400DA Refrigerator replacement - Anyone document their process?

[J Michael Price II]

Can you send the exact model of the Vitrofrigo fridge you purchased? I have a 98 400 dancer with a Norcold that needs replacing and would love to not have to remove stairs or cabinets!!
Thanks!!

 

[Stee6043]

Can you send the exact model of the Vitrofrigo fridge you purchased? I have a 98 400 dancer with a Norcold that needs replacing and would love to not have to remove stairs or cabinets!!
Thanks!!

That user hasn't been around in a couple years. Based on my copious research he was a unicorn. Or he actually had a 410 and thought he had a 400

I bought the Nova Kool with nearly the exact dimensions as the Norcold and it would not go down the stairs without the cabinet coming out. Pure pain...

 

[Risingson]

Can you send the exact model of the Vitrofrigo fridge you purchased? I have a 98 400 dancer with a Norcold that needs replacing and would love to not have to remove stairs or cabinets!!
Thanks!!

Cabinet must come out

 

[D Bell]

Cabinet must come out

To remove Norcold - Remove the door and hardware, remove the parts on the back and cut off the tubing (I'm assuming its shot). Watch for sharp edges on the way out. Easy.

Isotherm Cruise fit perfect with ~1/2 inch filler on the sides (hidden by the flange). Removed door and it fit through the cabin door easily.

 

[dtfeld]

Can you send the exact model of the Vitrofrigo fridge you purchased? I have a 98 400 dancer with a Norcold that needs replacing and would love to not have to remove stairs or cabinets!!
Thanks!!

The Vitifigo is a DP2600i Check Marinewarehouse.net for best price. The other 2 options are a NovaKool and Isotherm. NovaKool makes the RFU- 9000 or RFU9200 difference being the 9200 has a real freezer (separate compressor). I have a RFU-9200 and love it! Better be sitting down for the price quote! there are a couple dealers to get a quote from and where you are in the country may make a difference on shipping. Isotherm make a Cruise 195 also with 2 compressors.

I dont think people are using Norcold as they seam to have issues (YMMV).

 

[Stee6043]

The Vitifigo is a DP2600i Check Marinewarehouse.net for best price. The other 2 options are a NovaKool and Isotherm. NovaKool makes the RFU- 9000 or RFU9200 difference being the 9200 has a real freezer (separate compressor). I have a RFU-9200 and love it! Better be sitting down for the price quote! there are a couple dealers to get a quote from and where you are in the country may make a difference on shipping. Isotherm make a Cruise 195 also with 2 compressors.

I dont think people are using Norcold as they seam to have issues (YMMV).

+1. Even though we went with the more pedestrian single compressor model, I can confirm that the Nova Kool has so far been really great. My wife still comments on how much nicer (and bigger inside) this thing is vs the Norcold. The bottom located freezer just makes sense.

I'm almost to the point that I can say it was worth the pain of removing the cabinet....almost

 

[dtfeld]

+1. Even though we went with the more pedestrian single compressor model, I can confirm that the Nova Kool has so far been really great. My wife still comments on how much nicer (and bigger inside) this thing is vs the Norcold. The bottom located freezer just makes sense.

I'm almost to the point that I can say it was worth the pain of removing the cabinet....almost

We had a couple big crowds lately, and we were commenting on how the Nova Kool is bigger and soooo much better (colder) that we wished we would have done the upgrade when we first bought the boat.

I too put it off because it is a big job, but very worthwhile.

 

[Strecker25]

as maybe the only one who went Isotherm (?) I can confirm we also love it. I did the dual compressor Cruise 195 and its fantastic. My primary complaint was a little shoddy-ness on the assembly of the freezer section where it connects to the 'trim' - the 195 is a combination of two separate units that Isotherm sells (Freezer and a fridge model) joined using some trim. The sealant was less than stellar and it was letting warm air into the freezer causing frost-up. For now, I put some metal tape along the edges, hidden when the door it closed, and the freezer now runs right at 1*F on a dial setting of 6/7 with absolutely zero frost

The fridge section has a continuous DC fan circulating air over the back mounted cold plate and collects condensation then runs it over the warm coil out the back, so we see no frost or moisture in the fridge compartment

 

[Stee6043]

as maybe the only one who went Isotherm (?) I can confirm we also love it. I did the dual compressor Cruise 195 and its fantastic. My primary complaint was a little shoddy-ness on the assembly of the freezer section where it connects to the 'trim' - the 195 is a combination of two separate units that Isotherm sells (Freezer and a fridge model) joined using some trim. The sealant was less than stellar and it was letting warm air into the freezer causing frost-up. For now, I put some metal tape along the edges, hidden when the door it closed, and the freezer now runs right at 1*F on a dial setting of 6/7 with absolutely zero frost

The fridge section has a continuous DC fan circulating air over the back mounted cold plate and collects condensation then runs it over the warm coil out the back, so we see no frost or moisture in the fridge compartment

View attachment 148543

That stainless looks great!

 

[Sgrochow]

as maybe the only one who went Isotherm (?) I can confirm we also love it. I did the dual compressor Cruise 195 and its fantastic. My primary complaint was a little shoddy-ness on the assembly of the freezer section where it connects to the 'trim' - the 195 is a combination of two separate units that Isotherm sells (Freezer and a fridge model) joined using some trim. The sealant was less than stellar and it was letting warm air into the freezer causing frost-up. For now, I put some metal tape along the edges, hidden when the door it closed, and the freezer now runs right at 1*F on a dial setting of 6/7 with absolutely zero frost

The fridge section has a continuous DC fan circulating air over the back mounted cold plate and collects condensation then runs it over the warm coil out the back, so we see no frost or moisture in the fridge compartment

View attachment 148543

Wish that I went that route, replaced mine with the Norcold drop in replacement awhile back. It keeps stuff really cold, no complaint there, but needs to be defrosted regularly.

 

[J Michael Price II]

To remove Norcold - Remove the door and hardware, remove the parts on the back and cut off the tubing (I'm assuming its shot). Watch for sharp edges on the way out. Easy.

Isotherm Cruise fit perfect with ~1/2 inch filler on the sides (hidden by the flange). Removed door and it fit through the cabin door easily.

So you have a 97-99 400 Dancer and this fridge went through cabin door wo removing stairs and cabinet? Disassembling and even cutting up the old fridge isn’t a problem. Or removing doors on new one. Just want to confirm before going down this road that the Isotherm fits!!
Thanks!!

 

[Stee6043]

So you have a 97-99 400 Dancer and this fridge went through cabin door wo removing stairs and cabinet? Disassembling and even cutting up the old fridge isn’t a problem. Or removing doors on new one. Just want to confirm before going down this road that the Isotherm fits!!
Thanks!!

As you probably already know, the 410 door/opening is bigger than the 400. The Nova Kool I installed this year does fit down the chute on the 410 but required removal of the cabinet on my boat. It's a 6 beer job...and then a whiskey after it's all done.

 

[mrsrobinson]

As you probably already know, the 410 door/opening is bigger than the 400. The Nova Kool I installed this year does fit down the chute on the 410 but required removal of the cabinet on my boat. It's a 6 beer job...and then a whiskey after it's all done.

Looks like the refrigerator is on top and the freezer is on the bottom? I like that.

I'll double your labor charge and give you 12 beers and two whiskeys if you'll do it for me.

 

[J Michael Price II]

Looks like the refrigerator is on top and the freezer is on the bottom? I like that.

Dang. Sounds like cabinet removal is going to be required. Sucks. I have hardwood on my stairs so do t know how I can remove those. Fridge works on DC just the typical AC power pack is dead. Seems like someone would make a replacement board for just that or a way to swap out all the Ac/DC controllers to something new vs deconstructing the interior. Would seem if you replaced the entire AC/DC system with the newer stuff it would work?? Compressor doesn’t know where the juice is coming from!!

 

[Stee6043]

Looks like the refrigerator is on top and the freezer is on the bottom? I like that.

I'll double your labor charge and give you 12 beers and two whiskeys if you'll do it for me.

Dear god. I think I left my unfiltered review of the fridge install process in the 400/410 thread. If I ever start looking for my next boat I feel like having a "newish fridge" will be on my short list of must have features. Never...again....

 

[Stee6043]

Dang. Sounds like cabinet removal is going to be required. Sucks. I have hardwood on my stairs so do t know how I can remove those. Fridge works on DC just the typical AC power pack is dead. Seems like someone would make a replacement board for just that or a way to swap out all the Ac/DC controllers to something new vs deconstructing the interior. Would seem if you replaced the entire AC/DC system with the newer stuff it would work?? Compressor doesn’t know where the juice is coming from!!

I didn't have to do anything with my stairs. It's only the cabinet that has to come out, as seen in the photo. The cabinet is attached to the stairs, which is a hoot to access, but the stairs themselves are not impacted.

 

[J Michael Price II]

As you probably already know, the 410 door/opening is bigger than the 400. The Nova Kool I installed this year does fit down the chute on the 410 but required removal of the cabinet on my boat. It's a 6 beer job...and then a whiskey after it's all done.

Yea lots of these installs are on 410’s which is different than the 400’s. Guess if I can’t fix the old one I’ll have todo a remove, dismantle and replace. Still wanting to see if anyone (besides the one person) has gotten a newer box through the hole w/o removing the cabinets and stairs.

 

[Sgrochow]

Coastal Climate Control recommendeds this as a replacement for the Norcold:

http://[URL][URL][URL][URL]https://...C-DC-fridge-freezer-Stainless-Steel-p95699160

[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

They stock it in black as well for a couple hundred dollars les

Unless I'm missing something, I think everyone is telling you you will have to remove the cabinet but don't have to remove the stairs. I think you're going to have to remove the cabinet no matter what you do from what I'm reading. I'm no expert in this though.,

Coastal Climate Control recommendeds this as a replacement for the Norcold:

http://[URL][URL][URL]https://www.c...C-DC-fridge-freezer-Stainless-Steel-p95699160

[/URL][/URL][/URL]

They stock it in black as well for a couple hundred dollars les

Unless I'm missing something, I think everyone is telling you you will have to remove the cabinet but don't have to remove the stairs. I think you're going to have to remove the cabinet no matter what you do from what I'm reading. I'm no expert in this though.

I agree with @mrsrobinson. No doubt, the cabinet has to come out on a 1998 40 DA to replace the fridge, replaced mine a few years ago.

As far as the stairs go, you'll know after you pull the old fridge out of the cabinet. If you have a few screw heads on the left side, you're in good shape!

 

[J Michael Price II]

I agree with @mrsrobinson. No doubt, the cabinet has to come out on a 1998 40 DA to replace the fridge, replaced mine a few years ago.

As far as the stairs go, you'll know after you pull the old fridge out of the cabinet. If you have a few screw heads on the left side, you're in good shape!

Thanks for all the info. Great to know. I can handle the cabinet. Didn’t want to dismantle the stairs too! Will dismantle the old one into pieces and hopefully can strip the new one so it goes in fairly easily w/o too much grease or cursing!! Still sounds like it’s a full weekend job. Prob better to replace since it’s 25yo vs trying to patch the old one!! Just need to decide on the virifrigo or the Isotherm!!