Old Islander
RVF Newbee
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2025
- Messages
- 3
- Location
- Vancouver Island, Canada
- RV Year
- 2022
- RV Make
- Freelander
- RV Length
- 24' Class C
- Chassis
- Ford E-350
We bought a new Coachmen Freelander RV just over a year ago with a GE 12 volt Refrigerator (no propane or shore power). It’s not the best fridge in the world – there was no ideal temperature setting for freezer vs fridge compartment. The stuff in the freezer was melting or the stuff in the fridge was freezing. Much of the door sealing strips pulled away and the latch fell off.
A ‘Forest River’ dealership fixed the little things, but made the fridge performance worse. I’d suggested they check the thermostat. When we got it back, the fridge ran sporadically – sometimes off for several hours, before cutting back in.
Took it back to the dealership and was charged $150 to tell me our main batteries were failing and causing the fridge to malfunction. They quoted me $650ish for a new set. I was pretty sure this was BS.
I had a near new 100 ah LIFEPO4 battery at home (for a trolling motor). I removed the original lead acid batteries and installed the LIFEPO4. With a constant power supply ranging from 13.6 to 14 volts, the fridge still wouldn’t work properly.
I pulled the thermostat and went looking for a replacement, quickly learning there isn’t one for this fridge in stock anywhere in North America. This suggests that a few other folks have had the same problems.
Went on Amazon, looking carefully at the pics and specs of dozens of thermostats that were supposedly replacements for ours. I finally bought a “Freezer Refrigeration Temperature Controller – Universal -- WKF-27R/WPF-22G”.
It took two – the first was stuck ‘on’. No matter how warm or cold it got in the fridge, first one would not cycle the compressor-motor.
The second one worked perfectly. The body is identical to the original but the cooling tube is different.
Original:
Replacement:
I carefully coiled the longer pressure tube through the holder for the original and have padded it for vibration.
The fridge has run perfectly for over a week now. If anyone has this fridge and needs a thermostat, try this one. It was around $20 Canadian.
Finally, reinstalled the original lead-acid batteries, and they are fine. They will run the fridge for two full days before falling to 50% power (with no shore power).
(This is the fridge: GE® 9.8 Cu. Ft. 12 Volt DC Power Top-Freezer Refrigerator|^|GPV10FSNSB)
A ‘Forest River’ dealership fixed the little things, but made the fridge performance worse. I’d suggested they check the thermostat. When we got it back, the fridge ran sporadically – sometimes off for several hours, before cutting back in.
Took it back to the dealership and was charged $150 to tell me our main batteries were failing and causing the fridge to malfunction. They quoted me $650ish for a new set. I was pretty sure this was BS.
I had a near new 100 ah LIFEPO4 battery at home (for a trolling motor). I removed the original lead acid batteries and installed the LIFEPO4. With a constant power supply ranging from 13.6 to 14 volts, the fridge still wouldn’t work properly.
I pulled the thermostat and went looking for a replacement, quickly learning there isn’t one for this fridge in stock anywhere in North America. This suggests that a few other folks have had the same problems.
Went on Amazon, looking carefully at the pics and specs of dozens of thermostats that were supposedly replacements for ours. I finally bought a “Freezer Refrigeration Temperature Controller – Universal -- WKF-27R/WPF-22G”.
It took two – the first was stuck ‘on’. No matter how warm or cold it got in the fridge, first one would not cycle the compressor-motor.
The second one worked perfectly. The body is identical to the original but the cooling tube is different.
Original:
Replacement:
I carefully coiled the longer pressure tube through the holder for the original and have padded it for vibration.
The fridge has run perfectly for over a week now. If anyone has this fridge and needs a thermostat, try this one. It was around $20 Canadian.
Finally, reinstalled the original lead-acid batteries, and they are fine. They will run the fridge for two full days before falling to 50% power (with no shore power).
(This is the fridge: GE® 9.8 Cu. Ft. 12 Volt DC Power Top-Freezer Refrigerator|^|GPV10FSNSB)
