Norcold Polar Elite 12v - Any Reviews?

[VinceB]

My search turned up only 1 review.  Not a real review as it was mentioned only in passing.

So I'll specifically ask: does anyone here have  experience with the Norcold Polar Elite 12v?

https://norcold.com/product/polar-n15dc/

[Tom Cherry]

This usually gets FLAMED.

Quick Google lists the Norcold for $4675 (free Shipping) to $4050 (plus shipping... I THINK).

The Samsung RF18 is usually around $1,000 or so....max if $1200

Most installers get $900 - $1200.  YOU MAY have an issue if there is a FURNACE underneath.  BUT, MANY have made the Samsung work in Diplomats....not sure about your year.

SO..maybe $2,400 INSTALLED.  Your Inverter is probably a 2,000 WATT Square Wave.  Folk with Square Wave have NOT reported any issues.....and Samsung says OK FOR INVERTER....Square included....does NOT need a Pure Sine Wave

Most folks only run their Genny's maybe 2 - 3 hours every 24 to keep the Batteries charged.  The Genny takes maybe 0.4 GPM so figure 1.5 Gal at $3.50.  Your cost is $5.25 per day....NOW, I DID not calculate the Propane....but you can from the specs

Install will probably be at least $800...if it fits without modifying the Furnace.  SO....use $4,400 plus $800 or maybe $5,200 total out of pocket

Samsung is $2,400 out of pocket.

That is $2,800 or TWICE the cost of a Samsung.  At $5.25 per day...assuming you were boondocking....  That would still be 533 days or or about 18 MONTHS of DAILY genny...

Just curious....as to the need....and it is YOUR RIG...to go 12 VDC instead of the more (95%) conventional RES REFER install.

I had to do TOO MANY Capital Request Justification when I worked.... so I "THINK LIKE THIS"....which sometimes drives my DW crazy.

Just a thought....Good luck.  

[VinceB]

Yes, lots to consider. I’ve done a few CBA’s – cost/benefit analysis myself.

I do 5-6 boondock trips a year – about 4-5 nights each so my concern is power consumption.

My other concern is ease of installation - I’m not going to tackle it. I like the idea of a cut and paste install.  I do have a heater underneath the Norcold.

OTH for the dollars saved on the Samsung, I could buy a few hundred watts of solar and (maybe) have the power I need. I've installed solar before so it's not a challenge for me to do myself.

Definitely need to push a pencil on this one. Happily, my Norcold still works very well.. for now.

My first step is to find a reason(s) not to install a Norcold 12v or some reasons to consider it.  Maybe I'll consider a 12v conversion but then I'll still have only 12 CF of storage. The DW will appreciate the  extra room.

BTW: the cheapest diesel here is ARCO R95 at $4.35/gal and my inverter is a 1500.

[JohnC3]

About 2.5 years ago My original fridge was found to have an ammonia leak during annual.maint. I wanted a 12v replacement and ordered the Norcold artic elite you are looking at. I had the shop that did my annual.maintmpirnit in for ~5k. They needed to remove the dining room slide window, raise it with a forklift and damaged broke the door latching mech. Got it fixed under warrantee. The fridge needs to vent into the rig, so I needed to close up the upper and lower vents. Not the most satisfactory install. 

But getting to the unit. It needs 10awg wires for the 12v power. My 2008 Camelot had them.  The unit works well, but Maybe due to the install the freezer iced up in a month. I took the lower door out of the fridge to let me defrost it better (NO AUTO Defrost on this unit) it came out like a huge drawer by a lever on the slides. Ended up finding the slides were damaged (install again, don't know). Turns out you are not supposed to remove the bottom bin. Got new slide kit under warrantee.

Short advice is pass on this fridge. It cools great, sips power and looks cool with blue led accents. The downsides are  Manual defrost only and you are not supposed to remove the door ( so you just wait for the ice to melt above the bin. Norcold said it should need defrosting maybe once or twice a year, I needed to do it once a month! Now YMMV, I think my rails were messed up on install and the freezer door might not seal as well as it should (hence the defrost every month).

Would I buy this again... NO.  5k fridge with no auto defrost!  Inadequate rails for the bottom bin (in my opinion) leading to Norcold telling you to not remove the bin. That make defrost a multi hour process with the freezer door open. In my rig that blocks the hall to the bath/bedroom.

I have a good dose of buyers remorse. If the unit had auto defrost and stronger slides. I still probably would buy it again. 5k is too much to spend for this unit.

Hope it helps!

[Bobkat11208]

When our 2023 Norcold 1200 died via ammonia leak, we looked at this unit but couldn’t justify the cost. DW liked the fridge so we ‘created’ a hybrid. We installed the Amish fridge dual compressor 12v onto the existing box. Cost was about $1800 all in including their having to run 10ga wire to the battery bank. Took them about 2-3 hrs and didn’t have to install/remove the unit from the rig. They laid it down on the floor, did the install, and put it back in the existing hole. We boondock almost exclusively, and it consistently draws no more than 5amps/60 watts. The longest it ran before our FLA bank was 50% SOC was over a day. 10/10 would recommend. 
Just another option to consider.