Travelling with fridge full

oldbloke · Guru

Travelling with fridge full

KFT · Guru

We always travel with the fridge full of food and other stuff just like at home

over 60,000 k's in this van and never an issue. The fridge is mounted over the rear axle and does not get a lot of movement.

we do keep the eggs in a "camping" container though.

hope that helps

Frank

macka17 · Guru

If you concerned.

When we did a lot of dirt travelling.
Waeco was used as freezer in back of Patrols.
and Fridge in van used as such.

We collected a few Wine bladders from friends and selves.
(Browns Tawny Port is a good start)

Fill gaps on shelves with the bladders blown up. Simple and works.

You'll find. that the fuller you can keep them. The more efficient they will be.

Another thing.
Have some way of adding extra "latch" etc to fridge door.
Pad bolt to ext housing of fridge.
2 x "Saddles". 1 each side of door with stretchy Occy to suit.

It WILL come open one day if not restrained.
And don't an open tin of beetroot juice make a mess.

I Know. about 48 yrs ago.

Have fun mate. Just do it.
Consequences will sort themselves out as you go.

sandyr · Veteran Member

We have had problems in the past with the fridge door opening after going around a few corners, it's always the yoghurt that seems to fall out have you any idea how far yoghurt can travel, we were cleaning it up for days. It lives in the back of the fridge now. We also have the strap on the fridge door,to keep all the goodies inside, we have had trouble with beer cans puncturing whilst travelling,might try the idea with the empty wine cooler bags.

oldbloke · Guru

Yeah, the wine bladder system sounds like it has merit. Can't you get small stick on straps to stop kids opening fridges? Our fridge is 184 litres so holds a fair bit.

Desert Dweller · Guru

We've only had one unfortunate incident in 75,000kms of travel with our caravan. We travel with our fridge full quite frequently.

A carton of a dozen eggs on a shelf was putting pressure on a cordial bottle in the door which popped the door open while we were in transit. We found a few things scattered on the floor but the contents of the freezer were OK. The eggs were still on the shelf in perfect condition.

Meredith · Senior Member

We travel with the fridge packed. We have non slip matting in the fridge doors and the bottom solid shelf, more to stop things rubbing and leaving marks on the fridge than to stop things moving. The only special care we take is if we have opened beetroot in a plastic container the container then goes inside a plastic zip seal bag. (We do the same thing with opened cordial bottles in the cupboard after an unfortunate incident where a cordial bottle split) In about 70,000k of towing including a lot of rough gravel roads we have never had any real problems with anything in our fridge.

oldbloke · Guru

mmm...So this is starting to sound like its not a big deal. Lesley likes to non slip matting, its in all the draws and cupboards already.

Child safety flexi latches are available in bunnings. I will get a couple next trip in town to put the bosses mind at ease.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/perma-child-safety-12cm-adhesive-universal-flexi-locks-4-pack_p4210444

Looks like the solution is:
Child safety flexi latches
Rubber matting and zip lock bags (we always have them on hand)

Im bloody sick of emptying the fridge every time we move and only had a few short trips so far. smile biggrin

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Yes milk and eggs ., We pack then tight in seperate compartment often at the bottom ? Cheese etc up top . Cans of beer . Try not to purchase glass !! Have a few plastic - foam washable wedges to keep things in possition . We have seperate chili bin Oops Esky type fridge also . Just off freezing for longer storage, Food for next few days ? ( alcahole lol ) -- Aha We where driving down 20 klr station road . Was passed by a 4WD and van . Must have been doing 80 to 100 kph . Passing us on dusty road . We where doing just over 40 kph as the soft sand was rippling up in front of tyres . Vibrating the hell out of motorhome! We could see through back window if caravan things jumping around . Fridge doors swinging etc . They eventually set up next to us . Spent the next 3 days cleaning the milk etc and flushing with bicarb to rid the "smell" I was going to tell him the dust he left us driving past will wash off easy !! But Mrs and I just laughed !! Chances are they wouldn't know anyway !! I'd say he didn't "think" the van didn't travel over the soft sand ripples as good as his 4WD ?

macka17 · Guru

Sorry.
I thought everybody used the Non Slip.
Fridge. shelves. Anything flat that carries things.

Buy by the roll. (2 Dollar shop?) and cut to suit.
T'ween the frypans.

Paper towels t'ween plates, cups and dishes.
TV, Face UP on bed with pillows on top.

And do a flask. Sangers. (NOT salad) in morn b4 starting.
It's soo easy to spend $30 and more at every fuel stop.
Over and above fuel.

Another, OLD but good trick.

Herself, Prepare inside of van after breckie and b4 rolling wheels.
You prepare. pack away outside.
Couple up.

THEN.
You walk round the rig checking everything.
while she walks round rig in opposite direction.
Doing the same.

Sometimes. Window latches etc can be missed in one direction.

Then roll off.

Oh.
Sullage hose. soon as she finished with sink.
Disconnect.
Run mains water through to flush. then drape over Patrol,
whatever you use.
to drain.

Never gets smelly then.
Have fun

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Oh hell yes . Even then . You can miss things . In our case it's the cutlery drawer . !! Zzzziid bang ., oh ho !!

Onedodger · Guru

smile we also travel with the fridge a full as possible . In the many years of traveling we have only ever had one spill. Lid of honey not on correctly. Sticky mess was the result

Like others we also have an engel in the tug for the liquid of life and for our cryovaced supplies.

That way all is right in the food line.

Cupie · Guru

In 20 yrs & over 200,000 km we have never had a problem with things breaking or falling out of fridge. We don't do dirt though.

I have used the wine cask approach but I 3/4 fill mine & freeze them mostly. These days I use frozen water bottles to fill up any unused space, refreezing them overnight in camp kitchen freezers wherever possible. If they happen to thaw then I have good chilled water to drink.

Our van seems to be super stable so I can leave Elec appliances like jug & toaster as well as plastic fruit & vege baskets on non slip mats on bench tops & they never fall off.

Plates & bowls are held in wire plate racks in overhead cupboards so need no wrapping or stacking. Cups & glasses in wire racks too. Never a breakage in that area either.

Most importantly, all drinkies needing chilling are kept in the Engel in the tug. I have a couple of right sized plastic containers for overflow from the fridge, that fit in the engel if there's room. Always use cans not stubbies for the occasional beer. I put modified pool noodles around all wine bottles ... . life's too short to drink lots of bad wine from casks .. I drink less but good'ish stuff in bottles.

wendyv · Guru

I know all about the spreading ability of yoghurt - especially when mixed with nearly a litre of soy milk. The lower hinge on the caravan fridge door broke on a very corrugated Ooodnadatta Track. After that, made sure all 4 corners of door were fastened - 2 by hinges, 1 by the usual fastener and the other, lower, one with a little bolt and nut that got screwed up into the existing hole on bottom of door (to enable change of hinge side). Was a little fiddly to put in and out, on travel days, but worth it because we travelled a lot of rough roads.
After that, the only issue I sometimes had was lids on screw top jars coming off - especially those kept on door. Used to either put bubble wrap between things there, to reduce movement, or put the jars in a ziplock bag each - sometimes both.

villatranquilla · Guru

have placed small jars (mayo, garlic etc) into large plastic ice cream containers. Screw top lids can un-screw on corrugated roads. Beer sometimes placed in stubby holders. Beetroot into a plastic container that has a lid with clips to close it securely. Fill gaps on the shelves with bundles of plastic shopping bags and lastly double check that door lock is engaged properly.

Izabarack · Guru

After bringing home lots of the food we left home with, latest trip is with near empty fridge. Always have enough emergency stuff to last several days but currently shopping to a 4 day menu. No more out-of-date stuff.

Lots more room for beer is the unintended consequence.

Iza

Mike Harding · Guru

oldbloke wrote:
Im bloody sick of emptying the fridge every time we move and only had a few short trips so far.

One day... live dangerously and don't do it!

As for eggs... my extensive experiments prove *beyond doubt* that the cardboard carton they come in is the best way to transport them.

msg · Guru

Gotta agree with you Mike. Even travelling long distances over corrugated roads. Always have them in their cartons. Never broken an egg yet. (in the fridge in the carton)

I Like the idea of putting matting on plastic surfaces in the fridge. If only to prevent marks. Why didn't I think of that?

Avoid disasters? Make sure it is latched properly and can't come open. The fuller, the better.

Woody2 · Senior Member

Have to agree with Mike eggs in egg carton, lach on side off fridge ,stops it for coming open ,non slip mat on each shelf and keep as full
as practical. We have had no problems in 40 ,000 plus kms.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

As much Extra Dry or Pear cidar as possible !!! Lol

grahamg · Senior Member

we did a few miles on a rough dirt road , when we stopped the fridge door had opened dropping out a lot of food and a can of beer had developed a small hole and sprayed beer all over the red dust. - so we found a way to ensure the door stayed shut and watched the beer to ensure it was ok and tried to prevent the dust from getting in.

oldbloke · Guru

"One day... live dangerously and don't do it!" Tell the boss!

darjak · Senior Member

If doing corrigated roads on the bottom of fridge door opposite the hinge make a bracket with a piece of plastic (old cutting board) screwed on top to sit just under door, it stops it from dropping and wrecking the bottom hinge, plus clips on doors.
Mike is right, eggs in carton, opened beetroot a no no, screw lid jar do unscrew we carry everything we can in Tupperware containers or macona push on lid coffee jars in the cupboard, fridge just small plastic containers. Don't over load fridge door shelves and put thick ribbed nonslip mat in them, helps stop them from cracking, used the same matting in all draws and cupboards.
We've lived on road fulltime for 10+yrs,280000ks spent majority of it in remote places and learnt a lot over that time about things moving around in fridge and cupboards, find things move around more on bitumen roads than dirt roads.

Darrell

oldbloke · Guru

"Lots more room for beer is the unintended consequence.

Gotta like that.

Eaglemax · Guru

Thanks Macka, needed an excuse to my wife to buy some casks of wine...

Tony Bev · Guru

I do not go off road travelling

I only have a small normal caravan three way fridge (90 litres or thereabouts), with the normal door locking catch

It is normally between half full, and full

Up to now, I have never had any problems

I do not leave anything with an open top inside, just in case

jules47 · The Happy Helper

I have found putting things in baskets helps things stay where they are put - make sure the baskets are half the height of jars or bottles, so they don't fall over. Nothing worse thank arriving somewhere, opening the fridge, and you are bombarded with fruit, tomatoes, jars etc. I also keep eggs in the original carton, at the very back of the fridge shelf.

in transit · Senior Member

I am amazed that anyone would leave home when there is still space in the fridge. How do you know in advance how many cold drinks you will need?
Our Evakool has a locking system which is easy to use and quick to open or close, so no problems there. However we have resorted to double checking cupboards and drawers and have found that the offender is nearly always the cutlery drawer. I am glad we are not the only ones.

Tony Bev · Guru

in transit wrote:
I am amazed that anyone would leave home when there is still space in the fridge. How do you know in advance how many cold drinks you will need?
Our Evakool has a locking system which is easy to use and quick to open or close, so no problems there. However we have resorted to double checking cupboards and drawers and have found that the offender is nearly always the cutlery drawer. I am glad we are not the only ones.

Space always becomes available, in any fridge, when on a long mileage trip

There are plenty of places, such as the Nullarbor, or over the top of the country, where they do not sell normal perishable groceries, as there would never be enough customers

Cupie · Guru

Tony Bev wrote:
in transit wrote:
I am amazed that anyone would leave home when there is still space in the fridge. How do you know in advance how many cold drinks you will need?
Our Evakool has a locking system which is easy to use and quick to open or close, so no problems there. However we have resorted to double checking cupboards and drawers and have found that the offender is nearly always the cutlery drawer. I am glad we are not the only ones.
Space always becomes available, in any fridge, when on a long mileage trip
There are plenty of places, such as the Nullarbor, or over the top of the country, where they do not sell normal perishable groceries, as there would never be enough customers

They all sell wine & beer to take up any available space.