by David, Brent and Ricky 2006 Nimbus 40′
David at FT just completed installing my new Samsung RF197ACRS in our 2006 Nimbus 40′ today. They did a fantastic job. It’s not as big as Daves however it fits in the same space as the old Dometic with very little woodwork. Since the fridge is taller they had to lower the floor. I did lose a storage drawer under the old fridge but it was worth it. Took apx. 16 hours to install. They also made a custom velcro strap to hold the doors shut while traveling.
I chose the french door because it was similar to the Dometic and would allow me to open the door with minimal obstruction. David had no recommendations and only told me what he had installed for other people. I actually had a friend who had installed this refrigerator in his 5th wheel. I liked it so well, especially noticing that it would fit in my coach, that I ordered one.
We closed off the roof vent and installed a removable insulated panel inside the original coach side refrigerator access panel in case I needed access to the back of the fridge. The Samsung cooling units (2) are at the bottom of the fridge and vent into the coach. I don’t see that this will be a problem as any heat this generates will be small. In my set up there seems to be enough space behind the fridge, as well as a small vent in the side cabinet, to provide enough ventilation. So far it is working great.
Purchased the fridge at PC Richard & Son for $1218.97 tot which included shipping to FT.
The bottom rear of the fridge is screwed to the floor. This pretty much anchored the fridge in place. They also placed two small aluminum plates in the top front wood frame. They extend down to brace the top of the fridge. They are a brace and not screwed into the fridge.
This was an extra precaution that would stop any possible movement such as being on a rough road, etc. The plates show up more than I like but I don’t know how else it could be done. The bottom drawer (freezer) of the fridge has a factory internal lock that automatically locks the door when it’s closed. To open the freezer you pull up on the handle. Everything works great. The freezer is cranking out ice like mad and the ice-cream is frozen solid