John E Davies
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Posts posted by John E Davies
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I need some input, I have laid out how my new Isotherm fridge will look, I do have room underneath for a drawer like SeaDawg’s. I actually could just buy the short (6” tall) galley drawer assembly from Oliver TT, it would go in there and look pretty good, except for being so low down. And I actually have a spare set of drawer glides. But it really would not hold very much stuff.
BUT, I have to build a platform and framework to support the fridge front mounting flange, that would not be too crazy hard, but the extra structure and slides down there for the drawer adds a lot of work and complexity. And possibilities of screwing up, which happens to me more and more as I approach 70…I do intend to cut out a one piece facing from birch plywood that will cover the open areas.
I am thinking instead of a drawer, about just adding a nice looking removable wood “tray” on top of this”:
as a place to store shoes, bulky items, and odds and ends. No front to it, just a low wall at the back and a short lip (fiddle) on the facing in front to keep items from ejecting. Easy peasy to make, I think it will look fine down low under the fridge door.
I do plan to cut some inspection holes under the factory floor, to look at ducts and the gas line underneath.
Comments? Alternative suggestions?
Thanks,
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Isotherm Intelligent Temperature Control
It sounds very interesting, I just ordered one. Free shipping and no Washington sales tax (9%) from that vendor, woohoo. I don’t know if Oliver installs these on the 2023 hulls, any comments?
- Up to 25% energy savings solely due to compressor efficiency gains
- Up to 40% energy savings with combined effect of cold energy surplus stored in food / drinks
Basically it controls compressor speed and it will “supercool” the food when a surplus of energy is available (solar) and it idles the rpm way down or off when the batteries take over the load. Plus you don’t have to open the door to make changes, which always dumps cold air out onto your toes. I can see myself keeping some extra big bottles of water or soda in there for more thermal mass…. LOTS of info here including docs and a video
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=4161337
It looks quite nice and the installation is very simple, the hardest part is drilling 1” holes to make the flush mount opening.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Or do I have to disassemble the FRIDGE partially? Just checking, I am pretty sure it will clear, but I would hate to remove the door assembly and then find out I was wrong.
Are there any tricks to getting the door frame off? It looks straight forward. But I expect it requires two people to be safe. Comments? Pictures?
Thanks,
John Davies
Spokane WA
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4 hours ago, Geronimo John said:
JD
I think this may work better for you. It is an aluminum heat shield that is adhesive backed heat barrier rated up to 2000 degrees. Capable of reflecting 90% of radiant heat
GJ
Thanks for the suggestion, but it no longer applies…. I ordered a new fridge.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I pulled my old 3 way fridge out yesterday and was so disgusted, that I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade.
Here is a good description of the unit,
Isotherm home page with manuals.
https://www.indelwebastomarine.com/us/products/product/show/cruise-130/
I would appreciate any detailed closeups from current owners of the installation, and alsoany from those who have fitted one into an older hull.
Can we keep this thread as a general discussion of this model? I will post a separate How To thread when I am done.
Thanks
John Davies
Spokane WA
EDIT 05/12/23: some other related threads from this forum:
https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/9172-isotherm-shelves-fix/
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Well, I threw in the towel, I can’t fight it any more. I just ordered a new Isotherm fridge, free shipping to my local West Marine store. Truck freight is brutal for these units….
I would like to see some install pics, but that will be a new thread.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Does anyone know the brand and model number of the new fridge? The new data is not available at the University, just this which is cool.
They sure look like my “old” vents, they would make it easy to plug the no longer needed holes.
Thanks.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I heard from Oliver Service, he was zero help. He suggested a https://www.amazon.com/Norcold-621156BW-Trailer-Appliances-Service/dp/B004A32GMI?th=1 which is 4 inches too tall.
But he was polite about it.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Rivernerd, seeing that pic makes me weep, the access is so great. There is no way that will work well unless I had a big hole cutout and new fiberglass and gelcoat added.
I actually like the low energy aspect of the fridge, which is why I am resisting buying a compressor one, I camp in the shoulder seasons and in northern latitudes, I don't want to add another battery to my 200 amp hr Battle Borns, nor do I want to have to run my generator every other day.
Plus I “might” sell the trailer after the 2024 Solar Eclipse trip to TX, so I am reluctant to spend a bunch on upgrades at this stage.
This is approximately how much room I have, tho it is a Dometic and the important stuff like the jet and ignitor are well off to the right and inaccessible.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I keep some Benchmade atlases as emergency backup, but no longer use paper maps normally. I am hooked on Pocket Earth Pro OFFLINE maps on my iPad Mini 6. It provides tons of situational awareness when zoomed out to say 20 miles, but you can bore down to great detail too. The Pro version adds Topo. This map is nor as good as some others for off road exploration, for that I prefer GAIA Premium, but it makes a GREAT paper atlas replacement.
A great feature is the place names are not fixed fonts, you can specify SIZE and they are also dynamic - as you zoom in they get bigger and bigger until the scale changes, then they get small again, you can choose a zoom level that makes the small towns pop visually. Very neat! They have changed the pricing recently, see below. It is not quite as good on a small iPhone screen, but on larger devices it is terrific. Highly recommended! Sorry, no Android version yet.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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It’s interesting to compare the frame and plumbing to an Ollie, no steel subframe, for example, and a lot less aluminum.
Zodd, are those your pictures? What camera? They are very nice and very hi res.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:
I think our very early vents were possibly smaller
The lower one looks like both of mine, but at least you have lots of room to install a much taller one, if nothing inside intrudes.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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If I could source a bigger vent cover I could enlarge the bottom opening 2” toward the front 1” toward the top… that would provide welcome room for service.
EDIT, I searched really hard and long and can’t find anything suitable, all the “standard” sized vents are too tall for the molded-in flat area. I have submitted a ticket to see what the Mother Ship says.
The existing hole is 18” x 6.25” tall, and there is about 10” from the top lip to the lower curve of the hull.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I just finished removing the fridge, it has never been out since 2017 and I am going to install a Fridge Defend kit. Removing it is the only way to access the coils and burner . The early hulls have TINY vent openings. You cannot even remove the burner jet from the outside!!!! Grrrrr. Double grrr. Rats.
First question, the bay and coils are filthy, being open to the outside is the issue. Is there any simple way to help, short of turning it off and taping plastic across the vents when on dirt roads? (Or installing a compressor fridge.)
The upper vent is very weird, they used massive 1/8” aluminum plate to direct hot air to the outside, any idea why such big pieces? Maybe to act as a heat sink for the hot exhaust coming up from the burner?
I hate all the HVAC tape that is everywhere, it isn’t sticking well or doing a good job of keeping dust out up top.,., But I don’t know of any better solution. Maybe I will try sealant instead, for the areas that I can reach.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-10-1-fl-oz-Red-Fire-Barrier-CP-25WB-Plus-Sealant-CP25WB-10/100166701
I laughed out loud when I saw the insulation on top, it consists of about a dozen small pieces shoved in and left loose.
I used my Harbor Freight hydraulic lift to support the fridge, it works great and I can roll it down the floor toward the beds if I need more room.
Any and all comments are very welcome, there will be a couple of articles in the near future…
Thanks.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Cool! I mean warm! Is there enough room at the rear connection to use one or even two adjustable hard elbows? I fear for your flimsy flex duct…
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-4-in-90-Deg-Round-Adjustable-Elbow-B90E4/100033952
Do you have enough return air from the bathroom?
John Davies
Spokane WA
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32 minutes ago, thompsonkd said:
Not sure if this is the right thread for this question…How is the Norcold fridge removed, and what holds it into its cubby? How would one begin the process of removing or securing it into the cubby?
DavidI am not sure of your model number, this may be OK
John Davies
Spokane WA
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How are the lenses? Buffing out any haze or yellowing is the first step. Next comes bulbs like Silver Star, next comes aftermarket HID bulbs, after that, entirely new housings. How far do you want to go?
Adding extra low beams might work but you run into legal issues and might get ticketed.
I don’t know if this is the correct bulb for your truck. Be aware these have very short life spans and must be replaced in pairs.
https://www.amazon.com/SYLVANIA-SilverStar-Performance-Replacement-Technology/dp/B008BE04C6
https://www.xenonhids.com/ford/2019/f-250-super-duty.html
John Davies
Spokane WA
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17 hours ago, CRM said:
I used aluminum "T Track" designed for use in a router table. Pretty sure this is the kit I used- Universal T-Track Kit
That is a pretty nifty installation. I do wonder about the quality of the tracks, the Amazon page does not say what they are made of. One reviewer says they will collapse when bent. If that is true, a stronger material like 6061-T6 would prevent the TV from possibly tearing loose ;(
Can you show a pic of the inside of the cabinet where the rails attach? And one of the TV bracket?
How hard is it to get around the TV and out the rear emergency egress window?
Thanks.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I apologize if I offended anyone, including Jason, I could have phrased it much better.
But I truly believe what I posted about garbage content for the vast majority of travel articles... they are click bait and not worthy of this site.
https://matadornetwork.com/bnt/interview-tim-leffel-on-quality-travel-writing-in-the-internet-age/
Patriot, you can tone your comments down too. They are pretty harsh.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Fixed it for you 😉
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Why is this even here?
Please delete.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Jason - Please do not mass post a bunch of cr@p “cut and paste” poorly written Internet travel drivel in what should be an Oliver technical tips forum.
The travel stuff are a waste of bandwidth and a complete waste of time, both to post and to read. Thank you.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Take a look at this old thread and comment afterwards.
This new program sure looks like an official business arrangement, with “sales employees” who get financially reimbursed for advertising work that benefits the company….. I did not read the fine details, does Oliver TT say anything about this issue?
FYI, while I stopped officially showing “Mouse” due to liability concerns. I still do frequent walk around tours. The last was in October ‘22 to a milling and excited crowd of about 25 retired women who meet at campgrounds to do stuff together like biking or golfing. Three of them physically blocked the road as I was trying to exit in the morning. That was a hoot, I thought I might get kissed at one point. Didn’t happen, darn it.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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It would have to go outside, in the upper access area - the burner area is where fires normally start. So it would perhaps need to be above the direct chimney heat. I actually like the concept, I was wondering when the Chinese would give us cheaper versions of this patented unit:
https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4291-how-to-element-fire-extinguisher-install/
Those are great, I bought three already and would buy extras if the price weren’t so very high. I will wait for some actual test reviews of the Jogoswal units before getting any. The price will be way cheaper after the other manufacturers start copying the design. If there is even a functional Chinese manufacturing sector in a year…. ;).
Also, I don’t see any info about water resistance, I wash my engine compartments at least annually, and a fridge bay is certainly a “wet” location. if it gets damp on your car, the engine heat will dry it quickly. Not so in the fridge.
Did anyone notice this:
”The small fire extinguisher is very suitable for ladies,can be used as car accessories for women ,or girly car decor accessories.”
FYI Fridge Defend is RV SPECIFIC and adds a thermo sensor directly to the burner can, where a fire originates. Plus it is made in Montana and they will actually answer your email….
John DaviesSpokane WA
Removed my Dometic 3 Way fridge WITHOUT removing the cabin door assembly!
in General Discussion
Posted
Maybe I got carried away….
I decided at six years old the burner assembly was probably not safe to reuse, so I just gutted it. The steel mount flange would not come off without the hacksaw. Does anyone need a spare control board, main PCB unit, gas regulator, jet or sensors? Ignitor? Door, hinges or freezer door?
It really is so VERY damned difficult to remove this fridge for servicing, and I heard that there are no replacement fridges available anyway(!!), that if you have to get to any part that is *** hidden *** from the outside access openings, you might as well just plan on scrapping the unit. As I plan to do.
John Davies
Spokane WA