install of 110 dorm fridge

[stephanie reed]

Hello, I have a Ct Uhaul. I want to remove the icebox and install a 110 dorm fridge. Any info as how to raise it, make it flush, and secure it without drilling into camper itself would be greatly appreciated. Sorry not selling icebox goung in storage. Thanks.

[mary and bob]

I did it on our Uhaul. Basically built a plywood box for the fridge to set on, fastened that to the floor with angle brackets, used some more angle & corner brackets to fasten the fridge to the box. Had to slightly enlarge the opening in the fiberglass to fit the fridge in. I had typed a more detailed explanation earlier, but the site went down for maintenance and my message was lost. Don't have time right now to go through the whole thing again as I have to go out for a while but will answer later if you need more info. Bob

[rabbit]

I have pix of dorm fridge install which illustrates attachment similar to Bob's.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...7-a-50880.html

I have removed the Reflectix insulation from the sides after being told that I would block heat dissipation thru the shell. The drawbacks of these fridges are the limits of off-grid DC power generation, cost and weight of onboard battery storage, and cost of equipment for, and efficiency losses in, conversion to AC power. For on-grid use, they provide "real world" refrigeration temperatures and will make ice.

jack

[stephanie reed]

Thanks that is great info. Have either of you had to put a catch pan or drain for any water from condensation?

[rabbit]

I have no catch pan with or without floor drain.

jack

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by stephanie reed

Thanks that is great info. Have either of you had to put a catch pan or drain for any water from condensation?

Any condensation will be inside the refrigerator, if left operating. This was reinforced to me when I plugged in my trailer to charge the battery, but forgot that the fridge was turned to the AC position with the door propped open. Result - a puddle of water on the bottom of the fridge

[mary and bob]

The dorm fridge works great for us as we spent 3 months last winter in the south at a campground with full hookups. We also had a second fridge in the screen room. When camping with no electric hookup we just use a cooler and ice.

[rabbit]

Here again, same solution as Bob and Mary's. In addition to the built-in dorm fridge, we carry a Coleman upright cooler secured in the shower for travel. Once on site, it immedately goes outside. It has removable trays and an ice basin but can be placed on its back as a simple chest cooler. Seen a lot of miles before we ever thought of getting a trailer. It has adapted well to the roll of off-grid ice box. This is a belt and suspenders arrangement that works for some. For others, it's an inadequate kludge beyond all patience and understanding and that's OK also.

jack

[rabbit]

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ine-51011.html

Link contains pix of dorm fridge installation in galley cabinet in Burro. The fridge can be secured to the cabinet wall or a plywood platform on the floor of the cabinet or both.

jack

[mary and bob]

Jack, with the upright cooler, how does it, or you, deal with the water from melting ice? And do you think it holds as much stuff as piling it in a conventional cooler where whatever you want is always at the bottom, and once removed won't fit back in!!

[rabbit]

Bob, these old Coleman convertibles are still being sold on eBay, for considerably more than what they sold for in the mid-70s. There was another all steel version in the fifties which had shelf hangers of steel wire. The injection molded door of the 70s version was "updated" in the 80's with a wood grain fridge door insert look. I like the 70s model the best.

The plastic liner is slotted for the movable shelves and the rectangular ice container with lid and drain spigot. The weakness of these is that the shelves and ice bucket are very thin and break if thrown around or abused. Mine has one corner gone from the ice bucket lid. My wife and I both like the fact that open food packages are not subject to a dunking. I would guess that it holds a bit less than a 2.8 cu. ft. fridge, particularly as no large bottles or Brita pitchers can be stored on the door.

It's a shame, IMO, that no one makes this design at this time as insulation must have improved in forty years. I make ice at home by freezing in the bottom half of gallon milk jugs. The ice bucket will hold four to six of these on edge. Last October, we went for seven days and still had ice although on the grid and operating dorm fridge the final two nites. Stuck with bagged ice once the home frozen blocks are gone but the old thing is still pretty useful, if only as a beer and soda cooler. There are currently a half dozen of these on eBay. Look closely as some are missing shelves or the ice container.

jack

[mary and bob]

Jack, thanks for the info, I thought they were still available new. Saw one somewhere a while back but can't remember where.

[rabbit]

Bob, if you find a current offering on this configuration, please let me know. Thanks.

jack

[stephanie reed]

I have started install of my dorm fridge but ran into a question. Never using rivets. I want to install brackets on the front of fridge to hold in place ...my question is are there rivets small enough to go into fridge outer cover but not too deep to puncture inside. I cant see how far I can go as it is sealed and don't want to damage it.
Thanks Steph

[mary and bob]

Stephanie; have you made a platform for the fridge to set on? I made like a box with a plywood top, and that top is even with the bottom of the opening in the fiberglass and extends over the edges of the vertical sides of the box. I used either flat corner braces or "L" brackets fastened to the bottom of the fridge, set the fridge in place, drilled down through those brackets and through the plywood box top, then put a rubber washer under each bracket and a 1/4" bolt through the bracket and plywood and a nylon lock nut to prevent the nut loosening and to control the pressure I was putting on the rubber washer. At the rear of the fridge you should be able to drill in the sides and not hit anything if you're careful. The rear is where the compressor is, and will either be open or have a cover on it. Probably just a bracket at each rear corner will be enough. I can't remember just exactly what I did, but may have attached at least one of the front brackets with an existing screw that held the door hinge. Don't tip the fridge upside down to do any of this. After I got all the brackets on I couldn't get the fridge through the cabinet opening and had to remove a couple brackets to get it in, then reattach them. With the left front storage tub out, and the under sink cabinet liner out, it was workable. Or you could take the easy route out and use a couple bungees over the fridge, but a secure fastener method is better. Sorry I didn't take any pics of all this, and any I take now wouldn't show much.

[stephanie reed]

Mary and Bob,
I have made a platform. Did you secure the platform to the camper? I want to put aluminum brackets to frame the fridge in the doorway. This is where the rivets would most likely come into play unless I use screws. Just not sure how deep into fridge can go. How did you do your opening ? I read you put trim around is that all you used ? Does the fridge move around at all on travels? Thanks for all your help !

[mary and bob]

I secured the platform to the trailer floor with hardware store angle brackets, screws into the side of the platform and into the floor. only the fridge door sticks out of the opening. I had to widen and raise the opening slightly, probably about an inch each way, and I still have a gap on the sides and top for air circulation, which I think is important. I used the trimlock stuff around the opening. Got it at JC Whitney, "Fairchild industries trim kit" SKU# JCW497408, $27.60, I got it in the color gray, but I think it is available in other colors. It just pushes on over the edge of the opening. I would post a pic, but Mary is away until tomorrow evening, and she has the camera. I think that there is nothing in the side walls of the fridge to do with cooling, I believe the cooling part is just at the little freezer compartment if you have that. I think you are better off to find a way to secure the fridge to the platform, the platform to the floor, and leave some air space around the sides and top.

[Mike Magee]

Instead of air space around sides and top, wouldn't it be better to put insulation there? I think it would help the little fridge keep its cool longer while unplugged (on the road).

Mine would get warm inside after only 3-4 hours of driving.

[rabbit]

Mike, when I put the B&D in the Burro, I velcroed Reflectix to top and sides. I removed from sides later due to comments here that heat is dissipated thru the steel shell. I left the panel on top in an attempt to reflect heat from the gas range directly above. The shell does get warm during operation unlike a typical home fridge with condensor coils at rear.

jack

[rabbit]

Stephanie, PM sent.

jack