Surplus RV places in Elkhart

[Dave5Cs]

Have you tried the Amish in Shipschjwanna. They can make you one to fit.

[luvrbus]

I bought a lot of stuff in the past from Ron the bus nut in Spencer Iowa.I think he has passed away and the kids sold off the business he had everything from engines and chassis parts up 

[richard5933]

Have you tried the Amish in Shipschjwanna. They can make you one to fit.

I just installed a new Amish-built cooling unit in the Dometic in my Airstream. Seems to work better than the OEM cooling unit ever worked. They make good stuff.

If you can't find a working fridge to fit, likely if you find a decent carcass you can install a new cooling unit and possibly a control board from Dinosaur to make it cold again. A non-working carcass should be nearly free.

[RJ]

I've been running searches for fridges. If I had 64" of height to work with I'd probably already have one but I'm limited to 60-7/8".

Jim -

I put one of these in my MCI. Granted, a residential 120vac unit, but we were always hooked to a powerpole or had the genset running, so that wasn't an issue for us. It also uses so little energy that it could easily be powered off of a decent solar setup. This unit fit perfectly into the cabinet vacated by the 120/12 fridge, and had almost double the interior space. Added bonus is that it was 1/3rd the price of a replacement 120/12 "NeverCold"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Chef-10-1-cu-ft-Top-Freezer-Refrigerator-in-Black-HMDR1000BE/302245062

FWIW & HTH. . .

[Jim Blackwood]

I'm watching Marketplace and Craigslist. Norcold made a bunch of them that were 59-7/8" tall, the 24x24 versions were 8 cu ft so they shouldn't be that hard to find. Got an inquiry on one right now for about $200. That's a great price but involves a drive to get it. But that is acceptable. Paying 5 or 6 bills locally is acceptable. Paying the Almish $1500+ probably wouldn't be, and certainly a retail price of 3-4 grand is out of reach. Later on after we are using the bus if we decide we need a larger fridge (not that likely really but if) we might consider a custom built wide cabinet fridge. But not right now while I'm funding the build solely on my own.

I've considered the 120v units but I may not always have a hook up and I'm not quite ready to go solar. That's an entirely different category of investment and really I'm waiting for the roll-on thin film that applies like a wrap to become available at an affordable price before I do. Once that happens I expect to be on board, but probably not until then. In the meantime, I'm perfectly happy with the efficiency of a propane fired refrigerator and it fits in with my propane generator and the gas range top I expect to buy. Heat will be via Eiberspacher (diesel).

Actually, my lot in West Virginia is shaded and has no utilities at present so there you go. Reason enough.

Jim

[luvrbus]

RJ that is the only fridge I ever used one needs to run the ac units to make it cool enough to work, it tells you in the instructions not to build those in and install in a area where the temps are not above 82 degrees.I am glad yours worked mine was a piece of junk so was Tom and Doreen Caffery

[richard5933]

I...Paying the Almish $1500+ probably wouldn't be, and certainly a retail price of 3-4 grand is out of reach. ...

Jim

Your prices are way higher than I've paid. The cooling unit I just installed on the Dometic was bought from https://www.rvcoolingunit.com for only $650 delivered. Add to that the $150 for the new Dinosaur control board and I'm in for only $800 - about half what you mentioned. This place sells units built and/or rebuilt by one of the Amish companies, and from the forum comments I read through they've been doing this for a long time with good results. He's got a bunch on sale right now as well.

Finding a non-working but cosmetically intact carcass shouldn't set you back much at all if you needed to go this way to make one that worked.

A guy could easily build a custom absorption fridge from an Amish cooling unit and a couple of panels from Dinosaur (control panel + eyebrow panel). Seems you have the skills and material availability to conquer that pretty swiftly if you wanted to go that route.

Our Vitrifrigo 12vdc compressor fridge was only $1750 delivered, brand new.

Not sure where you're shopping, but you might want to shop around.

[RJ]

RJ that is the only fridge I ever used one needs to run the ac units to make it cool enough to work, it tells you in the instructions not to build those in and install in a area where the temps are not above 82 degrees.I am glad yours worked mine was a piece of junk so was Tom and Doreen Caffery's

Cliff-

Maybe mine worked because I mounted three 12vdc computer muffin fans on the back floor behind the fridge blowing upwards using the dedicated 12vdc circuit from the old NeverCold. That way there was always airflow in the cabinet, which had vents at the bottom and top.

Since I sold the bus, I don't know if John's had any issues with the fridge, haven't talked to him in awhile. . .  My current coach has a residential GE side-by-side that's going on 28 years old and still working fine, other than it's an energy hog and the space utilization is atrocious.

[luvrbus]

We have the side by side Amana it takes 3 amps,I don't care for it since it a cabinet depth but Sonja like the cabinet depth fridges 

[richard5933]

We have the side by side Amana it takes 3 amps,I don't care for it since it a cabinet depth but Sonja like the cabinet depth fridges

Is that 3 amps AC or DC? If it's AC, how much does it draw your batteries down through the inverter?

[luvrbus]

Is that 3 amps AC or DC? If it's AC, how much does it draw your batteries down through the inverter?

It is a AC fridge the Silver leaf shows 3 amps on the AC side it doesn't seem to draw the batteries down much.I have 4-8D lifeline AGM batteries for a battery bank.When we are off the plug the inverter is set to draw 10 amps max       

[Tedsoldbus]

I am going to shipshewana in October. JC Electric. Great system many happy with. Too many I know with new rigs and the Norcold and Dometic in new ones having too many problems. Going to bet on JC in October.

[Tedsoldbus]

Might be worth a trip to JC Electric Jim. They are relatively close to you. I will be driving from and hour north of Atlanta to go there. About 9 hours and get there including the joy of Cincinnati coming and going but it can't be worse than Atlanta. I've talked with them 4 times. A human always answers the phone. They have a 3 year warranty with 3 more for $100. Guys I talked to that have it say their system uses less energy, ice cream rock hard, fridge stays colder at higher setting. Less electricity needed and they trouble shoot any problem over the phone. I can't get good parts anymore for my 40 year old dometic like my friends with new rigs, can't get in to get service. AllRV places are slammed and they look at my 40 year old fridge and just walk away. JC will keep my fridge but replace all the gutts for about 1000 dollars. They have a video on how to do it yourself. I'm not that good so will be paying the 400 to have them do it. JC has 3 places to park with I think 2 30 hook ups first come. They hard schedule you and it usually takes half a day.I am staying with electric/propane option. Don't want solar panels and a belly full of battleborn just yet. Best of luck

[Jim Blackwood]

So where is this JC Electric?

I don't have a fridge to convert and I'm not ready to build one so that may be above my price point but it never hurts to have more information.

By the way, where would be a good place to find older type range tops and water heaters? The burners are crap on the newer ranges and have no heat in the middle, and I like a pilot light type water heater because you always have warm water on the hot side with a pilot light.

Jim

[Tedsoldbus]

Just looked at my notes. It is JC Refrigeration, not electric. Sorry.
6495 W 200N, Shipshewana Indiana. Not far from Elkhart. They have a website and answered many questions for me promptly, or you can call Jarrin Miller at 260-768-4067. Not sure if they have their own fridge? I think they mostly re-do the whole back of it. They make the thing they install. You are not slave to trying to get Dometic or Norcold to fix it. It is heavy duty. I'll shut up and let you ask them all your questions. They may also have a line on other things you are looking for.
Best regards,
Ted