ISOTHERM FRIDGE INSTALL | FOUR SEASON VAN LIFE | EP.53

This week we install our MASSIVE 200 liter 12V Isotherm Fridge into ROAMR, because of all the pre work and planning we completed this project went smooth as butter and every thing works great... Not only does our 12V Fridge Install look amazing, it also gives us the ability to store food longer meaning staying off grid longer during our Four Season Van Life!!
Hope you enjoyed the video, please COMMENT AND LIKE below, maybe even Hit that subscribe button to follow along as we convert this Mercedes Sprinter van that we call ROAMR into a 4X4 Four Season Van in which we plan to travel the continent with.. You will see all the ups and downs to a full build as I share mistakes, wins and everything in between.
Thank you for watching and we will see you on the next video.
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daresdrives...
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Mail to:
PO Box 44122
Calgary RPO SOUTHCENTER, AB
T2J 7C5
If this video brought value or gave good entertainment, consider donating to help support our growth : paypal.me/daresdrives?locale....
Products used to make this video happen
Isotherm Cruise 200:
www.indelwebastomarine.com/us...
Where I found this Fridge for sale:
pantherrvproducts.com/

[@robcordts1976]

Arty! you're the man so cool.

[@dimitylong792]

Lol...no name is my cat 😂

[@rosesmith2410]

I’m just getting around to watch your great fridge video ! It’s great to see your smiling face !! Keep up the good work!

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@sprinterdiscovery]

Glad you invited your twin brother to help with the intro! Bring him on more often!!! Congrats on 5k!

[@DaresDrives]

He creates a lot of editing and is a bit of a pain to have around.. ;) Thank you very much for commenting, it is people like you helping us grow!!

[@mferrarorace]

Nice fridge freezer. Looks awesome and the perfect size!

[@kristinrush]

I had a refrigerator all picked out but now I might have to change my plan!! The one you chose looks awesome!!

[@exploringboundaries2592]

I love the quality and the thinking you put in this van project. cheers!

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thank you

[@billridenour1]

You crack me up - keep it up.

[@mausie1967]

Thanks for this video

[@Ricky2clean]

Looks light a tight squeeze with the countertop on the other side

[@drewbradford7608]

Awesome fridge freezer! Very happy for you :)

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thank you for watching and commenting..

[@jamesmason7124]

Perfect

[@maggiebrattoli383]

Funny and informative. Great video.

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thanks for watching and commenting.

[@gkrieg365]

That's the best DC fridge I have seen. The best part is no loss converting to AC.

[@DaresDrives]

This was one of my favorite purchases for sure!!!! Thanks for watching and commenting..

[@paulmarsden2948]

Fridge freezer looks great and top quality, and plenty of room for beers lol.

[@DaresDrives]

100% you got that right!!! Thank you again for watching and commenting.

[@FlaGordon2]

the beauty of a breaker panel

[@stefandbo]

Omg I was looking for this video for ever

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thank you for commenting.

[@kevinmapes1298]

I find it humorous that I end up researching stuff on my own and occasionally come back to your channel to find out that we pick the same appliances haha. I picked out the same fridge. It was a bit expensive but I think it will be totally worth it. Except I got the black version.

[@OldExodus]

I concur…..that’s the same fridge I picked

[@gdufour1]

Love it: Dares in box!

[@DaresDrives]

LMAO... I was waiting for a comment like this!! Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@kurtiswagner]

That fridge is awesome, what a beast and fit perfectly, good thinking ahead. I would have been so stressed about getting that fridge, thank goodness you got the last one... That would have been seriously demoralizing...

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thank you... It would have definitely caused some delays for sure, but persistence paid off!!! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@kensoutham6828]

I have a 12V/110V fridge also and I put a plug in-line on the shore power connection that the inverter is hooked up to so that when on shore power it runs on 110V. I have a 20 amp disconnect/protection dual pole breaker and surge protector wired into the shore power van connection point to protect the van electrical (and fridge) from any power irregularities that may happen at a campground.

[@ledzepandhabs]

Just found your channel, subbed fer sher dude, great detail and quality to your van build. Love the knobby rippin too!! Love from Ontario. 🤘🤙😈

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thanks for joining. I was born in Barrie, Ont.

[@stillrandy]

Excellent intro Jeff!!

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thank you for watching and commenting.

[@gkrieg365]

You make great videos. Good work.

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, thank you for watching and commenting..

[@davidyonemoto5981]

Great job on the fridge install. I will be installing the same on in a few weeks. Can you tell me what size screws you used to secure the side flange to your 80/20

[@rudivandoornegat2371]

Congrats with your 5,000 subscribers milestone. And congrats with your big beautiful fridge. This video really showed your amazing script writing and video editing skills! And yes, Party Artie may come back if he calls his kitty Smartie.

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome thank you,, just so you know, no scripts were written. I just record 5000 times until I get it right.. LMAO!!! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@magdatomek]

Very informative video on installation. I have very similar setup with 2 heat exchangers underneath the fridge ( just got isotherm cr200 from Defender CT) How is the refrigerator cooling/performing in hot weather ? I see the back vent for fridge you got is coming from underneath where the heat exchangers are and where there may be worm air when they are on. Thank you for sharing .

[@yvonlapalme7008]

Great looking Fridge... well done!

[@DaresDrives]

Thank you!

[@yvonlapalme7008]

If I may ask... since we are just a few weeks away from pulling the trigger, what your total costs on your diesel heating setup with all its components? Cheers, Y.

[@scottnormand5858]

Great job as always fine sir. That was the fridge I was eyeing but changed the plan. Took up too much real-estate for my build. Any idea why the unit auto defaults to 110 if hardwired to both 110ac and 12v? Does it have something to do with the inverter? Trying to learn from a seasoned builder such as yourself😁

[@cristinakim2479]

Yes People, subscribe to this channel! It is a van build 101 how to do it so perfectly! Thank you for the video Jeff!

[@dimitylong792]

Lol! Great video! You are the man! King Jeff Master Peep 🤴🏻☀️💝🙌 Yep that’s how it’s supposed to look!!!! 👍

[@DaresDrives]

Love seeing your name in the comment section Dimity, dedicated Peeps like yourself are the ones helping our growth flourish like it is currently.. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

[@dimitylong792]

@@DaresDrives I’m so busy theses days...Alaska is booming with sunshine and blessings! I haven’t had much time for myself and enjoying my favorite videos from Darling Jeff 😁☀️ I’m getting ready for a 5 mile hike today! God bless you Jeff and a wonderful day of sunshine and happiness!

[@weldondares3664]

Good vid, that will hold a lot of groceries. Everything went to plan again quiet eh!

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome thanks. Hopefully this allows me to be off grid for close to two weeks without having any needs..

[@kenwang9682]

nice video. How's the fridge noise level? is it loud?

[@johngudmundson9975]

Sweet Fridge! Are u in Ontario by chance? I am and have ordered a new Ford Transit High Roof Extended All Wheel Drive! U have givin me many great ideas, thanks dude! 😁

[@Chaff9001]

Alright buddy, loving the content, kept me interested whilst deployed from home, busy making plans of building my own. Your attention to detail is awesome. One thing I noticed, your fridge is directly above your hot water tank, are you blocking off the back so the heat doesn’t rise up from your hot water tank to your fridge compressor making it work harder? The fridge in your van is bigger than my house fridge awesome!

[@geodeveloper2]

OK...this looks great! But I'm wondering...does one not need to vent the compressor to the outside for cooling? I certainly want to avoid cutting any more holes in the van than necessary, but it seems the majority of units with this capacity of cooling/freezing contents requires this type of venting. Can you clarify? Thanks, and again, nice work on the install!

[@garymoncrief5793]

This is the fridge I want, how deep is your wall cabinet holding the fridge?

[@jeffbaum4190]

Looks awesome. I don’t know whether to precede with “and” or “but”….but in either case, it’s massive! I hope to see a walk-through once your galley is complete to see how tight it is. Beautiful fridge/freezer, no doubt. Well done. You don’t happen to be a KLR guy, do you?

[@mike123abc]

The AC input on the fridge is for the shore power only output of the Victron Multiplus, so when you are on shore power the fridge runs off AC directly from shore. The same as your Comfort Hot AC input on your Rixen system to keep the antifreeze hot without using the van fuel.

[@DaresDrives]

Yes, 100% correct... I put the switch on so that when I have the 110v running off battery through inverter I can choose for the fridge not to switch over and stay on 12vdc

[@DefyingOldAge]

Isotherm refrigerators can be purchased through West Marine stores.

[@ljkemper]

Now that you have had the fridge a while, what do you think of it?

[@carrottop3454]

That looks super cool dude. Nice work. I didn’t understand that bottom flange however. I just didn’t get a good camera view I guess.

[@DaresDrives]

Buahahah, cant believe I never gave you all a shot of the flange once installed. I do apologize for that.... Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@davidmiles5626]

Would be great to see some stats on the actual amount of power the fridge uses once it is loaded with some food & beer. How much power does it actually use over a 24 hr period?

[@DaresDrives]

Yeah I had a whole recording on that data but it hit the cutting room floor. It is rated at 800W/24hr so about 66 Amps per day!

[@crewriver7956]

I dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know a method to log back into an Instagram account?? I somehow forgot the login password. I appreciate any help you can offer me.

[@casenbrixton1345]

@Crew River Instablaster =)

[@crewriver7956]

@Casen Brixton i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff now. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@crewriver7956]

@Casen Brixton it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thanks so much, you saved my ass!

[@ganeshswan345]

Good team¡¡ Congratulations you two¡ hopfully you stop with the big mac thing now that you have space for some proper food. Ital is Vital¡

[@DaresDrives]

Yes, eating healthier is plan#1 once all this chaos has settled down and we can relax a bit again...

[@nathenfudurich6652]

Does your electrical system not have any provisions for shore power? That's what the 120VAC connection is all about IMO.

[@cassieweber8023]

I noticed your happijac bed lift on the side. Which dimensions lift did you choose for your build? We’re always stoked to see your videos. You’re a frequent name in our household during our build and we so hope to meet you on the road some day.

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, super happy the videos are bringing value... As for the happijac there is only the one size that will fit inside these vans.. Don't remember exactly at the moment but I think it is like 63" or something like that... More to come with details in the future, so stay tuned and good luck with your build. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@fernwehchronicles193]

Do you still have the fridge in your van and if so, are you still loving it?

[@nomadicana]

I’ve been looking at this fridge model. I’d appreciate a review of it after you’ve used it awhile, I didn’t see many reviews online.

[@DaresDrives]

Perfect, so far super happy with it.. Yes once we get on the road we will be talking about all the products and the build as too what worked great and what doesn't work so great!!! Lets hope they are all the first one!!

[@misterz2719]

I hope u are bringing party Arty on some epic road trips.

[@DaresDrives]

He has been invited for sure!!! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

I think in one episode Jeff invited everybody who subscribed on an epic road trip in his van, right Jeff?

[@misterz2719]

@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath that will be tight

[@donjones3355]

Bring back Party Arty!!

[@DaresDrives]

Done!!! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@dusty-vo8gh]

Beautiful fridge. You will have enough food to ride out the zombie apocalypse.

[@DaresDrives]

That is the exact plan... Thanks for watching and commenting..

[@limodrivermike]

anyone knows if the fridge / freezer option can be reversed? meaning, the big compartment as a freezer and the small compartment as fridge?

[@vita-girl4345]

I bought the same fridge about a year ago, and I haven’t installed it yet. I have been warned though, the metal flange is decorative only, and wouldn’t support all the jostling of a van. I’m finding a way to brace the frame around it. Question too how high from the floor did you mount it? What are you utilizing the top and bottom space for?

[@DaresDrives]

The flange is a part of the full casing around the fridge. It would need to tear out a lot to have that flange come off...

[@vita-girl4345]

@@DaresDrives That's what I thought too, but others gave the warning. I'm just passing it on. I didn't see any warning in the installation manual, but that manual is exceedingly light.

[@cluek9780]

Fridge is $$$

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

I have been giving you plugs on other peoples KZbin channels about your videos coming out on Sundays and I come here and no video

[@DaresDrives]

Thank you very much, I promise I am hard at work on the next vid.. This next project is just taking more time than I have in one week to complete it properly and provide a video worth watching... Thanks for sticking it out and spreading the word!!

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

A year and a half? You have way more patience than me!

[@DaresDrives]

I am proofing myself wrong daily because trust me it is harder on the brain than I let on in the videos... I just keep dreaming of the payoff at the end!!! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@FFLDealerSunnyvale]

If you’re sleeping can the fridge noise be bothersome? How quiet is it?

[@madmax041]

Sound dampeners can easily fix that! 😉👍🏽

[@DaresDrives]

It is pretty quiet, once the walls go on all sides I don't think you will be able to hear it at all... Or just barely.. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@hapwasner8021]

110 will let the fridge cool quicker than the 12 volt.

[@kristycurtis8339]

Haha I thought Marty😂

[@DaresDrives]

That was my original thought as well.. LOL.. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@jeffearl7219]

You never did mention if it got cold. I'm assuming it did, or maybe you're just leaving us in suspense. Planning pays off, great job.

[@DaresDrives]

Hahah you are very correct. OOOPS... It did get cold and froze ice within a couple hours running on 12vdc.

[@jeffearl7219]

@@DaresDrives Problem solved and disaster averted. Time to kick back with Party Artie

[@johnkarlquist7787]

What is the aluminum framing called? I've never seen it before.

[@ledzepandhabs]

8020

[@DaresDrives]

8020 is the brand name. Actual product is called extruded aluminum. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@nicsavage8868]

I think running at 24vdc would be more efficient

[@DaresDrives]

24VDC does use less amperage for sure about 1/2, but there is a whole world of things that change if you go 24vdc on your build.. I decided with 12V as all my other products are 12V..

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

No switch? How much did this fridge cost

[@DaresDrives]

Supposedly on two way fridges this is very common... It has a switch now and that is the important part....

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

@@DaresDrives Well the cost is important to me I’m not made out of money

[@cmh2111]

@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath We'll crowd fund the cost of a switch for you.

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

@@cmh2111 Thanks, but me and my identical twin don’t want to eat up that much space in our van with a large refrigerator, though we like to eat as much as the next pair of twins. We all have our priorities for space or budget and ours, as you may some day see, are unlike any others. As for crowdfunding, they might get angry when they see our pair of $30,000 french vases that belonged to THE Mark Hopkins that will be featured our van, “The San Franciscan”. BTW, is it just a coincidence that you have stopped making episodes now that the fridge is working?

[@DefyingOldAge]

It wasnt installed correctly, this fridge requires ventilation on the bottom, back and sides.

[@arthurquinn7515]

Funny

[@DaresDrives]

All you bud!!! Thanks for your help!

[@RowlandtheBastard]

Where are you based?

[@DaresDrives]

I am based in Alberta, Canada

[@RowlandtheBastard]

@@DaresDrives i used to live in Calgary

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

What’s getting annoying is listening to a Canadian complain about the weather. I guess I’m overly sensitive to it because in the behind the scenes part of a DVD, I once listened to actors complaining about the cold inside a huge, unheated soundstage in Canada where they went to shoot the film because the Canadian government subsidizes the hell out of it with huge tax incentives that they can resell. As someone who worked on film crews at the time, I had no sympathy for people complaining about the cold inside a soundstage in Canada that just exported my job. Hollywood actors are oblivious, entitled, a holes and producers will put them through anything to save a buck. Tax incentives can be, race for the bottom with different countries and states trying to outdo each other with bigger tax incentives, all at the expense of California film crews and all taxpayers.

[@DaresDrives]

Yeah, you can take back your Hollywood people anytime.. I won't lose any sleep over that... As for the weather comments, it isn't complaining it is sharing some of the challenges to building the van in the shelter I have... Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

@@DaresDrives I’m saying it partly in jest with you and all Canadians, I have Canadian friends, and partly in disgust with governments competing against each other to charge less taxes to certain industries. Obviously the consequences are the taxes have to be made up by other industries and people in California are put out of a job In an industry which they basically created. But Hey you can get back at us fir the jokes by charging us enough that a 2 x 4 x 8 now cost eight dollars but Hollywood can’t grow lumber.