Should I replace Dometic with a Norcold?

[48Bob]

The Dometic RM 2451 in our 2007 Safari developed a stress fracture in the coolant tube where a bracket was welded on. Because we purchased our Safari used, the warranty is not in effect (and as I understand from reading on this forum, not much hope of getting it replaced by Dometic even if it was covered). The local RV repair shop that handles both Dometic and Norcold units can do the repair, but the cost would be only about $100 less than the cost of a new refridgerator. He can also replace it with a similar sized Norcold for about $120 more than the Dometic. He is recomending the Norcold because he claims to have fewer problems with them and much better results in getting warranty coverage from the manufacturer. Anyone out there heard anything along this line? Comments? Suggestions? Thanks for your help.

[n2916s]

My experience with Dometic was with warranty work on my a/c. Work done on the road, quickly, no problems.

Personally, I think it is 6 of one, half dozen of the other -- sounds like your repair guy sells Norcold...

If everything besides the cooling unit is okay, then why not replace just the cooling unit?

Look at: RV Cooling Unit Warehouse.

My wife and I replaced ours (granted it was 20+ years old) in about two hours.

mike

[vswingfield]

I went through this about a year and a half ago. I went with Norcold. You can see the details in this short thread: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f425...aes-44474.html. At least my Dometic was 25 year old. What a disappointment with something so new!

I am completely pleased with the new Norcold. As I mentioned, this model has the freezer floor dropped a couple of inches. This traps some of the cold when you open the door. Even more important, as I discovered, it traps all the melt water when you defrost allowing you to soak it up without a mess. A real plus in my opinion. Don't know if Dometic does that now too, but it is a feature I would look for if I were buying again. Sometimes it's the little things.

[moosetags]

Bob, please let us know what you decide to do, and how it turns out. I try to keep up on such matters as I could be faced with the same decision in the future.

Thanx, Brian

[48Bob]

Thanks for the responses. The local RV repair shop sells, and is a factory authorized repairman for, both brands. Just looked at the website for replacement cooling units and none are listed for this particular model, just my luck. I will post again once we make a decision. Thanks again for the replies.

[Globie64]

Thanks for the post- I was looking for experience of Norcold vs Dometic. I was leaning towards Dometic, but as you say vswingfield, it's the little things. Also, if there is a dumb design flaw, welded part that tends to fail, it's good to know. Any other experiences would be great to hear.

[48Bob]

Well, right or wrong, we made our choice. We decided to go ahead and get a new Dometic to replace the one that failed. This decision was based on two factors, cost and ease of installation. The Dometic initial cost was over $100 less than the comparable Norcold, plus we can re-use the original door insert instead of having to buy another one for about $50. I will also be able to store the old refrigerator in the attic for possible replacement parts. I also know that the replacement unit will be a straight "bolt in" and won't require any additional work involving the cabinet size, gas line, etc. Hopefully the new one will last longer than the original.