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Topic: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold... (Read 3108 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66737
Interesting. Wonder what is a miss. Can't even find any pines.

Leonard Kerns
97' Magna 5418

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66738
Ok I did that. I guess that my sense of humor is being affected by my recent fridge problems. What do you see that is funny that I don't see.

Don Seager

2004 Allure 31046

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66739
Found it the second time. Google tries to go S. instead of N. I came up with a farm with a sign in front on a paved hwy. Out buildings look like shop. Suspect it it the place.

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66740
I think he's pointing out that if you switch to the street view it's basically a relatively modest single home in the country. Not factory or apparent commercial facilities. I just put in "Pines RV, Shipseewana, IN". I wouldn't be encouraged if I were considering a product supposedly from them. Not a horse and buggy in sight. Maybe he's got a big basement.

Jim M

'02 Intrigue #11410 ISL 400

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66741
Now the other side of that is they are small enough to really care about quality. Have seen other large name companies working out of similar buildings. I think it might be a big plus. That is why they use a distribution company.

Leonard Kerns
97' Magna 5418

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66742
Home corporate office.. maybe with production facilities in town... Just maybe?

The world is going "virtual"...

Russ and Jean
05 Intrigue
11883

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66743
Jim my comments are not directed at you personally but just the general concept that you presented. You did answer my question.
Ok, that pretty much nails it as an Amish business. You all need to do a little research on the way that Amish people conduct business and how it is affected by their faith. Working out of a house is exactly what I would expect and that boosts my confidence because the Amish are famous for producing high quality products.
You all are projecting how things should be done based on your culture ignoring theirs. It doesn't take a great deal of space to manufacture replacement cooling units unless you want to do thousands a week. The lack of a horse and buggy means nothing.
I am now also happy that my money went there and not to Norcold. Norcold holds facilities that you all apparently want to see and just look at the results.

Don Seager

2004 Allure 31046

I think he's pointing out that if you switch to the street view it's basically a relatively modest single home in the country. Not factory or apparent commercial facilities. I just put in "Pines RV, Shipseewana, IN" I wouldn't be encouraged if I were considering a product supposedly from them. Not a horse and buggy in sight. Maybe he's got a big basement.

Jim M

'02 Intrigue #11410 ISL 400

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66744
Good points don we are used to a very different manufacturing style

We use google earth to check on suppliers and we have found several suppliers that were front to sell products made over seas Mostly by the size of their facility and their production claims

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66745
I wasn't poking fun at the Amish - just trying to clarify somebody's previous post that thought the result of the Google search was hilarious which another couldn't seem to understand. Maybe they manufacture the widely advertised Amish money saving space heaters at the same shop.

Jim M

'02 Intrigue #11410 ISL400

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66746
No horse and buggy but no cars either. The buildings are white which is the right color for the Amish. I also see no electric service to the property.

I'm thinking the odds are in favor of them being Amish.

George in Birmingham
'04 Allure 31038
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66747
? Ok but in this case you knew nothing of their production claims and still thought looking at the address on Google Earth would produce a good laugh for me or anyone.
I am sure that I am boring everyone with this so I am happy that the operation seems to fit the profile of an Amish business and I am done with it.

Sorry if I offended anyone specially the Amish.

Don Seager

2004 Allure 31046

Good points don we are used to a very different manufacturing style

We use google earth to check on suppliers and we have found several suppliers that were front to sell products made over seas Mostly by the size of their facility and their production claims

Pines RV Refrigeration/Amish Replacement Cooling Unit - The Facts!

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66748
There has been a lot of discussion lately on this board about Pines RV Refrigeration. I have been to the factory and met the owner Larry Miller. Pines RV refrigeration in indeed an authentic Amish company. Here is my story:
I replaced the cooling unit on my Dometic in February 2009 with a new (as opposed to remanufactured) unit. After about 18 months that new unit failed. I called the distributor, David Force at RV Cooling Unit Warehouse, and he said he would ship out a new unit pronto from Pines RV Refrigeration. It turned out that the unit I needed was out of stock, and it would be about 2 weeks before it could ship. That was a problem because I would be leaving on an extended trip about that time. He offered to send me a remanufactured unit now and a replacement new unit when it became available. Cool. I installed the remanufactured unit, but it turned out to be defective too. Bummer. Leaving on a long trip in two days and no working fridge. It occurred to me then that I would be traveling very close to Shipshewanna, IN, the location of Pines RV Refrigeration. I talked to David Force and he said I could go by the factory and pick up a new cooling unit. Larry Miller, the owner, would let me park at the factory and would install the unit for me. Cool. I had a plan.
I arrived at the factory address and found a very small sign at the end of a long wooded driveway in what was clearly an Amish community. The factory was a building, perhaps 6000 sq ft behind the house. Amish children were playing in the yard in traditional dress, and there were buggies about and horses in the pasture. I parked the coach by the shop and walked in to meet Mr. Miller. Shortly thereafter we pulled the fridge and installed the new cooling unit (for the 3rd time now!)
While working with Mr. Miller I asked as many questions as I thought I could about his business and the Amish community. The welding equipment and other electrical devices in the factory are powered by a generator. There is no electricity in the home. He uses a phone and computer in the business, but there is no phone in the home. In fact Mr. Miller took a number of calls on a wireless phone as we worked. The traditional occupation of the Amish is farming, but now many have gone to work in the factories (particularly in the RV industry in neighboring Elkhart County). Some, like Mr. Miller, have their own business, although they still do work at farming. Mr. Miller bought this existing business from someone else (an uncle?) a year or two ago. If I understood him correctly, they only remanufacture cooling units at this shop. The new units are made at a shop across the road by his brother (or brother-in-law?) It was not clear if that factory was another company or part of Pines RV Refrigeration. I was a little confused why Mr. Miller, who makes the remanufactured units, was helping me with the replacement of a new unit. In any case, he was very helpful and friendly. I was not pleased about the two failed cooling units, but I was very happy with the customer service, both from Pines RV Refrigeration and RV Cooling Unit Warehouse.
My visit to Shipshewanna occurred in August this year and the cooling unit is performing well. Knock on wood!

Myron

2004 Allure 31040

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66749
Jim,

Watch and listen to the ads for the space heater.... They give you the heater free, they only manufacture the "all wood top", kinda makes you wonder where the rest of the cabinet is made, as well as the heater. The ads for the heater are pretty deceptive, in my mind.

Mikee

Re: Amish Replacement Cooling Unit for the Norcold...

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66750
When I looked them up I found the address to be in the middle of a field that what I though was funny

Re: Pines RV Refrigeration/Amish Replacement Cooling Unit - The Fact

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66754
Myron,

Your story is really interesting. Thanks for telling it. Don Seager's experience was also very informative and I appreciated his posting it as well. I'll know what to do if my Dometic ever gives out.

Nate Richards
04 Allure 31043

Re: Pines RV Refrigeration/Amish Replacement Cooling Unit - The Fact

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66779
Thanks for Clearing up the Dust on this! We are all here to help each other, Please keep us posted on the Amish Cooling unit. Ken 99 Allure 30356