Refrigeration in Transit/Camp

4ncar

Besides what could be put into the fridge, how are you guys handling keeping other items cool in transit, and or while in camp?  Obviously an additional cooler, but we know ice melts and then your block of cheese ends up swimming!! I tried dry ice, but it too on,y lasts so long, and then one needs to get more, which could be a challenge OTR.  Any other ideas?

Phil

ericnliz

I use gallon jugs of frozen water in my coolers. Works good, and when I need more ice....I probably need more beer to boot! It's called multi-tasking.

ScottG

We pack two tall but narrow containers of ice cubes. Once camp is set up and the shadows are under the table, the cubes are ritually sacrificed to the camping spirits.  ;-)

Homebodyatheart

@ScottG, I've got an Igloo ice maker for just such an occasion, and am the ice maker for my gals camping group.

@4ncar I have a rubbermaid half gallon container and lid that I freeze water in and keep in my Tab fridge to keep it cold when I travel, or just because. I also don't camp for long periods of time, which would make a difference. If I use my ice chest I put things in ziplocs, or smaller items in plastic containers to prevent floating and soggy foods. This works well for me. Good luck!

4ncar

Thanks all, this far! My longest trip thus far has been 5 days. This is when I used dry ice to supplement.  My next trip will be at least 7 with road time, and this summer will be a month or more, so I would be interested to hear from anyone who has been a “road warrior!”  The frozen jug is a good idea, however what I need are solutions for once the jug has melted!

jkjenn

ARB fridge. Low power draw, can use to keep groceries cool while transporting back to the campsite.

Mouseketab

I use the fridge in my clamshell for food, and then use a cooler for softdrinks/wine. My vehicle keeps the fridge running while driving, then the campground power keeps it running while camping.

ScottG

Oh yeah, @Homebodyatheart, I've eyeballed your ice maker with great envy. Problem is, campsites with shore power are hard to find in my neck of the woods outside of those RV parking lots people are carping about in another recent thread.

And if I did have to park in one of those lots, I'd just take @Twojgrams advice and scrounge some ice from one of the neighboring buses!  ;-)

KBaggins1

We like to go on trips of about a month or more so we bought a Whynter 62 quart capacity frig/freezer unit. These are 12vdc/120vac compresser driven units designed for boats and motor homes/trailers. Two compartments so we use the big one as a frig and the small one as a freezer. Top opening. The unit is 29" by 18" by 20" high so you need some room in your tow vehicle for it. At the campsite we run it on shore power. It can freeze ice and we can get enough food in there to last over two weeks. This is not a low draw unit but it takes a long time to get above freezing when it is unplugged. Also when your TV is shut down and it is stilled plugged in it will auto shutdown before your battery goes too low to start the TV. When we go hiking we just unplug it and cover it over with towels and coats and after 7 hours the freezer will still be well below freezing.

jkjenn

KBaggins1 said:

This is not a low draw unit but it takes a long time to get above freezing when it is unplugged. Also when your TV is shut down and it is stilled plugged in it will auto shutdown before your battery goes too low to start the TV. When we go hiking we just unplug it and cover it over with towels and coats and after 7 hours the freezer will still be well below freezing

That seems like a nice unit.

Same with the ARB - it has three voltage settings you can choose before it will shut down the fridge. Obviously, you do not want to pick the first.

10.1 low
11.4 med
11.8 high

The ARB is able to keep the fridge at below freezing temps at an outside temperature of 90 degrees. I got a free cover for mine and picked up the remote temperature monitoring kit.

KBaggins1

We liked the ARB great reviews but they did not have a dual compartment model at the time. The Whynter has dual digital controls that show the temp setting and actual tempurature of each compartment. We usually have the frig at 38F and the freezer at 7F. It is supposed to auto shutoff at 11V but we have never trusted that feature. Better to just pull the plug than get stuck in the middle of nowhere. There is an optional cover for it but we do not have it, reminds me to start looking for one...

4ncar

Hey...who knew...looks like a possibility!