Can we talk about the fridge?

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catalekid

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Our build will be very minimal with no indoor sink or stove top. However, we will be adding a fridge of about 4.5 cubic feet.

My question is freezer or freezerless?  One complete shelf will be lost to accommodate even the smallest freezer.

I am leaning toward no freezer as the only food item we are likely to want that must be frozen is ice cream.  Meats, frozen veggies, etc will not be kept over three days and should be fine if they thaw and are kept at 40 degrees or so.  The two main purposes for the fridge will be beverages and to store my insulin.

What has been your experience with using a fridge without a freezer?  Do you guys have any insight?

Thank you if you can help.
 
So, how much and how often do you enjoy to have an ice cream? Or ice cubes?

Sounds like you already know you needs and wants.
I wonder how much our preferences makes a difference to your preferences?

So are you actually asking for good examples of situations where having a freezer section has saved our day?


It also sounds like you prefer to be fairly close to amenities.  And do not plan on boondocking for very long at any given time. Is this correct?
 
I would not have asked if I did not want to know.

Ice will never be used .... ice cream occasionally and I figure we can make a trip to town for it once a week or so.

We will almost never stay where there are hookups ..... boondock almost 100 percent of the time.

Amenities? Do ya mean shower in a bag, water from an Aquatainer with a plastic tub for a sink, poop in a bucket and cook over an open fire? This is what we do most of the time although we do have a portable propane cook top.
 
I might add we are not strangers to this type of travel .... have been doing it in a short bus for nearly 5 years. However, we have never been gone for more than a month. We do live in an off grid cabin without an electric, water or gas bill to pay.

Downsizing to a van because my significant other is not comfortable driving the bus and my eyesight no longer allows me to drive.
 
Ah, I see.

Thank you for detailing  :shy:

Your questions makes more sense to me now. 
Though it makes me have nothing much to offer, as I have no experience with living like you describe.

So far van living has mainly been a life long dream, but is all but illegal where I live. So I mainly continue to collect info and insights, and keep comparing to the rest of my life experiences.

I mainly know something about technical stuff (or emotional stuff), so you will typically only see me commenting from those two perspectives. 


I hope others will comment and offer you better insights about freezer/fridge experiences.


Too bad that your eyes are no longer what they used to be. On that I can however relate. 
I hope your transition to a smaller vehicle will bring you continued freedom.
 
As long as you go to town every three days to get frozen food and you only want to have ice cream twice a week you should be fine. Many get 2 units and use one for each. Some use the freezer for making ice as well as storing food then try to keep a cooler with the ice they make. If you are getting frozen foods every three days with a really good cooler you could almost use the frozen food and a little ice to keep other things refrigerated maybe. I think I would do two smaller units and use one as a freezer as that gives you a backup if one has a problem but a back up really good cooler could work also. It is dependent on you and how serious your needs are.
 
I have three 12v refrigerators/freezers. they can be used either way as a refrigerator or a freezer. I use 2 as a refrigerator and 1 as a freezer. what's nice about a freezer is you can buy larger quantities when around larger stores. but since it seems you are going to hanging out around stores it might not be needed for you. many of us do longer periods before resupply. myself I like to go 1 month because a lot of the places I go it's an ordeal to go shopping, it's not like a good store is close by. highdesertranger
 
When you say 4.5 ft.³ I Immediately think of a conventional refrigerator like A cube that they use in dorms and such. Maybe I’m thinking wrong but you need to be thinking of a 12 V Compressor refrigerator. Conventional 110v Refers are not doable with solar And boondocking. You would need more panels than van. Sorry if this is a moot point but that’s the way my head went. I use the ice co go 20 it’s small, But it does divide into two sections and I like it very much. It uses very little power.
 
^^^^^^^I run a 9.2 cuft Apartment frig/freezer on SOLAR in my van........for the past 3 years

.......600 watts solar.......450 ah batteries.....1000 watt inverter

frige.jpgopen frige.jpgfreezer.jpg

The unit was made by Igloo.....(No longer available from Best Buy.............about $350 in 2016 )

I ran the unit in my Garage for almost a year on the Kil-A-Watt to determine my energy NEEDS

DANBY is now making the same "Interior" with their fancy exterior finishes................

https://www.danby.com/en-us/products/apartment-size-refrigerators-en-us/dff092c1bsldb/
 

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I thank you all for your advice but all I wanna know is your opinion on the freezer/ freezerless issue.

We have been running a 110 volt 7.5 cu ft refrigerator in our short bus for almost five years, strictly on 600 watts of solar. It works great
 
Many use just a refrigerator to keep from buying ice, but those that want to buy bulk and stay out longer without town trips use a freezer as well. If you are going into town to very three days and don’t mind paying higher prices for smaller quantities then your food with just the refrigerator.
 
bullfrog said:
Many use just a refrigerator to keep from buying ice, but those that want to buy bulk and stay out longer without town trips use a freezer as well. If you are going into town to very three days and don’t mind paying higher prices for smaller quantities then your food with just the refrigerator.
We will be staying out a week or so at a time.  Not all of our meals will be made with refrigerated foods.  About half of them will use shelf stable foods and foods that only require refrigeration without freezing
 
So your only real concern at this point is the insulin I assume?
 
If it matters in your case, a fridge/freezer set to freeze (0-5 degrees) uses a lot more energy from your batteries and solar than a fridge only (or combination unit set to 35-40 degrees)

If you have a robust solar array and batteries (or you are plugged into the grid often) then no biggie, but if your system is modest, then it might matter to you.
 
I will eat my words. It can be done but what happens with a week of rain and clouds?
 
We have the 4.6cu ft Truckfridge (Isotherm, Vitrifrigo, etc). We have the small freeser-big enough for a couple of six packs of Klondikes and a small silicone ice tray.
Yes to freezer!
There's nothing like ice for a cold drink or an ice cream for dessert.
Ted
 
catalekid said:
My question is freezer or freezerless?  One complete shelf will be lost to accommodate even the smallest freezer.
Good question, I'm struggling with dual or frig only also.....following!
 
I must have a refrigerator for my medications. So the small size of the go20 by ice Cois more than adequate for meds but more room for food would be great. I have a dozen eggs 3 - 1L bottles of water a few of those little singleserving fruit things and that’s about all it will hold as I said before I’m very pleased with this unit. It would be nice to stand a gallon jug upright in the thing. And the way I designed it to sit on top of my battery box I could replace with another refrigerator that had similar footprint but much more height when I can afford it. If I had the space I’d consider consider another unit just like this and dedicated to only freezer and this is the only fridge. Maybe as I live with it a few more months I will change my mind.
 
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