A fridge is a necessity on an RV trip, especially if you plan on bringing kids along. A quiet refrigerator that can cool down and freeze your food is a must.
Thankfully, norcold has made some of the best ones on the market since 1959. Their absorption refrigerators are quiet and use either gas or propane (which is switched to when electricity isn’t available) as their primary power source.
This method of refrigeration works by changing an ammonia-based solution into a gas that circulates through coils. When the ammonia passes through the metal coils it absorbs heat from the air, turning back into a liquid and restarting the cooling process.
As the industry leader in RV and marine absorption refrigerators, norcold continues to innovate and bring bold products — like their Polar Series fridges — to the consumer market. Founded in California, the company has grown from a small family business to a major industry player with global capabilities.
Despite all that, there is still concern about the company, especially after reports of exploding RV refrigerators. While they have made some changes to their cooling units, these do not seem to fully address the problem. It seems the real issue lies within the cooling unit (the boiler tubes). If these tubes corrode, they can leak propane gas. Propane gas leaking next to a heater is very dangerous and could cause a fire.
The manufacturer, Thetford LLC, says it is closing the Sidney and Gettysburg facilities due to economic challenges, but will continue producing its refrigerators at its other global facilities. News Center 7 spoke with a couple of employees at the company and they were saddened by the news. norcold rv refrigerator