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juel · 02-25-2008, 06:28 AM

We were faced with replacing our Dometic refrigerator with something between $800.00 to $1400.00 plus shipping. Since we don't go off the grid with this 31footer, but park it at our lake property Spring thru Fall, with full hook-up, we took the plunge. Not wanting to have our trailer look like we had just put a home frig into him, we have searched for something better and built it in. We are pretty happy with the way this looks. Since we can't seem to part with any AS/Argosy we work on, I think as long as it works for us, it's OK.

overlander63 · 02-25-2008, 06:35 AM

I can't say I blame you. We are on our 3rd fridge, and 4th cooling unit, in 9 months. The big question is if the pounding and bouncing of travel will knock anything loose internally.

juel · 02-25-2008, 06:46 AM

We have traveled with a small home frig in the Argosy for three years with not one problem. We did however, leave the old "working" Dometic in place. The frig in the Sovereign couldn't be repaired. Also our lake property is just 100 miles from here, so the travel shouldn't be too hard on the frig. Actually, for the price we could beat 4 or 5 of these to death before coming close to the price of the Dometic.

Midamrail · 02-25-2008, 06:57 AM

There was a cheap 110V dorm room-sized fridge in our Tradewind when we bought it, and we used it that way for three years and thousands of miles with no problem. It cooled very quickly, and as we always had an electrical hook-up, it worked fine for us. When we replaced it with a Dometic, the 110V was still working just fine and is now in my husband's office.

I think your installation looks great.

juel · 02-25-2008, 07:15 PM

Finished up the refrigerator by covering the board it sits on with some black material to match the top and mid stripes on the frig. I'm hoping this gives it a more built in look and not the stuck in look of an electric refrigerator. I think we will be happy with this until we retire and want to spend time traveling. Of course we can always take the Argosy out for that. I still find it hard to believe we now have 2 trailers.

nunya001 · 02-25-2008, 08:06 PM

not unthinkable at all - use the same one myself. As far as vibration, time will tell, but most units like this lock fragile moving parts when without power otherwise it isn't likely they would ever reach buyers in working order.

safari57 · 02-25-2008, 08:11 PM

The fridge install looks great and if it suits your needs then that's what this is all about. Why burn through an RV refer when a home model will work just fine. It's not like you are towing thousands of miles a year with the trailer over all kinds of terrain.

Barry

soldiermedic · 02-25-2008, 08:11 PM

I think it looks great Juel. We only had an electric unit in the old Caravanner.

Steve

LJH · 02-25-2008, 08:18 PM

Very nice work. Juel, can it be run with a generator in case you did boondock?

Jim & Susan · 02-25-2008, 08:22 PM

That looks great! How did you fasten it down?

Jaxon · 02-25-2008, 08:32 PM

Fine looking refer job. Installation looks professional and the 'fridge looks good. What brand is it? 'Lectric & propane powered?

juel · 02-26-2008, 05:15 AM

Actually it has "L" brackets front and back and is in that opening pretty snug. However, I don't trust that it won't tip if we had to make any quick moves with the trailer while traveling, sooooooo. If you'll look in the last pictures you will see a hook on that wall. I'm going to strap it in while traveling with two hooks in the upper compartment where we took the microwave out. I'm putting two hooks in, one for the freezer compartment strap and one for the refrigerator compartment strap. I'll just remove them when we're parked and no one will know. This is a Fridgedair (is that spelled right?) and I'm sure my generator will run it because it ran my home side-by-side in our recent ice storm. Not a Honda, which I would like to get, but I sure was happy to have a big 5500 watt when the power went off. Guess buying a $2000.00 EU3000 to power my cheap refrigerator doesn't make good sense does it. Well a toy is a toy!

Jim & Susan · 02-26-2008, 05:50 AM

Great thinking! I love that woodwork on the cabinet around the fridge. DId y'all do that? DO you have a thread about anywhere that I missed?

Jim

juel · 02-26-2008, 11:39 AM

Bob, my husband, did all the woodwork. He's the one who put those great swinging tambour doors in our Argosy last Spring. He's a manager for a large construction company and has been doing this type of thing for a long time. He also has every tool known to man. I'm the idea man. I bought the frig and designed the platform, he made it all work.