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12-26-2011, 09:28 PM
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#1
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Huron, South Dakota
Posts: 422
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Dodge S-600
Engine: 360 V8
Rated Cap: 66
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Refrigerator mounting and venting
Going with advice from forum members (Lorna S. especially, thank you) I've made up my mind that I'm going with a small house or dorm refrigerator. I have some questions about securing it on board, and keeping it ventilated. Refrigerators often are marked, "FOR FREESTANDING USE ONLY." I'm assuming that is to assure proper air circulation around them.
Kind of defeats the purpose of having that tough steel bus if the refrigerator goes flying and smashes a passenger in an accident.
I also want to be able to have it next to cabinets etc., depending on floorplan. My original thought was to have it between "studs" and mount a side vent from an RV in the window space and also the roof vent. But is this really necessary?
So I've thought about a setup like in the illustration below. It'd be screwed to a frame via the holes for the unit's feet; the frame in turned anchored to the floor structure. Refrigerators are still available with the coils on the back - where they get plenty of air - at least when freestanding in a building. This setup would not require an outside vent and therefore not need to be between studs.
Also, where are the best places to attach anchors to the refigerator box without F'ing up the insulation or otherwise damaging it?
__________________
Any action for which there is no logical explanation will be deemed "company policy."- Akvol's Second Law of the Corporation
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12-26-2011, 11:59 PM
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#2
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Almost There
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: SE Kansas
Posts: 82
Year: 1977
Chassis: International Harvester
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
If you can reach through the vent area on top to mount the brackets to the bus wall then perhaps you could use some kind of industrial strength adhesive to mount the brackets to the fridge. A good adhesive would mean that you'd have to be able to remove the brackets with the fridge, since they'd pretty much become a permanent attachment to the fridge.
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12-27-2011, 08:07 AM
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#3
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 124
Year: 1999
Coachwork: ElDorado
Chassis: Chevy P30
Engine: 7.4 liter 454 Chevy
Rated Cap: 24
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
Is you refrigerator at the end of you cabinets?
Mine is and why not just cut a slot from the floor to the top where the refrigerator back is and cover it with a louver?
You wouldn't need a fan?
I put my microwave on top of my refrigerator 4.5 cubic foot and have enough space for air flow.
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12-27-2011, 10:45 AM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
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12-28-2011, 11:13 AM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon/Philippines
Posts: 1,660
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
i would just put small vent through the cabinet and roof above the back of the frig, and forget the fan. That is what i have done in all my 5 bus conversions over the last 26 yrs, and have never had a problem. Frig should be bolted down securely of course, n enclosed with metal on sides if its a propane one...
__________________
Jesus Christ... Conversion in progress.
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12-28-2011, 01:18 PM
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#6
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Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Winnemucca, NV/Reno NV
Posts: 186
Year: 2003
Coachwork: 2003 Thomas E-350 shorty
Chassis: E350
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 24
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
I agree with Lorna. Even a small dorm fridge puts out a good bit of heat. In the summer you will regret venting inside.
__________________
If it isn't grown, it has to be mined
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12-28-2011, 04:29 PM
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#7
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Almost There
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Carriere Miss.
Posts: 97
Year: 85
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: G.M.C. 6000 series
Engine: 366 G.M.
Rated Cap: 60
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
I did everthing just like Dr Dan did in the drawing except that I pumped the hot air outside. It works fine summer and winter. I was a little worried about the power drain on the D.C. system so I used 12v.2.5ma. muffin fans taken out of old computers. I agree with Lorna on the issue with the heat in the bus in the summertime. You can't get rid of enough heat out of that tin can of mine in the summer.
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12-28-2011, 08:46 PM
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#8
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: California City, CA
Posts: 267
Year: 1982
Coachwork: Thomas TransitLiner
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
I kinda agree with bender477 - can you imagine yourself sitting there in the summer, sweating your tookas off and thinking -
"If only I'd vented the refrigerator to the outside!"
Can't imagine there'd be all that much heat ...
Vent inside - vent outside - a distinction without a difference I think.
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12-28-2011, 09:55 PM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
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12-31-2011, 11:28 AM
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#10
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Huron, South Dakota
Posts: 422
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Dodge S-600
Engine: 360 V8
Rated Cap: 66
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
Thanks for your suggestions folks! I think other readers will find these useful as well.
I like Bender477's mounting method. It's like having seat belts for the refrigerator, so to speak. Avoids drilling holes in the refrigerator body. Also adds airspace around the motor - a good thing.
I did a Google search for "temperature behind a refrigerator" and found a Yahoo! Answers article on the subject. In short, a homeowner discovered the temperature behind his kitchen refrigerator is 105 degrees with a 70s room temp. Reply said this is normal. Outside air and passive circulation would be fine for where we'd be traveling. Between that and the replies I got here, I'm scrapping my original idea.
Edit: Lorna, I like your suggestion for outside vents. Menards (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc) have so many different sizes and shapes of return vents that I can forget about having to align the refrigerator with a bus window for fitting an RV wall vent - more flexibility for the layout. Can stick a vent on either side of a frame member if one had to.
__________________
Any action for which there is no logical explanation will be deemed "company policy."- Akvol's Second Law of the Corporation
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01-02-2012, 11:38 AM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
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01-02-2012, 09:55 PM
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#12
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Huron, South Dakota
Posts: 422
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Dodge S-600
Engine: 360 V8
Rated Cap: 66
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
Quote:
Originally Posted by lornaschinske
And you don't have to use seatbelts unless you have them.
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Oops! I meant that as an analogy for the ratchet straps. So I edited the post to make it clearer.
Quote:
Don't forget to pin the doors shut somehow.
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Oh, I won't! Even though the Winnie has a standard RV latch, a couple of times a falling tub of margarine etc. will tell me I forgot to secure the damn thing. Moreover, though my GF and I do not have our own skunks, we'd like to in the future. Meanwhile, friends would be welcome to bring theirs aboard during parties etc. And those little stinkers will figure out how to open an unlatched fridge!
Edit: Aw, crap! The YouTube user deleted the video of skunks raiding the reefer to eat the salad therein. Will put in a new link when I find a good replacement.
__________________
Any action for which there is no logical explanation will be deemed "company policy."- Akvol's Second Law of the Corporation
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01-03-2012, 10:11 AM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
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01-03-2012, 03:57 PM
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#14
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bakersfield, California
Posts: 1,013
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach
Engine: Detroit 6-71 Mid-Ship Mounted
Rated Cap: 79 at Birth
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
My mom had a pot of chili come out of the fridge in our RV when I was younger...never forgot that, or the mess, so the fridge has always been the last thing I check before the bus goes down the road.
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01-07-2012, 12:01 PM
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#15
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon/Philippines
Posts: 1,660
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
thats what the dog is for...
__________________
Jesus Christ... Conversion in progress.
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01-31-2012, 07:56 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Eastern Washington
Posts: 234
Year: 1986
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE
Engine: 3208TA Cat 250HP
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: Refrigerator mounting and venting
Quote:
Originally Posted by chev49
thats what the dog is for...
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Then set him out for a few hrs...
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