GE 12v Refrigerator Review

There are three main types of RV refrigerators: absorption, residential, and 12v DC compressor. Each has their own pros and cons and are fit for different users. Absorption is most commonly found as it works on propane or electric, but it has much less interior space and needs to be level to work properly, while some also say the propane flame burning while going down the road could be a fire hazard. For someone that spends most of their time plugged in at a campground, a residential refrigerator may be ideal. For us, we have solar with a large battery bank and prefer to be dry camping, making a 12v compressor unit our best fit.

The absorption refrigerator in our prior motorhome was not operating well, so we replaced it with a Norcold N10DC 12v unit. There were very few competing models at the time. It worked very well and I really can not think of anything we did not like about it.

When buying our current motorhome used, we knew we wanted to replace the existing absorption refrigerator with a 12v DC compressor style as well. I had intended on purchasing another N10DC, but the price had almost increased substantially since purchasing the last one two years prior. We could have had the old unit retrofitted with a 12v compressor, but the cost didn’t seem justified to us. With many other brands now being available, I started checking their specs and comparing.

We purchased the GE GPV10FGNBB 12v DC compressor refrigerator/freezer online and it was dropped off at our door within a few days. The capacity was marginally smaller but it had the lowest price, which was around half that of the comparable Norcold. I greatly regret this decision of cheaping out . While it does work, I may actually replace it long before it wears out.

The first issues we ran into are that the GE does not come with mounting hardware, nor does it have a travel latch. Neither was listed in GE’s product description at the time, but are both shown on the installation instructions. We spent an additional $40/$20 plus shipping for those and it set us back a week for installing.

Having performed a similar installation before, we took the doors off and removed the old unit, enabling both old and new units to come in & out the entry door. We then sealed off the roof & outside vents and added foam board insulation as necessary to maintain heating & cooling. Since it did not use propane, the venting would no longer be needed. As we were going with a smaller refrigerator, we then framed it to size, building in a handy pantry to take up the newly available space.

For appearance and usablilty, we are very pleased. As for functionality of the GE refrigerator, we’ve been deeply disappointed. You can tell when it is cooling as the hum it produces is quite noticeable, and it runs A LOT! It is not nearly as energy efficient as we were expecting, using about 20% of our 800 amp-hour battery bank daily. It does not maintain a food-safe temperature. Our secondary temperature monitor shows fluctuations from 28-46° in the refrigerator and -8-15°F in the freezer. Adjusting the thermostat does little to correct it. It is sad that we’ve had so much both frozen and spoiled refrigerated foods. It also needs defrosting monthly due to the excessive buildup on the back wall of the refrigerated section. On the contrary, the freezer has been doing well and hasn’t needed defrosting yet. There were no reviews when we purchased this unit, but those we see now tell of similar results.

I wish we had bought another Norcold N10DC or opted for their much larger (and costlier) N15DC as it would have fit the opening perfectly. The doors latch each time you close them, unlike the optional GE latch which is flimsy and needs flipping before travel, and not included with your initial purchase. The Norcold had a larger capacity, was quieter, kept a steady temperature, and used much less energy. Even with the higher price, I would highly recommend it over this GE model.

If Norcold is reading this, I would be willing to try out and review your N15DC model, with or without ice maker!

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