REFRIGERATOR
I decided early in my van build that I wanted a larger size fridge with a separate freezer. Other users have complained about the difficulty in maintaining temperatures in combo fridge/freezers. Either the lettuce is frozen or the ice cream is soft or melted. Also most of these fridge/freezer combo units have extremely small freezers. My target was a refrigerator/freezer between 6-8 total ft3.
My choices came down to three, the Norcold 6.1 ft3, Vitrifrigo 8 ft3, and an Isotherm 7 ft3. The Norcold and Isotherm were both narrower at the top which allowed them to sit closer to the Sprinter’s curved wall. The Vitrifrigo would have protruded further out into my aisle. The Isotherm 195 prevailed primarily because it was actually two separate units each with its own compressor. Temperature control would not be an issue. The tall/slim dimensions also work well in the Sprinter. The Isotherm did cost more but the added features and quality build were worth it. The separate freezer can also be powered down when not in use.
To secure the fridge in place I built a tubular steel frame from 1” thin-wall tubing. The steel frame is secured with 5/16” bolts and Rivnuts to the chassis in 9 locations, 4 in the floor, and another 5 into the horizontal wall beams. A thin layer of foam was used between the frame and chassis mounts to minimize any squeaks.
The steel frame tucks in just below the upper horizontal wall beam to take advantage of the window recess. Any higher and the fridge would sit another 2-3” into the aisle way. This height puts the fridge at about eye level and the freezer sits about 5-6 inches off the floor. So no bending over on my hands and knees to get a cold beer.
I glued some Teflon like plastic on the bottom of the steel frame to allow the Isotherm 195 to slide easily in and out for maintenance. I removed the condensate tray from the backside and plumbed the condensate line directly to my sink drain.
I covered the two sides of the steel frame with 1/4” prefinished maple ply using construction adhesive. I trimmed out the front with solid maple. The solid maple trim is grooved on the backside to slip over the 1/4” maple ply. The solid maple is held in place by the refrigerator which is bolted solid via the stainless flange using 1/4” bolts.
The finished cabinet using steel tubing and 1/4” ply was both stronger and lighter compared to using solid 3/4” ply. The 1” void between the 1/4” ply and the fridge was filled with 1” poly iso insulation. I also glued the same poly iso insulation to the backside of the Isotherm leaving a couple of vertical air flow channels. All of the wiring was secured for topside access.
I also attached some small wire leads directly to each compressor fan. Each lead powers an 80 mm computer fan on the top of the cabinet to assist in air movement when the compressor operates. I also left sufficient space for normal ventilation at both the top and bottom.
The upper portion of the cabinet was sized perfectly for a larger microwave. On the bottom I added a full width drawer.
Dimensionally the aisle way is about 23” wide. The refrigerator measures 22” deep. The removable maple trim provides an additional 3/4” of room. Across the aisle from the refrigerator is a 25” deep shower/bathroom. The maple trim surrounding the shower is also easily removable if additional space is needed to remove the Isotherm.
The added poly iso insulation appears to have a small impact on the power usage of the Isotherm, reducing average consumption by 2-3 watts per hour. Surprisingly the Isotherm refrigerator consumes as little as 15 watts on average per hour if the door is not opened. Under more typical use it consumes around 20 watts per hour. The freezer uses a similar amount of power but when both the fridge and freezer are on combined power usage drops slightly because of the shared walls.
The Danfoss compressors are also very quiet. They are barely audible at night even though they sit inches away from the bed.
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