Whether you’re an RVer or a full timer your fridge is one of the most important appliances in your camper or rv. When it stops working properly, the cooling unit is almost always the culprit. Yellow residue behind the refrigerator and an ammonia smell are common indications that you have a failed cooling unit. The good news is that it’s not uncommon for an RVer to be able to replace a cooling unit themselves. There are many quality remanufactured units available from companies like Ozark. These units have heavier walls seamless tubing that won’t fracture, and they are much cheaper than OEM or other aftermarket replacements.
Often, RVers are surprised that the process of replacing an old cooling unit is so simple. The trick is to remove the refrigerator in the right position, and to install the new cooling unit correctly. It’s not a difficult task for the average person with a few basic tools.
The first step is to shut off the refrigerator. Then disconnect 120VAC and 12VDC power to the refrigerator from the breaker panel. Once the fridge is fully unplugged, the next steps are to take off the cover of the evaporator and remove any screws that hold the evaporator in place. The screws that hold the evaporator in the freezer and refrigerated section of the refrigerator are marked with blue ovals. It’s a good idea to mark those locations with a piece of masking tape to maintain the location of the screw in case you need to reinstall the cooling unit. Nor cold cooling units