Fridge box vents

intersting you have brought this up, i have been looking at various set-ups of cars with fridges and some of them blow me away, i have lived "out bush" for some time and used to seeing the good old Engle just floating around in the back of the ute, out in the full rain and sun and lasting for YEARS ....
Now i see people building boxes, slides, covers and so on that MUST cost nearly 4 times the value of the fridge and MOST seem to have it contained in a sealed box so how ever it works i dont know, up north in the full sun i just simply can not see how it would get rid of the heat build up from the condensor and still work, yes a cover over the fridge is a very good idea (Fridge bag) but to seal it in is with no airflow is going to make that fridge work way beyond what it can possibly do ... shade will improve it, slides are not a bad idea but getting costly, so how you build one that cover all requirements ????
I am still yet to see one and trust me i have looked at heaps in the last few months ...
With that i mand i also am waiting for some replys :-)

http://www.fairlite.com.au/qubelok.html

try this also

inserting a link doesn't seem to be working. This stuff you can buy from hardware stores and is brilliant for this type of work.

Hi Brian,

If I was doing this I would ensure ventilation holes included a filter to ensure only filtered air gets into fridge box. I think you need two ventilation points. (Air in & air out?)

Any exposed surface should be insulated to give the fridge half a chance at being efficient.

Door design needs to ensure it can open without obstruction and when open not interfere with access to the fridge, to me that means opening way beyond 90 degrees.

Hope this is of interest.

Rgds

Rob.

hi brian p
i know there isan offrd one here in wa somewhere that has a turbo snorkel and aircleaner element for intake and then an exit vent and was told it works well

did see some photos and it looked impressive but it was on an off rd trailer that already had a front drawbar box as part of the trailer equipmt

i built one for my on rd trailer

the 40ltr engel is held down onto the base a/frame board by a slidelock plate

then i built a 3 sided 9ml thick marine plywood and aluminuim angles and flat bar for the frame work with only the lid having welded corners for a box around it that is bolted down to the a/frame base board with a hinged lid with
gas truts

and a hinged locked down mesh security screen at the rear
i put 2 5/8 copper pipe breathers/drain holes in the floor at the front

i have made it so i can just get the fridge up and out through the top of the box after releasing the slide lock there is a 25ml air space on all sides of the fridge bag this was limited by the aframe size but is adequate i believe.
.
it has traveled through some very heavy rain for 3 hrs on it's inaugural trip and the fridge and electrics remained dry

also did a trip bunbury to esperance in 38degree heat and the fridge kept cool the fridge is inside the engel bag as well inside the box and the box is treated with a special heat resistant paint that i bought after seeing it
demo 'd at a caravan show in perth

i have travelled on quiet a bit of dusty road and only a very light film of dust got in which i admit is different to the 4wd scenario

the design of it uses the slip stream to draw the dust past the box
the box has some vents either side at the rear external to help with slip stream effect
i thought about it for a long time then just went ahead and built it for on rd use
i'm very happy with it considering it was just something that was designed in the my top cavity

i have also mounted a small solar panel on the top of the lid together with a solar driven fan that draws air up through the box while stationary at a camp site
and have my twin charger and solar controller in under the box lid out of the weather and harms way the lid is locked down with security key locked latches

i also mounted my camper battery power control box on the rear side of it incorporating amp and volt meter and switches/and fuses

i have also added a small led strip light with a a pressure switch that come on as i lift the lid and shines down into the fridge

i might add that it would probably get a dam site more dust into it if the same design was put to use behind a big 4wd traveling slower and stirring up the dus ton outback tracks as i know they do from personel experience

but it could have a solar and/or 12v driven fan mounted in the front of the box and a more substantial air intake system but the box would have to be longer to incorporate this
sorry no photo's

cheers

Thanks everyone for your input. All your ideas will help. Brian