My Rolling Kegerator - 235 HP, 4WD, Seats 5

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shortyjacobs

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So I wanted to make a mobile kegorator, but had limited funds and one careful stipulation: I had to be able to transport the kegerator while either full or empty. See, me and my friends go camping, and I wanted to be able to drink beer at the campground, then transport the kegerator to the lake to continue to drink. I don't have a pickup, so vertical clearance was going to be an issue. Here was my solution:

First, I got a free chest freezer off of Craigslist. It didn't work. I didn't care. I wanted one that stood tall and skinny, but I got one shaped like a coffin instead:

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I flipped it on it's side, thusly, to more accomodate items of a keg-like nature:

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Then, I hacked off the entire bottom, (which housed the compressor). This freezer didn't have a compressor hump, the whole compressor was housed in a "false bottom" under the chest freezer part. This made it very easy to remove. The freezer was too (tall originally) deep...it could hold FOUR kegs sitting on it's side. So, the sawzall got a workout, and I made it less deep by removing the lid, then hacking off about 10" of chest. I also cut the (side) new top off to make a new lid. The red lines show where I cut, blue lines are the bits I threw away:

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The lid was filled with fiberglass insulation. I ripped this out, replaced with pink styrofoam, and glued what was the lid back onto the chest. I used a lot of spray foam (Great Stuff), and then some metal strapping and sheet metal screws to hold it on.

rsxhc.jpg


What was the side, and what was now my lid, was reattached using the same hinges that were originally on it. I used some big thick black tape to seal up the thing, and installed my taps, (you can see the metal strapping and sheet metal screws here too)

YIDax.jpg


Baby got back, (you are looking at what used to be the bottom of the chest freezer). The side opening lid makes it really easy to load in kegs.:

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The inside, (note the prolific use of caulking):

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For gas, I didn't want to buy another reg...but these quick disconnect air compressor fittings allow me to use my current reg. I just shut off the gas to the kegs, then remove the reg:

CzWmu.jpg


The two kegs, CO2, and reg fit nicely:

zxXAN.jpg


I bought some 2" square steel tube, 1" angle iron, and a case of Miller Genuine Draft. I traded the beer to my neighbor to weld me this, (he ONLY drinks MGD):

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The hitch mount goes into my hitch receiver, the kegerator gets strapped on top. This way I can transport it, even full of beer and ice!!! Note that the hatch window can still open!

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So there you have it, my 235 HP, 4WD, 2-tap kegerator that seats 5:

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On my trial weekend, it kept 2 kegs of beer, (which were somewhat warm before I iced them down), ice cold for about 36 hrs, (when we cashed them). The ice then lasted through the next 36 hrs and many cases of storebought....I used about 30 lb ice. It holds cold GREAT.

:ban: :tank: :rockin: :mug:
 
wow...i mean, thats a nice truck, with that thing on the back. it looks like you put alot of work into that thing...but I'm not sure why. Don't get me wrong I love to tinker more then the next guy, but you really blew the ratios even for a tinkering DIY guy.
 
wow...i mean, thats a nice truck, with that thing on the back. it looks like you put alot of work into that thing...but I'm not sure why. Don't get me wrong I love to tinker more then the next guy, but you really blew the ratios even for a tinkering DIY guy.

haha, the "Why" was so we could take it camping. I have no shots of it at the campground, but here it is by the boathouses by the lake, (Guinness towel is mine!) First day the weather was OK:

KnhC4.jpg


Second day, it was storming intermittently, so instead of trying to take the kegerator off of the truck, we set up my kitchen tent and improvised:

sqxFk.jpg



Edit: Plus, I was really curious to see what it would be like to carve up a chest freezer like a turkey using a sawzall!
 
Also, cost breakdown:

Chest freezer - Free
Taps/etc - already had, (one still a picnic tap)
great stuff foam - $4
caulk - $4
pink styrofoam - $9
handles on sides - $8
gas QDs - $8
2" square steel tube (3/16" thick) - $15
1" angle iron (1/8" thick) - $6 (I think, can't remember)
misc screws/strapping/tape/etc. - already had
1 case MGD - $18
poly tube (20' 3/16" thin wall home depot crap) - $3

Total - $57 not including beer, $75 including MGD.
 
It's definity a great camping setup. My camping setup is 1 3g keg in a igloo cooler with faucet. The funny part is the look of it strapped to your jeep. :D
 
Also, cost breakdown:

Chest freezer - Free
Taps/etc - already had, (one still a picnic tap)
great stuff foam - $4
caulk - $4
pink styrofoam - $9
handles on sides - $8
gas QDs - $8
2" square steel tube (3/16" thick) - $15
1" angle iron (1/8" thick) - $6 (I think, can't remember)
misc screws/strapping/tape/etc. - already had
1 case MGD - $18
poly tube (20' 3/16" thin wall home depot crap) - $3

Total - $57 not including beer, $75 including MGD.

Pouring a beer for the cop that pulls you over - priceless.:D

I love the ingenuity of it. I know someone that got a small camper for free on craigslist that he gutted and made into a giant kegerator for tailgating at football games. Your idea is much easier to maneuver, and takes up less space at the camp site. I would imagine that if the guy with the camper/kegerator took it camping, he'd have to get two sites.
 
It's definity a great camping setup. My camping setup is 1 3g keg in a igloo cooler with faucet. The funny part is the look of it strapped to your jeep. :D

lol, yeah, I kind of went big with this. Reason was, we do this big camping trip with my buddies from Milwaukee every year. One of them is a homebrewer like myself. This year we decided we each wanted to bring up a keg of our beer to serve. I decided to make the kegerator for us, (his keg got the picnic tap, mine got the faucet :D). It worked very well!!!

We have a big BBQ in a few weeks at a friend's house up here. I plan on bringing 2 of my kegs to that one. My wife, who is currently my pregnant DD, was complaining last night, "You mean I have to drive through town with THAT strapped to the back of my truck??". She wasn't as concerned about looks 3.5 hours away in the Wisconsin boonies, but here in the big city she's a bit embarassed....oh well. If I have enough energy, I plan on primering and painting it, as well as grinding and painting the hitch mount, so it looks a bit less ghetto. Also need another cheapie faucet and shank...
 
That's the new definition of ghetto fabulous. I like it.

P.S. Would it kill you to spend another $4 on a can of paint?:D
 
Awesome. It may look like a little piece of the trailer park hanging off your hitch but we know different.

Also my big takeaway from this is that there is a perfectly good welder out there that will only drink MGD. Most disgusting beer on earth
 
That is awesome! Spray it with a can of flat black and that would look like the sh#t!

I also use a screen tent as a kitchen for camping ;)
 
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