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NorCold 20DCIMSS Refrigerator Failure

Oregon_Camper

Forum Admin
Staff member
Where did you have this done? Lastly, did you replace with the same fridge on the last one or change it up.

My fridge on level 5 for 24 hrs is at 40 degrees maybe 39. With no warranty I’m at a crossroads. Attempting to have it fixed or get something else. Another Norcold is out of the question at $5500

Sucks I missed it on my PDI and now stuck with it.
The first one was replaced 1 week after I bought the RV, at the National Rally. The other 2 were done at my house. All 3 failed within warranty, so Alliance (and Norcold) covered all the costs.
 

TommyK

Member
We reserved camp sights to go to Florida last year . We are on our third circuit card . We were scheduled to leave on the twentieth of this month.
The dealership replaced the circuit card and we got back the Valor unit on January the seventh and started the refrigerator worked for 7 days.
I called Alliance they said I should call Lippert who sells them the unit. So I called Lippert they gave me a number and said they would get back with me. They did they said I should contact Alliance . So we contacted the dealership they sold me an extended warranty so they said they are trying to get us a new refrigerator. So here we sit in the cold with our RV sitting on our property. with our RV soon to be in snow out the money we paid for our RV sights. The JOKE in the repair industry is the EVERCHILL refrigerator is called the NEVERCHILL refrigerator.My point of the call to Alliance was to ask if you are having problems with one brand of appliance BUY A DIFFERENT ONE .
What do I know I just was a utility lineman.
 

TommyK

Member
This seams like a Problem that Alliance should address. Alliance purchased these refrigerators in mass to install in our units. I tried to get them to understand they should get a new supplier , that is when they referred me to Lippert who sent me back an email referring me to Alliance.
I don't understand why a great company like Alliance will not work with us and make us an offer to split the cost on a new manufacture of refrigerator .
This Action would help preserve the good name Alliance in the industry and help people see that they want to make people who purchase there RV's are family and will spread the word that they are trying to make a better RV.
 

Oregon_Camper

Forum Admin
Staff member
This seams like a Problem that Alliance should address. Alliance purchased these refrigerators in mass to install in our units. I tried to get them to understand they should get a new supplier , that is when they referred me to Lippert who sent me back an email referring me to Alliance.
I don't understand why a great company like Alliance will not work with us and make us an offer to split the cost on a new manufacture of refrigerator .
This Action would help preserve the good name Alliance in the industry and help people see that they want to make people who purchase there RV's are family and will spread the word that they are trying to make a better RV.
What year is your RV? If you have Norcold frig, that is not a Lippert brand, so they would punt you back to Alliance. If you have Furrion frig, then Lippert would/should be helping.
 

TommyK

Member
What year is your RV? If you have Norcold frig, that is not a Lippert brand, so they would punt you back to Alliance. If you have Furrion frig, then Lippert would/should be helping.
2024 Valor 36V11 bought in January , we picked it up in June. Lippert carries the circuit boards. The board in our Valor is a 65$ idem we were debating buying a couple to take on our trips and just replace the boards when they go bad.
 
Well, this coming Wednesday is the day! We’re taking our (affectionately named) Big Girl in to have the Norcold unit replaced. I’m guessing they’re going out the door with it since they told us they would have it done EOD if we bring it in first thing. Fingers crossed!🤞🏼
 

Jangle

New member
We have a 2024 Paradigm 310RL that we purchased in January 2024. The NorCold 20DCIMSS 12v refrigerator has stopped cooling. Alliance has told me to go through NorCold. NorCold (Thetford) told me they will not help me and directed me to find an "authorized service center".

The freezer is working, but there is no cooling in the refrigerator. I have checked the fuses under the unit, tested the thermisters, defrosted the unit, cycled the power on and off repeatedly and nothing. When I turn it on, I hear a loud gurgling, which is something I never heard when it was working. I ordered a new control board for $150 to test that, but my hopes aren't high (I won't have it for several more days). Based on everything I'm seeing, I think the compressor failed.

I'm disappointed that a $5,500 refrigerator failed about six months after the 1 year warranty expired and it seems neither Alliance nor NorCold is interested in helping out at all.

Question is whether anyone else has had this happen with this unit? Did it end up being the compressor? I'm in a bit of a time crunch because we're supposed to leave for a 11 week trip next week and I don't have a refrigerator at the moment.
Same issues with our refrigerator, can not wait for more discouraging news on this 1 and 1/2 year old camper!
 

Oregon_Camper

Forum Admin
Staff member
Well, this coming Wednesday is the day! We’re taking our (affectionately named) Big Girl in to have the Norcold unit replaced. I’m guessing they’re going out the door with it since they told us they would have it done EOD if we bring it in first thing. Fingers crossed!🤞🏼
Are you getting another Norcold or the new Furrion one?
 

George

Well-known member
Are you getting another Norcold or the new Furrion one?
I have the Norcold N20DC (19 cu ft) and I'm dreading the day it bites the dust. I looked yesterday at the Furrion offerings and the largest 12V they show is only 15.6 cu ft. The brochure for a '26 Paradigm says it has a 19 cu ft unit. Is it a Furrion?
BTW the link to the '26 Paradigm brochure is broken. Bottom of page https://alliancerv.com/fifth-wheel-paradigm/2026/310rl I had to go through Marketing Asssets.

I suspect I will seriously consider adding an inverter and buying an actual residential 120vac unit when it happens. We don't do any boon docking.
 
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Meanjean73

Well-known member
I have the Norcold N20DC (19 cu ft) and I'm dreading the day it bites the dust. I looked yesterday at the Furrion offerings and the largest 12V they show is only 15.6 cu ft. The brochure for a '26 Paradigm says it has a 19 cu ft unit. Is it a Furrion?
BTW the link to the '26 Paradigm brochure is broken. Bottom of page https://alliancerv.com/fifth-wheel-paradigm/2026/310rl I had to go through Marketing Asssets.

I suspect I will seriously consider adding an inverter and buying an actual residential 120vac unit when it happens. We don't do any boon docking.
That will be my plan as well. I’m curious about how long a refrigerator will run on 200 amp hr battery using an inverter.
 

Oregon_Camper

Forum Admin
Staff member
That will be my plan as well. I’m curious about how long a refrigerator will run on 200 amp hr battery using an inverter.
~100 amp hours per day.

Here is the link to my test results.
 

Meanjean73

Well-known member
~100 amp hours per day.

Here is the link to my test results.
So a 12 volt and 110v with inverter will be the same?
 

Jwtsg

Active member
Jim,,, Belive this thread just converted us to add the extended 4 year $100 deductible warranty. Have not previously taken that option on our other used rigs but a slide removal possibilityw the potential issues the 19 cf 12v residential refers May encounter has changed my miind as it seems the potential problems other owners have experience makes it a good decison!

On a connected thought we just completed our PDI utilizing your checklist & are taking delivery 02/23/29026.! Much appreciated, very. Valuable resource,,,it took some time but caught some good issues,,,mostly minor cosmetics inside fit & finish but did help get them to provide certifications on all components that reflect meeting torque requirements,, domestic water lies pressure testing, & tank sanitation, propane system delivery & house propane pressure testing, cleaning of the back and gray tanks, and service of the wheel bearings, and awning to coach or slide inspection and repairs for sealant & hand checking all screw attachments! A bit of discussion to start but did agree,,,, Quite pleased! Much appreciated resource Jim! We highly recommend using it to all! Our Kudos!👍🍀
 
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Jim,,, Belive this thread just converted us to add the extended 4 year $100 deductible warranty. Have not previously taken that option on our other used rigs but a slide removal possibilityw the potential issues the 19 cf 12v residential refers May encounter has changed my miind as it seems the potential problems other owners have experience makes it a good decison!

On a connected thought we just completed our PDI utilizing your checklist & are taking delivery 02/23/29026.! Much appreciated, very. Valuable resource,,,it took some time but caught some good issues,,,mostly minor cosmetics inside fit & finish but did help get them to provide certifications on all components that reflect meeting torque requirements,, domestic water lies pressure testing, & tank sanitation, propane system delivery & house propane pressure testing, cleaning of the back and gray tanks, and service of the wheel bearings, and awning to coach or slide inspection and repairs for sealant & hand checking all screw attachments! A bit of discussion to start but did agree,,,, Quite pleased! Much appreciated resource Jim! We highly recommend using it to all! Our Kudos!👍🍀
We got the extended warranty and just had our Norcold fridge replaced, but no slide removal like I thought. Like Jim said, they took the fridge doors off the old unit and came out the camper door, and same with the new unit going in.
We had to pay for freight for the new unit being delivered and with the deductible it was $210 out of pocket. All in all, the final invoice came out to $6790 with 6500 of that being just the fridge (not sure why Norcold thinks their merch is that valuable). I think if/when our fridge goes out again, outside of warranty, I’ll be loading something from the appliance section at Home Depot
 

RockDr896

Well-known member
This thread has me wondering about something I experienced. My large rock trenchers used laser guidance sensors (Before machine control). The sensors on the machines, could not handle the vibration and broke damn there every 30 days. I found an electrical engineer and finally determined what was failing on the boards. We started fixing them ourselves. So is there a person willing to diagnose the boards and figure out the fix? The failure of solid state boards is throughout everything we are using. A real opportunity in many industries, given how simple the repairs are for somebody with the talent.,,,just a thought....
 
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