Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I purchased a small refrigerator a while back to use while plugged in at camp sites. However, I never use an rv park to camp so I have been thinking about constructing an Ice Box instead of packing a cooler. One pro to the Ice Box is that it will be permanently mounted under the counter so I do not need to take up precious car space or carry a cooler. Also from what I have read they are more efficient than a cooler. Any suggestions or thoughts on which is better...

We had an icebox permanently mounted in a drawer in the tent-top trailer I grew up camping in. It was my grandfather's design. He mounted it so it had a drain tube through the face of the drawer at the bottom, to drain melted ice and spilled milk out. But it did attract hornets when Mom was cooking in the galley area, and bears in the middle of the night (okay, maybe only once, but it was memorable!) Anyway, plan ahead for cleaning the ice box, and for draining the melt water.

Catherine

The big problem with an ice box is that every time you open the door all the cold falls out, a very inefficient design. Note that the most efficient camping refrigerators Engal and Waeco are all top load.

Engel portable refrigerator/freezers are all chest type. The 3 built in models they sell are all a front opening door like a regular house refrigerator. I just purchased 2 100watt solar panels to allow me to run my refrigerator without the need for electric on my next build. I too often camp without electric hookups. Currently I have a couple of ice eating cheap coolers that I will have to replace soon unless I just do day trips.

My trailer has a built-in ice box, originally installed in 1948. It was designed to hold a 20# block of ice in a tray on top and about a case of beer worth of goods in the bottom. A tube drains the water from the tray out through the floor of the trailer.

The door is at an angle and doesn't open all the way to the bottom of the box, so it doesn't let out the cold every time you open it. The biggest issue is block ice. It isn't widely available anymore and even then, seldom in 20# blocks.

Because the insulation is 65 years old, it no longer holds the cold well enough to be food safe, so I use it for beer only, but it's a valid concept, and if you plan around using cube ice and good, modern insulation, I think it could be done.

I'd probably use 2" rigid styrofoam insulation around a welded stainless inner box (to prevent rust) with an over-center latch to hold the door closed against a good seal. Draining through the box is a nice touch, but implementing it could be a real PITA. Maybe a drain in the back that doesn't go through the food compartment would work.

You can see the door on the left side in this photo.




<Chas>

We are going to build and install an ice box in our teardrop in the next month or so depending on weather. Here's a link to the thread: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42784 I ended up with a drawer design instead of a door per the discussion. Lots of opinions and ideas.

Cheers,

Dave

Lgboro wrote:Engel portable refrigerator/freezers are all chest type. The 3 built in models they sell are all a front opening door like a regular house refrigerator. I just purchased 2 100watt solar panels to allow me to run my refrigerator without the need for electric on my next build. I too often camp without electric hookups. Currently I have a couple of ice eating cheap coolers that I will have to replace soon unless I just do day trips.

An insulated "cooler cozy" will turn a ice-eating 2-day cooler into a 3-day cooler for very little money. Search here for "cooler cozy." I got the idea from Debbie (nevadatear) at the 2011 DAM Gathering.

I'm pretty committed to ice-based cooling because there's no place in my trailer to put a fridge, regardless of how it's powered.

<Chas>

Question - Has anyone built in an external thermometer into their original or modified cooler or ice box ? After all of this great discussion about keeping food cold for as long as possible , it would be nice to know that the interior space ( and the food ) was at or below 40 degree's without having to open the cooler/ice box . Thanks for all the great info & I will definitely be making a super insulated cooler/ice box ...........

Bob

Yeti should really pay me... but I love it. My next investment is a deep freezer to house the yeti while it waits for its next journey.

BobBash wrote:Question - Has anyone built in an external thermometer into their original or modified cooler or ice box ? After all of this great discussion about keeping food cold for as long as possible , it would be nice to know that the interior space ( and the food ) was at or below 40 degree's without having to open the cooler/ice box . Thanks for all the great info & I will definitely be making a super insulated cooler/ice box ...........

Bob

Should be easy enough to put a remote oven thermometer probe in your icebox and put the readout somewhere in the kitchen. Mine records high and low temps, but I never use that feature so I don't know how effective it would be. I found a digital thermometer on Amazon similar to this one http://tinyurl.com/appzwz7

<Chas>

Thanks GuitarPhotog ,
A remote digital thermometer would do the trick as long as it would read in the correct temp range . One with an adjustable temp alarm ( say 39 or 40 degree's ) would be even better ...........

BobBash wrote:Question - Has anyone built in an external thermometer into their original or modified cooler or ice box ?

I have one for our 12V fridge, does that count?



It's a wireless fridge thermometer with a built in beeper alarm.

Acurite Linky

The range is great, I can bring it inside and monitor the fridge when its in the garage.

Bruce

I looked at those 12v refrigerators and they cost about what I have invested in the whole build... But I would love to have one if I could afford it! lol

That will count & thanks for the link on the Acurite remote digital thermometer bdosborn . I can think of a number of instances where this will be useful . Thanks again ..............

Bob

BobBash wrote:Question - Has anyone built in an external thermometer into their original or modified cooler or ice box ? After all of this great discussion about keeping food cold for as long as possible , it would be nice to know that the interior space ( and the food ) was at or below 40 degree's without having to open the cooler/ice box . Thanks for all the great info & I will definitely be making a super insulated cooler/ice box ...........

Bob

I just use one of those remote indoor/outdoor thermometers by putting the outdoor portion inside of the the refrig. Batteries last forever and I can read the refrig temp with the push of a button. The sensor is made to be outside in extreme conditions Works great, and it will let you know if you have gotten into an unsafe temp range because it tracks both max and min temps.

Pat