You can make a very tight and well-insulated ice box with 2" blue styrofoam,
Pl 200 to glue it together and a couple of coats of epoxy to harden and seal
the interior. Made a few back in my movie days to outfit crew vehicles. I
didn't add refrigeration equipment, but I don't see why you couldn't.

My 2 cents, Jake

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Drillock" <mdrillock@COX.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 10:21 AM
Subject: Re: Build Your Own Van Fridge Kit

> Malcolm, I like the concept of building a custom fitting DC only top
> loader for the cabinet where the water tank now lives. Unfortunately the
> cost of the parts is pretty high, or at least they are at the only US
> source I have found so far. The insulated panel kit you linked to is
> $200 and not quite enough for a fridge even the size of our Dometics so
> double it, $400. The Isotherm build it yourself cooling units are about
> $700. Add shipping and taxes and we are looking at $1200 plus any other
> parts and labor to build the thing. It better turn out pretty nice for
> that. I'd be tempted to look for a suitably dimensioned ice chest for
> the enclosure instead of paying $400 for some foam panels that need to
> be cut and fit and hopefully done right the first shot. I am also
> concerned about possible leakage from the fridge down under the floor.
> Sealing a homemade unit very well would be critical.
>
> Mark
>
> Malcolm Stebbins wrote:
>
> >The fridge thread is perhaps the 2nd most popular thread on this list.
My fridge works just fine,
> >but I'd like to have a top loader (more efficient) and the solid state
units have come along way
> >in the past 20-ish years since our vans were built, in that they can now
run days off of a 2nd,
> >deep-cycle battery (longer if one uses a solar panel).  The problem for
ME is how to get a new
> >fridge that nicely fits into a Westy withOUT altering the appearance of
the Westy interior.
> >
> >Karl Mullendore has done a nice job with his new fridge:
> >http://www.members.shaw.ca/McTavishPAC/fridge/fridge.html
> >
> >But I want a larger fridge and a more economical top-loader.  Many of the
top loading fridges are
> >too wide/long/deep to fit nicely in the westy.  Also my plan would be to
replace the whole sink
> >water reservoir & elect cabinet (between the stove & hanging closet) with
a top-loading fridge,
> >and use the existing fridge area for storage, and use an under-van tank
for fresh water
> >( See
http://secure.mycart.net//catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=1652235&showprevnext=1
 ).
> >
> >mmmmmmmmm  So,.....I was looking at this page:
> >http://www.isotherm.com/toploaded.htm  (note the power consumption).
> >
> >and clicking around, I then found this page:
> >http://www.indelmarineusa.com/products/facts/builtInBox.htm
> >(from the home page it's Products => Facts => Build your box)
> >
> >This is a DIY fridge kit!!!!   This can be fabricated to un-even
(non-rectangular) dimensions and
> >could be used to replace the existing Westy fridge in the same cabinet,
or, as I envision, to turn
> >the water reservoir cabinet into a top loading fridge.  One could build
it so that the one or both
> >of the horizontal cabinet doors would be the access doors for the fridge.
One could put one or 2
> >cooling units in.
> >
> >I put this out on the list so as to invite reasons why this would not
work and to get it the
> >archives.  I may be wrong, but I think this DIY fridge has potential! Do
you?  Malcolm
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >__________________________________
> >Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.
> >http://farechase.yahoo.com
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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