Custom Strap Handles for the Dometic Refrigerator

My apologies if anyone has already posted about this. I didn't see anything in several pages of search results, so here goes.

We are full timing and that means our Dometic goes in and out of the galley a LOT. It has always been a little tenuous lifting it out by the small lips below where the factory handle is installed. Add Florida heat and humidity causing more condensation to form on the outside of the cooler and the problem is amplified. It looked to us like a disaster waiting to happen.

So we visited REI yesterday and bought 2 feet of nylon web strapping, then we stopped at Lowes to get four 6MM Phillips-head bolts and four wide fender washers.



I folded about 1" at each end of the strapping and sewed that in place. Then I used the awl on my Swiss Army knife to puncture a hole through both layers of the webbing. Next I used some needle nose scissors to enlarge the hole enough for the bolt to pass thru. I then install the completed assembly as shown in the picture above.

After the first use it was clear that this was something I should have done a LONG time ago. It works great, saves my back and makes life just a bit simpler...

 

I did a similar thing, but used hollow webbing. I made a couple of lengths of wood dowel, rounded the ends and inserted inside the hollow webbing before attaching to the cooler. The solid parts of the handle make it a bit easier to hold.

 

Yeah, I think the 2" web strapping eliminates the need for adding the dowels. The straps are super strong and very soft, so they are very comfortable to use, though it is important to leave sufficient room to get your hands between the strap and the Dometic. I would think the dowels would mean you'd have to be careful lining up the Dometic for storage, at least if you are using one of the hockey sticks fashioned by Camp Inn (to assure correct ventilation of the Dometic). In that case, the stove side could be a tight fit, though it isn't an issue with these straps.

We opted for the soft 2" web strapping used for climbing vs. cheaper, harder and narrower strapping typically used for gear straps. Those would likely be a bit harder on your hands.

 

Nice improvement.

One thing I might do is put the washers in between the two layers of strapping, so you don't see the washers.

But that's a nitpick.

I might also use a bit more fabric, to make it easier for bigger hands to grab the new handles/straps.

-Al

 

There are certainly many possible variations on this theme, and many ways that it would work effectively. It is not necessary to use large fender washers - standard washer would work nearly as well.

Ideally, I would have melted a hole in the strap to get the bolt through (I probably would have used a soldering iron for this purpose), but we're on the road and opted for a simpler approach. By gauging the hole through the straps, there are some loose strands that could unravel. In time that could result in a potential failure, but I think the fender washers make that very unlikely (and I think climbing strapping is designed so that a few unraveled strands won't cause a catastrophic failure). It may look a bit "Jethro" with the fender washers, but I'd prefer to error on the side of being too conservative with something that cost as much to replace as the Dometic.

For anyone that wants more room for their hands, I suspect it is not really necessary to double the fabric as I did, particularly if you can melt the bolt hole. But with our installation, when the strap is arced away from the Dometic there is about 2" of space at the apex. That would allow for hands much larger than mine. This strapping is very pliant, so adding more fabric shouldn't be a problem. If you used a stiffer strap, then you might need to consider whether a longer strap might make it more difficult to stow the Dometic.

 

Steve and Alea - don't get me wrong, my comment was only a nitpick.

Plus, you can still put the washer between the fabric layers, if you like. (and you can still melt those loose fibers, if you think it's needed)

I am guessing that despite our sweet-looking trailer and even the coolest looking tow vehicle, our campsites all have a bit of "Jethro"

 

I didn't misunderstand you comment. It's a good point, but it is worth considering if there are any trade offs to alternative designs. I over-designed our straps, not wanting to test where lighter materials might reach a failure point. And I'm glad that I did - these wide straps are very easy on us, especially Alea, who has some arthritis in her joints.

I like things that are somewhat home grown (some might use the term organic). It personalizes things, and most such items have a story behind them, so they can be great conversation starters.

I don't have any idea how many CI owners have Dometics, but if Camp Inn were to offer a spiffy design of these handles that isn't needlessly over-engineered, it would likely be well received by those who do have them (and who haven't yet made their own).

 

I rethought AlCat's suggestion. I kept the large fender washers on the outside, but I added an aluminum bar on each end of the strap, inside where I had folded/doubled the strap for extra strength. It has the effect of distributing the load over a much greater area of the strap. That should keep the strapping from warping over time, and make failure a near impossibility.

Attached are the revised strap handle assembly, a picture of the aluminum bar used for the project, and a picture of one piece of bar after drilling.

 

Hi All!

I decided I had to see how easy it is to upload a photo on the new forum. On the old forum I'd have to use Pixlr to resize the photos taken by my smart phone, which created a significant disincentive to sharing photos.

Our strap handles have evolved a bit, so I thought I'd share. I finally jettisoned the fender washers (they made the bolt heads stick out a bit too far). I also flipped the strap over, so that the folded-over part is on the outside. There was too much stress on the stitching when assembled in the reverse order. I also stitched completely around the aluminum bars, as it just looks a bit more finished. The roughly 15 degree angle of the handle ends is intentional, as it spreads the weight load more evenly across the strap, which makes the straps more comfortable to hold.



The process for uploading this image was nominally better than on the old forum. I had hoped I could add it by simply clicking on the photo button in the toolbar, but that wants a URL. I clicked on the Camera button, which prompted me to create an album, to which I could upload the file (up to 10 mb in size). Once that was done, supposedly I could use the media button to add the image, but it created some HTML code that didn't display as an image in this thread. So I went to the Media tab and opened my album, and then opened the image. I copy and pasted the Share Image link, and Voila!, the photo above. I also had tried the "Upload a File" button at the bottom of the Reply to Thread page. It stated that my +/- 4 mb file was too large to upload.

So it appears the process for adding photos hasn't improved all that much, though not having to resize my photos in Pixlr is a considerable improvement.

 

I suggest reducing the resolution of your photos even more, down to about 800 x 600. The resolution isn't really needed for seeing your efforts, and when viewing on a phone, the large picture makes the text very small.

 

I had tried finding where on my phone I could set the resolution, but to no avail (it is probably in there somewhere, buried in a non-intuitive part of the settings menu). I don't plan to try again any time soon, but some day I'll have nothing to do and give it another shot.

 

On my Android phone I use the app Photo & Picture Resizer". Pretty simple to use. There is probably an iPhone equivalent.

 

I did something similar with ours, however, I took a length of rubber hose, folded the strap over it and sewed it inside. This way I have a nice cushy handle.

 

If you want a no fuss, no muss, basic solution, buy these car straps and screw them on. Been using this for 5 years now and works great.

Seattle Sports Hood Loops - REI.com

 

Below is a picture of my frig. I do not use the handle, just hook my thumbs through the first strap and grab the other one and lift. This is the non-handy, don't have the tools solution.

 

I've used these as replacement handles on a number of items. Strong, comfortable, and cheap. They are designed as the bow handle for kayaks.
https://www.amazon.com/Yak-Gear-HAN...qid=1477849145&sr=8-2&keywords=Yak-Gear+Kayak

 

I like those. Wonder if the fridge would still fit in the galley with them installed?

 

If the picture above fits, then this should. They are probably 3/4" to 1" thick. I don't have this fridge, so not familiar with the space allowance.

 

According to the Q/A beneath the reviews, one person said the Yak Gear HAND Handle Kit fits 6" from bolt to bolt.
Another response was that the handles can be squeezed or stretched (within reason) to fit so an exact measurement is not necessary.

I'd be willing to try the kit. Otherwise, I like Joan's solution as it appears sure and easy to do.