The picture of the fridge sitting in the back of the bed gives a little insight to the future interior layout. If you've read from the beginning of this build you probably remember that my old fridge was located behind the passenger seat in the cab. That location had always been a compromise due to not having weather proof storage in the bed. Now with the flip-pac on this is not a problem. Originally we planned on staying with the fridge we had, but after packing for a three day trip (gourmet like) we ran into size limitations. Moving up to a larger fridge in the cab would have caused us to scoot the passenger seat forward and lose leg room in addition to the standing issue of not being easy to access. So the search was on for the new fridge and slide for the flip-pac.
The Engel MT45F was selected after looking at about every fridge on the market. Its foot print was smaller (more specifically, narrower) than its competitors and the matching slide wastes little space. This was the biggest consideration because the floor space needs to be maximized for Chester, my 140 pound Lab/Sasquatch mix. Since the fridge will not be enclosed by any cabinet work, the metal case of the Engel is well suited for the abuse my dogs can dish out.
The passenger size of the bed was chosen for mounting the fridge for the multiple access options it provides:
It can be accessed traditionally from the tailgate...
While we're closed up in the back...
...and easy access from the windoor without having to open up the back.
That makes for loading or grabbing a drink quick and easy. The slide was painted with a winklecoat. Hopefully I'll have everything bolted in place and ready to go before heading out this weekend. More to follow...