Compression Fridge: Nova Kool 6200 or 6800 or Norcold N2175 Question

[dbawden]

My 10 year old Dometic 8555 is heading south with propane and battery irregularities and looking to replace it. For those of you who have replaced with either of these models…how are they holding up? Please include a time reference for over what period of time you’ve been using it. I’ve read almost every post on those of you who have installed and replaced the fridge but not found any entries on how they are holding up or issues after installation.

Thanks

 

[JohnK-ESC]

The subject of compressor fridges came up at the Rocky Mountain Fiberglass Rendezvous at Camp Hale last week with Gene of the Casita Forum in attendance. He is a proponent of and has successfully installed a Vitrifrigo in his trailer. He cited both Vitrifrigo and Nova Cool as a good DC compressor fridge alternatives because both are marine fridges. He maintaines that marine quality should be the primary consideration when going the DC compressor route.

Also at the Rendezvous was a 2023 21C with a completely dead Norcold, not considered to be a marine fridge. Upon learning of this dead Norcold Gene said that a common failure on Norcolds is the replaceable control box fastened to the compressor. Seems like an easy enough fix for Norcold owners with this issue.

John

 

[Sean Murry]

My 10 year old Dometic 8555 is heading south with propane and battery irregularities and looking to replace it. For those of you who have replaced with either of these models…how are they holding up? Please include a time reference for over what period of time you’ve been using it. I’ve read almost every post on those of you who have installed and replaced the fridge but not found any entries on how they are holding up or issues after installation.

Thanks

We installed the Novakool RFU8220. We installed it immediately after we picked up the trailer from Escape. We did a fridge delete when having our trailer built. The fridge has worked perfectly for the 5 years we have been using it. Works just like your fridge at home. Very pleased with it

 

[alanmalk]

I just tried out my new Norcold N2175 - a week boondocking in Wyoming near the Grand Teton NP area. Parked in moderately heavy timber and estimated the roof panel received about 3 hours of direct noon-ish sun. I also deployed my portable 150 watt panel close by with perhaps 4 hours. A couple of days were partly cloudy and the remainder were clear skies. It was brutally hot - for Wyoming anyway, and during the day when we were fishing the interior would reach 95. My batteries bank is 2-100 amp-hour Lifepo4, a couple of years old, and terribly abused (another story).


The bottom line: I was worried but never ran out of battery power. The fridge kept the ice cream hard (a first!!!).

 

[dbawden]

That’s encouraging Sean. Thanks.

The importance of ventilation to the compressor is mentioned in the installation manual and was noted as a problem on some boat forums. Does your 19 have the exterior intake venting found behind the fridge and the exhaust roof vent for dissipating heat? If not, how did you deal with ventilation?

 

[dbawden]

Thanks for mentioning your battery and solar configuration Alan. Folks at Sure Marine here in Seattle mentioned solar and 220 amp hours would be sufficient for the Nova Kool 6200.

 

[Fazer8]

My trailer has the 6800 and I've been having problems with it. Earlier this year it completely shut off about a day into in the middle of two different trips. Novakool said it could be the fan. I pulled the fridge out of the wall, checked all connections were solid (they were) and reinstalled it. That hasn't happened since, however on a recent 4 day trip it ran constantly and I needed to keep it near max setting to stay about 36-37 degrees. Outdoor high temps were in the mid 70s. Got home and packed the cavity with XPS insulation board (the back is open with exterior side and roof vent). Last trip was able to keep the temp setting lower To maintain a good fridge temp but still didn't hear it cycle off much at all. Overall has been frustrating and don't feel good about going off grid at this time due to the runtime/power consumption. Next trip is in two weeks so I'll be watching it closely.

 

[dbawden]

Fazer8…How long have you had the 6800 installed and is this only a recent problem?

I know that anxious feeling. In two weeks we are heading to southern CA and had to cancel half of our reservations because we couldn’t count on propane working. Fortunately we found ones with electrical hookups.

Get back with an update on the extra insulation intervention or if the problem persists.

 

[Fazer8]

Fazer8…How long have you had the 6800 installed and is this only a recent problem?

I know that anxious feeling. In two weeks we are heading to southern CA and had to cancel half of our reservations because we couldn’t count on propane working. Fortunately we found ones with electrical hookups.

Get back with an update on the extra insulation intervention or if the problem persists.

I bought the trailer last year, fridge is from 2021, and as far as I know there were no previous issues, so it might have just come up. I think I'll do some testing next week on DC consumption and monitor the runtime, and report back.

 

[JohnE3]

Nova Kool R5810

I'm ready to replace my 12 year old 8555 with a compression fridge. More than just propane reliability issues (especially in heat, or at high elevations) mechanically it's falling apart. I've added metal corner brackets, and hinge brackets, as well as a lot of epoxy on door shelves, etc. I'm done fixing it!

I'm thinking I can shoehorn in a Nova Kool R5810. It's about 1ft² bigger, but the dimensions seem workable with a little modification of my single axel 5.0.

I'm glad to hear that they seem to be more durable. I've got 300W solar, with 300 usable Ah. I should be fine, even though it draws a bit more than the smaller ones. ... and I can finally get the door swing on the side I want it!

Down side is this model seems to be a build to order, so little chance to see it in advance. I've seen other Nova Kool models, and think the quality is good. I've had a compressor fridge in a different trailer, and it worked perfect, regardless of the environment.

I'm convinced for me, even though I almost always dry camp, it's the way to go. I'll try to post my results when I get it and have managed the install.

Once I have it, I'll get it in, no matter how big a shoehorn I need.

 

[dbawden]

JohnE3…my fridge had a religious experience and the propane side started working…again. I’m on a three week trip to southern Cal so I’ve been flipping it daily to propane while doing 6+ hour travel days. If it backslides into its previous untrustworthy state, I’ll replace it when I get back or sell the trailer as is. Definitely get back on here with your install and especially how it’s working for you going forward.

 

[Fazer8]

After spending time on the phone with NovaKool support and doing some testing, they recommended replacing the fan, thermostat and resistor. $100 later and the fridge seems to be operating better. It is cycling on and off. Definitely runs a lot more than it's off.

My most recent test was 20 hours long and it used about 73AH during that time/avg 3.7 per hour. I'm not sure if that's a reasonable draw or not. The fridge was set at level 5 (of 7) and the test started at 35 degrees. It was 33 when I checked it in the morning and rose to 37-38 during the hottest part of the day (79 in sun). I tested on another day starting at level 4 but the fridge rose to 40 degrees midday in the sun, so I figure level 4 won't cut it during the summer months. I opened the door slightly for a quick second 1x per hour to check temps. The freezer stayed pretty consistent at 14-15 degrees, but dropped to 12 when it ran harder during one interval in the afternoon sun.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has a similar experience with power draw and if this is typical with compressor fridges.

In any case, I'm happy it's working better, but frustrated the parts needed to be replaced. Still, NovaKool support was helpful. Ultimately I'm going to need to change the set up somehow and either go back to propane or change over to lithium. The 2-6V batteries won't cut it.

 

[dbawden]

Thanks Fazer8 for the analysis and data. Upon my return from CA I’ll be installing the Nova Kool compressor this Fall and give an update.

 

[Fazer8]

Thanks Fazer8 for the analysis and data. Upon my return from CA I’ll be installing the Nova Kool compressor this Fall and give an update.

@dbawden - My RFU6800 had the red resistor (high speed) installed, which runs the compressor at a higher speed when it turns on, so it's supposed to run less. I decided to try it without the resistor over the past week and am very happy with the results. Over a few different tests I was able to keep the settings lower (level 3 or 4), and hold the temp more consistently at a lower power draw. At level 3 I averaged 1.9ah/hour over 2 days. At level 4 I averaged 2.4ah/hour. This was at daytime highs of low to mid 80s. The fridge runs more often, but with it holding a more consistent temp and a lower power draw, I'm definitely not putting the resistor back on. I don't mind it running more frequently. Fridge temps were plenty cold - I'm going to be turning it down to level 2 at night.

 

[dbawden]

Fazer8,

Thanks for the update. Good problem solving!

 

[Fazer8]

Fazer8,

Thanks for the update. Good problem solving!

I'm curious about your experience when you install it. Doesn't seem like there's a lot of data out there about real-world performance so hopefully the information helps others who are considering a Nova Kool.

 

[Garry George]

I received my trailer in March 24 with the Norcold N2175 fridge option and it has been running pretty well constantly since. It is a very impressive fridge - roomy, quiet, easy to control, and very energy efficient. Getting it was one of my better decisions.