Is It Normal For A Norcold Polar Elite Refrigerator To Cycle A Lot?

Updated 05/22/2026 | Published 05/20/2026

Question:

We installed our new NC67VR refrigerator and every night it seems to cycle a lot. We have a monitoring device in it I will attach a pic of readings. I’m just concerned if this is normal Thank you John Herold

asked by: John H

Expert Reply:

Hey John, thanks for reaching out. Yeah, that’s actually pretty normal with the newer 12V compressor-style RV refrigerators like the Norcold Polar Elite # NC67VR. Unlike the old propane absorption fridges that ran long and steady, these compressor units cycle on and off a lot more aggressively to maintain temperature. At night especially, when everything is quiet, you notice every startup and shutdown way more than during the day.

What you want to watch for is whether it’s short cycling constantly every couple minutes or struggling to maintain temp. If it’s cooling properly and the cycles are more like normal compressor runs, that’s usually fine. A warm coach, packed fridge, high ambient temps, or restricted ventilation behind the unit can all make it cycle more often too. Honestly, most people coming from an absorption fridge think something’s wrong at first because the compressor fridges sound and behave completely different.

expert reply by: Jesse M