DIY Fridge Slide Alternative for Truck Camping and Overlanding
When we started planning our truck camping and overlanding build we looked at a variety of camping fridge options, and they all had one thing in common: they were all mounted on a fridge slide or drop down fridge slide in the back of the truck bed or overland vehicle.
We just couldn’t get past the HUGE amount of usable space a traditional fridge slide or drop down fridge slide would take away from our truck camping sleeping platform and storage space while traveling.
So we started getting creative and and decided to ditch the traditional camping fridge and fridge slide setup in favor of a DIY fridge slide alternative.
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Creating a DIY alternative to the fridge slide
We began toying around with the idea of mounting a camping fridge on the exterior of the truck, and came across the ARB Elements Camping Fridge.
It’s unique weatherproof design enables it to withstand extended direct exposure to the elements, meaning we could hypothetically forgo the fridge slide and save that precious interior space in our truck bed camping build by mounting the camping fridge on the exterior of the truck.
(Though this could be achieved with camping fridge models other than the ARB Elements fridge, by covering loosely with a tarp during inclement weather.)
But how would we mount the camping fridge without a traditional fridge slide or drop down fridge slide?
We found that Kuat makes the Pivot Hitch Adapter which fits in any standard 2in. hitch receiver, and its pivoting hitch receiver also accepts a 2in. hitch, giving whatever is mounted to the Pivot the ability to swing out 90 degrees from the bumper.
The Pivot has a load capacity of 250lbs which would be more than enough for our 70lb ARB Elements fridge, even once loaded with food & drinks!
Now we were getting somewhere!
By using a common hitch mount cargo carrier installed into the Kuat Pivot, and then mounting our fridge to the cargo carrier, we could have the camping fridge on the back of the truck OUTSIDE of the vehicle and out of the way!
Wala! A DIY fridge slide alternative, perfect for truck bed camping!
Plus the Kuat Pivot can be used for other things - like a bike carrier - when we’re not traveling or truck shell camping.
Lindsey jumping in here to add a few other thoughts after using this DIY fridge slide alternative for some time. Patrick already touched on the additional interior drawer storage and larger sleeping space this exterior mount allows.
But there have been some unexpected perks as well:
Even when our truck is closed up, we can still easily get to snacks and drinks - unlike when using a fridge slide or even drop down fridge slide
On the swing out, the fridge sits lower as compared to being at truck bed level, making it so much easier to access and use
When using a traditional fridge slide or drop down fridge slide, it pulls out over the tailgate. By mounting off the hitch, that entire section of tailgate can be used as a work space when preparing meals.
Having this DIY fridge slide alternative (well, and just having a 12v camping fridge in the first place) is a huge part of what sold me on the whole truck camping idea, because it makes our camping kitchen really feel and work like a real kitchen.
How to MAKE your own DIY fridge slide ALTERNATIVE:
Items Needed:
You can choose from either a passenger-side or driver-side swing out depending on your needs
Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier* (you’ll want one at least 20in deep and at least 34in wide to fit the fridge)
Camping Fridge (read why we recommend the ARB Elements Fridge for an exterior mount)
Optional: ARB Fridge Wiring Kit *
Here’s what you DON’T need:
Traditional fridge slide - $350-370 or drop-down fridge slide $450-$900
Drilling/screwing into your vehicles body/truck bed - $Priceless
Appx 8-12 cubic ft of interior space - also $Priceless
Total cost to build and assemble the camping fridge slide alternative: $350-$400 (basically the same as a traditional fridge slide!)
Assemble your DIY Fridge slide alternative in 4 Easy Steps:
Step 1:
Mount the Kuat Pivot to your vehicle’s hitch receiver
Step 2:
Assemble your preferred Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier and insert it into the Kuat Pivot’s hitch receiver
Step 3:
Mount your camping fridge to the DIY fridge slide alternative, and secure it to the center of the Cargo Carrier using the factory tie downs
Step 4:
Plug in your camping fridge and enjoy your new DIY fridge slide alternative!
We chose to use the ARB Elements Fridge Wiring Kit* and installed the supplied 12v outlet to the passenger-side bumper mount for easy access, but you can run the power however you see fit to meet the needs of your build or vehicle. The kit does include enough 10/2 AWG gauge wire to run from your engine bay to the bumper on your vehicle and has a built in 15amp fuse.
We liked it so much that we actually used two more of these kits in our build to run power from our starting battery to our Inergy Kodiak dual battery setup and from our solar panel to the Inergy Kodiak.
After over 20,000 miles of use both on and off-road, the only real caveat we’ve noticed with this DIY 4x4 fridge slide alternative is that it will limit your departure angle off-road while overlanding. You have to be mindful of the extra length with the camping fridge mounted back off the rear bumper, as well as the extra weight it adds to the rear of the vehicle.
The traditional fridge slide certainly has its place, but we’re incredibly happy with the gain in interior space and overall flexibility our DIY fridge slide solution provided to our pickup truck camping build. And we hope it benefits your vehicle camping setup as well!
Tag us on social media if you decide to use this camping fridge slide alternative!
As always, thanks for reading! And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more truck camping tips!
Related Posts:
Truck Shell Camping: How to Build the Ultimate Sleeping Platform
Looking for a Portable Camp Shower? Here’s Why The Road Shower is The Best
Truck Camper Awning: How to Install a Rear Awning for Truck Camping
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