2000 340 refrigerator

R

Rwilliams

New Member
Apr 30, 2013
5
Lake Erie
Boat Info
340 Sundancer 2000
Engines
7.4L mpi Mercruisers
I'm looking for some experienced help on how to get the replacement refrigerator through the cabin door opening. SeaRay says the replacement is a Norcold DE0041 and it is 2" wider than the opening. After serious efforts turning it every possible direction it will not go through the opening. The only solution I see is to remove the door, which means first removing the wet bar including the ice maker, the dash panel that makes door pocket, and then lifting out the door. Since that panel appears to be glued to the top dashboard and hull this will be a very extensive job. Anyone have experience changing out this refrigerator?
 
This should help:
http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/54129-cabin-refrigerator?highlight=vitrifrigo+flange+c11

Pictures:

http://s51.photobucket.com/user/Boater420/slideshow/

You don't have to remove the cabin door. You do have to remove everything bolted on the back of the fridge and tape it to the top of the fridge. I used a truck strap to wrap around the old fridge top to bottom to use as a handle to hoist it up through the cabin door.

The fridge I installed has a custom flange which makes installing the new one a piece of cake.
 
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The door on the new fridge is actually recessed into the fridge cabinet, so no help there. That is how I got the old one out. i removed both the door and the mounting trim surrounding the old fridge then it easily came out through the doorway.
 
Can you return it? There are better units out there that will fit without having to remove the door.

Let us know how you make out
 
Is that a Norcold DE0041? Do you know if the doorway vs pocket door are the same on the 330 as the 340?
 
I've finally resolved my refrigerator problem after suffering through a whole lot of bad information from 3 different SeaRay dealers and SeaRay's customer technical support help line. All 3 dealers assured me that the Norcold DE0041 fridge is the correct fridge for my boat. After numerous tries which included taking the door off of the fridge to get an additional 1/2" of clearance, removing the compressor and mounting plate and placing it on top it still would not fit through the doorway. I contacted Sea Ray's help line and once again was assured that I had the correct fridge and was told I would probably need to remove the cabin door for it to go through the opening. I then removed the ice maker, wet bar, shroud(the piece covering the door), and then the door. After all of that I'm here to tell anyone who owns this boat that the Norcold will not go through that doorway. Luckily I was able to reassemble it and return it. I purchased the Vitrifrigo C115IXD4-F. I removed the trim and the door from the Vitrifrigo and it went through the doorway easily with a 1/4" clearance on either side. It is about 1 3/4" narrower than the opening so some 1" shim boards are in order and some trim pieces on the sides are needed, but not so bad considering the previous work. I believe it would have fit without removing the door, but I'll never know because it was already off. As for all of the "help" from SeaRay, I can only say you really should learn your product a little better because this was extremely frustrating. Hopefully this post will save the next guy a little frustration. I'll post a picture when I get the trim finished.
 
We have the Vitrifrigo flange in stock in our warehouse in Maryland - it's commonly referred to as the Norcold flange. R128110.C - Flange, flush complete assembly C115 NRCLD Replacement.
Cost is $104.00. And as far as I know, Vitrifrigo will only drop ship for its dealers into their areas and can't sell direct.
 
Rwilliams how did it come out ? Do you have any pictures, I have to change mine out and was thinking of going with the same fridge. You have the 2000 340 Dancer Thanks Rich
 
Rwilliams, I am in the exact same predicament as you. Pulling old Norcold and putting in same Vitrifrigo model. But according to the cut sheets from their website it shows the width, which is the smallest dimension of the three, at 21-1/4". When I measure my clearance with companion door fully opened it seems like I am pinched at about 21-1/8" in the narrowest spot. Wondering if the ref is actually a little smaller than the cut sheet info or maybe your companion way is just slightly bigger. I have 2000 340 Sundancer too.
 
The DE 0041 is also the replacement for our 95 370. It doesn't fit. But the Nova Kool nvr4500. Smaller in size but bigger storage at 4.2 cu ft. Customized a frame and fits nice.

Mark
 

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I put the Vitrifrigo fridge in with the flange. Fit right through the door no problem. you remove the stock flange before you put it in then install the bigger flange once in cabin. the fridge is bigger. Before you screw the flange into cabinet put the black molding back on first.
 
I replaced the Norcold in my 330 with a Nova Kool 5810. It just fit down the door, and with a bit of alteration to the opening, fits nicely. And it is 5.8 cubic feet!

Before and after:

afc33ef06a59cf59f6850cf875a80c4d.jpg


d32865f7963e5876acf07648482769a2.jpg
 
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I just replaced our stock Norcold with the Vitrifigo. Had to buy the larger flange kit. Looks and works terrific, easy to install and super quite. The wife loves the nice LED light too. Fit it through the companion way door with a nice 1/8" to spare on each side.
Had to strip the old Norcold down to the shell to get it out - that was the most time consuming part of the entire project.
 
Looking at this thread as a 2017 upgrade. Ours still works great but I like the added space. Can you all share where you brought your units from. Leaning towards the nova cool but all I can find is a Canada web site...

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 
I looked at the Nova Kool before I found the Vitrifrigo. The model I purchased was a direct replacement. No trim required if you purchase the flange kit. Plug and play. If went down the through the salon door without a problem and slipped right into place. See post #3 in this thread for flange information.

The Nova Kool was going to require some custom trim pieces to frame properly. It was also going to take 5 weeks to get it from Canada.

Here's a Vitrifrigo dealer in your area.
[FONT=&amp]
Midwest Marine Supply[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]24300 Jefferson Ave.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]St. Clair Shores, MI 48080[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]PH: 586.778.8950[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]www.midwestmarinesupply.com[/FONT]
 
Just to follow up. I just replaced the DE441 in my 2000 Sea ray 340.
Vitrifrigo and the flange kit listed fit perfect.

Since they don't come with directions I will help on a few minor things.

When you get the Vitrifirgo there are two stock flange pieces that need removing. The big one that goes around the top and two sides. I think 9 screws and it comes off. Then there is a flat piece on the top with a couple of screws. All that comes off.

The new flange kit will will screw on to the fridge and when it is about lined up with the front you will see tiny predrilled holes you can run the screws to the top and sides flange piece in on mine they lined up.

However the piece on the bottom didn't line up with the predrilled pilot holes so I had to drill pilot holes. This is the most time consuming part. Just getting the top piece square up and drilling the holes in the bottom. Once it's good though it goes right in no problem. Just make sure you get the fridge squared up in the hole and you will have to drill new holes for the flange to screw to the boat.

Remember too if you put the fridge on it's side don't turn it on for 12 or 24 hours. (check the manual) So it's easiest to take all the stock trim off the fridge and assemble the new flange kit and get everything set up on deck. Then take the new flange off and drop it into the cabin you can wire up the DC and plug it in and wire tie up the slack in the cables, set it halfway in the hole then screw the flange kit back on, set it in, square it up and drill and screw in new mount holes.

Also you will need new wood screws. The ones I took out wouldn't work with the new flange because the old screws had some weird flare under the screw head so they wouldn't counter sink properly. So you may wanna pull a screw out prior to doing it and get some new ones at Home Depot.



So the tools needed are
Screw gun/philips head screwdriver
wire stripers and crimpers
2 butt connecters (for DC power)
nut driver (don't remember size but its to disassemble old fridge to get out the door)
small drill bits/drill
That's all I can remember.

Pretty simple job I did it in a couple hours.
If I had to do it again I could easily do it in an hour.
 
So having this issue, there are a few part numbers changed and having problem
Finding the flange I need? Any help?
 
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