Drop down fridge contraption????

Gday Bradley, I'm currently in the planning stage of doing this myself for the back of my ute. You wouldn't by any chance have some basic scratchings of your design that may be perused by fellow 4wdrivers would you ? grovel grovel ;)

For Bradley & DiesAl - See my site, the drawings for the fridge hinge are at the end of the drawer plans.

4wdstuff.davejones.com.au

Candy Canvas in Sth Australia put it into production a couple of years after I made the first prototype. It's not how I would have done it but if you don't tinker in the shed it's not at all bad.

I did it in late 2002 or early 2003 and 4wd Australia gave the idea #10 in the Top Ten Products for 2005.

As far as I know I did it first, but I had no interest or inclination in commercialising it so I put it out on the net for anyone who wanted to build/copy/develop the idea. Many short wives think I'm a legend...

Dave

Thanks Dave, yeah ive seen a bit of your handywork getting around, pity you didnt go for it yourself as the potential market is huge.

diesal - roachies description gives it away, think upside down scissor lift for a clue :-) Look in the boot of the average car for a better clue :-)

Thanks Dave, that's some quality engineering. I was looking at trying to make a slide that when fully extended it would allow the fridge to drop down to about tray height and stay level. I've been to your site before you've got some good idea's on there.

Bradley - yes I was thinking along the scissor lift path with possibly using gas struts to assist in the lifting action.

A lot of work to complicate something that is simple and works well is not necessarily the best solution. The scissor lift path would be an interesting engineering challenge but particularly with a tailgate the tailgate limits how far it can drop - as would the length of the struts in anything without a tailgate.

A fridge sitting level at tailgate height is still not easy to get stuff in and out of unless you are fairly tall.

A tilted fridge is at an advantage because you can see into the whole fridge at the same time, rather than having to crane to see the stuff closest to you in the level one.

A $4 cake rake mounted vertically and cable tied in as a divider which divides the Engel basket into two equal halves stops everything sliding to the front of the fridge when it's on an angle. You can still use the small basket on top.

We use one side for cryovac'd meat and the basket, and the other side for milk, juice, water, dad's medicinal fluids etc. And fill the gaps with what ever we need to.

It takes about 20 mins to make a hinge for your existing slide and another 20 to mount it. 40mins of trial and a couple of cans and you might save yourself a lot of work.

Dave

Yep, that's correct Phil - I use the tilt mecahnism sold by Candy Canvas - works very well (especially now the wife can actually reach into the fridge and get me a beer for a change!).

Bill you would have seen this mechanism in my camper we we went to Woomera together (?).

Is there a photo of the drop down fridge slide anywhere? Candy Canvas apparently don't seem to think that putting a pic on the website is a good idea.

Some businesses succeed in spite of themselves!

Thanks

Jack

Jack, send me a MM with your email and I'll send a couple of pics your way.

Phil at Candy Canvas originally only had 50 made. I don't know if it was an idea he continued with. He sort of thought that investing in too many would be a bad idea cos it was considered likely that a fridge slide maker would jump on the idea. Whether he ever ran to a second batch or even needed to yet I have no idea.

Don't know that anyone else has yet, though the Engel rep loves my original. I ran into him at a local display. He'd been asked by many people where they came from and never knew the answer.

Dave

Vincent,

Drop in at the site office at 11am and meet up with the other Explore Oz group that are meeting there for the show

Cheers Kev

Vincent,

Sorry I just realised that it is Thursday not Friday. DOH

That means I have to come to work again tomorrow and not have a long weekend. We are meeting on Saturday not Friday

Cheers Kev

The camper you are refering too Vince is the Adventure camper range, made in Adelaide, and yes they do make a swing out and down type fridge mount.
Not sure if they sell them though, might be a made just for there campers.

Cheers Pesty

A possibility has just crossed my mind... something like the pivoting arms for TV's etc.

Rod,

Careful mate.
That little bit of (useless) space allows for air circulation all fridges require to operate effectively and efficiently.

Rod, easy enough to do, just mount the fridge slide to curved "half moon" tracks with rollers and put a locking device in for the stowed position. Same set-up as pilots seats in most jets. Only prob is you have to move whatever is now sitting in the extra space each time you want to roll it out.

cheers Brad.