When we last left White Dog . . .
It's been a long winter here on the Canadian prairies. My wife had some medical issues that needed attention so we stuck pretty close to home. Never one for a lack of things to do, I had lots of personal and volunteer projects on the go but now its time to get back to the fun stuff.
This year's top projects are: install lift shocks on the FWC Grandby (easy one!), build the new cooler/fridge system, and build some real storage and organization into the back seat of the Tundra. They will probably be in reverse order to this list only because the Grandby is still snoozing in its little shed where its a bit tight for proper construction. I can't raise the top so I have to work bent over and as I get older working bent over gets older too. With age comes wisdom.
Before I get into the Tundra storage thing (which has started), I should bring followers up to date on what I've decided about refrigeration.
Last year, the Dometic front-opening fridge came out - for good. It just used too much power and really didn't keep stuff cold in hot weather especially in the door. I think I mentioned it was referred to by someone in the industry as 'a good idea poorly executed'. Maybe they have improved in the last 7 years but I'm not going to risk it. Last fall, I was planning on building my own replacement, buying a new compressor system and adding a lot of features (and insulation) Dometic didn't. However, over the winter I've been studying all the online information from every manufacturer I could find. With pages of notes on my desk, I've come up with a new plan.
The overriding limitation, other than power consumption, was space. I didn't really want to get into a rebuild of all the cabinets in the Grandby. FWC did a pretty good build job and I like the layout. So, I needed to use the space that was there.
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I also decided that a top-opening cooler would actually be more convenient rather than always bending over to see what was at the back of the fridge - there's that bending over thing again. I know cooler layouts are notorious for items settling but I think I can live with the trade off. So what fits the space? Of all the models from all the manufacturers, the Engel 45 fits the space the best. I will build it into a rollout tray and there is enough space to add extra insulation to the top, sides and front. Obviously I have to leave the back open to ventilate the compressor properly. I will get the model MT45F because I can adjust the baffle to vary the size of the freezer space. Here's how I think a typical 7-day unsupported refrigeration cycle will work. When I stock up on food, I will adjust the baffle to accommodate all the frozen goods. This could actually be up to the whole 45 litres on the Engel but experience suggests it will be just 2/3 of the volume. The risky stuff and foods that get used every day (milk, etc.) will go into the cooler side of the Engel. I always have the Yeti cooler behind the seat in the Tundra so fruit and veg will go into it. A bag of ice usually last 4 to 5 days in the Yeti and by that time I should have eaten my way through enough of the frozen stuff to be able to move the baffle and migrate the remainder of the Yeti food into the Engel. I should also have enough space to put a Yeti cold pack into the Engel freezer about day 2 or 3 then move it into the Yeti on day 4 to supplement the melting ice. By the end of the 7-day cycle, all the perishables should fit into the Engel. So there is my working hypothesis. I think it will work. Finally, there should be enough space above the Engel for a drawer which will become the dish, cup and glass storage spot.
What do I give up?
The Dometic was rated at 100 litres so my volume will be less than half but the Yeti will cover this off. The Engel will actually have more freezer space (up to 45 liters if I need it). The Dometic did have convenient storage space in the door and crispers but the door stuff (like milk) was often warmer than I would have liked. So there are sacrifices but I think I can make this work.
Why Engel?
Its the best physical fit for the space. Also, I've used an Engel and was reasonably impressed. I've read all the reviews and watched all the YouTube videos (that was a test!). Most of the perceived advantages of one make over the other seem to be splitting hairs. All of the top makes are good, reliable, efficient and, of course, expensive. But in this day and age, quality IS expensive. Then again, I think it always was. We are just to used to cheap imported stuff. The Engel will be removable so when my wife and I use her 4-Runner for shorter biking trips, we can take it along.
How much more efficient is this going to be? Well, the old Donmetic drew 4.5 amps (measured) and ran probably 90% of the time when the temperature was above 30 C (whatever that is in F). So lets say 4.5 amps for 20 out of 24 hours in a hot day which is 108 amps per day. That means nothing when I'm driving but I want to be able to be self sufficient without driving and my two 100 watt panels, flat on the roof of the Grandby put out maybe that amount on a good day. If the weather is cloudy or the panels in partial shade, half of that would be optimistic. The Engel is rated at 2.5 amps and if I can get the run time down by 50% then I only need 25 amps per day. If this works out, I will be self sufficient virtually indefinitely (ever the optimist).
So that's my plan. I would appreciated any comments, suggestions or constructive criticism.
Back to stuff that is actually happening.
Today, I started on the storage system for the rear of the Tundra cab. Technically this should probably be another post over in the Toyota section but I think of the Tundra and Grandby as one unit working together so I would prefer to keep everything in this one thread. The Moderator will give me a nudge if s/he thinks otherwise. Anyway, my brother is visiting and he had taken the rear seat out of his Tundra so I got him to help with mine. As with most things on Toyotas, it was dead easy - 6 bolts, lift a bit and out it comes. The amount of usable space is amazing.
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My plan is to create a flat deck elevated above the seatbelt retractors, air bag compressor and factory jack mount. This 'basement' will be for rarely used stuff like spares, tow and snap straps, jumper cables etc. Access will be through removeable panels much like Goose Gear uses. The deck will have lots of US Cargo L-track strips for moveable tie down points. I will build 3 mounts for Sceptre Jerry cans along the back wall to carry extra water. These will be modular so I can have one, two or three depending on my expectations for the trip. The Yeti cooler is going to live behind the passengers seat. I will find space for the Hi-Lift and shovel. I like 20 mm ammo cans for tools and other hard stuff so a couple of those will find tiedown points. The camps chairs and BBQ will also find a home in here somewhere. Finally, I carry rarely used clothes in duffle bags that will also end up in this space. So all this stuff will be exactly where it needs to be; midway between the front and rear axles and low.
As far as I got today was the fitted frames for the deck and a bit of dreaming where things were going to go.
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It looks like the OEM fixed nuts for the seat are going to work just fine for the storage unt.
Thoughts, suggestions and experiences would be appreciated.
