ARB Fridge in an open Tacoma bed? (1 Viewer)

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I am purchasing a Tacoma in a few months and wondering what folks are doing store their fridge/freezers in the bed of the pickup? I won't have a tonneau cover or a canopy but would like something to make it weather-resistant and to look less desirable to potential thieves in an open pickup bed.

I am thinking of some sort of enclosure but here's the catch, I would like it made out of some sort of UV resistant plastic. I drew up a mock-up but for some reason Mud won't upload my pictures.

I don't like wood exposed like that all day long, even with rhino-lining or similar products. I could get something manufactured out of aluminum, but that would be a bit spendy. So what/how are folks making things out of plastics? I was thinking of some 1/4" UHMW or something like that. Youtube has tonnes of videos on plastic welding....

Thoughts?
 
I have been thinking the same thing.... I have the Ex cab and find it a pita to put much behind my front seats, yet an ARB is EXPensive and to have it out back, it must be secured. I have decided to purchase one, just don't know where I am going to put it. I do not want to purchase a camper shell for the record...
 
Certainly heat and ventilation would be a concern (in the summer months) with a boxed in fridge, but it should also serve as an insulator. Make sure there is some room to breathe in there and include some vent holes that align with the fridges ventilation. The ARB's are supposed to be weather resistant so I don't think there is too much concern about exposure if you build protection around it. Maybe insulate and wrap the enclosure with something that will repell heat and keep it relatively dry and clean. If you drive dusty roads then the compressor and related components will accumulate a lot of dust and dirt, so you'll need to be more vigilant about keeping the motor clean.
 
I have an older ARB fridge and I'm using an Engel Transit lock on some custom slides. I use it in the open bed of my truck. I do have a Snugtop shell that gets used during the winter months but the rest of the year the top is usually off. Is there a reason you need to keep the fridge in your truck all the time? I only have my fridge in the truck when we're on trips or camping and there is really no serious threat from thieves. I suppose someone could take it if they really wanted it but it's not the easiest to get it out of the transit lock. When the fridge is in the truck I'm generally not in areas that I'm worried about theft. If you're leaving it back there a lot for day to day stuff you'll definitely want some security but I don't see the point of having it in the truck all the time.





Here's the transit lock. The release button is right on the side but its difficult to get to if you're not familiar with it because of the slides.


When my fridge is not in the truck as part of a trip I pull it out and leave it plugged into the wall in my garage. I use it for soda etc in the garage.
 

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