60qt Fridge... Too Big?

[SteveG]

I have an opportunity to buy a a Norcold MRFT-60 at a great price. It's bigger than I'm looking for but the price is right. What do you guys think? Too big? I don't see many in use on Expedition Portal. Does everyone shy away from the big dogs or am I just missing them. I won't be able to see the fridge in person so it's hard to judge... I'd love to be able to put it in the car and see how it fits but that's just not possible. Any help would be appreciated.

It would be used in the car and not in a trailer.

Thanks!

http://www.thetford.com/HOME/Products/NorcoldRefrigeratorsHome/MRFT60/tabid/201/Default.aspx

EDIT: We are a family of 4. 2 adults, a 10 and 8 year old.

 

[GFA]

If the price is right you should be able to resell it if it doesn't work out for you. If you're already cramped for room without a fridge it probably won't fit but then again neither will a smaller one..

 

[MoGas]

If the price is right you should be able to resell it if it doesn't work out for you. If you're already cramped for room without a fridge it probably won't fit but then again neither will a smaller one..

Been there, done that.

The footprint on a 60 is not that much larger than a 45. It is taller, but the lid opens sideways. There is more area to keep cool, so unless you keep it full, it runs more and draws a little more energy. When the whole family is going on the trip, it is great, but now it is 3 of us or more likely just me. I'm using a 45 now, and I'm starting to find that if it is a short trip, I end up putting more beer in it to take up the space. I'd might try to find a 35, or I can just drink more beer..more and more, I find myself tending to break free of all of the extra junk in my rig. I found that by having all the crap hanging on my Cruiser, that it was starting to own me. My favorite thing to do now, is to stuff a few necessities in a backpack, give a couple key people my general destination and plan. kiss the wife goodbye, kick the bike over and head out.

 

[XJINTX]

If you have room I suggest bigger is better. You will thank yourself as you get more used to it and what it provides!!! My 60 qt is always a thankful "tool" while on longer trips!

 

[SteveG]

Thanks for the responses so far, guys. I should have noted that we are a family of 4. 2 adults a 10 and 8 year old.

Keep it coming!

 

[madmax718]

Depends on how many days, and what your storing. I went with the smallest size, a Waeco cf18, and always in freezer mode. Im more of a urban crawler than an off roader nowadays, and even when away from civilization, its no more than a day or two. The key is to plan your meals, and figure out what you will be eating, and your resupply points, if any. i use a lot of dry goods (pasta, instant noodles, pancake mix) and unless its hot out, eggs keep just fine without the fridge. I carry a small cooler as well, and use the frozen produce (meat, mostly, lol) and a frozen bottle of water to keep the cheese, vegetables and fruit just "cool". Pop one out of the freezer, pop in a room temp one.

 

[khronus79]

Thanks for the responses so far, guys. I should have noted that we are a family of 4. 2 adults a 10 and 8 year old.

Keep it coming!

Last summer the family (wife and 2 kids, 10 and 3yo) went on a month long trip, the 60qt was perfect, we only refilled it twice(mostly drinks/milk for the little ones). We also went on a week long trip with some friends, 8 people total(6 adults, 2 kids) the fridge provided more than sufficient space for everyone's food. This summer we'll do a similar trip and put the fridge to the test once more.

 

[madmax718]

once every 2 weeks is a long time. I guess it just depends how far off the beaten path you are. I tend to pickup what I can find locally (on the coast anyways, I'll pickup fish, fruits, vegetables). If there's a local meat packing place, I'll get some steaks, chops, etc.

 

[SteveG]

Last summer the family (wife and 2 kids, 10 and 3yo) went on a month long trip, the 60qt was perfect, we only refilled it twice(mostly drinks/milk for the little ones). We also went on a week long trip with some friends, 8 people total(6 adults, 2 kids) the fridge provided more than sufficient space for everyone's food. This summer we'll do a similar trip and put the fridge to the test once more.

Thanks for the response. Any photos of it mounted or does it just sit on the floor?

 

[SteveG]

We definitely don't need to go a couple weeks between refills. A week's worth is sufficient....

 

[shfd739]

Our fridge is the same one you're considering. It does take up a lot of space and we're looking to get a 30L for day trips since the 60 is so big....however when it's a multi day/night trip or we have other family members with us the space is nice to have. We tend to carry more fresh/fridge food since we do have the space. On the trips with less cold foods we just have more cold drinks. Or lots of empty space on day trips.

Currently it stays plugged in the garage as a beverage fridge and we've used it as our house fridge for a couple weeks while I waited on a Kenmore part for our normal fridge.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[SteveG]

Our fridge is the same one you're considering. It does take up a lot of space and we're looking to get a 30L for day trips since the 60 is so big....however when it's a multi day/night trip or we have other family members with us the space is nice to have. We tend to carry more fresh/fridge food since we do have the space. On the trips with less cold foods we just have more cold drinks. Or lots of empty space on day trips.

Currently it stays plugged in the garage as a beverage fridge and we've used it as our house fridge for a couple weeks while I waited on a Kenmore part for our normal fridge.

I looked at a slightly used ARB 50qt today and it seemed pretty cramped on the inside. I liked that it was smaller (exterior) than the Norcold I'm looking at but I just don't see us eating out of it for more than a few days.

 

[shfd739]

I agree on the 50L. We considered getting a used 50l Dometic and selling our big Norcold but the 50 feels smaller than I'd like. I've got the room for the 60 and it will always have enough capacity so I'd hate to get rid of it. A few times now the 50 would've been too small for us when the family is camping for multiple days(4 adults and a 2yo).

 

[SteveG]

I agree on the 50L. We considered getting a used 50l Dometic and selling our big Norcold but the 50 feels smaller than I'd like. I've got the room for the 60 and it will always have enough capacity so I'd hate to get rid of it. A few times now the 50 would've been too small for us when the family is camping for multiple days(4 adults and a 2yo).

I see you have a Land Cruiser with HQ interior racks. Ken is a friend of mine... great guy and I always loved his work. Do you carry the Norcold in the Land Cruiser? Any idea what the actual amp draw is? I'd love to see photos of how you pack around it. I'll be using mine in an Explorer, so it's going to take a big bite out of cargo space but I think it'll be well worth it.

Sorry for all the questions!

 

[khronus79]

Thanks for the response. Any photos of it mounted or does it just sit on the floor?

Surprisingly I don't have any pics of it in the car, but yes it's just strapped to the floor

We definitely don't need to go a couple weeks between refills. A week's worth is sufficient....

You'd be surprised, some of the food prices on the remote towns are pretty obscene, being able to skip past those can save you a good amount of money.