R1S Subtrunk Fridge

[KBabione]

I've been on a bit of a quest to find the perfect 12V (or 120V) fridge/freezer that could live in the subtrunk of our R1S and believe I've found it: The BougeRV 23QT, currently on sale for $166 with free shipping.

I wanted a fridge that would hold at least two of our favorite Rubbermade containers (roughly 8x8") with some additional space for other things. There have been enough times when having a small fridge would come in handy (I also have one of their 45L dual-zone models). It also had to allow me to put the "lid" on the subtrunk without a problem and this model does that. Here are a few photos:

My other "requirement" is that all of the other crap I keep in my subtrunk still has to fit:

Here's the list (from left to right) if anyone cares:

• Tire chocks
• Jack Pucks and tire service instructions
• Rivian first aid kit
• Big Red 10T bottle jack with Jack Puck XL and 1/2" lug socket
• 1/2" torque rachet (yellow case)
• Rivian inflation kit
• Rear risers to make it a flat surface
• Plug kit
• Small box with gloves, multi-tool, and a couple of other small things
• AC adapter for the fridge
• Safety vest

I'm thrilled with how it all fits - the heat vent for the fridge is in the right-front of the unit, exactly where the bump-out is for the spare:

When I want to use it I'll just plug in the 12V and return the subtrunk "lid" at either an angle or I'll use the risers to ensure some airflow around the fridge. It doesn't have bluetooth control, but for my use case I didn't care.

And no - I obviously don't have a spare. I have a plug kit which for me represents the most likely tire failure (and by carrying it with me I'm hoping I'll never need it). If anyone is looking for a fridge/freezer unit that sits nicely in the subtrunk - this is it. And the $166 price didn't hurt too much either...

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[Rivianero]

That's a really nice pack-out for the frunk. Looks absolutely pro! Amazed everything fits so well. (Oddly appealing to my Tetris-trained brain.)

Based on another post, we ended up with this fridge from Amazon (now on sale for <$100).
https://a.co/d/05iY9x7b
Fits well in the frunk or in the bed under PTC and plugs right in with either 12vdc or 110vac.
Does not look nearly as nice as the BougeRV you found, but I can vouch that it has worked for us since October, including about 7 weeks of camping, a month as the only fridge living on our sailboat, and about 3700 miles on the road.

We have similar emergency gear and a bugout bag in the sub-frunk on my R1T. The gear tunnel doors fit Rivian inflator and first aid kits, and room in the wheel well for tire changing stuff, but somehow our frunk gets just as filled up.

Find we use our fridge more in the bed of the truck. We can get to it just as easily. It plugs in to AC power there and we can cycle it on/off with the outlet control as needed. Don't have to worry if there is ever condensation or inevitable spills. It has plenty of air for ventilation. Keeps the frunk free as a clean storage place.

If we had an R1S, I imagine we would want the fridge somewhere inside the vehicle for handy cold drinks on the road, but maybe im missing something.

Admire your setup.

 

[KBabione]

I actually have a very similar 10QT model - the Vevor - that I use to keep my beverage ice frozen when we're tailgating. I make "big boy ice" (large cubes) and this small cooler works perfectly and doesn't take up much space on the beverage table.

My goal with the Subtrunk fridge/freezer was to get the biggest one I could find that still fit in the space. This does it for me.

 

[SlaterGS]

I have practically the identical setup and have been running it for about 3 years. You'll love it!

Might I suggest looking into this Cargo Floor Riser from @RWerksman and @Kelvn to help with some of the heat if you still want to be able to use the cover and use it for extended periods of time: https://opensourceev.com/products/cargo-floor-riser

The fridge gets to temp quickly, which is great, but if you put the floor cover on and don't vent it, then you've created a hotbox that makes it work harder and ultimately it will not stay cool properly or you'll have premature failure of the unit.

 

[KBabione]

Thanks - I've got the risers as well - they're lost in the photo of all of the other crap I keep in the subtrunk, but they're easily accessible. I wasn't sure if turning the floor cover into a ramp would give enough ventilation or not, but I'll probably go with the "full flat" design that the risers give me.

 

[tivoboy]

Just A note, and it seems like you’ve possibly thought of this, but these things produce a LOT of heat. It’s not really a fire risk, but the best operating environment for these types of units want them to have ventilation to preserve function and lifespan. They can shut off or fail if they sense that there isn’t enough airflow around them.

The enclosed tight placement will certainly reduce the efficiency that the unit can operate at, most likely keeping the compressor running constantly, and depending on ambient temp in the under trunk space, the temp could shut off the unit prematurely. And then there is just lifespan due to both of these.

JAT.

 

[windblowlc]

I have the exact cooler but it won’t fit in my sub trunk. Music sounds way better though

 

[KBabione]

Just A note, and it seems like you’ve possibly thought of this, but these things produce a LOT of heat. It’s not really a fire risk, but the best operating environment for these types of units want them to have ventilation to preserve function and lifespan. They can shut off or fail if they sense that there isn’t enough airflow around them.

The enclosed tight placement will certainly reduce the efficiency that the unit can operate at, most likely keeping the compressor running constantly, and depending on ambient temp in the under trunk space, the temp could shut off the unit prematurely. And then there is just lifespan due to both of these.

JAT.

Thanks - I've had that thought as well. The first time I use it I'm going to move my Blue Maestro Disc Mini Temp from the frunk to the subtrunk to check the temperature there (it connects to my phone via BT). The other thing I can do is to move the fridge up into the open in the trunk - the biggest advantage to me of keeping it in the subtrunk is that I have it with me for those unexpected times that I need it. I'll update this thread after using it for a couple hours and monitoring the temperature in the subtrunk.

 

[tivoboy]

Thanks - I've had that thought as well. The first time I use it I'm going to move my Blue Maestro Disc Mini Temp from the frunk to the subtrunk to check the temperature there (it connects to my phone via BT). The other thing I can do is to move the fridge up into the open in the trunk - the biggest advantage to me of keeping it in the subtrunk is that I have it with me for those unexpected times that I need it. I'll update this thread after using it for a couple hours and monitoring the temperature in the subtrunk.

That would be great. i've been looking at these units, having gone from a traditional plug in Coleman (which frankly worked great on a coast to coast, but requires constant power and won't freeze) to an actual compressor model.. most units have a 120-130 degree safety shutoff - operating window.

btw. I'm ordering that mini temp.. that looks like a neat tool/toy

 

[KBabione]

btw. I'm ordering that mini temp.. that looks like a neat tool/toy

I bought the mini temp to keep in the frunk because I was worried about what I should and should not travel with in there. The disc works great - just sync it to your phone and you can download the history any time you want.

 

[Tony R1S]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. I think I have this exact same fridge (23qt., but under different brand name). I was worried about adequate ventilation so I didn't bother to try this. It's wild that it fits so well.

 

[mkennedy009]

I was wondering if there was heat buildup. Seems it is not that bad.

 

[KBabione]

It's wild that it fits so well.

It really fits like it was made for the R1S...

 

[Muir]

I have this same fridge for our R1T. We keep it in the truck bed on trips due to need for plug in location but it works very well and we love not needing ice cooler. It sits in our garage as a beer cooler when not on trips.

 

[docwhiz]

I actually have a very similar 10QT model - the Vevor - that I use to keep my beverage ice frozen when we're tailgating. I make "big boy ice" (large cubes) and this small cooler works perfectly and doesn't take up much space on the beverage table.

My goal with the Subtrunk fridge/freezer was to get the biggest one I could find that still fit in the space. This does it for me.

Have you found any problems with lack of ventillation?

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