Motor Home Project: Install a New Residential Refrigerator

 Part 4 - In Goes the New

Bushnell, FL - Events of Friday, Feb. 3 to Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012

In our last post, Paul had finished cutting all the maple lumber for the new face frame for our refrigerator cabinet. After test fitting the parts, Paul began the assembly. The face frames of most RV cabinets are assembled with pocket screws. With this technique, holes are drilled at an angle in the back of one piece of wood to accept screws that fasten to the adjoining piece of wood. This joint is not as strong as some cabinet joints; but it is strong enough, and it is easy to do (especially with the dedicated pocket screw equipment the RV manufacturers use).

Since Paul doesn't have access to fancy, dedicated pocket screw machines, he bought a Kreg Jig Mini at Lowe's that is designed to be used with a hand drill. There are also more elaborate versions of pocket screw jigs available that simplify the setup and clamping to the workpiece; but at $20, this basic version is the least expensive. Since this is a tool Paul is not likely to use much in the future and there weren't that many joints to make, Paul was willing to take the extra time to set up the basic version of the jig for each joint to save a little money.

The jig is plastic so it will not mar the wood, and it has a metal insert to guide the drill bit. The jig is firmly clamped to the workpiece at the proper distance back from the edge according to the thickness of the wood being joined, then the pocket hole is drilled with the special drill bit provided in the kit. The position of the stop collar on the drill bit is also determined by the thickness of the wood.

Paul was impressed by the professional-looking results.

After assembly of the face frame, there was another test fitting. In spite of the fact the joints fastened together only with screws and have no glue, the joints stayed tight while Paul maneuvered the rather large, awkward frame into the motor home. Pocket screw joints are typically assembled without glue, but glue could be used along with the screws for maximum strength. However, Paul chose not to use glue in case modifications to the frame were required now or at a later date.

After Paul was sure the new frame fit properly, he sanded it and applied three coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly finish.

With the new face frame for the refrigerator cabinet complete, Paul removed the false floor that he had temporarily installed so he could put in the modified support for the new drawer that is going under the false floor. This step had to wait for the new frame because the sides of the support attach to the frame.

Throughout the process there were a number of components that had to be installed in order for other parts to be fit, then the first components had to be removed in order to work on something else. Sometimes, the same components had to be installed and removed several times.

Paul devised a way to attach the face frame to the cabinet after the new fridge was set into place by using screwing blocks along the inside edges of the frame. Installing the frame after setting the new fridge into place would prevent any possible damage to the frame when lifting the tall, heavy refrigerator in the narrow hallway. Therefore, the face frame had to be removed again. Then Paul re-installed the false floor for what was to be the final time.

There were a few more details to tend to such as reducing the height of the water line and installing an in-line water filter for the ice maker.

Paul used a Shark Bite ball valve to connect to the existing PEX water pipe. The valve he bought has a Shark Bite connector on the inlet to connect to the existing PEX tubing and ½" female pipe thread on the outlet to connect a threaded adapter for ¼" tubing for the ice maker filter. Shark Bite is a brand name of push-on plumbing fittings. The same fitting will work copper, PVC and PEX tubing (or any combination thereof). The fittings are a little expensive, but they make plumbing a breeze. Just push them on and you're done. There is no soldering, no threads to tighten, no glue, or no crimping. And there were no leaks on the first try!

Then it was finally time to shut down the new Samsung and move it into position in the cabinet opening. We unloaded the food from the Samsung and put it into our own and into several borrowed coolers. After Paul removed the doors and the freezer drawer, Gary and Leroy came over to help with the lifting. Surprisingly, the Samsung with the doors removed seemed a good bit lighter than the old Norcold without its doors.

The next photo shows the Samsung in place. Notice the temporary support under the center of the false floor in front. This was to hold the false floor at the proper level until Paul could get the face frame into place. The frame has a piece of angle iron running across the front to support the floor.

After the new refrigerator was in place, Paul installed the maple frame on the cabinet. Then he re-installed the refrigerator doors. This was a little tricky because with the top of the fridge almost all the way up to the ceiling, it was impossible to get a screwdriver in to install the top screws. Paul tilted the top of the fridge forward while Margery steadied it so he could reach the screws.

We then plugged the fridge back in, started it up and loaded the food back in. In the following few days, Paul hooked up the ice maker, bolted the refrigerator to the floor and made some spacers for inside the cabinet to reduce any tendency of the refrigerator to want to tip as we are making a turn while driving.

With the new refrigerator securely fastened down and operational, Paul went to work finishing the new drawer underneath. During this entire project, Paul missed his table saw so much, he built a make-shift table saw by drilling some small holes in the base plate of his 7¼" circular saw and using some flat-head screws to mount the saw upside down with the blade sticking up through a piece of ½" plywood. He set the plywood on the saw horses he bought and clamped a straight piece of 1 x 4 to the plywood to use for a fence to guide the work piece. It doesn't have near the precision of a good quality table saw (or even an inexpensive table saw for that matter), and the setup for each cut was a bit tedious, but the cuts were more accurate and more repeatable than they would have been holding the circular saw by hand.

The home made table saw was invaluable for making the pieces for the drawer because for the drawer to fit together properly and to operate smoothly, the cuts had to be fairly accurate. The next photo shows Paul in action with his home made table saw getting ready to make a dado cut in one of the drawer side pieces where the drawer bottom will fit. That was something he couldn't even attempt to do with a hand-held saw.

In addition to finishing the drawer, Paul re-installed the furnace vent below the fridge and installed the plastic trim piece at the bottom of the fridge. The next photo shows the completed job.

The installation was a lot of work, but we are very pleased with our new residential refrigerator. One of the best things is the Samsung makes ice much faster than we can use it. We haven't tried ice cream yet, but the frozen food is hard as a rock. Another good thing about the Samsung is it only weighs about 20 pounds more than our old Norcold. Of course, the Samsung will hold a lot more food, so we'll have to be careful not to overload the fridge when we're on the move. Even when the Samsung is relatively full, everything is easy to find. Margery LOVES the deep vegetable fresheners since we always have plenty greens on hand for salads.

With the big job of installing the new refrigerator done, we're looking forward to some relaxation and recreation. We still have to devise a way to hold the refrigerator doors and freezer drawer closed while we're driving; but we have an idea for that, and it can be done later at a more leisurely pace. Enough work for now.

Comments

[Marsha]

Paul isn't the only one impressed with the professional looking job. So are Paul, and I and Paul can be pretty critical. What a clever man that Paul is...making his own table saw. That is one HUGE refrigerator! I wish I could have had the freezer below but ours is partially in the hallway...no way Jose. I love yours. We hold our doors together with a simple bungee cord.
Also, I see somethings in that refrig that I would like you to make for dinner and ship to me. Is that asking too much?
Enjoy your new addition! Speaking of additions...where is Freeway? No pictures...boo hoo.

[jeff & Barbie]

What a fabulous job Paul did. I appreciate the step by step detailing of the process you shared with us. Paul must have a great feeling of satisfaction on a job well done. I'm sure you'll enjoy the "switch."

[Marilyn]

WOO-HOO -- Paul did a PHENOMENAL job -- just like I knew he would. It looks wonderful in its spot and I know you will enjoy it!