Requesting Hawk Shell Build Opinions re: Fridge and Lower Bed

[cs0430]

Hey all. Possibly making some changes to our layout and would love to hear from the experts on here who have gone through shell builds.

Our current layout is attached. My 3yo son sleeps on a plywood bed down below, and we have a Dometic 55IM fridge that we keep in front of his bed so the lid can open. That leaves a relatively inaccessible 'dead space' behind the fridge. We put the dog bed down there but she would rather just sleep by the door (probably protecting us - gotta love good dogs.) Options we are considering:

1. The small 'dorm style' Dometic fridge NRX60E would barely fit between his bed and the propane/battery cabinet. Downside is the size - we fill our 55 probably 3/4 full as-is for 4-5 day trips. When kiddo gets bigger I imagine we could start to run out of room. Wife things we could just get creative in how we prep/pack.
2. The same fridge would also barely fit underneath his bed. It would be harder to get to when underway and loaded up, but keeps the shelf next to him free.
3. Moving his bed to be more like the rollover couch, and having whatever fridge we want on the back wall. My wife also likes the drawer pullout style fridges so this would allow for that. Creates a pinch point when you get in/out of the camper, and means kiddo is sleeping next to a window, not with his head by a solid insulated wall like he currently is.

Happy to hear all opinions and see photos of similar builds.

 

[BlueSky]

Put the fridge up off the floor on the ledge (make the ledge a little bigger) at the end of the existing cabinet. Create a front dinette that converts to a bed.

 

[Vic Harder]

or use a hanging cot. I have admired those in other folks campers. Keeping stuff off of the floor and out of the "aisle" makes for easier shuffling around and movement inside the camper.

 

[BlueSky]

What Vic said. That's what I did, there's a thread about it somewhere. My kid loves it, even as a teenager now. Takes up near zero space when stowed.

 

[JWL]

I kind of have the same “bed” setup but ours is for our dog. Yes he gets the best seat in the house but it keeps him out of the way. (80lb Lab) our fridge is about the same size, Iceco JP 50, and what we do is strap it on the side behind the furnace when on the road. That way we can access it for lunch, new groceries etc. behind it goes our bag of bedding. When we get to camp the bedding goes up on the bed and with the aid of some

heavy duty felt buttons (for furniture) we can slide the fridge under the bed and back out when we need something. Our rug now does not extend on that side so it slides on the original floor. This is not a great pic but we were leaving and loaded for a 10 day trip out to hopefully give you the idea.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Using felt buttons is a fantastic idea! Thanks for the tip!