Top-loading fridge with 120cm bed?

DaveKentUK

DaveKentUK

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Has anyone had furniture fitted with a top-loading fridge and with a 118/120cm wide seat/bed installed?

If so, where from and can I see the pics please? :)

I'm gradually getting my kombi converted and when the HiLo roof has been fitted, in a couple of months, I'll be planning to get the conversion finished. That will include insulation, lining, electrical (maybe solar too), plumbing, heating, window level side furniture with top-loading fridge (TLF), blinds and front swivels.

I've already had the flooring done, with rails for a 118cm Cambee bed plus an extra two rear facing seats (only occasionally in the van). I can get the furniture with TLF from Cambee too but I'd like to see some other examples...
 
I can’t help with your question but is there a reason why you want a top loading fridge?

My van was in at my local van centre earlier today and I took the opportunity to have a good look over a Cali - one thing I didn’t really like was the top loader fridge - reminds me of our camping cool box and having to dig to the bottom every time we wanted something. I much prefer a more traditional vertical layout.
 
Oh I do like the flexibility of the side-loading fridges, especially the idea of a fridge with an internal ice box.

However, with two rows of seats in the back at least some of the time, and the rest of the time having the bed/seat either at the front or the back of the van, a side-loading is just not practical, for me.

It'll also only rarely have much food in it, whereas it'll be well stocked with just a couple of varieties of soft drinks most of time. On those rare occasions when I do need more food on board then it might get switched to freezer mode and have a cool box on board too...
 
Thanks for the reply Chopman, it illustrates the problem I'm having finding furniture layouts (with TLF) designed for anything other than the industry standard 112cm RIB.

I almost went for that furniture and a sliding 112 rib, from Uberbus, but when coupled with a HiLo roof there wouldn't be enough room to be comfortable for my 6ft tall daughter.

I can find plenty of options for a 112cm wide bed but only one, so far, for a wider bed...
 
Ours was done by Uberbus @DaveKentUK and has the slider on the RIB, not the floor.
Headroom is tight with the standard roof, so if a HiLo roof reduces interior space then you'd have an issue.
Reimo do seat options as narrow as 1110mm wide 333 dual seat - so basically the same width as the RIB - and I think it's lower. It slides but I think it's only travel approved in one or two locked positions. We had one of these in a rental van and it was equal to the RIB for sleeping on.
The other option we looked at was the Reimo City Van for a wider bed, but it didn't have enough storage for us.
 
I thought so; I do like the look of the furniture they do, unfortunately they weren't prepared to adjust it at all when I contacted them.

Incidentally I did look at the 333 on rails as an option but in a SWB there is only one travelling position (two in a LWB).

I thoroughly researched suitable beds (particularly on rails) for using with a HiLo roof and am convinced the Cambee bed is best available for my requirements.

If only I had a wider choice of [narrower] furniture to have a reasonable sized TLF in :)

I'm sure others will have found converters prepared to custom-fit one of the popular TLFs into narrower furniture...
 
I went for a top loading fridge.(To the right of the hob in the photos). Webasto dual 41L I think it was. Means you can access it when the beds down. Also allows you to have furniture that curves at the front. This in turn makes it easier for the drivers seat to swivel to face the rear. Some furniture designs with a side loading fridge at the front prevent this. I'm sure my bed is 112cm, (Smart bed Evo R) but there is still a few centimetres clearance at the side for it to be wider of need be.

20181015_155030.jpg

20181015_154636.jpg
 
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My fridge is in the first section of furniture behind the drivers seat so is accessible with bed deployed but the storeage cupbord isn’t so you do have to Rembrandt to get cereal out the night before!
A lot of yachts I charter have top loading fridges / cool boxes they only issue I tend to encounter is freezing my salad items,
 
Top loading fridges make more sense from an energy point of view too, you don’t get cold air spilling out when you open the door
 
Great info guys.
Defiantly something for my conversion, reminds me of the cool boxes from T2 Westfalia's.
If I'm honest, I find fridges pretty unsightly. Your practical points have sold me on going for top loading.
 
Dieseldonkey said:
I went for a top loading fridge.(To the right of the hob in the photos). Webasto dual 41L I think it was. Means you can access it when the beds down. Also allows you to have furniture that curves at the front. This in turn makes it easier for the drivers seat to swivel to face the rear. Some furniture designs with a side loading fridge at the front prevent this. I'm sure my bed is 112cm, (Smart bed Evo R) but there is still a few centimetres clearance at the side for it to be wider of need be.

View attachment 41070

View attachment 41071
Click to expand...
Still doing my homework before the work starts next year.
Can I ask a couple of questions about your layout if that’s OK?
Is your shuttle a twin slider?
Do you think you have another 85mm to spare for the Reimo 1205mm Variotech 3000 bed?
Where did you source your furniture? And is it about 400mm wide?

Looks great, hope mine turns out as nice as yours. Thinking of making the furniture myself as I have all the tools etc.

Now going for the Jerba roof (function before form won in the end)
And the Reimo Variotech looks like the bed unit to get.
 
Thanks @Dieseldonkey thats very useful, appreciate you taking the time to check for me.
I am thinking about the top loading fridge which is how I found the thread.
Think the 1205mm Variotech might be a bit of a squeeze but we will find out.
As you have pointed out there are a lot of pluses to the top loader, not least of which is room for legs by the drivers seat.
Hoping to make use of the RH slider to access utilities like water, gas and potti.:thumbsup:
 
Yes @Farnorthsurfer , the RH slider allows me access to fresh and grey water bottles. Dead space where I've been able to mount the inverter. Cubby hole under the floor where the step was for storage. Useful for cooking too as it let's the vapours out.

20190421_130410.jpg
 
saintclarkey1 said:
I'd like to know if anyone has got a top loading fridge to go with a 3 seater RIB? This one looks like it might do the job Vitrifrigo TL20 top loading refrigerator I'm trying to have a swing out kitchen HemBil Drift - Practical Motorhome from the driver's side sliding door so sticking a fridge I'm there is a no no from a cable run and weight perspective I'd imagine.
Click to expand...
I'm about to install a Vitrifrigo TL20 to my LWB, with a Reimo 1205mm Variotech seat. It is a bit of a sqeeze, but it does fit, designed a 350mm wide worktop/cabinets.
 
monkey66 said:
I'm about to install a Vitrifrigo TL20 to my LWB, with a Reimo 1205mm Variotech seat. It is a bit of a sqeeze, but it does fit!
Click to expand...
The TL20 will fit with a couple of inches to spare if you get it in the right place. I actually trimmed a small corner off the compressor bracket and set it up slightly. My van is a LWB, SWB will be different but it should fit. There are some photos in my build thread. Photos in signature
 
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