When building out the Hiker Trailer Extreme Offroad, where does everyone recommend putting a freezer/refrigerator? My initial preference was to put it in the galley area with a slide out, if possible, but Andrew from Hiker Trailer said he didn't recommend it for fear of leaking right into the cabin. He actually had a horror story of large amounts of blood flowing into the cabin after a hunt (visions of Carrie in the cabin!).
Having said that, putting an Engel 45 quart on the front is kinda ugly (imho) and seems like a great way to either get your fridge stolen or at least your food. What does your experience suggest?
I am a complete noob to overlanding, but now that I've decided to go with Hiker Trailer (and been inspired by First State Overland's build), I'm trying to figure everything out so I can place my order.
Being honest, the only fridge / freezer I have direct experience with is ARB, owning 2. They are sealed and there's a plug in the bottom for easy cleaning when necessary. I don't know if Engel's have the same plug or not, but I would guess something similar exists. A good fridge should be complete sealed so that leaking problem shouldn't exist. It is the first I've heard of it - ever. Worst case scenario, put a piece of duct tape over the drain hole.
That said, if you can spare the galley space, I'd put it there. Down the road, if I redesign our galley, I think I would create a dual slide (think rails) and I'd make it so it would slide out of the back of the galley, and also side inward toward the cabin so you can grab stuff out of it in the middle of the night if you want. You'd have to cut the galley wall of course, but if I were designing it with Hiker, I might want to go that route. We are using that space for power and water so it's not an option.
The front is also a fine place, but I would have to make a secure box for it. Here are some photos from other owners showing some options. Once you put a deposit down, you are open to join the Facebook owners page where there's a wealth of photos and builds to inspire you.
This one looks to be an offroad that sacrificed cabin space for extra galley space.
This is one of my favorite front installs. Custom box with slider. Completely secure.