Trojan Boat Forum

i have seen oics on the web of larger apt. size fridges on f36 tri with engines in rear.
my question is how do get a larger fridge into salon area since doorways are so small?

Through the windows?

I know the mid engine tri cabins have a hatch in the roof (maybe glassed over ) could the aft engine ones have the same ?

my vessel is a 1976 and not a mid-engine so there is no hatch above the salon. Misty's idea may work if i took off the deck railing i guess, i will have to measure and see.

Taking the doors of the fridge will help too . There have been other threads on this and couch replacement on the tri cabins

Just got back from the lake and measured windows in my salon , i only have 18.5 inches to get a fridge thru. I see no way to get a new fridge in or even the old fridge out.
Has anyone out there had any success getting a new fridge in and if so what fridge and how did you get it in? This 76 tri-level rear engine has got me beat

Getting the old one out is not the problem. all you need is a sawzall or other really distructive saw. Getting the new one is the problem. You might look at remote refridgeration which used a split system like the AC. Other than that you might look for 2 smaller units or something that will go down the hatch. I think the larger hatch is in the rear of the aft stateroom.

I have a 81 Tri cabin so I have the hatch. It is not the greatest design but it lets you move large items in and out.

Good luck with you fridge swap

Hi,

I don't think there's a way to get a larger fridge in there, at least not that I know of.

I owned a rear engine tricabin for sixteen years.

When the original fridge died, I replaced it (sawzall massacre) with the common 3 shelf bar fridge unit often seen in boats. It squeezed through the rear bedroom door into the salon with the door itself removed plus some of the framework around the door removed too.

Just a thought, but I always had two fridges - one in the galley and one under the salon couch (in that large cabinet across from the door to the forward head) I had an extra AC plug installed for the second fridge to plug into.

Rick

Not the best option, and don't know if it will translate to the TriCabs as window height may be different, but have a friend with a Viking 43 DCMY who dealt with a similar problem.

When his fridge crapped out, he needed to replace it too. Ended up having to pull the door off the new fridge, pull the vent fins off the back, remove the side windows, and cut a chunk out of interior window trim (on the Viking DCMY, the lower trim extends above the bottom of the windows... on a Trojan likely the upper trim may need to be removed or notched), and then had enough space to pull the fridge body through. Re-assembly and repairs followed. On the plus side, the guy he hired to do the job (someone I have know for almost 40 years) is darn good with wood work, and was able to blend/hide the bruises from the surgery he had to do to get the fridge in.

I can post info about the guy who did an awesome job helping my friend with the Viking get this done (and who I, and my father, have entrusted most of our structural or engine work to for the past many years), but don't want to get in trouble about posting info or promoting a specific service provider.

Worst case - Sawz-all will get the old one out - but it's not likely to get the new one in unless you have an expert operating it who can fix everything...

what i am perplexed by now is a picture i saw via a google search of images for "trojan f36" it clearly shows a larger fridge installed in a ship like mine. Heres the pic...

I am faced with the same quandary with my 84 tri cab. At least I do not have to get the old one out as PO did that. Ah but I do have the hatch in top of salon. Hate to take it out but will have to. Debating about frig size. According to all things tri cab Aaron they cam with a regular frig in them not a 12/120 volt. The only one that is 12/120 volt of size is a built in one so then would have to do the cabinet work. I have not decided what to do as yet.

I took a smaller frig out of my F28 and had to take the door off and the control module on the back, then the trim from around the boats door and it then fit.

Longshanks


The Tri cabin pictured is a later one with center engines and a hatch in the overhead. This galley looks just like mine and the PO did install a new fridge the looks like the one pictured. He said it took 4 guys and was a real pain. The only way you will be ale to get one in that size is to open he overhead. If mine takes a hike I will repair it in place because of the difficulity of replaing it.

Thankyou Horhay...that helps.

Based on all the comments i guess i will resort to two small fridges.
And as a sidenote and a subjective observation ... the f36 design SUCKS!!! (for the 76 design the manufacturer really screwed up ).

The F36 is a great design If you got a convertible . But if I had a early tri cabin I would seriously think about a Hatch in the salon and possibly a sky light of some type . But those that know me here know I have no fear of cutting holes in boats and fiber glass work .

The only one that is 12/120 volt of size is a built in one so then would have to do the cabinet work. I have not decided what to do as yet

How long do you need refrigeration without AC? I keep plastic containers full of ice in the freezer, and place a couple down in the fridge when we're on the hook. They help keep the temperature down between runs of the generator. And I also demand that folks think ahead before they open the fridge door. Have a plan before you start to spill the cold air -- no browsing with the door open.

Have you considered an inverter for the fridge? There are models that pass-through AC when it is available, then automatically switch to inverter mode when it is absent. My fridge draws a ridiculously low number of amps when running -- 1.9 I believe, so this seems attainable. Further investigation is on my to-do list. You might try running the numbers and see if this solution would work for you. A duplex plug dedicated to the fridge and coffee pot that is fed from a smallish inverter is all it takes.