Another fridge question. Top or side door?

[Stitebunny]

I thought about putting this in the van section, since that's what it will go in but thought I would try here first.
I am starting to build a camper out of full size van and am looking at refrigerators. I am looking for some pros and cons of both the top door portable fridges and the built in units. Can anyone give some real world experience on either? I'm leaning towards a built in unit with a side/front door since it will not need to be removed for daily driving. I will also most likely have propane on board but have read somewhere that maybe those units don't work well if the vehicle is not perfectly level?? Any experience with this? I will have a dual battery setup for the rest of the electrical and most likely solar included. So the 12 volt units are also an option along with propane.
Any feedback would be appreciate as this is my first shot at building a camping vehicle and I'd like to get it right the first time!
Thanks!

 

[goodtimes]

Stuff likes to fall out of the side door models after a long bumpy road - so open the door cautiously.

 

[ZMagic97]

I have the top door on mine. Wouldn't have it any other day.

 

[Overland Hadley]

With a top door the cold air stays inside the unit when it is opened.

 

[1leglance]

As others have said...stuff & cold falls out of a side door.
Plus I really think I can get way more stuff in a top loader as I can pack it in

Lastly if you are worried about a loss of counter space then remember you CAN use the top of the fridge for space other than when you need to reach in.

 

[FusoFG]

Refrigerators on most sail boats are top loading for the same reason - the cold air and the food doesn't fall out when the door opens. Several companies including Indel Marine make a top loading unit that's designed to be built in which gives you the option of adding additional insulation around the sides and bottom. Dometic makes a unit for trucks that mounts under the counter and looks like a side door unit but slides open like a drawer.

 

[Captm]

I'm not quite convinced that a top load is better that a front load. Sure you have the conventional argument that the cold air spills out of a front load, but your not chilling the air your chilling the contents. The type of contents will effect your recovery time. As for items falling out I have used spring loaded curtain rods as keepers in fridges with great success.

I purchased a SR70F for our Krawler 4510 and I currently use an Edgestar43 in our Flippac but that won't effect what ever the facts may come to.

I've just started looking for factual data on the subject so I haven't formed conclusion as yet.
Lets compare the Engel SR70F (front load 60 qt)and the MT60(top load 64qt). The SR70F is lighter at 44.8lbs vs MT60 at 71lbs plus the weight of the mounting options fixed/slider. In the performance department the SR70F is more efficientiant https://www.engel-usa.com/images/stories/pdfs/CoolingPerformanceCurve_SR70F.pdf https://www.engel-usa.com/images/stories/pdfs/mt60f curve.pdf.
With the SR70 you can have ice cream and/or ice for your adult beverages. You can with the MT60 also, but only if you use the whole unit as a freezer.

Just some thoughts I have and I look forward to any factual data and real time experience others may have.

Cheers

 

[AeroNautiCal]

I'm not quite convinced that a top load is better that a front load. Sure you have the conventional argument that the cold air spills out of a front load, but your not chilling the air your chilling the contents.

Actually, the air is getting chilled, which in turn chills the contents of the fridge!

 

[hoser]

Maybe another contender.... drawer style.

Indel-Webasto


and Dometic CD-50.
http://www.dometic.com/enus/Americas/USA/Truck/Refrigerators-Freezers/Products/?productdataid=107572

 

[Stitebunny]

I do like the idea of having a freezer in the same unit. That drawer unit looks pretty slick! Having the counter space would be nice too. I know you could use the top of a top loader but I know I would have so much stuff on top of it and then I would realize I needed something from the fridge and have to open it making me move all of the stuff off the top! Has anyone used a top loader and built it on a slide underneath a permanent counter top? You could pull it out from under the counter and then open it and still have undisturbed counter space. That may be an option that could work for me. But then I guess I couldn't have a freezer in the same unit...

 

[hoser]

Using a top loader with a slide is a good ideal and people have done that. I might suggest hinging the the countertop above it so that if you didn't need the counter top, you wouldn't need to slide the fridge out every time.

There are several manufactures of the top loaders that have dual zone, fridge and freezer. Engel, National Luna, Waeco-Dometic... and some others that I can't think of at the moment.

 

[Stitebunny]

That's a great idea for the counter!
I will look into the fridges a little more. Thanks!