I do NOT have a million dollar BlueBird, or other such tank like RV. I have an older Thor on a Workhorse gas chassis.Tonight I got the new residential refrigerator into the modified cabinetry. Ignorance is BLISS! I'm fairly certain that the old Dometic would have presented the same danger of coming loose in a front impact collision, but it just "looked" properly in place from the factory.I have not mounted the new refrigerator in place with any screws; but will in the upcoming days. However, I can not, in my educated mind, think other then that both refrigerators were just missiles waiting to be launched upon a frontal collision with something smaller then a Smart Car.Like the safety chains on a Toad, I'm considering the idea of putting safety chains on the base of the refrigerator and tying them off on some part of the actual Workhorse frame.Am I just being as paranoid someone wondering if they can run the genset while driving down the road to run the roof top air???Or, do I have a reasonable concern that this new massive appliance may well likely smack me upside the back of the head in the event of a collision; especially since I have seen the lack of materials that holds this thing in place. All comments welcome, even the snarky ones if they are funny!:C

"Sprig".....I know that when I replaced the Norcold with a Samsung, the Samsung was actually lighter. Even the propane refers were bolted/screwed in. Hopefully, you've secured the base of the refer with bolts/screws. I've done three of the residential refer installs and found that securing them at the top really locked them in. On the three I did, I screwed a large tin plate (6" x 6" surface area attached with sheet metal screws) to the back corner of the refer that protruded about 1" above the height of the refer. Once the refer was in place, I went on the roof, removed the refer vent and ran a 1" x 1/8" piece of aluminum stock from the plate I installed to the framed opening of the refer vent. On two of the coaches, that frame was aluminum. Once the top was secured, the refer was rigid.I'm guessing you installed the new refer in the old cabinet. You would have to be involved in a pretty good accident to get the refer to break it's mounts and bust through the cabinet. If you were in such a crash, the refer would probably be the least of your worries.

DSDP Don wrote:...Hopefully, you've secured the base of the refer with bolts/screws. I've done three of the residential refer installs and found that securing them at the top really locked them in. ...If you were in such a crash, the refer would probably be the least of your worries.The new refer is now in the modified cabinet but not yet secured; I have two minor unexpected issues that I am working out in my mind.THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the concept of tying into framework of the top of the RV into the refrigerator. In this way, the refrigerator might actually hold the roof and walls together BETTER in a collision then the factory installation.Really a great idea that I overlooked, I owe you at least one of your favorite beverages.:B

reminds me of a used unit I saw in Elkhart many years ago, a very highly regarded name which escapes me now but it had the refrigerator against an E/W wall facing the front. I thought that every hard stop would totally scramble things inside if it didn't actually pop the door open.bumpy

In that RV a head on or flip the last thing you will worry about is the fridge

If you have ever seen pictures of a stick MH that has been in a serious accident you will quickly see that there is nothing that will make your fridge accident proof. Your MH is actually toothpicks on wheels. Why worry about the fridge?BTW: Having owned a Bluebird I will say that a BB does not fly into pieces in an accident !Moisheh

ARrrggh...Residential Refrigerator vs Physics and Collisions

rkentzel
Explorer
Sep 15, 2015
You all better be careful driving screws around the edges of these refer boxes you hit the hot gas bypass loops and your done. Not repairable and no warranty will cover it.

go for the frame on the bottom if you insist on the top use long l brackets or 2x4 just above the top of the refer before you slide it. keeps it trying to tip forward and some in the frame front and back wont go anywhere.

Even if you have a plumbing diagram it does not mean its in the right place when they foam it in the tubing can move a bit.
dougrainer
Nomad
Sep 14, 2015
You are being paranoid. I would worry more about the Convection Oven being torn loose and THAT could possibly be a missile inside on a front collision:B Doug
RayChez
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
OK! Thanks Don.
DSDP_Don
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
The photo is the upper back corner of the refer. The bracket is attached with two sided tape and sheet metal screws on the top and side. The bracket is screwed into the sheet metal of the refer. You would have to use a pry bar to remove it. Anytime you don't have solid steel to bolt to, you spread out the attachment, as I did, by using a large plate, two sided tape and sheet metal screws. When you install a residential refer, securing it is primarily done at the base. The sidewalls usually get some spacers to keep it in position and the top is secured to keep it from rocking front to rear or side to side. There is no need for structural steel at the top.

"Ray Chez"...the picture may be hard to decipher, but that's the rear corner of the refer. I can't think of any RV installation where the back corner of the refer would be visible.

It's been working for over four years and the refer never budged.
RayChez
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
DSDP Don wrote:
"Sprig"....Here is a photo of the bracket I attached. It's actually a long piece of tin, about 12" x 6". Part of it's screwed to the top of the refer (which you can't see) and then folded up to make a 1.5" x 6" lip to bolt to, and then folded down where it's screwed to the side of the refer. This made the tab at the top (black in the photo) double thick. By screwing the bracket into the top and side, it won't pull loose.

Need more pictures. Just looking at the bracket you made was just wondering if any part of that bracket is going to be showing? It seems like the bracket is mounted outside the box where the refer goes.

If it is just screwed into the walls, it will not hold anything. It has to be something solid that you attach any kind of bracket or other securement to.

And the answer to the original post, the answer is YES it could break lose from the box if not properly secured. Also many are finding out that the doors keep popping open on residential type refrigerators that are installed after. Not sure, but I believe the one's that are installed out of the factory on RV's do not have that problem. So it might be wise to also look into what kind of securement you are going to install to keep the doors closed.
DSDP_Don
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
"Sprig"....Here is a photo of the bracket I attached. It's actually a long piece of tin, about 12" x 6". Part of it's screwed to the top of the refer (which you can't see) and then folded up to make a 1.5" x 6" lip to bolt to, and then folded down where it's screwed to the side of the refer. This made the tab at the top (black in the photo) double thick. By screwing the bracket into the top and side, it won't pull loose.
bluwtr49
Explorer II
Sep 13, 2015
I'm sitting here looking at mine and thinking about what would happen in a mishap. Honestly can't say that it appears to be a concern.

The Dometic may or may not be solidly bolted to the frame but it is fully enclosed. Sure isn't going to fly forward in any accident that is survivable. Granted it might move sideways in a roll over but not forward.

Can't say I'm going to worry about it any further.
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Sep 13, 2015
When my neighbor installed his residential refrigerator, he used two nylon ratchet straps, looped up over the top of the unit and down through slots in the floor, to secure it to the frame of the rig. The ratchet portion is underneath the coach and can be tightened again if needed.
This secures the refer without running screws in to the side which may hit an electrical wire or coolant pipe. I would guess that this also would help to keep the unit from moving too much during an accident.
Carvin_Marvin
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
How about the sink covers becoming like a big knife as they sail through the air?
mowermech
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
When I was installing things in modified aircraft ("things" like batteries, aux. power units, heavy stuff like that) IIRC the mounts had to be constructed such that the item would withstand a 5G load forward, 2 Gs up, and 3 Gs down.
I doubt that the compressor in that residential frig is mounted good enough to withstand that!
Good luck.