Mini Fridge VS. Igloo Cooler

[yamsack]

That may be a good idea with the dry ice.&nbsp; It would definitely eliminate the need to drain any water from the melted ice.&nbsp; I'll check to see how much it costs for dry ice and how long it lasts, as opposed to regular ice.&nbsp; Thanks, 4x4tour.<br>

 

[She]

sorry about I have to ask. Isnt dry ice dangerous?<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.praxair.com/praxair.nsf/...rlmenubranch=8e0340f7cb2710a18525706f005112a9" target="_blank">http://www.praxair.com/praxair.nsf/...rlmenubranch=8e0340f7cb2710a18525706f005112a9</a></div>

 

[yamsack]

@ She&nbsp;&nbsp; I think you're right about the dry ice possibly being dangerous.&nbsp; From what I've read, dry ice produces some sort of gas and would be dangerous if inhaled.&nbsp; There would need to be some decent amount of ventilation if dry ice was used.<br><br>I think I'm gonna use block ice with a Coleman Xtreme cooler.&nbsp; If I don't open the cooler too many times, the ice should last longer and hopefully I would only need to buy ice maybe 1 or 2 times a week.<br><br>

 

[She]

@ She&nbsp;&nbsp; I think you're right about the dry ice possibly being dangerous.&nbsp; From what I've read, dry ice produces some sort of gas and would be dangerous if inhaled.&nbsp; There would need to be some decent amount of ventilation if dry ice was used.<br><br>I think I'm gonna use block ice with a Coleman Xtreme cooler.&nbsp; If I don't open the cooler too many times, the ice should last longer and hopefully I would only need to buy ice maybe 1 or 2 times a week.<br><br>

<div><br></div><div>That's what I am going to do also. Walmart sells those extreme coolers pretty cheap. I also heard that if you insulate the cooler as much as possible...well the ice lasts longer.</div>

 

[CP]

Dry Ice is Carbon dioxide.&nbsp; It is heavier than air when a vapor and will sink to low areas.&nbsp; Don't touch it (when solid) with your bare hands as it is much colder than water ice and will flash freeze your skin<br>

 

[djpandemic]

I have an Edgestar 43qt and I love it. When it is full it cycles very little and I can get about 2 solid days out of my type 27 marine battery and this includes using some interior lights and my 12v water pump occasionally. Hooking up a second battery is pretty easy and if you use a disconnect solenoid you never have to worry about running your starting battery down. I got an incredible deal on my Edgestar and the bits to hook up the second battery (including the battery) were less than 200$. That being said, I was a bonehead and had a real bad short after installation which fried my alternator (add 100$). The thermo-electric 12v coolers are battery hogs, in-efficient and will barely cool on a hot day. In fact I have a vector model that you can have if you pay shipping (not worth it!) There was a three way fridge on my local craigslist for 55$ if you choose to go that route. Remember that you are then dealing with plumbing propane lines and electrical lines and often these propane fridges come out of older scrapped campers and may not be the safest most efficient way to go. It was the route that I was headed though before I scored the Edgestar on the cheap. Hope this helps.

 

[beemerchef]

I really don't mean to go against the grain of these post but why have a cooler? We have been on the road for close to 5 years now, yes, I fell into it a couple times but not worth it. I basically do not eat meat and if I do, find a butcher that day it is cooked they give me free ice. I cook with oil, hard cheeses will keep for a month with refrig. (feta/Parmesan...) and so forth. Now that we have a car!!! I also thought about an Engle + Optima battery + switch... $1200! +/-. It is just a thought, if you need more details let me know... <br>Be well... Ara &amp; Spirit<br><br><A href="http://www.theoasisofmysoul.com" target=_blank>www.theoasisofmysoul.com</A><br>

 

[MrNoodly]

I wouldn't worry about oxygen deprivation from a chunk of dry ice. First, it's sealed in your cooler. Second, even if your cooler isn't perfectly air tight, neither is your vehicle. Your vehicle's heater/AC vents are open to outside air. If you're still nervous, open a window just a crack. If you have a roof vent, open it.<br><br>But I think vandwelling requires the same changes in eating patterns as it does in all the other aspects of life. I think that means not having much food that needs refrigeration, and not trying to keep it cool for more than a day or two. People in much of the world get that day's food that day, or maybe two day's food. Hey, let the market be your refrigerator. If you're boondocking far from stores, then stock up on food that doesn't need refrigeration, like canned and vacu-packed, or dry foods. We're not 21st century house or apartment dwellers anymore. We can't think like that. Think like a 19th century person. How did they do it? Think like a backpacker. How do they do it? Think like most of the people in the world who don't have reliable electricity, much less big-ass refrigerators and freezers. How do they do it?<br><br>I know, it's a philosophy thing. Minimalism vs. having as many conveniences as practical. I once thought a DC compressor fridge would be great. But then I thought about what it would take to run it. Suddenly things got more complicated and expensive. Solar panels, deep cycle batteries, controller, inverter, worrying about the charge state and service life of the batteries, maybe a generator, and fuel for it, and its service life... just to have really cold drinks and some perishable food that isn't as fresh as it would be if I'd bought it that day? Hmmmm...

 

[beemerchef]

<p>I don't mean to go against the grain but we have been [my Dog and I!] <a href="http://theoasisofmysoul.com/" rel="nofollow">on the road full time</a> for over 6 years now without refrigeration. So yes, I don't eat meat unless I saw a Butcher [hardly in the isolated spaces we live in] or drink beer!</p><p>Just a thought. Simplicity. If you want to know more as far as ingredients that last let me know. Would be happy to write back.<br>Stay well. Ara and Spirit</p>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;Check on Craigslist for deals. I got my first Waeco cooler there for around $400 (new!!) about a decade ago and just picked up a Waeco fridge the other day for $220!! Just the ticket when taking off into the woods and whatnot for extended periods of time. ..Willy.

 

[bk2valve]

I am going with Ara's way these days and not using any refrigeration on the road. Wow, so much easier and simpler. Like him I don't drink beer and if I ever buy meat it is eaten that day. I guess if a professional chef can do without refrigeration, I can too...lol.<br><br> Unlike him I am not full-timing so that may make some difference and be easier for me.<br><br>I don't ever stay in one place a long time so I am often near a store even if I am traveling in Mexico. In fact if I am on a beach somewhere in Mexico almost always someone will come by with fresh food for sale. <br><br>I do carry a small softsided cooler inside a homemade reflectix cover that I stick things in like cheese and stuff that needs to at least not be in the direct sunlight or room temp.<br><br>As usual YMMV,<br>Bri

 

[beemerchef]

I was offered electric coolers and turned them down. I cannot give up the simplicity. As you we also do have a cooler. Shade in the summer [even though we are never anywhere over 80] is important. You would be amazed how long some ingredients can last. And if by a creek even better! Leaving much under water, at night hanging from the trees. There are trees up north! We are in the Big Bend Desert now, no trees!<br>Stay well. Ara and Spirit

 

[kwest]

<p>I agree with Beemerchef, I've been in a rv for a few months and the fridge keeps things cooler then ambient but thats about it. And I've been surprised at how long food actually last without refrigeration. Even lunch meats last a few days, cheeses and yougurts last weeks to months, fresh veggies can go a week or so, they may not look as perfect, but they havent spoiled or rotted. When I switch to a van(hopefully next few days) Im going to keep a small cooler. I will rotate frozen bottles from the work freezer every day or two. But I think I could get along just fine with no cooler at all.</p>

 

[accrete]

My wife and i went through the same research process that many of you have and arrived at the ice-cooler for our use. We chose the <a href="http://www.engel-usa.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&amp;Itemid=60&amp;vmcchk=1&amp;Itemid=60" rel="nofollow">_Engel Deep Blue cooler_</a> most recently after having a nice YETI for the first two seasons. We were getting ~4 days of use from a 20lb bag of ice in ~70 degree days/~50 degree nights here in the pacific northwest. The Engel is giving us ~6 days on the same 20lb bag of ice so we are happy. We still use the YETI, but now without ice for dry food storage since we are in bear/critter country and both are bear resistant containers. We also ordered our _<a href="http://www.parkliner.com/" rel="nofollow">Parkliner Travel Trailer_</a> with the stock ice-cooler (front loading) rather than the propane fridge.

 

[idn88]

You can get a regular cooler and insulate it additionally by gluing styrofoam inside on all sides. &nbsp;This should give you a cheaper way to try the cooler idea before you take the plunge and spend a lot more on the Yeti or the fridge to see what works for you. &nbsp;<br><br>Also if you have room for a second small cooler or even cooler bag, only open your main cooler once per day, take everything you need for the day out and put it in the smaller cooler so you only open your storage cooler once per day. That will give you much longer ice time also.<br><br>If you buy Bob's e-book on van dwelling, he covers the cooler/fridge thing pretty well, along with suggestions on fridge and the power requirements, etc. &nbsp;Bob runs this site, his book is advertised here on the main page I think, or just go to amazon and search for vandwelling. &nbsp;The book is well worth the 3 bucks (and then some)

 

[Ballenxj]

I'm trying to absorb all of this. The Engle Cooler sounds pretty good, but so does that energy efficient fridge. <br>WOW! A lot to think about here. <br>-Bruce

 

[highdesertranger]

i guess it all depends on what your needs are.&nbsp; some say you don't even need a cooler or refer,&nbsp; that might work for them, &nbsp;but really no beer omg i can't even envision a world without beer.&nbsp; if you have easy access to ice and don't mind paying for frozen water then a cooler will do.&nbsp; if not then a 12 volt energy efficient refrigerator + battery + solar panel&nbsp;is the way to go.&nbsp; pricey,&nbsp; but i went this way and couldn't be happier.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[MrNoodly]

&gt;&gt;<span style="line-height: 20px;">You can get a regular cooler and insulate it additionally by gluing styrofoam inside on all sides.&lt;&lt;<br><br>Or you could put a cooler in a cooler.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"></span>

 

[Toyfunraider]

My vote would be to install a three way fridge. It would give the most options to power as well as back up, belt and suspenders. My RV with working fridge was the best and ran 90% of the time on propane. <br><br>As a truck driver I used a 12v thermoelectric cooler and as long as you kept the truck interior temp consistent it worked great. The temp is a constant drop below the room temp. In a 120 deg. car this is no good.<br><br>Cooler and ice is a constant, waste of money unless beer is that important to you. I at one time had access to the freezers of a coffee shop. I purchased an array of containers from a thrift store and froze them solid. The nice feature was the minimal ice melt. A small towel would take care of the sweat from the bottles as they thaw.<br><br>My experience has been that unless you can control the interior temp of the vehicle it is difficult and expensive to keep food cool.

 

[highdesertranger]

ice chest and 3 ways both have their place but my problem was the time it takes to resupply.&nbsp; i am often in remote locations. &nbsp;the last year that i used ice chest's it would take 1 day to drive to town to get ice it was killing me and the little store were we got ice from didn't have a reliable food supply so we would have to drive a couple more hours down the road to get groceries.&nbsp; like i said it was killing us. &nbsp;those days driving for ice we were not prospecting = not making any money just spending money, gas + ice + time.&nbsp; so i did allot of research and went with the 12 volt high efficiency refrigerators.&nbsp; i looked into the 3 ways but you still need propane.&nbsp; it would have lasted longer than ice but we would still run out eventually and although propane is pretty economical it still cost money and time to refill.&nbsp; basically i now have free refrigeration&nbsp;like i stated on a previous post i am really happy.&nbsp; this move totally took care of our refer needs.&nbsp; we can stay out 3 weeks now and i feel could easily push it to a month maybe more.&nbsp; another + is you don't have the chance of water contamination with your food.&nbsp; believe me you do not want to ingest ice chest water.&nbsp; yes another first hand experience but that a whole other story.&nbsp; highdesertranger