refrigerator for QS 10.0?

[wendyandchip]

[font face="arial"]Hi - we're new owners of a Quicksilver 10.0. One thing we are wondering is if anyone has installed a refrigerator or electric cooler of any sort? I'd love to have the convenience of keeping food cold without having to constantly replace the ice in a cooler. 


Wendy[/font]

[admin]

We use a small mini fridge, if I recall its in the 1.3 Cu Ft range. Its limited to the trips where we have electricity but it is certainly a convenience over dealing with ice. Even if we still keep drinks and things in a traditional cooler the fridge is nice for items that are more temp sensitive. Heck the fridge even has the ability to make small quantities of ice if you have the time to kill I have also toyed with the idea of using it with a generator by running the gen-set to cool off the fridge as needed. However I think the fridge is just too inefficient to stay cold for very long without near constant power. It might work if it starts cold, and everything in it is put in a deep chill, and the fridge only has to work to keep it relatively cold but at that point I'm starting to think its a diminished return on my efforts.

In short, we found that it fits perfectly on the little table top just above the AC unit in our '12 QS 10.0 and it works very well for trips where we have a power hookup. Oh and for packing, it fits perfectly in the walkway between our bench seat and the dinette.

-Sean

[husaberger]

nice.. I would love to know what model yours is... Im thinking of getting one for our trip out west this summer

how quickly does it cool down ? I want something to throw in our meats, etc during the day while we're out, not to depend on buying ice much too often ?

again, i just may jump ship and pick up an ARB type of fridge/freezer so we can use it while traveling in the TV and move it in the camper and plug it in.  the price isn't friendly but I think its more important to keep some foods cold, and not have it spoil.

[peislander]

Hi Wendy

I know you, Chip & your kiddies are going to enjoy your QS10. Our small-but-mighty Camplite CL11-FDB is the smallest Camplite and so has their smallest fridge. It is 2.5 cubic feet of useful cold. We found the capacity inadequate for our typical 3-day camping trips. We found getting a good ice chest greatly added to our flexibility and overall enjoyment. Nothing says wonderbar like a icy cold imported German beer on a hot day. The cooler we bought is a >> [a href="http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail_coolers.php?Case=45QT"]Pelican Pro 45-quart[/a] <<. It is extremely robust with a lifetime warranty. It is actually bear-proof! Our Pelican will hold ice for a full seven days - really. Larger capacity models can hold ice for up to ten days. When we camp we keep it outside with a cable lock securing it to the trailer wheel. The lid can be padlocked but we think the cooler itself is potentially more attractive to thieves than our beer. We don't lock the lid. Rather than use bagged ice we tend to use those blue plastic ice-pack thingies that you freeze at home before the trip. With them the cooler contents stay largely dry.

Here's a fun promo clip on Pelican Pro coolers I found on youtube. They seem to have the same 45-quart size we have:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYVwfYu1HEo

See home much fun you can have with a Pelican cooler? Although we are Canadians like the people in the video, we don't have that much fun but our stuff stays cold and that's important too. 


I'd suggest you consider a quality high-performance ice cooler rather than a electric cooler. Pelican is just one brand. Another quality brand is Yeti but they are even more expensive. Unless you buy the very expensive compressor-type electric cooler I don't think you'll be happy. Quality manufacturer's are ARB, Luna, and Engel. In contrast it is critical to note that the more affordable non-compressor (thermo-electric) type will not guarantee to keep your stuff cold --- they are typically designed to be a specific number of degrees colder (like 40 degrees) than ambient temperature. On a hot day they may not be cold enough inside to keep your food from spoiling. On a 90-degree day a thermo-electric cooler might never be colder than 50-degrees --- not enough to keep the bacteria from spoiling you food. And of course for any electric cooler you'll require a reliable source of power.

[peislander]

Further to my above posting I should note I also have a Koolatron Voyager Cooler (thermo-electric) like >> [a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Koolatron-P27-Voyager-Cooler/dp/B000Q73C66/ref=pd_sim_sbs_263_9?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Q34HQ5VD4GDP0BXJRSW"]this[/a] <<. My father-in-law had bought it when he used to snowbird it in Florida every winter. He thought it would be good for the roadtrip for snacks etc. ---- it performed poorly. In fairness to Koolatron, my father-in-law didn't really understand the 40-degree thing -- he expected it to be like a fridge and it really can't compare. Realizing it didn't serve his needs he gave it to us. (He'd still have it if it worked!). We tried it a few times and realized the 40-degree thing didn't serve our needs either. We no longer use it -- it will probably be in our next garage sale. Maybe we can get twenty bucks for it...

[whoofit]

Agree on the TEC devices. Had one for 15 years and used it twice. The last time out car camping with it we woke-up to a dead battery in the '93 Mustang AND warm milk. The actual TEC made a better DIY project platform to tinker with than a cooler. Fun to play with though.

[aznighthiker]

We have camped with friends at campsites that have electricity and they bring along what they call a dorm fridge that are offered at WalMart, Lowes and Home Depot. When in use they do not place in the camper though. We use a Styrofoam ice chest and use dry ice.

[stevesanders]

We have a small refrigerator that runs on 110 volts A/C, 12 volts DC, or propane.  Ours is a Domestic unit that isn't available any longer, but there are similar products available on Amazon and other sources.  These "ammonia cycle" refrigerators work better than the thermoelectric coolers, but they are much more expensive.  The convenience of being able to run it on multiple power sources has been extremely handy, but the price makes it an investment, not a casual purchase.  I don't regret buying it.

Last summer we took a 2 week road trip from our home in central Alabama to Las Vegas.  We didn't take the camper, but we took the refrigerator in the car and spent several nights at KOA camping cabins.  While traveling, we plugged it into the car. At night, I carried it inside and plugged it into wall power.  If we stopped for a while during the day, I hooked up the propane tank and left the Windows open a little.  We saved a lot of meal money by carrying food in the refrigerator and eating at restaurants less.

[charlie2922]

I have a Dometic 50 qt portable freezer that I use in my long haul tractor. It is 12/24 doc as well as 120v AC and uses compressor. I have tent camped with it and plan on using it in the QS8.1 I just purchased as well. They have them in a variety of sizes and you can also freeze your own ice in 1/2 liter bottles of commercial water and transfer to a Yeti or something similar and go a long time without purchasing ice and still have some frozen food too.

Charlie in WV

[knc1014]

We have the 10.0 and it has the 12vt plug in it.  We use a portable electric cooler inside the camper just for a few things that we don't want in ice/water like our milk, salads, yogurts...  It really has worked well for us but we also have a/c.  The electric coolers are not made to work like a fridge.  They will cool down so many degrees below the ambient temp.  We live in FL though and as long as we keep the AC running and put it close to it, we have yet to have any complaints!  :-)

Another thought, ice will only last as long as it can stay cool.  We also travel with 2 coolers.  One, that is only used for drinks and the other at the start of our trip will contain all frozen meats, frozen gallon jugs of water.  This way the frozen stuff will last a lot longer because it will only be opened 1-2 times per day.    Works well for us.  The other thing to consider is freezing water bottles to use in both coolers.  The drink cooler will get opened much more often, but as things do melt, you will have some nice ice cold water to drink.

[charlie2922]

BTW, the new portable freezers Dometic has will go to about 10 below F. Mine only does 0. Another thing is that there are still some of the old model (gray is old , blue is new style) out there. I have a good relationship I have formed over the years with a factory rep that attends the truck shows I go to. He is very knowledgeable and also willing to help make recommendations. Never steered me wrong.
Off topic for this post but very relevant, I have a heat and air unit in my semi tractor made by Dometic that is excellent and light weight for the capacity. They make split systems that have an external condenser and quick connect charged fittings. Mine is large capacity 14000 but cool and 2.1 KW heating. They do make smaller ones as well. A bit pricier than wall units but much more adaptable. And these have a small footprint. Can locate inside unit on floor and has ductwork that can be arranged to distribute air.