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Built-in vs. Portable Fridge


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#1 melcooke

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Posted 27 November 2020 - 11:43 PM

I'm considering a built-in Truck Fridge for our ATC Ocelot and am wondering what the pros/cons are.

 

I've done some searching of the forums but not finding anything. If anyone knows of a somewhat current thread please let me know.

 

Thanks in advance


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#2 JaSAn

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Posted 28 November 2020 - 12:22 AM

I went with a built-in front loading refrigerator.  Reasons:

  1. I didn't want the hassle of having to constantly move a non-built-in refrigerator out of my way.
  2. I wanted access to the refrigerator with the top down.  A chest type fridge either takes up too much floor space or I can't fully open the top with the roof down.  Makes it awkward or impossible to load groceries.
  3. All condenser heat and compressor noise is outside the living space.
  4. I have additional insulation on the sides and top.

My bed is down across the front (build thread in signature) so that helped drive my decisions.


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#3 craig333

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Posted 28 November 2020 - 04:44 AM

A front loading fridge is just so much more convenient. The "the cold air will fall out everytime you  open it" thing just isn't true.


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#4 Kolockum

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Posted 28 November 2020 - 05:40 AM

A front loading fridge is just so much more convenient. The "the cold air will fall out everytime you  open it" thing just isn't true.

 

True on both counts. The cold air won't fall out but all the contents will. It may be my driving or me cramming a ton of crap into the fridge but I always have issues with stuff falling out when I open it. I am tempted to get a chest fridge and have it on a slide out from under the bench next to the door.


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#5 Ronin

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Posted 28 November 2020 - 07:40 AM

Hi Mel,

 

We just met at Gold Bluffs last weekend. Here's a pic of my Truckfridge TF51 in my ATC. I just have a preference for it over the 3 ways I had in my previous FWCs. My wife and I pack 4-5 days of pre-cooked meals plus beverages in it with no problem. Yes, it is harder to access with the top down but we always manage to do it. I can't think of any negatives.

 

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#6 LuckyDan

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Posted 28 November 2020 - 07:40 AM

I am tempted to get a chest fridge and have it on a slide out from under the bench next to the door.


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#7 OutToLunch

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Posted 28 November 2020 - 03:12 PM

We went with the two-way Dometic built in for our Ocelot and have regretted it, but I think we got a lemon.  We are looking at remodeling the interior and replacing with an Arb type portable chest that would sit on floor under the front window of the camper.  We have a side dinette and the floor space under the front window is currently used for food boxes on trips.  Need to take some measurements.

 

Besides the door shelf on the Dometic breaking off and the blue plastic shelf also breaking, I found the use of space in the Dometic difficult.  If you stacked items to fill it up, they often tumbled out when you opened the door.  When full, it was also a chore to retrieve items from the back without either taking other items out or without them tumbling out.  Maybe it is a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the hill, but we will probably replace our front loading Dometic in the remodel with a chest style portable.  Note that there is a Dometic model that has a slide out.


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#8 larryqp

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Posted 29 November 2020 - 03:23 PM

I had a Dometic chest two compartment but one thermostat in my Eagle, it was damaged in the crash, so I bought a National Luna, two compartment, two thermostat chest refrigerator / freezer for the Hawk. Much more expensive, but more efficient, very quiet, works well and solidly built. The dometic was all plastic, this is stainless steel. 

 

I leave it on al the time running on my solar, so since I have to drive 20 miles to town for groceries and all errands I buy groceries then pack the refrigerator. Then I can go hiking or fishing before heading home and not worry about the groceries. It keeps ice cream hard as a rock.

 

The other key point for the purchase was the optional steel mounting plate, which made mounting to the side bench in the Hawk very easy, yet I can remove it quickly if I want to. 


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#9 rando

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Posted 30 November 2020 - 03:03 AM

I have had both a chest style portable and now the Isotherm front loader in our Fleet.  I definitely prefer the front loader.   It is just so much easier to access things in the front loader.    With the top loader, there was some sort of law of nature that whatever you needed next would be on the bottom, and it was very awkward to dig thorough the fridge with top down.    I have been very happy with the Isotherm, extremely quiet, reliable and energy efficient. 


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#10 melcooke

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Posted 30 November 2020 - 03:33 AM

Larry, how much solar and battery storage do you have that enables you to let the fridge run all the time?

I had a Dometic chest two compartment but one thermostat in my Eagle, it was damaged in the crash, so I bought a National Luna, two compartment, two thermostat chest refrigerator / freezer for the Hawk. Much more expensive, but more efficient, very quiet, works well and solidly built. The dometic was all plastic, this is stainless steel. 

 

I leave it on al the time running on my solar, so since I have to drive 20 miles to town for groceries and all errands I buy groceries then pack the refrigerator. Then I can go hiking or fishing before heading home and not worry about the groceries. It keeps ice cream hard as a rock.

 

The other key point for the purchase was the optional steel mounting plate, which made mounting to the side bench in the Hawk very easy, yet I can remove it quickly if I want to. 


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