To Fridge or not to Fridge - that is the question

[CW]

Interesting thread and a decision I've been mulling over too. It sounds like we'll be getting a fridge in the reboat... it sounds so civilized.

Now, I do know about ice chests. We learned long ago that it is the soaking in water that ruins food NOT the fact that it was inadequately cooled. So we don't use ice (loose). I use plastic milk jugs filled with water and frozen or better, use 1 gallon orange juice jugs (sturdier, more durable plastic). Food stays cool and dry. If the jug is washed out thoroughly beforehand, the result is drinkable water as it melts too, reducing the need for extra water jugs elsewhere. When we send home guests with salmon steaks, it is an easy matter to put the vacuum sealed fish in a doubled up paper bag with a gallon of ice and they are good to travel for hours and hours; it's cheap, disposable, dry, and so effective they've never complained yet. C.W.

[Dora~Jean]

Yep, I agree with your analysis El and Bill, except you forgot one thing. All that extra weight of the refrig, power panel, generator and extra gas has an advantage -- it weighs down the bottom of the boat for more stability (although at a fuel loss of some mpg... ).

Seriously, if my trips weren't generally for 3-4 days or less, I'd consider one also. Who knows, maybe if/when I'm ever able to retire, they'll have 'fuel cells' or something and it'll run off of salt water and a solar panel!

[helm]

Hmm, but wait,if you use a bag of ice every day, or a block of ice every couple of days very quickly you have paid for the fridge.
The motors running why not use the amps.

[Dora~Jean]

Helm,

I agree with using the motors, that is IF you use the motors everyday. We tend to stay put for 24-72 hrs usually. So if you don't already own a generator, add that to the expense of a refrig. I freeze my own ice (in 1 gallon jugs), so cost is nil, they last 4 days. A 10lb block of ice sufficient for a medium size ice chest, costs $5-7 at most stores. As others have said, all depends on where you go, how long you stay and how often you move! Decisions, decisions...

[helm]

We have faced the same problem with engine driven cold plates when we were long distance cruising. In a beautiful anchorage in Huanine or a Hunga or in Cuba and running the engine for an hour twice a day to charge batteries and try to cool off the dumpster - its simply annoying not to mention expensive when you are paying for diesel by the liter or gas at over $3 per gallon . It seems that if you you are are running the boat daily the fridge might make sense, and the positive nods are overwhelming. It would be best if there was a chest fridge type solution esolution for the CD-25. But remember you paid to make the ice, no matter if it was in your fridge or it was a death march with your kids to Vahine to try to find a few bags, or you think it just happened to fall over the hoover dam.

[Discovery]

On Discovery we have the Norcold refrigerator and a Weco Fridge/Freezer. They are both hooked to the port battery bank (two D34 Exide Orbital batteries). The batteries are recharged by the port motor, also by solar panels on the cabin roof. I also have a charge line from the truck to the port battery bank. When we travel with the boat, we turn on the fridge and the Waeco when we leave home, and they run 24/7 until we return. Last winter that was from Dec. 25th until the middle of March. Occasionally we have to run our Honda 2000 if there has been a few days of heavy cloud cover, while on the hook. I admit that the fridge, freezer and solar panels have added close to $2,000.00 to the cost of the TomCat, but sure make it nice for cruising. We never have to find the next place to buy ice.




We use the boat as a camper and live in it as we travel across the country-like "Wild Blue", Jim and Joan.

[Pat Anderson]

I love the idea of solar panels; unfortunately, here in the land of rain and gloom, we do not get enough light, let alone sunny days, for solar panels to be worth much...anybody disagree with that?

[CW]

I'll disagree. I put one solar panel on the roof of my boat and love it. I fish close to the marina on the Columbia River and so the motor doesn't run long for charging batteries. When I fish, it is anchored for 3-6 hours with the motor off, the cd stereo on and the depth finder on and with some running of the bilge pump. After three days of fishing, the big block 460 would struggle to start. Since I put on my solar panel and overcharge protector ($125 total, from Cabelas), I haven't had to use the charger on my batteries except for during the deepest winter when there are long periods of inactivity. They work great and I'm considering having two or more on any boat I have in the future considering more draw-down from refrigerators, radar, Wallas fan etc. [And they're QUIET] CW

[JamesTXSD]

Hi Pat,

We had a large solar panel on our trimaran... and only a 4 amp charger from the alternator, so the panel was our main source of keeping the battery topped off. In sunny south Texas, it was never a problem, but we would see a marked drop in efficiency if there was any kind of shadow (like from a shroud) on the panel. I would think that 6 months of overcast with the occasional "sunbreaks" wouldn't put much juice in there. BTW, no fridge on that boat; so we had done the cooler thing for years before getting the C-Dory... yeah, we like it better with the fridge.

Keep in mind, if you mount solar panels on the roof, you lose your dingy storage up there. Brent's solar set-up on Discovery is outstanding, but he doesn't use a camperback and built a rack for his dinghy over his motors. That would be tough to do on our 25s.

[rogerbum]

[mikeporterinmd]

How flexible are the solar panels these days? Could they be put over
the dink when it is on top.

OTOH, does it even matter? Most times when the dink is on the roof,
the engine is running.

Mmmm...might have to revisit the whole fridge/cooler thing. Need to
change out one of the grp 24 bats for a pair of either grp 27 or 31.
At least phase one of the system is in place: the AC charger.

Mike

[oldgrowth]

There is another option for those of you that do not want to spend 400 to 600 dollars for a frig.

This Igloo 12v cooler


or this Coleman 12v cooler


Both run on 110v or 12v

I have used the Igloo 12v cooler for more than 15 years. It is not the same as a real refer but will keep things cool/cold. They run all the time and will cool things down 40 degrees below the ambient temperature. It will not make ice but I fill a few baggies with ice cubes and it helps bring the inside temperature down in hot weather (over 85 degrees) and I have ice for my beverages. The ice cubes have lasted for five days for me.

I have one group 29 house battery. However, I have not tested it to see how long the battery would last with it on. Theoretically, it should last about 24 hours. I generally run my generator after 12 hours, if the engine has not been started.

They are insulated OK and when used as a cooler with the door opening up, it keeps things cold overnight without running, but you may loose your ice cubes.

Either one can be bought at WalMart for 80 to 90 dollars.

________
Dave

[Dene]

Old Growth,

How noisy are these 12V coolers?

-Greg

[oldgrowth]

[Wayne McCown]

The thermocoolers are NOT as energy-efficient as the 12v refers. My (older) unit will deplete a 24 group battery in less than 8 hours.