Thread: Defender Fridge Installation Idea

Originally Posted by flying robot

Something must have gone wrong in the 2 previous attempts to upload the photos.

Hi everyone,


Please see the photos of my set up..
My motivation was triggered initially by getting frustrated by storage boxes that continually broke.
When I found the wolf pack (Frontrunner), I decided to build around that design.
I find these units ideal. I can use 3 cub boxes behind the fridge for food storage. The drawer can take up to 4 wolf packs and a hand winch. I currently use 3 wolf packs and have my compressor in the location of the 4th.


I decided against a lateral sliding fridge ( from over the wheel well to in front of the opening) as i became aware that that I needed the space over the wheel well and in front of the door opening available to make this happen. By permanently fixing the fridge in front of the opening, i was able to use the space over (in my case over the Left wheel well)for additional storage. I don't use a water tank but a quality 110L bladder which fits right in that spot. With a removable floor build over it, i can store personal belongings on top of it.











The next problem I ran into was the rear door.
It just doesn't open wide enough to allow for slides that cover the entire with of the opening. I decided to remove the door bracket and replace it with a gas strut. I have included photos of this as well ( this is still a mockup and will replace this with a nice steel or aluminium bracket). I do recommend you initially use the 90deg brackets from Bunnings as you can easily change and fine tune the position of the gas struts. However, the brackets are not strong enough for long term use.








Storage over the wheel wells


I like to keep the view through the left rear sliding windows un obstructed. I live in Melbourne and it makes merging into traffic so much easier.
The right side window is of no use for vision so I build a tall separation wall. Creating a convenient anchor point for a table, chairs, etc.
On the other side I store my dirties (only accessible through the window).

• recovery gear
• jacks (bottle, high lift, air)
• oil
• coolant
• tyre repair kit
• starter cables
• etc.

The left side storage I keep clean and is for luggage and water.




Enjoy the holidays and keep the rubber side down
Jan

Still nothing but question marks for pictures.

cheers Chris

YETI eskies are now available in Australia and while they aren't cheap, they cost much less than a fridge and are ideal for trips up to a week. I spent a few years in Canada and these things are at every camp site for good reason.

YETI AUSTRALIA | Tundra