No Slide out Shelf for Yeti Coolers in the 2021 TAGs

daveandcorlene

Unfortunately, the 2021 TAGs do not have a slide out shelf for the Yeti Coolers. Do you have any suggestions to make it easier to get at the cooler. The cooler orientation has also changed by 90 degrees. There is a few inches of clearance between the top of the cooler and the bottom of the countertop. Thank you in advance for your assistance, Dave and Corlene

Michigan_Mike

I watched their video and agree, there isn’t a lot of room. I don’t know the dimensions and don’t know if a slide bracket could somehow be retrofitted at the bottom to allow a slide out style shelf? Either that or a smaller 12V cooler could be utilized to replace the Yeti?

https://youtu.be/Ziz1yfClAzQ

HikinMike

Seems like nuCamp has been taking some steps backward with the T@G the past two years. There are several strings in this forum where owners have discussed Yeti cooler options. I hope you find the one which works best for you.

82Aircooled

We pulled the Yeti out and travel with it in the Subaru. We use the Cooler space for a bucket with all our "dry" goods and with a pair of friction rods with a tray on top for a shelf above the storage. We also pulled the microwave out, we are seldom anywhere near a spot with power so we have tons of storage in the galley.

sylvesterii

@82Aircooled said:
We pulled the Yeti out and travel with it in the Subaru. We use the Cooler space for a bucket with all our "dry" goods and with a pair of friction rods with a tray on top for a shelf above the storage. We also pulled the microwave out, we are seldom anywhere near a spot with power so we have tons of storage in the galley.

We do similar. we strapped the Yeti to the front platform, and use the space to store our dry food. We were always just pulling it out anyways. Might build some shelving into that space.

JamesDow

I still fail to understand the logic of Nucamp of removing the 12v cooler and replacing it with a Yeti that is not capable of sliding out.

daveandcorlene

Thank you all for your replies. I may also consider building a slide out drawer with heavy duty full extension sliders that lock:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D72JWKR/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=ASVZZH67VMSS&psc=1

rich67

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/8415#Comment_8415

And with a cooler that requires ice. The whole plus of the 12v cooler and the solar option is so you don’t need to go run and get ice when you’re Boondocking. I am glad I bought my T@g when it still came with the Norcold.

Id look into devising my own method of using a 12v fridge in the space. Amazon sells some for a very reasonable price. I picked this one up to supplement our Norcold, and it was only 300 bucks. Works amazing.

Some people have even modified the counter area and installed a larger RV fridge there that runs off 12v, and opens in the front. Eliminates the need for a slide drawer.

mgreen2

They also reduced the fresh water tank from 11 to 8 gallons to allow space for the cooler turned sideways. Costco sells the Massimo and has had it on sale for $250.

daveandcorlene

Thank you for your recommendation about the Massimo! The 105 watt solar package needs to be put to work for more than just the fan, audio system, water pump, and lights!

PatsyC

@rich67 said:
Id look into devising my own method of using a 12v fridge in the space. Amazon sells some for a very reasonable price. I picked this one up to supplement our Norcold, and it was only 300 bucks. Works amazing.
(Image) Some people have even modified the counter area and installed a larger RV fridge there that runs off 12v, and opens in the front. Eliminates the need for a slide drawer.

We bought a 2021 T@G XL Boondock in June and are trying to figure out how to put in a fridge. For anyone who has modified the counter area and installed a larger fridge as stated above, what mods did you make and what brand/size fridge that opens in the front did you find that fit? Our T@G has a box in the top of the back of the opening (see photo below) that makes it difficult to fit anything other than a very small fridge, and we'd like something larger. Also, did you install a 12V plug and vent? Thanks much!

DinOregon

Just a general note -- this very morning I finished a pretty thorough rebuild on the cooler slideout in our 2019 T@G. Every screw holding the frame together had either worked loose or wallered out the wood so badly it no longer held. In the rebuild I was liberal with wood and waterproof glue, extra screws, and I replaced some existing screws with slightly longer ones. I hope this holds.

But it may be that Nucamp has gotten complaints about busted cooler trays, and decided the weight of a cooler filled with drinks and ice jolting along on a slide-out tray required more engineering than they felt comfortable with.

We'll look into an electric cooler, though, and a solar panel. Maybe next season.

daveandcorlene

Thank you for sharing. Please post photos of your upgraded rebuild.

Sharon_is_SAM

Southern California Teardrops makes a really nice aluminum slide that we used in our TaB galley to support an ARB.

https://www.socalteardrops.com/parts.php?cid=9&pid=77

https://www.socalteardrops.com/

DinOregon

@ Dave: On my slide-out fix, there's not much to show. I added two new screws to hold the wooden top frame more securely to the tray, and two more to fasten the front trim piece more tightly to the bottom of the tray. The screws which hold the metal slider to the sides of the tray has all worked out their holes; I put in slightly larger screws and globbed each with wood glue in hopes of reinforcing their hold on the wood. I also put some Gorilla Glue in between the metal slide and the wooden side of the tray before tightening down the side screws. The metal pull-handle on the front had come loose, so locktite on the two bolts before I tightened it back down. The joints between the inner front and the wooden sides of the tray had opened up; I glued those joints as well before I screwed things down. I didn't glue the top frame down, the one with the cutout to fit the cooler, because I kind of anticipate that I may have to pull it off again if the tray needs more work.

daveandcorlene

Thank you DinOregon for the detailed description and photograph. I can certainly see how you have reinforced the slide out cooler drawer. Most grateful, Dave

PatsyC

Jim (hubby) just finished a slide out shelf for our 2021 T@G Boondock XL. After taking the feet off the Yeti, it fits and works like a charm. Still looking for a fridge/freezer we like that will fit. But this is a huge improvement for the Yeti!

daveandcorlene

Hi Patsy, Jim did a fantastic job with the slide out shelf! Great pictures. Thank you for sharing. An awesome option for the Yeti.

mbernstein

Love your modification. Our 2021 T@G is now 1 day old (picked up in Atlanta yesterday). Would you be willing to share the plans for the shelf? We’d appreciate it.

Maryann and Jack

PatsyC

Maryann and Jack: Jim doesn't work from plans--he's pretty handy. He took a tray that we used for our daughter's wedding table numbers that I bought at Homegoods, which was lying around in our garage. He cut it to size (15 3/4" X 24"). The tray has 1/2" thick sidewalls, sides, front, and back. The base is 1/2" thick. He made the tray one inch smaller than the width of the opening, which was 16 3/4". He used 20" sidemount drawer slides, soft close, which he bought at Lowe's. To fit the Yeti, you have to take the feet off or take the flooring out from the cubbyhole and cut 1/2" off the supports from the top of the supports.
After you put the floor back in, mount the drawer slides all the way to the floor in the back. Then he used a 3/4" board to raise the slides as you go to the front.
The end of the slides should be flush end of the cubby. (You have to elevate the slides to clear the curve of the Tag floor and the latch bracket.). Then attach the drawer to the installed slides. He left a 1/2" from the drawer slide attachment to the base.

I hope this helps. The photos above should show you the way he installed the slides. The way the flooring curves up near the hatch and the placement of the bracket was a challenge!

daveandcorlene

Thank you Patsy for providing additional instructions on your shelf mod. That is very helpful.

PatsyC

We just came back from a three-day trip. We're doing short local test runs before doing a 2-week trip north later this fall. The slide shelf was a huge improvement over having to constantly pull out the Yeti and put it on the ground then lift back in. We just ordered an ICECO JP30 fridge last night, which will fit in our shelf. Next step, getting vent and plug parts/info from NuCamp!

jackmbernstein

@PatsyC We have been looking at putting in a built-in front door fridge and redoing the cabinet. Your shelf/iceco seems like a much better option. The dimensions seem fine. The question I have is tapping in to 12v power. I’ve looked behind the paneling and their are lots of audio cables and some well labeled 12V wires. I am not sure how to run the fridge power line to the Power Center; I have a query out to nuCamp about this. You mentioned plug and vent parts. Why do you need them?

Thanks for the generosity of your time in answering these questions.

Maryann and Jack

PatsyC

We are still working out tapping into 12V power. One idea is to run the cord through a hole drilled into the counter to the 12V plug that is already there. The other to put a new plug in. Our dealer told us to make sure we vent the fridge so that's also a work in progress.

jackmbernstein

@PatsyC, we received the following from NuCamp,
“You are correct that you cannot add a new wire (to the power center). You can tap into existing wiring for these 2 items. For the fridge you will want to tap into the Orange and White wire. This is a 14 gauge wire. For the TV you will want to tap into the Black and White wire. This is a 16 gauge wire.”

The board at the back of the cubby hole may be removed (once all screws are out). Once out, you’ll find all the wiring, including audio cables. I identified the orange and white wires and saw how nuCamp attached 12v devices (with a splice connector) to the wires.

There will be head room for the fridge. Not sure why venting is needed,

jackmbernstein

@PatsyC , once you get your Iceco, let me know how it fits. I have concerns about the lid hitting the galley door when closed.

PatsyC

Just got it yesterday. It fits. Only one adjustment needs to be made: The way it is placed in the photos, we have to cut a notch in the front panel of the slide tray for the plug. Or we can turn it around and notch the back. It depends on where we decide to plug it in, and how we decide to vent it. But that can be done. See photos.

daveandcorlene

AMAZING! So glad it fits.

jackmbernstein

@PatsyC Way to go!! Guess we can safely order the Iceco!

jackmbernstein

@PatsyC The Iceco arrives tomorrow! We are having a local cabinet shop build the sliding shelf. I have removed the shelf base upon which the Yeti Tundra sat. No reason to keep it if a sliding shelf is going in. This afternoon I wire in a 12V outlet into the ‘cubby hole’.

PatsyC

Where are you wiring in the outlet? We have not done this yet, but are thinking of drilling a hole in the counter and using the existing plug.