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Thread: Lets talk Fridges (and new ideas)

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    Patrol Freak
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    Lets talk Fridges (and new ideas)

    Does anyone else have a beef with the current options available for refrigeration?

    Drop slides suck right? Had one with a 40 litre National Luna fridge and I think the slide weighed in at over 40kg. They do solve the problem of being able to get into a fridge when it is in the back of a canopy or ute or mounted up high on top of a set of drawers or something but they are crazy heavy.

    Upright Fridges suck too right? Insulation is normally sh.it, everything falls over or out (or needs packing in containers so it doesn't), the cold air disappears every time you open the fridge door, and the freezer bit at the top is a waste of space.

    Drawer fridges that I've seen so far have also mostly been shite and I've refused to buy one. They are generally too small, not deep enough to fit the wife's bottle of wine, have poor quality insulation and wiring, and struggle to keep stuff cold.

    What if there was something that had proper A-grade fibreglass insulation, where the contents of the fridge didn't fall out when you open it? Something that didn't need a fridge slide or drop slide, and could be used as a fridge or as a legitimate freezer, with an upper shelf for smaller items and could still fit in the wine? And what if we could make it here in Aus and every component was serviceable and replaceable and not throw-away?

    Playing with ideas again at the moment...
    Between Patrols ATM. Had a beaut GU with 6.5 Chev TD. Next is a GU ute with a 4.5 litre Cummins conversion and a camper on the back.

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    Travelling Podologist Cuppa's Avatar
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    Have you looked at vacuum insulation?

    2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
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    Patrol God Stropp's Avatar
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    I have had a trailblazer fridge made by norcoast refrigeration in Qld for over 30yrs, it’s got 3” insulation but they are very bulky and won’t fit due to the drawers but it is 80ltr, I see they have a 65ltr work fridge now with a side opening door. Check the website for sizing and prices, I have been thinking of getting myself a drawer fridge to make it easier to get the cans out of, just a 20ltr as it will fit on my rear seat platform in the Side door.AF7B87DB-49FD-414D-B1FA-AD9A499755F1.jpeg
    2003 gu3 td42tdi sold 😞 bloody gvm towing crap. Bt50 3500kg gvm.

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    Patrol Freak
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cuppa View Post
    Have you looked at vacuum insulation?
    Fibreglass panel with refrigeration grade insulation in between at this stage mate. I might take a further look though.

    @Stropp - yes, very familiar with the Trailblazer, and they are excellent products. Same problem though. Hard to access. Imagine that front opening, but on an internal slide, so the whole guts of the fridge came out to you like a Fridge Drawer. An Upright Fridge Drawer, that was able to still retain a good amount of the cold air in it and you could then access the contents right in front of you.
    Between Patrols ATM. Had a beaut GU with 6.5 Chev TD. Next is a GU ute with a 4.5 litre Cummins conversion and a camper on the back.

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    @Stropp - like this? This will freeze to -18C as it has a proper compressor and is one we have been testing for a while now. Made it stubby height actually (:-)), but we have also fitted a computer type fan and frozen down the fish fillets too.

    Beer fridge.jpeg
    Between Patrols ATM. Had a beaut GU with 6.5 Chev TD. Next is a GU ute with a 4.5 litre Cummins conversion and a camper on the back.

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    A wacky little idea Ben Mate, imagine a range of tallish slimline Podder type fridge/freezers. (Sawafuji Bulletproof Motors of Course)
    Instead of needing crazy weight mechanics to bring the entire F/F weight outside the truck, it could/should work the same bringing the contents/baskets out to swing drop down much much lighter.
    Best nuffy tonight myself description I guess would be a heavy home dishwasher power plant and lower the front door to have baskets/tubs/whatever pendulum swung down by 90 degrees to users level maybe
    Will find a pen and paper tomorrow somehow to sketch this may affect public knowledge for your patent though Brother


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    Patrol God mudnut's Avatar
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    I too have thought about what I want in a fridge.

    An upright, multi draw fridge with a door seal and latch for each draw. With or without a freezer draw as per customer request.
    Each draw is in its own separate compartment except for a grill or holes to spread the chill. Each draw is retained on a runner and drops down at an angle when drawn out to full length same as MB suggested. Each draw has a small whiteboard or similar for contents.

    Just send me 1% royalties when you market them.
    Last edited by mudnut; 22nd May 2022 at 09:47 PM.
    My advice is: not to follow my advice.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FNQGU View Post
    @Stropp - like this? This will freeze to -18C as it has a proper compressor and is one we have been testing for a while now. Made it stubby height actually (:-)), but we have also fitted a computer type fan and frozen down the fish fillets too.

    Beer fridge.jpeg
    Yes mate that’s what I’d be looking at, how much approximately
    Last edited by Stropp; 23rd May 2022 at 01:06 AM.
    2003 gu3 td42tdi sold 😞 bloody gvm towing crap. Bt50 3500kg gvm.

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    @mudnut and @MB - I get your thoughts.

    Will find some pics of some others that we've been testing too. Unless we can achieve some sort of economy of scale, it might be priced out of the market yet. Everything you see in the above has been hand made, welded, routed, glued etc. too.

    @Stropp - working on this still. In the meantime, have been testing the temperatures of the contents as well.
    Between Patrols ATM. Had a beaut GU with 6.5 Chev TD. Next is a GU ute with a 4.5 litre Cummins conversion and a camper on the back.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FNQGU View Post
    @mudnut and @MB - I get your thoughts.

    Will find some pics of some others that we've been testing too. Unless we can achieve some sort of economy of scale, it might be priced out of the market yet. Everything you see in the above has been hand made, welded, routed, glued etc. too.

    @Stropp - working on this still. In the meantime, have been testing the temperatures of the contents as well.
    Don't just test one or two, you'll have to go through a fair few to make sure of even temps right across the drawer.

    Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

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