Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 14:41:30 -0800
Reply-To: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Build Your Own Van Fridge Kit
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The fridge thread is perhaps the 2nd most popular thread on this list. My fridge works just fine,
but I'd like to have a top loader (more efficient) and the solid state units have come along way
in the past 20-ish years since our vans were built, in that they can now run days off of a 2nd,
deep-cycle battery (longer if one uses a solar panel). The problem for ME is how to get a new
fridge that nicely fits into a Westy withOUT altering the appearance of the Westy interior.
Karl Mullendore has done a nice job with his new fridge:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/McTavishPAC/fridge/fridge.html
But I want a larger fridge and a more economical top-loader. Many of the top loading fridges are
too wide/long/deep to fit nicely in the westy. Also my plan would be to replace the whole sink
water reservoir & elect cabinet (between the stove & hanging closet) with a top-loading fridge,
and use the existing fridge area for storage, and use an under-van tank for fresh water
( See http://secure.mycart.net//catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=1652235&showprevnext=1 ).
mmmmmmmmm So,.....I was looking at this page:
http://www.isotherm.com/toploaded.htm (note the power consumption).
and clicking around, I then found this page:
http://www.indelmarineusa.com/products/facts/builtInBox.htm
(from the home page it's Products => Facts => Build your box)
This is a DIY fridge kit!!!! This can be fabricated to un-even (non-rectangular) dimensions and
could be used to replace the existing Westy fridge in the same cabinet, or, as I envision, to turn
the water reservoir cabinet into a top loading fridge. One could build it so that the one or both
of the horizontal cabinet doors would be the access doors for the fridge. One could put one or 2
cooling units in.
I put this out on the list so as to invite reasons why this would not work and to get it the
archives. I may be wrong, but I think this DIY fridge has potential! Do you? Malcolm
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