Norcold frig won't stay lit?

drpprmt

Recently we had to return home due to an emergency.  This involved a 10hr road trip.  During that time we used the refrig on propane as I do not want to add additional stress to our TV charging system.  However, the refrig NEVER stayed on while traveling.  Everytime I stopped I had to re-start it.  Is there a fix for this very big issue?

Tabaz

Mine tends to do the same thing.  So I never run it on propane while traveling.

Verna

RZRBUG replaced his frig with an Engle. Try a search for Engle

irvingj

Our T@B (an older DM model) seemed OK with running the Norcold on propane while on the road, but many others have not been able to do that. Venting? Seems on some T@Bs, driving over the road will blow out the flame.

Michigan_Mike

I spoke to Marvin at the factory when I visited recently and he said that the Norcold unit is designed to run optimally when level and will shut down when not level and that they obviously do not recommend, nor suggest that the unit be transported using propane to power the refrigerator for safety reasons.  

I understsnd that this presents an issue in trying to keep food and drinks cold and fresh when traveling since the Norcold can easily and quickly drain the battery since it is an energy hog.  My Norcold also shuts off during travel and it's concerning to me since the unit tries to relight itself (you hear the clicking) and cumulatively I wonder if this is damaging the igniter.  Does anyone have any insight or info on this issue?  

ScottG

I don't have a definitive answer, but common sense makes me agree with Mike. When the fridge is set to propane but is not lit, the ignitor fires constantly. I don't imagine that has any positive effect on its lifespan.

SweetlyHome

There were a number of
threads in the past that discussed turbulence between the TV and
T@B.  Apparently it can greatly vary
based on the TV.  The primary issue at
the time was damage to the propane cover. 
There appears to be a similar situation with the 3-way staying lit.  It appears to stay lit with our 2012 RAV.

dmerzbac

After camping this past weekend and a four hour drive home, I noticed a severe drain on my battery when I arrived home. Since I am leery about traveling with the propane on, I guess I need to invest in a good travel cooler

gooselady

I travel with the fridge off; no propane or battery.  I use it on shore power before I leave, and start it on propane as soon as I park for the night.

Michigan_Mike

dmerzbac said:

Since I am leery about traveling with the propane on, I guess I need to invest in a good travel cooler

This is why I purchased my ARB frig as it is a low amperage draw and keeps our food fresh and cold during travel.  

jkjenn

Michigan_Mike said:

dmerzbac said:

Since I am leery about traveling with the propane on, I guess I need to invest in a good travel cooler

This is why I purchased my ARB frig as it is a low amperage draw and keeps our food fresh and cold during travel.  

Since I picked up my ARB I have been noodling this, too. The TV can't keep up over the course of a 10 hour day. I was OK with the dual GC battery set up, but I prefer to arrive with fully charged batteries. 

drpprmt

I find this to be very vexing.  We have been rv-ing for 40yrs, in everything from truck campers to class A motorhomes.  The only time I haven't used propane for the refrig while traveling is in my first truck camper that used ice to keep cool.  We recently traveled in our rv all across the country, 6000 miles and used the refrig on propane the entire trip.  We never had an issue.  I am deeply disappointed in what I have encountered and have expressed this to nucamp.  In this day and age being able to use your refrig should not be an issue. 

Newfisher

^^^^^^^^ 100% agreed. Same lifestyle, multiple Rvs and always run LP fridge traveling except on the T@B that blows out. Battery drains on 2015 Jeep TV. NuCamp needs to ditch the Norcold before the dissapointment threads start stacking up. Others looking for a trailer stumble across the interwebs and if they find that the trailer they are looking to buy cant keep food cold unless its parked, it may steer them away from the purchase.

Dalehelman

The three way frig has three modes for a reason. Gas for boondocking, electric when available, and 12 volts while traveling. Just remember to switch off 12 volt if TV engine is not running. 

drpprmt

Still, this is a huge load on the TV electric system.  Either there is a problem with the norcold or the installation.  I would never hesitate to mention this to anyone interested in the T@B as it does need to be on the table when someone is thinking about a purchase.  Too bad, as almost everything else in this unit is such high quality.

Newfisher

Drpprmt: agreed.

Michigan_Mike

drpprmt said:

I find this to be very vexing.  We have been rv-ing for 40yrs, in everything from truck campers to class A motorhomes.  The only time I haven't used propane for the refrig while traveling is in my first truck camper that used ice to keep cool.  We recently traveled in our rv all across the country, 6000 miles and used the refrig on propane the entire trip.  We never had an issue.  I am deeply disappointed in what I have encountered and have expressed this to nucamp.  In this day and age being able to use your refrig should not be an issue. 

It's too bad that Norcold couldn't look into the ARB frig/freezer units and come up with a similar wiring/power schematic as the ARB unit runs very efficiently on 12 volts (more so than when on 120 V) and is one of the lowest if not THE lowest power consuming unit on the market and without wreaking havoc to the battery.  Obviously there are patent rights involved in the above, but agree, in today's day and age the manufacturers of these refrigeration units need to come up with an amicable solution to a problem that plaques RV companies and users of their product line.  

I do believe that nuCamp is working behind the scenes to remedy this issue as they did to remedy the heating/venting issue of the three-way Norcold.  I did sent an inquiry to the factory regarding the 12-volt system (asking for an update) and will share anything that comes my way.  

Sharon_is_SAM

Thanks Mike.  I will be interested to see what NuCamp does.  We had a 50 qt ARB installed with the build of our CS and could not be happier.  Quiet, efficient, and worry-free.  I am anxious to test it this summer on a 4-5 hour tow in the heat to see how it performs.  I know that you and Verna have had good results.

wizard1880

Some of the ARB's components do in fact live in the T@b--the CS model's 12v fridge!  They share the very same DanFoss compressor.

The difference is the thickness of insulation.  The ARBs have a much lower duty cycle due to thicker insulation so they consume less power.

I believe the new T@b 400s also use a 12v DC fridge only, but a larger one.

Michigan_Mike

SAM said:

Thanks Mike.  I will be interested to see what NuCamp does.  We had a 50 qt ARB installed with the build of our CS and could not be happier.  Quiet, efficient, and worry-free.  I am anxious to test it this summer on a 4-5 hour tow in the heat to see how it performs.  I know that you and Verna have had good results.

I've left mine running inside the (locked) former Equinox I owned in Arizona while shopping and it went up about  2° and the food and produce were cold and fresh.  

 One thing I did forgot to do was to adjust the shut off voltage setting while up in Alaska in 2015. I left my vehicle parked for a couple days without charging the battery and it did drain the vehicle battery requiring a jump start.  But other than that I couldn't be happier with the performance of the ARB and have run it on solar off the trailer via an extra Zamp Solar port, creating added frig space and with no adverse impact on my total energy usage for the trailer.  

skwhee

Yes, Wizard,  the T@B 400 has a Norcold 12v DC/120AC only fridge with a 2.7 cu ft capacity that draws somewhere in the range of 3.4A, similar to the ARBs.

Michigan_Mike

skwhee said:

Yes, Wizard,  the T@B 400 has a Norcold 12v DC/120AC only fridge with a 2.7 cu ft capacity that draws somewhere in the range of 3.4A, similar to the ARBs.

I did get an initial response back from Scott Hubble that is consistent with your info above Steve....

A more official response can be provided by Ed and Marvin, but…

 The nature of any 3-way fridge is to suck the life out of a battery…The ARB is not a 3-way, but rather a 2-way (AC/DC only) – as such, the design can be streamlined to run more efficiently on 12v.  This would be demonstrated by the draw on a 3-way in a T@B vs. a Norcold Cooler in the T@G.

Verna

Five hours driving to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, five hours driving back home 4 days later and my 3-way stayed on with propane during both ways of the trip. About 45 days straight of the 3-way on propane either camping or towing and the only time it wasn't lit was during propane tank change out last winter. Around 90 days in 2016 with the 3-way on propane camping and towing and no problems with the Norcold staying lit. This is the 2015 Norcold 3-way in my 2014 T@B Max S. Oh, and "knock on wood". Now to go turn it off while I take the cold stuff out of it-short break is over--time to unload.

Michigan_Mike

Verna said:

Five hours driving to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, five hours driving back home 4 days later and my 3-way stayed on with propane during both ways of the trip. About 45 days straight of the 3-way on propane either camping or towing and the only time it wasn't lit was during propane tank change out last winter. Around 90 days in 2016 with the 3-way on propane camping and towing and no problems with the Norcold staying lit. This is the 2015 Norcold 3-way in my 2014 T@B Max S. Oh, and "knock on wood". Now to go turn it off while I take the cold stuff out of it-short break is over--time to unload.

Well go figure, mine is the exact same unit that you have in your trailer and will not stay lit.  Must be how I'm holding the steering wheel?   

Marceline

SAM said:

Thanks Mike.  I will be interested to see what NuCamp does.  We had a 50 qt ARB installed with the build of our CS and could not be happier.  Quiet, efficient, and worry-free.  I am anxious to test it this summer on a 4-5 hour tow in the heat to see how it performs.  I know that you and Verna have had good results.

What does this installation look like? Does it pull out like the T@G coolers? 

Sharon_is_SAM

Michigan_Mike

Sweet set-up and if my Norcold ever goes out I will do something similar to what you show here.  Very cool!  

ericnliz

@Michigan_Mike ,Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

ericnliz

  

Michigan_Mike

You'll need a GPS set-up to get back to the trailer too.  

ericnliz

Nope, just empties to pick up on the way back!