Frunk Fridge

[CDJOHNS5]

Consider incorporating electrical hookups and mounting/tie down points in the frunk for a small refrigerator. I know Dometic offers several models. It would be nice to grab a cold beverage after a hike or paddle without having to deal with a cooler or ice!

https://www.dometic.com/en-us/outdoor/coolers/electric-coolers

 

[Chavannigans]

I think that will always be an issue. For years, I’ve told clients to put spare fridges in their basements not garages. Ambient temperatures in basements are so much better and a spare fridge/freezer will get double the life when not in the garage. Gonna be even worse in a hot vehicle even with venting it will run a LOT!

Makes total sense. I was a mechanic for a few years before I understood that you are REMOVING HEAT from the air, not cooling it. Its a foreign concept to a lot of people.

I think a possible solution would be venting the frunk into the cab with a blend door so there is more heat transfer going on and it is still sealed from dust and weather, or some type of active shutter in the windshield wiper tray that closes when youre driving but opens when youre going slow and has a filter on it.

There are far smarter people than me out there that can figure it out. But if it doesnt make it to the "first gen" Scouts I will probably go with my Terra reservation instead of the Traveler.

 

[J Alynn]

Makes total sense. I was a mechanic for a few years before I understood that you are REMOVING HEAT from the air, not cooling it. Its a foreign concept to a lot of people.

I think a possible solution would be venting the frunk into the cab with a blend door so there is more heat transfer going on and it is still sealed from dust and weather, or some type of active shutter in the windshield wiper tray that closes when youre driving but opens when youre going slow and has a filter on it.

There are far smarter people than me out there that can figure it out. But if it doesnt make it to the "first gen" Scouts I will probably go with my Terra reservation instead of the Traveler.

You are certainly correct about removing heat vs cooling. It would be nice but the struggle is 90% of the time you are dragging a refrigerator it’s hot out and drivers likely wouldn’t want heat in the cabin as the way to vent the frunk. During winter it’s probably cold enough you might not need a refrigerator but that would be the time to pull the heat into the cabin

 

[Chavannigans]

You are certainly correct about removing heat vs cooling. It would be nice but the struggle is 90% of the time you are dragging a refrigerator it’s hot out and drivers likely wouldn’t want heat in the cabin as the way to vent the frunk. During winter it’s probably cold enough you might not need a refrigerator but that would be the time to pull the heat into the cabin

You do have a point there.

Maybe a small evaporator core could give you the option to heat or cool the frunk. It wouldn’t need to be very big for an area that small.

The compressor is probably mounted behind there anyways so there wouldn’t be much added plumbing or weight.

Now that I think about it, it would be awesome to have a cool breeze if you’re sitting in the frunk if the vents were on either side.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I solved all of this by putting the fridge in the bed of the truck. Even a tonneau cover doesn’t seal it well enough to cause a buildup of heat. It works wonderfully.

 

[Chavannigans]

I solved all of this by putting the fridge in the bed of the truck. Even a tonneau cover doesn’t seal it well enough to cause a buildup of heat. It works wonderfully.

No bed on the Traveler

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

No bed on the Traveler

True enough. Our fridge dissipates less than 0.5 kWh/day, so it really doesn't cause a lot of heating.