Goose Gear Plate System and Dometic Fridge Slide for Jeep JLU Install & Review

Goose Gear Plate System and Dometic Fridge Slide for Jeep JLU – Full Step by Step Installation, Review Overview

If you’ve looked into upgrading your storage game or have considered mounting a fridge and fridge slide in the back of your Jeep JL or JLU, you will have seen a plethora of options on the market. And if you’re like me, you would have considered taking a hack saw to some plywood and making a new cargo platform yourself. I even gave it a try and was nowhere near happy with what I came up with using my amateur woodworking skills.

Gear organization is key and it all starts with a solid platform from which to mount gear and accessories – enter the Goose Gear JLU Plate System. Goose Gear offers a wide array of high-end vehicle storage solutions with unmatched attention to detail. Their options include cut-to-fit base plates, storage drawers, and even sleeping platforms for the JL, JLU, and other vehicles. Their products are bedlined for a durable, long-lasting finish. While not cheap, their products are some of the best available on the market today.

For this install, I chose the Goose Gear Plate System for JLU, Dometic CFX3 45 Fridge and Dometic CFX3 Fridge Slide. This setup will provide a solid mounting platform so the fridge and other gear remains properly mounted during high-speed off-road driving.

This post will walk you through a step-by-step installation of these components.

Note: the CFX3 45 is the largest fridge with fridge slide you can fit in the back of a Jeep JLU oriented front to back on the drivers side. Larger fridges may fit on the passenger side where there are a few more inches of depth or oriented from left to right.

Find It Online

• Goose Gear Plate System JLU: Check Price
• Dometic CFX3 45: Check Price
• Dometic CFX3 35/45 Slide: Check Price

Other products shown in these photos:

• Vector Offroad Highland Platform: Check Price
• Outback Adventures Trailgater Table: Check Price

Tools & Materials

• 11mm Socket
• 5mm Allen – double check
• T40 Torx – double check
• Drill
• 5/16” Drill Bit
• Hammer or Mallet
• Sharpie or Paint Pen
• 11mm Bolts and Nutserts (Goose Gear will provide these upon request)

Step 1. Remove factory flooring and tie-down points

Start by removing the factory trunk flooring. Lift and slide the center carpet section out, then pop open the d-ring covers with a flat head screwdriver and remove the bolts with a T40 torx. Remove the d-rings and carpet from both sides of the trunk.

Step 2. Install Goose Gear Base Plate

Place the Goose Gear Base Plate into the trunk area of the Jeep. If you are installing a fridge slide, install 4 of the 6 bolts to properly locate the base plate. If you are not installing a fridge slide, install all 6 included mounting bolts. Tighten the bolts with a 5mm allen. Do not overtighten.

Note: If you have a leather interior you will have to remove the carpet flap between the trunk area and the rear seats. This can be done with the removal of three nuts on the rear of the seat brackets.

Step 3. Determine fridge slide location

Fold your rear seats up, and place your fridge slide and fridge onto the Goose Gear Base Plate. Determine where the fridge and slide need to be so that there is no interference between these components and the rear seats or tailgate.

Using a sharpie or paint pen, mark where the mounting holes will need to be drilled on the Goose Gear Base Plate.

Note: if using the dometic slide some trimming of the small metal tabs that extend past the end of the slide may be required for clearance at the tailgate.

Step 4. Drill holes and install nutserts

Remove your fridge, slide and the Goose Gear Base Plate. Using a 5/16” drill bit, drill holes through the front of the Base Plate in all of the fridge slide mounting locations that you marked in the previous step. Take care not to drill through areas where the Base Plate is reinforced on the back side with a double layer of plywood.

Flip the Base Plate over and hammer in the included nutserts from the back. Make sure they go in straight so that your bolts do not end up crooked during final installation.

Step 5. Final installation

Install the fridge slide onto the Goose Gear Base plate using the provided 11mm bolts. Then, reinstall the Goose Gear Base Plate into the vehicle. Take care not to overtighten any of the fasteners – we’re dealing with wood here!

Finally, install the jack storage area cover (not shown).

Final Thoughts

The Goose Gear Plate System is a very high quality addition to any overland build. It is now providing a durable mounting point for all my gear while retaining access to the under-floor storage cubby.

Having a fridge in your vehicle has many benefits and I am happy to report that this setup works perfectly in a Jeep JL. The Dometic CFX3 45 fits well in the back of a JLU and maximizes both the amount of fridge capacity and trunk storage space. The Dometic fridge slide is designed around the CFX3 and fits the fridge like a glove. I highly recommend this combination and hope to enjoy this setup for many years to come.