The Marvel brand refrigerator is a common appliance installed in 1950’s vintage trailers. Many still function well today, but they also have a common issue that you can fix yourself.
By Jim Lundal
The Marvel refrigerator can be used with a block of ice or 110V AC. We have owned 2 trailers, a 1953 Terry and a 1958 Kenskill, and both have original Marvel refrigerators. Also, both have a common issue with the seal around the main door. The seal covers the gap between the door and the cold box. This “seal” is not the door gasket but a transition around the refrigerator opening. In both our units the seal was brittle and began chipping away. I am not sure if the original seal is hard/brittle originally, or over time and the years it becomes brittle. The seal begins chipping off when bumped or cleaned. Pieces are seen laying on the box bottom.
Initial searching for a replacement seal failed to locate anything with a “rib” on the back (used to insert into the gap)and have a wide width to cover the previous seal area. The seal needs to adhere and remain covering the gap when the door is opened.
The product we found (at Orchard Hardware) is a Door Sweep, as shown in the above photos. The rear surface has two strips of double-back adhesive tape. Each strip of double-back tape includes a protective layer for handling and cutting to the desired length. Measure the length needed on the fridge and cut with a utility knife. Check that the length cut fits the refrigerator before removing the protective layer.
Remove the green protective layer and align the seal edge with the fridge front as seen in the picture. Press the sticky surface to the fridge and then remove the remaining protective layer on the adhesive strip and press to adhere the seal.
An alternative is to remove both strips of protective layers and install the seal in the fridge aligning the front edge first while holding the inner edge off the surface. Once the front edge is positioned correctly the inner edge can be pressed down.
When it comes to restoration, there is usually more than one “right” way to do things. Have you figured out a simple fix or have a “best” that you have found to fix things on your vintage trailer? Share them with our readers. vintagecampertrailers@gmail.com
