RV Fridge to Samsung RF 18

[jc2]

About 3-4 weeks ago, we traded our 2004 Dutch Star DP and purchased a 2010 Newmar Dutch Aire Model 4304 DP from Motor Homes of Texas in Nacogdoches, Tx. It came with the double door SS Norcold 1200 series rv fridge which I admit is working relatively well. I have not been a supporter of them for some time nor do I trust them. We are scheduled to have it replaced by MH of TX on Oct 15 with the Samsung SS 17.5 cu ft French Door Counter Depth model RF18HFENBSR. Our other choice was a GE 18.6 cu ft French Door Counter Depth model GWE19JSLSS @ $500 more. Over the past several years when the big push started with folks to replace their rv fridges with residential ones, Samsung was mentioned frequently as a choice. Reader comments on the Home Depot website for "both" is all over the board. What have members of this forums experienced reliability wise if the have changed to either the Samsung or GE models I mentioned? Good, bad,???

[docj]

We've had our Samsung RF197 (predecessor to the RF18) for >7 years and have had no problems.  For the first two years it ran off of our MSW inverter and now it is powered by a pure sine wave Magnum.  It's never needed any servicing.

[jc2]

Thanks docj

Although the negative complaints that I have read on the Home Depot website from Samsung customers were not in the majority by far, they still need to be considered.  Some of the prevalent complaint(s) were:

1.  icemaker spilling ice from the tray or water line leaks on crisper trays below 

2.  lack of shelf adjustments

3.  Fan making whining noise

4.  Overall approval rate was 54-56%

The GE fridge choice that I had also had several types of complaints.  Their overall approval rate was 94%.

I have the Samsung scheduled for delivery to Motor Homes of Tx in Nacogdoches, Tx for Oct 9 and install on Oct 15-17 as some minor cabinet mods will be needed.

 

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

1. It is not the icemaker overflowing into the crisper tray.  It is from an ice plugged drain line from the cooling coils.  It is a simple fix to improve the element that is supposed to keep the ice from forming.

[Dance Chick]

We have the Samsung RF18. The only issue we've had is sometimes the ice maker doesn't work. At times it wouldn't work, but then it would decide out of the blue it was going to work.  LOL  It didn't work on our recent 10-week trip. Other than that, I love the fridge.

[jc2]

1 hour ago, Mark and Dale Bruss said:

1. It is not the icemaker overflowing into the crisper tray.  It is from an ice plugged drain line from the cooling coils.  It is a simple fix to improve the element that is supposed to keep the ice from forming.

Would u by chance know what that simple fix might be??

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Many YouTube videos on it like:

The part was about $6 on Amazon  Samsung Evaporator Clip

 

 

[jc2]

30 minutes ago, Mark and Dale Bruss said:

Thank you for that info. 

 

 

Many YouTube videos on it like:

The part was about $6 on Amazon  Samsung Evaporator Clip

 

 

 

[docj]

3 hours ago, jc2 said:

Thanks docj

Although the negative complaints that I have read on the Home Depot website from Samsung customers were not in the majority by far, they still need to be considered.  Some of the prevalent complaint(s) were:

1.  icemaker spilling ice from the tray or water line leaks on crisper trays below 

2.  lack of shelf adjustments

3.  Fan making whining noise

Occasionally, a piece of ice seems to fall into the freezer rather than in the bin. If that's part of #1, I have more significant things to worry about.

No the shelves can't be moved and I rarely, if ever, moved them on other fridges I have owned.,

Can't comment on #3 since the RF197 is totally different from the RF18, but I can hardly hear mine when the compressor is running.

[docj]

1 hour ago, Dance Chick said:

We have the Samsung RF18. The only issue we've had is sometimes the ice maker doesn't work. At times it wouldn't work, but then it would decide out of the blue it was going to work.  LOL  It didn't work on our recent 10-week trip. Other than that, I love the fridge.

Out of curiosity, are you sure that the problem is the ice maker not working, or is there any chance that the freezer temperature has gotten too high to make ice even though things seem cold?

The reason I ask is that my RF197 has been subject to an issue every year or two which results it losing synchronization with its thermostats.  The symptom is that the things in the fridge and/or freezer don't seem as cold as they should be but the temperature display appears normal. 

The "fix" as explained to me by a Samsung CSR is to unplug the fridge and reboot it after ~15 minutes.  When power is re-applied the thermostats will read the actual temps which will be high.  After an hour or two everything will go back to normal. 

I don't know what would happen if I ignored the problem, other than I know the ice maker wouldn't make ice at those temps.  Maybe it would go back and start working again by itself--I don't know.

[Dance Chick]

Thanks Joel..I'll  pass this info on.  It's all too technical for me. I'm happy just making ice in ice cube trays the old fashioned way. LOL

[pfhays]

I've got the RF18 and a word of caution is needed.  Ice cream will be hard to dip out of the container.  If the ice cream is kept at a better temperature than your old absorption unit,  you may gain weight.

I don't use much ice so I turn the ice maker on and off frequently and it has never failed me.  The ice maker switch says Ice Off.  If you turn the ice maker off, there is a lighted cup with ice indicated in the cup.  Turn the ice maker on and the lighted cup goes out.  Backwards to the way I think.

 

[Smitty77_7]

We have the RF-18 for a little over three years now. No problems. 

We do not have the ice make on, we use ice trays, because we used higher filtration water from out under sink filtration system. 

Wife would have liked to be able to adjust the shelves a bit more, but that is her only complaint. 

If I were to try to remove this, and replace it with a new Norcold 1200 - I'd never be allowed to set foot in the RV again. She, we, like the Samsung. 

Yes I've read reports of problems. Funny though, that I've had two different GE units fail in the last three years, both under 7 years of age. So who the heck knows. 

I do wish I'd bought the Home Depot extended warranty, which I did not, just because of all of the postings of those that have had problems.

Best of luck to you,

Smitty

[docj]

16 hours ago, pfhays said:

I've got the RF18 and a word of caution is needed.  Ice cream will be hard to dip out of the container.

If the RF18 thermostat is designed the same way as the RF179's, the temperature in the freezer is tied to the ice maker's demand for ice.  If you use a lot of ice the fridge will drop the freezer temp for a while (without changing the display) so that the ice maker can "catch up" and make more ice. 

I don't think this is a documented design feature, but I did find it on a Samsung website somewhere.  One test you can do to determine if this is how your fridge functions is to try to scoop ice cream first thing in the morning, after the ice maker has had all night to fill up.  It should be noticeably softer than it in, for example, late afternoon, if people have been using ice for drinks all afternoon. 

Of course, once you have scooped some ice cream early in the morning, you'll just have to eat it! 😁

[Thunderjet]

I really like the fridge temp holds right at set points.  very low on power usage.  I agree with above, adjustable shelves would be better.

Ice Light is definitely backwards. If cup of ice light glows, ice maker is off. 

when starting ice maker turn on power freeze.

we start power freeze and power cool when on generator when dry camping.

also like 17.5 cubic foot after nocold 12 cubic foot.

best upgrade ever

TJ