RVBusiness, March-April 2015
growth in the North American market he said But the trend there in the kitchen is more European style Norcold sees the opportunity as well For shorter vehicles without a lot of room side to side weve recently come out with a line of what we call our Euro refrigerators which are narrower than standard RV refrigerators Stover said In those small spaces we still want to give the owner an opportunity to have a good refrigerator Weve done the research and development to make sure we maximize the storage space Regardless of the size of the RV however both manufacturers report that customers are seeking updated aesthetics The kitchen is a visual experience Schutz said In general the kitchen becomes more important for mom The first place she goes when she walks inside is the refrigerator and she opens it up even if shes been in 10 RVs with the same refrigerator They want to look at a sink a stove a refrigerator and all this has to be functional and fit together visually and look and feel of the same quality as it does at home At Norcold the modern look is the massive storage space sleek curves and stainless steel that most residential refrigerators are sporting For their part Dometic has also gone toward a more residential 88 RVBusiness M A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 5 aesthetic but theyve also given a nod to the retro look We brought a new product out about two years ago a 7 cubic foot refrigerator we call the Renaissance said Schutz We did some things differently with it We gave it a face lift full wood doors as an option and took the controls that youd typically see in RVs with lights and buttons to push and we hid those between the fridge and the fresh food door So its more like at home The handle is the other unique feature We went to a retro style handle that I would say was popular back in the forties Its more like a latch that you pull out Dometic is planning a new r e f r ige r a t o r product release for mid year 2015 that reflects both a modern aesthetic and a desire to give the customer more flexibility It will be a 10 cubic foot combination absorption compressor refrigerator with bottom drawer that they are calling a hybrid It will have a drawer in the bottom with all the fresh food capabilities in the top Schutz said Its truly going to be something new and different Were combining compressor driven technology in the freezer area and the drawer below with absorption refrigeration in the fresh food area That will give users a lot more Dometics Renaissance refrigerator which Dave Schutz noted is a true 7 cubic foot unit offers full wood doors as an option
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