additional fridge / cooler advice for a newbie plus a tip

SistaB

Hello

I will be ordering my T@B in October. I have had a search on the forum but am not really finding the answers I am looking for.  

Additional Fridge Freezer  - for those of you that have them, I am assuming they live in the TV? If so how do you power them when the TV is not in use? Is this an extension cord through a cracked window job? Also where is the best place to store coolers? I have a small Pelican that I would like to use.

Extending cooler ice life,  if this is of interest to anyone,  I do have a much cheaper Igloo 5 day cooler and I made a liner and lid  for it with that silver bubble wrap, it made such a difference, it still had ice at 5 days and while greatly reduced at 7 to 8 days my cans were very cold, I tested when our weather hit the 80s.

I noted the chat on free coolers and ice packs. You local pharmacy and your hospitals pharmacy have meds delivered using high quality ice packs. If asked they may give them away, it cant hurt to ask. Just a thought.

Any  advice gratefully received.

Thank you in advance.   Louise

irvingj

Yes, medical styrofoam (high-density) boxes can work well. Also, if you know anyone who gets Omaha Steaks or similar by mail, their boxes are also very thick (about 4" thick high-density styrofoam) with tight-fitting lids. I gave the ones my Mom had to the science department at the school where I used to work- they use them to store dry ice for experiments. The dry ice will last for several days in those boxes.

Probably the most expensive additional fridge is one of the 12V models by Engel, which use what's called a "swing compressor," a very clever invention by a Japanese man. They use surprisingly little electricity --about 1.5amps @ 12VDC on average-- and work well-- but they're wicked expensive, around $800 or so. The average car battery can easily handle them overnight without leaving a no-start situation in the morning.

jkjenn

A number of T@b owners use the ARB fridges in their TVS. They are generally deemed to be the best in terms of quality and efficiency, but of course not cheap. I may eventually get an ARB, but would rather avoid, "one more thing" taking up space.

SistaB

I already have an IndelB . I found this link helpful when making my choice. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/70116-Indel-B-Travel-Box-Fridge-Test-and-Comparison

I wanted a balance of quality and price. I did not want to spend $800. Also I discovered that IndelB make for other brands such as Truckfridge. I think mine was around $450 to $500.