Tundra tie-down points for refrigerator

I need help with how to secure a refrigerator upright in the 1st Gen tundra. I have a RCLB and the only ties down are at the very front and rear corners. A refrigerator needs to be upright at the very front. The anchor points are too low to run a strap around the fridge horizontally and too far forward to run a strap across the top. How do you guys do it. Are there are any aftermarket solutions for more convenient anchor points?

 

I always did them horizontal, they say not to but its fine as long as you set them upright for a couple hours before plugging them in.

But if you insisted, you could just run a tie down through the rear windows at the top of the cab for an upper point and use the regular anchors for the bottom.

 

Are you forking the fridge up into the bed? How are you getting it in the bed without tipping on its side?
What you could do is use rope or another strap to make a loop, part of the loop would be on top of the fridge, part across the horizontal face, then take two rachet straps to each corner biting onto that loop on the each side of the fridge. It should then be pulling down and towards the cab at the same time(adjustments might need to be made to the loop)

 

Hmm. Fridge can be tipped temporarily when loading but I want it upright when in transport. I would need learn the technique to create loops.

 

Literally just make a circle with one of the rachet straps, probably a small circle. Then drape it over the top, so it’s resting on the top, the rest of the loop will be dangling down in front of the fridge, then take one rachet on each tie down and hook onto the strap that’s hanging down on each side. As you tighten each side it would make that circle into a 90degree almost, putting pressure downwards and towards the cab, should secure it nicely

imagine the box of gloves as your fridge

 

Excellent illustration. I think I’ll test this on a trash can or tall box. Thanks for your help and God bless!

 

Saw a guy up at Autozoned the other day picking up tie-downs for his refrig. Cops pulled him over due to not having any straps. Duh! They were nice to not ticket, but they did follow him to the store to make sure he was buying straps.

 

Refrigerators can be layed down for transporting as long as they are set upright for 24 hours before plugging in.

 

I've hauled many a fridge on it's back and never had a problem. Stand it up for a day before plugging I and you'd never know the difference.

Trouble with standing up a fridge is you can pull it towards the cab but can't stop it from leaning on the cab if you hit brakes hard for any reason. Better off laying the thing down than trying to stand it up and having it bounce off your cab.

 

Yeah. Lay it down like the Ratt Song.

 

Maybe push it all the way to the front of the bed, and use the two front anchors to hold it in? How far are you driving with it?

 

Not to far. Thing is. Customers won’t be too happy if you told them it had to lay on its side and can’t plug it in for a couple hours.

 

Sounds like you are doing this as a business. In that case I would look into borrowing or renting a small utility trailer. Be easier to roll it into and taller sides to strap to.

 

If you're going to haul often you might want to install some d rings in the bed. You can get by if it's not far and you won't be hitting highway speeds.

For now if you back it all the way up to the cab and you could pop out the caps on the bed rail and if you can hook your straps in there, throw one up and over. Then use the low hook points to can go around the fridge to prevent it sliding around. Or you can go up and diagonal from bed rail to tie hook in both directions. I use a moving blanket or cardboard between the strap and appliance to avoid scratching.

 

With my utility trailer

i put the fridge in

shut the rear ramp

roll fridge back against the ramp

and strap it to the ramp since it’s the tallest part of the trailer

it stands up straight

and isn’t going anywhere

 

That is a great tip for holding down something tall, thanks!

 

The tie down points are too widely spaced in a long bed. I added these at the midway point. They also unscrew from their base.

 

What kind of loops are those? What thread size?

 

They're Pro-grip brand. 1/2" size. These don't rattle like d-rings when bouncing down the road.

Progrip 822820 Truck and Trailer Bed Cargo Tie Down Anchor Removable Bolt, 1/2" Diameter x 2" Shank (Pack of 2)

https://www.amazon.com/PROGRIP-8228...5901&sprefix=truck+bed+anc&sr=8-17&th=1&psc=1

 

I’ve got a set, just waiting to roll down some bed liner then I will install them. I will probably put a small piece of plate steel underneath to support any big load flex

 

Excellent idea! I used a big fender washer.

 

Take the rail caps off and put wood stakes or metal pipe in the holes. Tie it back on the upper and mid portion on the pipes. From the 2 back tailgate holes crisscross the ropes around it to prevent it shifting from right to left (sideways)

Don't drive like ya stole it, and the upright fridge will be good to go. Afterward put the rail caps back on and forget about it.

 

Unistrut... Kid tested, daddy approved.

 

Well, I had no idea this rule existed with fridges. I bought a mini fridge a few weeks ago and laid it down per the instructions on the box. Didn't wait to plug it in either. Works fine.

Whoopsie!

 

24 hours is recommended. Trailer is way to do it.

 

When on it's side, the oil in the compressor spills out into the attached high and low side refrigerant lines. Like stumpjumper states, you have to upright the unit and let it set for min 24 hrs to let the oil drain back into the compressor. If not it'll still run, but it's a known fact with competent trained refrigerator/heating mechanics to not put the unit on it's side if any avoidable reason exist. And if it was placed on it's side, after standing it upright to not run the compressor before 24hrs. That's what A/C - Heating students were taught in the past and what the union mechanics pretty much followed

A family members new replacement central A/C package unit was unloaded from a van and put on it's side. It remained on it's side while the nut jobs removed the old central A/C unit. During this time the compressor oil leaked throughout and inside the equalizer tube of the new unit.
The who care's amateur installers finally tilted it up right after removing the old unit, wired it up and turned it on. Now the pistons are pounding against hard to compress oil, and way over stressing the system while running w/o good supply of oil at that. Make's sense to to avoid this, ya think!

Consequently, this unit makes a loud high pitched squeal when low and high coils are equalizing to this day, but not as much as it was after install. Tough as the A/C units are, it's the wrong way to treat a new or old one.

Hard to understand a manufacturer that's so ignorant to state it's OK to put a refrigeration unit (high side) on it's side, then upright it and just plug er in.

 

Dumping one over in the back of your truck is worse.

 

I usually install Strut all around the bed a little above the mid point and then I can attach anything I want to at anytime and almost anywhere.
Once installed it comes in pretty handy to say the least.

 

The loop method above is basically what we did when we carried a large vertical compressor in ours. Lashed to the four anchor points in the long bed. No problems, and simply drove gently.