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Post by persimmonpal on Dec 8, 2011 15:31:28 GMT -5
Hi all, I am just wondering if anyone had any advice.. I am redoing my 1965 Compact, and am thinking about going with an icebox from Vintage trailer supply. I was wondering if anyone got an icebox onnly to wish they had gotten a fridge? I will be installing a 110 volt service, so I could run a refrigerator, but I just think the icebox would be more practical.. I mean I wont always be at a campground that has electrical hookups. I plan on getting gallon containers to fill with water and freeze prior to going away for the weekend.. I dont see us going on too many longer trips this summer. I do have the original Norcold LP refrigerator, that the PO said worked, but I just dont trust it, and I dont want to leave the propane running while cruising down the road. I just think the icebox makes more sense. Plus, I can remove the panel from the door front and swap it with 1/8" birch, so it will match up with the rest of the interior.. Any words of wisdom would be really appreciated!! Also, does anyone know what an original Norcold is worth?? I live in Boston and if anyone around me needs one you can have it cheap! Thanks! -John
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Dec 8, 2011 18:55:06 GMT -5
Wish I could give you advice, but this is a really individual decision - and one I think you've already made, you will be happy with it. Even when we have gone on longer trips, there is always somewhere we have been able to buy a couple blocks or bags of ice. We haven't regretted having just the icebox, and I suspect those who have refrigerators will feel exactly the same. Hamlet's only words of wisdom are "go with your gut!"
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boandsusan
2K Post Member
Christmas parade 2012
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Post by boandsusan on Dec 8, 2011 21:17:09 GMT -5
We mulled over the same thing, Icebox or fridge? We went with the fridge in the end. (110). Our reasoning was, we could use the fridge as an icebox when boondocking (using bottles of frozen water), but we couldn`t use an icebox as a fridge.
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cropper2
100 Post Member
"Trixie"
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Post by cropper2 on May 11, 2012 10:16:00 GMT -5
BoandSusan,
I'm mulling that option as well. Here in eastern Maryland it gets awfully humid (although nothing, I suspect, to AL), so I'm wondering how cool an icebox would keep food in August.
Are you saying that you would just put frozen water bottles in your frig to turn it into an icebox?
If your frig electric or propane? I think that I want a real frig, but I'm not sure which type is best/safest.
Thanks.
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boandsusan
2K Post Member
Christmas parade 2012
Posts: 2,000
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Post by boandsusan on May 12, 2012 2:23:39 GMT -5
Our fridge is electric. With frozen water bottles in it, it works like an icebox. I think a fridge is insulated better than an ice box. The water bottles stay frozen a couple of days (they are usually drank before they fully thaw,lol. Onces the bottle are gone we buy a bag of ice(make sure the ice bag is not punctured). All the campsites we use have electric available so we chose to have the whole camper electric. no propane. On bike rally`s, we don`t normally have electric available to us so we use a generater unless the campers are really close(generater is loud) then we just use bottles/ ice and a portable stove that runs on gas out of our bikes. We`ve never had a problem with food spoilage but we also only open the fridge/icebox at meal times. Our drinks we keep on ice in a cooler.
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Post by harrison429 on May 12, 2012 4:01:06 GMT -5
We started with an icebox, a nice vintage one though not the original, and switched to a basic electric fridge. For same reason boandsusan state. I make ice blocks ahead of time and use them in the fridge during transit with the food (all non drinks). Then when we get to the campsite and plug up, I just put the ice in the cooler. It was winter when we used icebox/cooler but it's purpose was defeated (aka all the ice melted) because we also used heater in the trailer. haha Pretty dumb we hadn't even thought of that! We're very happy with the change.
EDIT: yes, we had no intention of marring our vintage beauty with 'modern stuff' but a temp a/c solution and fridge have made our trips much more comfortable and I'm glad we've done it. We also didn't have to remove anything original since ours came with no appliances anyway.
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Hamlet
2K Post Member
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Post by Hamlet on May 12, 2012 11:34:50 GMT -5
We originally poo-pooed the idea of either a fridge or an a/c in an old trailer. It's easy since we live and do most of our camping in areas that rarely get very hot or muggy. When we think about all of you who live in areas that do, it only makes sense to have both. It makes the trailer heavier, and less energy-efficient, but if you don't go camping because you're miserable, what's the point of having a gorgeous vintage trailer in the first place? We will chastise ourselves and pay appropriate penance to the camping gods. Oh yeah, I'd better fill my ice block mold, we're taking Hamlet out tomorrow for a couple days! Happy COMFORTABLE camping!
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Post by capnjonny on Aug 2, 2012 12:59:58 GMT -5
I recently purchased a 65 compact and will be re insulating the original icebox. I removed it to get access to the framing in the left front corner to repair some rotted framing. I will remove the cardboard box with fiberglass insulation and should be able to install about 2" of foil faced urethane foam board at the bottom and sides and possibly 3-5" at the top. I am thinking this will allow me to keep the box cool for 4-5 days at a time.
Some tricks I have learned from my sailboat include:
Insulate the drain tube and put in a "p trap" so that there is a water seal at the bottom drain. this will keep cold air from draining out the water drain.
provide a rack for the ice to sit on so that draining water doesn't touch the ice
Use block instead of cubed or crushed ice - it lasts longer
put food in tupperware containers in the frig. group them so you can pull out what you need easily = less time with the door open.
Something I am going to try is to put another cooler below the ice box with the drain water from the box running to the 2nd cooler. I am thinking of making a coil of copper tube that runs around and around the inside of the cooler and finally exits out the bottom to the ground. by doing this I should be able to capture enough coolth to keep the sodas or beer cool. It will also help to keep from opening the main box every time you want a cold one.
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Post by conniehobbs on Aug 2, 2012 23:29:55 GMT -5
I just bought a 1961 Shasta as a restoration project (SOTF) Can anyone tell me if this model originally had a refrigerator or an icebox?
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safetybruce
2K Post Member
Miss Alabama 1961
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Post by safetybruce on Aug 2, 2012 23:51:20 GMT -5
conniehobbs, I know the Compacts had just iceboxes in '61
persimmonpal...you might consider a 44 gallon coleman 120/12v cooler...it claims to keep items up to 40 degrees cooler than the ambient air, which isn't much if the temps are in the high 90's, but you could also add some jugs of frozen water to them, since they can be used standing up, or like a traditional cooler...run off of 120 or can be plugged into your cigarette lighter and used in your tow vehicle as you travel...I am sure you could set up a cigarette lighter type socket in your camper and run an independent 12v system being fed from a deep cycle marine battery that is trickle charged by a very inexpensive solar panel. The beauty of this set up is the cooler's multi use and the fact that it can be used when you are not camping too...My Coleman fits nicely in the space where I removed my original icebox in Miss Alabama 1961. There is actually a much smaller version of the same type cooler I sometimes see at K-Mart. I'm buying one of those too, just to have one, the small ones sell for about $60 and my bigger one cost just under $100 at Wal-Mart.
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lamacki1
250 Post Member
Sundance
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Post by lamacki1 on Aug 3, 2012 20:03:37 GMT -5
I enjoyed this topic as I was struggling with what to do in the Compact. Finally decided to go with the icebox. We also have a cooler that keeps food cold for several days and it's worked well for us.
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