Norcold too cold

Vegascacher · January 2017

I have the new Norcold 3 way refrigerator and it seems no matter the setting it is too cold 17 to 30 degrees once it gets up to speed. On the propane setting what is colder 1 or 3? I assume 3 but just want to make sure. Anyone else have a three way freezer?

Nomad · January 2017

3 is colder - I do 3.5 and things right under the fins on the shelf do freeze once in awhile. The rest of the fridge doesn't though.

Vegascacher · January 2017

The propane settings are only 1-3 on the N400. I have it on 2, I'll take it down to 1 and see what happens. I'm in southern Nevada so temps are mild with overnight lows usually in the 40's and highs in the 50's to mid 60's.

Nomad · January 2017

Ahhhh - Only 1-3 sounds kind strange.

Vegascacher · January 2017

They are marked I think "low", "medium", and "high". I'm at work still so can't take a picture. It's the new fridge in the 2017 models.

Vegascacher · January 2017

I just checked. The settings are low, medium, and high but you can put it anywhere in between. I had it set on medium and it was at 17 degrees when I got home from work. I turned it down to low and ill see where it's at in the morning.

ScottG · January 2017

Somebody (Photomom, maybe?) tested temps on the old Norcold model at various settings, using different power sources. If I recall correctly, the fridge got colder on propane than on AC. Hopefully backing off the temp setting will work for you.

Photomom · January 2017

I didn't formally test it. I do know that 3.5 keeps our fridge at 36 F on electricity. We camped a couple nights without electricity in Vermont and the first morning the fridge was 23 F on propane. I don't remember the exact setting.

The OP is talking about a different model fridge though, the N400 I believe.

Vegascacher · January 2017

I have only had the Tab for a month and our first trip we had electric and it was pretty cold then it froze some items that were in there for several days. I changed the setting last night and it went from 16 to 21 degrees overnight. Right now I am just kind of testing to see how long I would be able to boonedock without electric if I was conservative with lights etc. Just the Alde at night and the fridge on propane. I have a honda 2000 but I don't really want to use it unless I have to. Maybe a small solar panel 100 watts or so?

ericnliz · January 2017

Vegascacher, Having boondocked in one location for 10 days with a 100 watt Renogy solar panel, I can personally tell you that if you are frugal with your electric usage, you can be successful using solar. I use propane exclusively when running our fridge while camping. During this trip, there were 2 days of overcast weather, but the panels still functioned, just not to peak capacity. I hope this helps you. I have the older model fridge than do you I believe, and use 3.5 for my setting. That being said, on one occasion, we had shore power, and I tried the fridge on shore power just to see the difference, and had to turn it down to 2 3/4 to 3 so things inside didn't freeze.

Nomad · January 2017

Ditto ericnliz - Boondock/drycamp 85-90% of the time. Roughly 850 days so far and do it on solar (120 watt Zamp). Only pull the generator out on rainy, crappy days.

Vegascacher · January 2017

Thanks ericnliz and PXLated. Sounds like ill be good. I have a 120 watt suitcase on order I just like to test everything at home so there are no surprises. How long will a 20lb LPG tank typically last for the refrigerator and nighttime heat?

Nomad · January 2017

Propane - Fridge is pretty miserly. Alde depends on how often it cycles on during the night. With moderate night temps (45+) I count on 3-4 weeks. In low temps (35-40), 10 days.

Norcold too cold

Comments

Categories