I agree - a second estimate might be worth the effort.
Tex
A Vehicle for Travelling
Moderators: Rosie, JFR, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh, mbeezie
Gloria,
It sounds wonderful. I hope you find a way to save a little on this excellent investment - but when you consider that you can use this also in a future car, and the savings on restaurant food - not to mention the peace of mind.... priceless!
(OK, still worth seeing whether you can get that priceless price a little lower.)
Love,
Sara
It sounds wonderful. I hope you find a way to save a little on this excellent investment - but when you consider that you can use this also in a future car, and the savings on restaurant food - not to mention the peace of mind.... priceless!
(OK, still worth seeing whether you can get that priceless price a little lower.)
Love,
Sara
After taking two trips with the van setup, I've learned a few things. I told DH that I needed a cabinet for the microwave and wanted a fold-down shelf on the cabinet so I could prepare my food. I also wanted a place to put a container to hold my dirty dishes and another to hold my clean dishes. DH built the cabinet and the pictures of the setup are below. The top shelf can also hold a toaster oven to take in the hotel if I should so choose. The drawer cabinet and microwave cabinets are secured with bungee cords to the door grab handle.
We recently took a trip with the new setup, and it works very nicely. I brought a foldable 3-legged stool along (it slips under the car seat) and sit on it in front of the cabinet to prepare my meals. When I'm done eating, the dishes go in the dirty dishes container, the stool goes back under the seat, and everything is put away and tidy.
When we arrive at the hotel, we bring the cooler into the room and put the items in the room's refrigerator, along with the food that I'll be eating from the freezer, my food suitcase, and cooking utensils. It's a bit of work, but I'm willing to do it so that I can travel. Advance preparation is essential, of course. After our trip, we take all items out of the van and put the seats back in.
Here are the pictures (click on image to see larger image):
Cabinet with drawers holds canned goods, silverware, misc. food; cabinet with shelf holds microwave on middle shelf, toaster oven on top shelf, and clean dishes container on bottom shelf.
Microwave cabinet with shelf/door closed. Thermoelectric 12v cooler for refrigerated items is on floor (was in a little flood - thus the dirt on the bottom)
My huge freezer works on 110v when travelling, 12v off of auxiliary battery when parked.
Top shelf with dirty dishes container, wet wipes for hands, single burner for cooking in hotels, and container for soup
Bottom shelf with clean dishes container and paper towels
Yours truly sitting on my tripod stool (the slippers give away my posed picture)
Gloria
We recently took a trip with the new setup, and it works very nicely. I brought a foldable 3-legged stool along (it slips under the car seat) and sit on it in front of the cabinet to prepare my meals. When I'm done eating, the dishes go in the dirty dishes container, the stool goes back under the seat, and everything is put away and tidy.
When we arrive at the hotel, we bring the cooler into the room and put the items in the room's refrigerator, along with the food that I'll be eating from the freezer, my food suitcase, and cooking utensils. It's a bit of work, but I'm willing to do it so that I can travel. Advance preparation is essential, of course. After our trip, we take all items out of the van and put the seats back in.
Here are the pictures (click on image to see larger image):
Cabinet with drawers holds canned goods, silverware, misc. food; cabinet with shelf holds microwave on middle shelf, toaster oven on top shelf, and clean dishes container on bottom shelf.
Microwave cabinet with shelf/door closed. Thermoelectric 12v cooler for refrigerated items is on floor (was in a little flood - thus the dirt on the bottom)
My huge freezer works on 110v when travelling, 12v off of auxiliary battery when parked.
Top shelf with dirty dishes container, wet wipes for hands, single burner for cooking in hotels, and container for soup
Bottom shelf with clean dishes container and paper towels
Yours truly sitting on my tripod stool (the slippers give away my posed picture)
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
-
MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Wow, that is very cool. 
So encouraging to know that we can travel with comfort, and eat well. Thanks for sharing this journey (pun intended) with us. 
So encouraging to know that we can travel with comfort, and eat well. Thanks for sharing this journey (pun intended) with us. Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Gloria,
That's a great setup, I like the design, and everything appears to be very well made.
Thanks for sharing.
Tex
That's a great setup, I like the design, and everything appears to be very well made.
Thanks for sharing.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Congrats! Looks like a really great setup, Gloria.
We just bought an Engle cooler for our upcoming trip to DH's hs reunion and to see my Mom. We got it at a bargain price from the healthy pet food store. He'd bought some to sell at a fishing/hunting expo. He told us Publix carries dry ice. Never used it previously.
We just bought an Engle cooler for our upcoming trip to DH's hs reunion and to see my Mom. We got it at a bargain price from the healthy pet food store. He'd bought some to sell at a fishing/hunting expo. He told us Publix carries dry ice. Never used it previously.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV.
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
Joan,
It sounds like you got a great deal on the cooler. My freezer can be used as a cooler or a freezer, but since I already have a cooler, I use it for a freezer.
I hope you have a great visit with your mom and at DH's high school reunion. I've got a high school reunion myself this year, but it's close by.
Gloria
It sounds like you got a great deal on the cooler. My freezer can be used as a cooler or a freezer, but since I already have a cooler, I use it for a freezer.
I hope you have a great visit with your mom and at DH's high school reunion. I've got a high school reunion myself this year, but it's close by.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
