New to Forum - install Dometic RM2410

Hi Everyone!

We live in Northern Virginia and have a gooseneck horse trailer with a weekender LQ in the front and nose.  The trailer has propane (hot water heater & two burner stove) and is wired for 110 hookups (fridge & /C).  When we bought it, it came with a home type refrigerator sitting on the counter top and held in place with screws and a bungee (hold the door closed in motion). 

The problem we have is, unless we have hookups or use our portable generator, we don't have a fridge.  We usually use the trailer to haul the horses to one and two day shows and snack out of a cooler - the generator will either run the A/C or everything else on 110.  Around here in the summer, I'm not sacrificing A/C at an all day horse show just to run lights and the fridge!  I figure if I can swap out the existing fridge for a 2 way, I'll be in heaven.

What we have run into is that we have a 40H x 24 7/8W x 21D footprint and none of the fridges I can find are less than 24D.  My husband is under the misconception that the Dometic RM2410 I have ordered has "feet" and will fit.  I disabused him of that, explaining that ones that small are built in.  I stopped looking for a 21" fridge and began thinking about constructing the enclosure box it will reside in.  It seems to me that we could build that on top of the 21" countertop and that will overhang a little bit but it is not a place where it will make much difference to lose that space. 

Unfortunately, my husband also thinks this refrigerator is going to come all put together.  He told me he could "hook it up" starting with the existing gas lines.  I nicely (believe that?) said no, we'll pay someone qualified to mess with the gas. 

Have any of you installed a fridge like this?  Back many years ago, my father built his own RV and installed everything himself but he also built our house and worked on airplanes and helicopters, etc.  My husband, not so much. He's good at around the house and auto repairs and certainly can swap out a hot water heater or sink disposal but I feel that, when it comes to venting, etc, I'm not sure I want him cutting into the side of my horse trailer! 

The trailer is aluminum over steel and made by Collin-Arndt (sadly out of business) but was factory insulated in the LQ area.

I printed out the Dometic Installation Instructions.

How big a job is this assembly/install and should I be looking for some pro place to do it?  I already checked Raines RV and Holly Acres.  Raines said they'd sell it to me but not install.  Safford RV is further away and said they'd both sell it to me and install but they want $700 more for the unit than I can get on Amazon.

What say you kind RVers?

LP gas hook-ups aren't rocket science, but without know how your gas supply lines are laid out, it's hard to guess what skills may be needed. If there is a gas line near by, adding a Tee and a line to a fitting for the fridge is simple enough. This is a regulated low pressure gas line, only about 0.5 psi, so actually easier to do than water lines.

And yes, it has to be Built In. You don't need to trim it out cosmetically unless you want, but it needs to be fastened down, and it also needs quite a bit of space at the back with outside ventilation. Are you and he aware of that?  These fridges cannot vent to the interior like a residential style fridge. Normally there will be an air inlet vent in the trailer sidewall and an exit vent in the roof, but there are other ways to do it. They all involve cutting holes to the exterior of the trailer, though. Page 8 of the Dometic Install manual discusses the types of ventilation that can be used, and Appendix B, C, & D go into detail.

http://www.dometic.com/QBankFiles3/EPiServer/Dometic/US/Manuals/RV-manuals/Refrigerators/Installation-Instructions-All-Refrigerator-Models_3313238.036_17707.pdf

Thanks!  Yes, I'm aware of the venting.  My dad's Dometic had vents and an outside access panel but dad knew what he was doing    My husband is going to have to open his mind to other methods of refrigeration.  I'm pretty sure (from looking at the installation instructions) that it is straightforward but a bit more complicated than just sliding it into position like a home model.

The gas lines go from the tank (under the nose of the gooseneck) to the hot water heater, located directly under where the fridge sits and then past the sink to the two burner cooktop.  That part isn't so bad. 

Sure wish dad was still around.  :-\

Thanks for your help!

Cutting holes in the side wall and roof is never trivial.  Unless you have really need the LP gas mode of the Dometic, I would have added an inverter and some more batteries to power the dorm fridge instead. You probably run the genset a bit every day anyway, and the batteries would recharge.