New cabinet above fridge in 5.0TA

[Jeremy Kessenich]

I have the N2175 compressor fridge and I ordered the camper without the fridge vents so the space above the fridge was not being utilized. I ordered the parts from ETI and put in a new cabinet above the fridge. There's very little headliner and the back outside wall was only the foil faced bubble wrap so I put a leftover 3/4" sheet of foil faced polyisocyanate on the back wall and ceiling before enclosing the cabinet. The fridge door is symmetrical top to bottom so I flipped the door panel over and put a poster on what was the backside. The park is up in the NWT and no I haven't been there, yet.

[Centex]

Looks good, Jeremy.

Until seeing your pics and checking specs I'd not realized that the Norcold N2175 is ~4" shorter than my Dometic DM2683 (3-way). I have a useful space above the fridge, just not as tall nor as deep due to my fridge vent-passage at the rear.

For you with the shorter fridge, using another door matching the one over the microwave cabinet worked really well, nice job!

[Jeremy Kessenich]

Thanks Alan, I wanted to order two new doors from ETI with the Plexi insert like the rest of the upper cabinets in the trailer, one for the new cabinet and one for the cabinet above the microwave. But I decided on being frugal and just ordered one to match the one above the microwave. I was going to replace all the hinges and pulls with flat black hardware as I think it would look better than the brushed nickel until I counted I'd need 24 sets of hardware!

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kessenich

.... I wanted to order two new doors from ETI with the Plexi insert like the rest of the upper cabinets in the trailer, one for the new cabinet and one for the cabinet above the microwave. ....

Funny how we all have different preferences, I'd rather have the old-style Maple instead of the Plexiglass in all of my cabinet doors!

I've got tons of the faux maple wall paneling I could use but of course that doesn't match the 'real' maple used in the door / drawer panels, so not going there.

[WanderBred]

I moved my microwave over there and took the drawer door off and moved it over with a microwave was

[jjdeluca]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kessenich

I have the N2175 compressor fridge and I ordered the camper without the fridge vents so the space above the fridge was not being utilized. I ordered the parts from ETI and put in a new cabinet above the fridge. There's very little headliner and the back outside wall was only the foil faced bubble wrap so I put a leftover 3/4" sheet of foil faced polyisocyanate on the back wall and ceiling before enclosing the cabinet. The fridge door is symmetrical top to bottom so I flipped the door panel over and put a poster on what was the backside. The park is up in the NWT and no I haven't been there, yet.

Nice work Jeremy! When we ordered our 5.0 last Fall (with the compressor fridge & no fridge vent) I had the same idea so I ordered an extra cabinet door, matching the one above the microwave. Just got around to cutting the opening yesterday - hope mine comes out as nice as yours!
Jim

[zzlay]

I love the National Park door art on your fridge. I'm looking for a door cover or insert that we can attach our park magnets to. We collect these at each park where we stay. Do you know where to purchase something like this? Thanks.

[Jeremy Kessenich]

Hello Jim, I found pulling the fridge was a must. Good Luck. I think I got lucky more than I'm skilled. Excited to see how your's turns out.

[Jeremy Kessenich]

Originally Posted by zzlay

I love the National Park door art on your fridge. I'm looking for a door cover or insert that we can attach our park magnets to. We collect these at each park where we stay. Do you know where to purchase something like this? Thanks.

If you are looking for a replacement panel that is made out of steel sheet metal so magnets will stick to it I'm not sure there's a ready made item. I'd take the panel out and go to a local metal fabrication shop and ask them if they can make one for you.

You might have an easier time taking the panel out, turning it over, painting it with your choice of color, and using stickers rather than magnets. Just a thought.

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by zzlay

I love the National Park door art on your fridge. I'm looking for a door cover or insert that we can attach our park magnets to. We collect these at each park where we stay. Do you know where to purchase something like this? Thanks.

A thin piece of sheet metal shouldn't be too hard to find. Trace your existing cover onto it and cut with snips, if it is thin enough, or a jig saw. Smooth the edges with a fine file. I'd put masking tape around the approximate dimensions first and put the traced lines on the tape so as not to scratch the surface when I cut. Paint it any colour you like.