Boler Fridge

[Arlyn R]

Has anyone replaced the icebox in a 13' boler with a fridge? What make and model fits best and what mods were needed?

[Ann B]

This is the best question!!! cause I'm thinking of doing the same thing
I also want to know about power draw when plug into shore -can I still plug in my coffee maker without blowing the breaker?

we plan to take off the propane tanks & replace them with a "box" for the jacks & such
we have never used the propane & it's been 4 years- we can still leave the option to re hook them

[Donna D.]

Dorm-style all electric refrigerators seem to be a relatively inexpensive method. However, if you're looking to go top-drawer with all the bells and whistles of a three-way, etc, attached is a size/model chart from Dometic, it opens as a PDF.

[Arlyn R]

Thanks, I think im going to put in the 3 way fridge since we do alot of camping with no power hookups, do they use much propane? I was thinking of adding another propane tank, one seems to last well for just cooking and the furnace.

[KevinDR]

The Fridges don't seem to use alot of propane. I can travel a couple of weeks with a single propane tank for the fridge and running a hot water heater that heats morning wash water. It is cooking that uses alot of fuel.

I replaced my old Dometic with a 2 way instead of a 3 way. I run on the road with propane and when docked to power, run on power. 12Volt operation is only really good if you are connected to a vehicle which is running. On really big refrigerators in really large units, 12 volt is not even available. Big rigs run on propane while travelling.

Regards
Kevin.

[Dana T]

Hi Kevin, why did you replace your old fridge?

After replacing it, have you noticed any difference in the efficiency of the fridge?

I ask because I would like to know if the old ones are as efficient as the new, or if the manufacturers are now using better insulation or whatever.

Thanks!

[KevinDR]

Hi Kevin, why did you replace your old fridge?

After replacing it, have you noticed any difference in the efficiency of the fridge?

I ask because I would like to know if the old ones are as efficient as the new, or if the manufacturers are now using better insulation or whatever.

Thanks!

When I got the trailer 3 years ago, it had the original Dometic RM360 in it. This was a 3 way unit. In really hot weather, it was having a really hard time keeping up. I read all the threads on this forum, I took the fridge out, rolled it on the ground, did all the tricks, I brushed and cleaned out the heating tube, getting rid of the rust on the tube to improve thermal transfer. I put the fridge back in, went on a trip.....a tiny bit better. I then spent $200 by taking it to an RV place for peace of mind. They tested it out and said that the old guy was just holding it's own....on the warmer side of temperature specs for the inside of the box, but still within specs. I did all the nifty tricks, like putting in 2 computer muffin fans to push more air through the radiator. The fridge was just surviving. The one problem going against a fridge in our 1700 boler, however is the boler shape. The curved walls do not allow alot of "chimney draft" to draw air from the bottom to the top. This is because the fridge sits above the wheel well in ours, and the top vent is a bit too close to the radiator of the fridge to provide really superior draft.....anyway I am rambling....there is a really good article on proper fridge installation in an RV that shows you all of this......The Boler is the love of our life (after the dog and our daughters, of course), so we decided to invest in a new fridge (an RM2410). We were tired of worrying about the old one.

I even looked into refurbished fridges. A company in Edmonton refurbishes them. They wanted $200 less than I paid for a new one. They replace the ammonia refrigerant, repaint the tubing with ordinary gray paint.

The new fridge also gave us an extra cubic foot of space. I could only get it in a 2 way, it is completely manual, which is fine by me. It does not have fancy electronics which could potentially get damaged by the antiquated noisy half-wave rectifier 12V power supply that comes with it.

So I spent the darned spring cutting the cupboards, lowering shelves, moving ouside vents to fit a cubic foot more beer. The new fridge is better. I studied the "new construction". I wouldn't necessarily say it has more insulation. The entire evaporation tubing system looks almost identical to the old one from the RM360. It looks like Dometic put a few more dents in the tubing of the new one to let the ammonia gurgle over the radiator more....maybe to make it more efficient. Bottom line, it was virtually identical in design from the 1970's. I guess good designs never change. So I upgraded for more beer space, more peace of mind, and what appears to be more thermal efficiency....how much more, just a bit more.

Oh, and one more thing.....always to remember that if you buy a different sized fridge than the original, make sure you measure the #$$[at][at]#$# door of your trailer to see if the new one will fit through.

Anyone want to buy a dometic RM360 for real cheap?

Kevin

[Dana T]

Anyone want to buy a dometic RM360 for real cheap?

I would love too, it's just the right size for us, but yours is too far away.

What model fridge did you get to replace it?

[KevinDR]

I would love too, it's just the right size for us, but yours is too far away.

What model fridge did you get to replace it?

Hi Dana:

I replaced it with a 2410. This model was about 3 inches taller than the original, about 6 evenings worth of work to modify the trailer to receive it, oh, and 1/4 of an inch wider than the doorway to get it in. (Don't ask how I got it in).

Kevin.

[Dana T]

Hi Kevin, according to the Dometic replacement chart, the RM2410 is about 2 1/2" deeper than the RM360. Did you find that to be true in fact -- does the door jut out into the aisleway more on the 2410 than on the 360?

Thanks!

[KevinDR]

Hi Kevin, according to the Dometic replacement chart, the RM2410 is about 2 1/2" deeper than the RM360. Did you find that to be true in fact -- does the door jut out into the aisleway more on the 2410 than on the 360?

Thanks!

Dana:

The 2410 is in fact deeper. But I made it so that it does not jut out. I did some very very serious reconstruction to get it in. The front is at the same distance as the 360. I had to lower the fridge. This gave me more depth due to the curved walls being farther out in the middle than the top, and permitted me to JUST slip it in. So it juts out no more than the original. I had lower the access hatch by 3 inches buy cutting the fiberglass and reglassing and painting the top. As for the dimensions, the Dometic dimensions are EXACT. Trust me on this.

Kevin.

[Dana T]

Hi Kevin, thank you for the detailed reply.

In the Compact Jr the fridge is already mounted at the widest spot. Even so that spot is only 19" deep, so anything deeper than that sticks out into the aisleway and makes it difficult for one person to slip past the other.

All I have is the hole and I want to fill it, but it's not a popular size. I could buy a new fridge, and if I don't find something suitable by next spring I probably will do so, but I would prefer to buy used and local and save money.