with a friend about this the other day their first thought was it's frozen up on the side that's not cooling correctly and if it was him he'd turn it off and let it sit with the doors open for a day to get any ice and/or moisture out, and then see what it did.
Turned it off yesterday morning and this morning there is dampness in the drip tray which I'd wiped down so it's possible this is the issue.
Going to let it sit today to make sure all the moisture is out and turn it on when I get back this evening.
Will keep you posted on how it goes.

If it doesn't work, then I guess I'm done playing on a 160 size excavator knocking over 80-90 ft cottonwood trees and clearing 10 Acres for a buddy, and will be figuring out how to remove the Norcold and install a residential fridge. I can see a future with detailed measurements of the entry door, probably needing to remove the doors on the replacement, modifications to the woodwork around the Norcold, and coming up with a way to blank off the exterior access points. If it comes to that, hopefully someone has shared their journey doing it?

[howson]

If it comes to that, hopefully someone has shared their journey doing it?

There's doubt in your mind? https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...a-2019-315rlts

There also appears to be a lot of other threads on the forum. Enter this search criteria in your browser and then have fun reading! residential refrigerator modification site:gdrvowners.com