Corrugation and fridge mounting with rubber / foam

[darb]

Brains Trust, I run my fridge in the tray of leaf sprung 4wd... needless to say corrugations hammer all vehicles, particularly leaf sprung (lovely when loaded mind you). Anyway, I fitted 4 x 10mm foam pads under each of the feet of my 75litre fridge as a means of elevating it a tad, and in theory giving it some protection from corrugations. I notice that the fridge sitting on flat ground that now it can be "wobbled" a bit (owing to the fact there's 10mm of foam on it) whereas before it say very steadfastly.

I am now actually wondering if having this 10mm foam / flexible mounting would actually make corrugation / rough road impact on the fridge WORSE, than if it was sitting hard against it with no such rubber/foam feet ... because the fridge itself can "wobble" additionally to the vehicle and get some vicious double slapping happening ... sort of like how antenna's snap more frequently on bull-bars that are rubber mounted (a lot of factory bullies can be "wobbled")

anyone who's explored into the foray of corrugations / rough roads / vehicle dynamics / reverberations got opinions?

My last fridge I had a whole sheet of foam under it, this new one will just have foam under the feet.

The actual fridge is securely mounted at each corner with heavy duty ratchets/tie-down, and she does not move (but of course vibration is a different story).

Thoughts?

 

[Tink]

First, never heard of a rubber mounted bullbar. Which make does that. Bullbars are normally mounted direct to the chassis. Mine appears to wobble but it is rock solid and it is in fact the cabin wobbling as the cabin is rubber mounted to the chassis. These cabin mounts do fail over time due to corrugations.
Once upon a time, Engel sold a spring mounted base for their fridges. Not sure if they still do but maybe you could research that design and make something similar.
And lastly, I reckon a single piece of high density foam under the whole fridge would be a more stable option than four single feet moving independently.
Tink

 

[Batts88]

Also not sure about a rubber mounted bull bar but I use to put a piece of 1" thick high density foam from clark rubber when the fridge was tied down in the back of a wagon. These days it's on a fridge slide with air bellow suspension I just have some 6mm foam under it to reduce any possible rubbing between the fridge and metal fridge slide. Over the past 14yrs I can't say if any of these ideas have made any real difference but it can't do any harm especially off road .

 

[Swaggie]

I've always put a piece of rubber under my fridge just in case it rubs etc....

 

[Tink]

These days it's on a fridge slide with air bellow suspension

Never used a fridge slide but will be in my next build. Could you please provide some details of your slide? Sounds like what I may need. Thanks
Tink

 

[typhoeus]

I think you need some flex in the tie downs too, if the fridge is ratchetted down hard, the corrugations will stillhammer it due to the rubber pads being compressed and the tiedown not having much give.
Limited controlled movement would be better than no/ little movement. I wonder if a sheet of 50mm high density foam rubber underneath, and same on the top, with a sheet of ply on top of that, with provision for tie down attached would work, as there would be a little give in all directions to absorb shock

 

[Batts88]

Never used a fridge slide but will be in my next build. Could you please provide some details of your slide? Sounds like what I may need. Thanks
Tink

It's just a regular fridge slide paid around $200 for it online just shopped around as I wasn't going to pay big dolars for something to put the fridge on. With the vehicle having air bellows for suspension it would probably give a less jarring ride than leafs springs.

Also 12v fridges should be able to handle off road driving in the rough stuff if their made correctly.

 

[Tink]

It's just a regular fridge slide paid around $200 for it online just shopped around as I wasn't going to pay big dolars for something to put the fridge on. With the vehicle having air bellows for suspension it would probably give a less jarring ride than leafs springs.

Ah righto, I read your first response as the fridge slide had air bellows, not the vehicle. Should have thought about it a bit harder
Tink